NCAA Clears Massachusetts in Camby-Agent Scandal

The University of Massachusetts knew nothing about gifts and other benefits used by a sports agent to woo basketball star Marcus Camby, according to the NCAA.

Massachusetts Chancellor David K. Scott said Friday that he had received word from the NCAA enforcement committee, which found the school “did not know nor should have known” about the incident.

Camby, now playing for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, told the Hartford Courant last spring about being wooed by sports agents with gifts. Wesley Spears, a lawyer in Hartford, Conn., was later charged with extortion and promoting prostitution in his relationship with Camby.

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Federal authorities investigating possible point-shaving by Fresno State basketball players have subpoenaed all of the university’s athletic department records dating back to January, 1996.

The Fresno Bee reported that at least five people were subpoenaed to appear before the federal grand jury in Fresno on Thursday. They included Michael Der Manouel Sr., an insurance salesman and basketball booster with whom guard Chris Herren lived during part of the recent season.

Pro Football

New York Jet receiver Keyshawn Johnson blasted teammates and club officials in an explosive new book about his rookie season that will probably result in a storm of controversy for new Coach Bill Parcells.

Excerpts from Johnson’s book entitled “Just Give Me the Damn Ball: The Fast Times and Hard Knocks of an NFL Rookie,” criticize quarterback Neil O’Donell, receiver Wayne Chrebet, offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt and former coach Rich Kotite, and hints that the Jets were guilty of racism in their treatment of players.

Johnson claimed that Erhardt called him “dumb” in a training-camp confrontation.

“Talk to me like a man, not some damn monkey,” Johnson writes. “I went home that night angry and confused and I started to wonder whether racism was a player on this team.”

Quarterback Randall Cunningham signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota also signed kicker Greg Davis, who spent the last six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, and re-signed tight end Greg DeLong.

Free-agent fullback Carwell Gardner, who appeared in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills, signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers. . . . The Chicago Bears signed Tyrone Hughes, luring the return specialist and defensive back from the New Orleans Saints with a three-year contract for $2.6 million. . . . The Atlanta Falcons signed free agents Todd Kinchen, a receiver, and Ronnie Bradford, a cornerback, to two-year contracts. . . . Kansas City Chief defensive end Neil Smith confirmed that he will not play for the team next season. Smith said he met with Coach Marty Schottenheimer this week and was told the Chiefs could not fit him under their salary cap. . . . Five months after a spine injury left him initially unable to move, Cincinnati Bengal offensive lineman Scott Brumfield has been cleared to play again.

Tennis

Brian MacPhie, who had to qualify for the tournament, won two matches and moved into the semifinals of the Salem Open at Hong Kong, the farthest he has advanced in an ATP tournament.

MacPhie, 24, from San Jose, upset second-seeded Marc Rosset of Switzerland, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, then defeated Canadian Sebastien Lareau, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. He will next play Australian Patrick Rafter.

The other semifinal will match top-seeded Michael Chang against Sweden’s Thomas Johansson. Chang advanced with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) victory over seventh-seeded David Prinosil of Germany.

Fifth-seeded Alex Radulescu of Germany needed less than an hour to defeat No. 3 MaliVai Washington, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the Gold Flake Open at Madras, India. . . . Austrian Gilbert Schaller and Fabrice Santoro quit their quarterfinal matches at the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal, because of injuries, and second-seeded Carlos Moya was upset by by fellow Spaniard Francisco Clavet, 6-1, 6-3.

Two more seeded players lost in quarterfinal play at the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla., when Iva Majoli surprised fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, and Amanda Coetzer continued her hot play with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over sixth-seeded Mary Joe Fernandez. . . . Steffi Graf pulled out of an April 29-May 4 tournament in Hamburg, Germany, where she could have faced top-ranked Martina Hingis, because of an injured knee.

Motor Sports

Rusty Wallace won the pole for the Food City 500 at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, ending a drought of nearly three years without a top starting spot on the Winston Cup stock car circuit.

Favorite Jacques Villeneuve clocked the fastest time in practice, beating his nearest rival by nearly a second in the warmup for the Formula One Argentine Grand Prix at Buenos Aires.

The Canadian had a fast lap of 111.121 mph in his Williams-Renault. Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello was second.

Miscellany

Michigan forward Maurice Taylor announced he would forgo his senior season in favor of the NBA draft. Also, Scott Perry, an assistant coach the last four years for the Wolverines, was hired as head coach at Eastern Kentucky.

Colorado assistant football coach Ben Gregory, 50, died of a heart attack late Thursday. . . . Boston College linebacker Jermaine Monk, who suffered a concussion during spring practice, was in serious condition after undergoing surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. . . . Larry Welsh, the coach at Atascadero High since 1979, was named head coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

A federal jury in Providence, R.I., awarded boxer Vinny Pazienza $926,000 for the broken neck he suffered in a car crash in 1991 that nearly ended his career. With interest, the penalty against Kurt Reader, the driver of the car in which Pazienza was riding, totals $1.5 million. . . . Saying he should have had a shot at Mike Tyson last year, heavyweight Orlin Norris asked a federal court in Philadelphia to bar the World Boxing Assn. from sanctioning the June 28 Tyson-Evander Holyfield rematch.

Britain continued its mastery over the United States, retaining the Solomon Trophy in competition at Thousand Oaks between the countries in croquet. . . . UCLA will hold Jackie Robinson day Sunday, conducting a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s major league debut before the Bruins’ baseball game with Arizona at Jackie Robinson Stadium.