Official Says Erving’s Son May Have Had Drug Relapse

Cory Erving, the 19-year-old missing son of NBA great Julius Erving, might have had a drug relapse and might be using crack cocaine, the investigating sheriff in Sanford, Fla., said Wednesday.

There have been no sightings, but officers are looking into a confrontation the youngster had in a known drug area shortly before he was reported missing.

Cory Erving disappeared May 28 on what was supposed to be a 20-minute shopping errand to a Lake Mary mall for a family picnic on Memorial Day weekend.

“There are indications that he may have had a relapse and may be abusing crack cocaine,” Seminole County Sheriff Donald Eslinger said on the NBC “Today” show.

Julius Erving, executive vice president of the Orlando Magic, made a nationally televised appeal Tuesday with his wife and their three other adult children for help in finding his son.

College Sports

As Indiana University’s most outspoken critic of Coach Bob Knight, English professor Murray Sperber expected a backlash.

But death threats and harassing phone calls forced the professor to take an unpaid leave of absence for a semester.

“I could not see teaching under these circumstances,” Sperber said. “I guess on the most-hated list I’m about third, behind [former player] Neil Reed, [former assistant coach] Ron Felling. But my e-mail is public, and the other two can’t be reached so easily.”

Former Westchester High basketball star Tony Bland, who started all 32 games for Syracuse last season, says he is transferring to San Diego State. The shooting guard said he wanted to attend a school closer to his home. Bland, the 1997-98 City player of the year, averaged 6.8 points and 1.7 rebounds as a sophomore for the Orangemen.

Tennessee’s academic administrators are asserting new authority over the school’s troubled tutoring program. University President Dr. J. Wade Gilley announced that Provost Clifton Woods will assume authority over the program, with guidance from a three-member faculty committee. The tutoring program, under athletic department management, was hit with allegations of bending rules to keep football players eligible.

Pro Football

Daryl Johnston made it official, retiring after 11 seasons as the Dallas Cowboys’ fullback. “You can’t be sad, you can’t be disappointed, because this career has exceeded any of the expectations I could have had growing up in a small town.” Johnston’s next job likely will be in broadcasting.

New York Jet running back and kick returner Leon Johnson was arrested over the weekend in Iowa City and spent eight hours in jail on charges of disobeying police and failing to leave the scene of a fight. Johnson paid a $350 fine and was released from county jail Sunday.

Hockey

The Kings have reached an agreement to purchase the new Manchester, N.H., franchise of the American Hockey League. Manchester will begin play in October 2001. . . . Ray Bourque, traded to the Colorado Avalanche last season after more than 20 years in Boston, passed up the chance to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and signed a one-year, $5.5-million contract with the Avalanche. . . . The Buffalo Sabres said they will not pick up the option year on the contract of Rob Ray, which means he will become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1. . . . The Florida Panthers signed right wing Denis Shvidki, their first-round pick in the 1999 draft, to a three-year contract.

Instead of a ticker-tape parade, fans of the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils celebrated with a tailgate party in a parking lot at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J. Hundreds attended a free Fan Fest with games, food and music. The Devils wrapped up the Cup with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Tennis

Andre Agassi, playing his first match since losing in the second round of the French Open, struggled past little-known Frenchman Anthony Dupuis, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, at the Wimbledon warmup grass-court tournament at Queen’s Club in London. . . . Martina Navratilova, 43, will play mixed doubles at Wimbledon, a spokeswoman for her publicity firm said. Navratilova will team with India’s Mahesh Bhupathi.

Golf

A disabled golfer with a progressive muscle disease must be allowed to use a cart in U.S. Senior Open qualifying later this month, a federal judge ruled in Austin, Texas. JaRo Jones, 53, of Baytown, Texas, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Golf Assn., saying denying him a cart violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Miscellany

Michelle Griffiths scored six of her 18 points in overtime as the Phoenix Mercury rallied to beat the Portland Fire, 81-80, in a WNBA game at Phoenix.

Few details were available the day after former super welterweight champion Duane Thomas, 39, was fatally shot in Detroit. Thomas was found shot outside a party store on the city’s east side around Tuesday night. Thomas’ biggest fights came in the mid 1980s.

NCAA shotput and discus champion Seilala Sua of UCLA, who won six NCAA titles in her career, was named the Pacific 10 women’s track athlete of the year. Sprinter Ja’Warren Hooker of Washington was named the men’s track athlete of the year. UCLA’s Jeanette Bolden was named women’s coach of the year and USC’s Ron Allice and Stanford’s Vin Lananna were named men’s co-coaches.