Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.sports From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: sports Tue, Mar 24 1992 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 92 05:43:45 EST Message-ID: 03-24 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update March 24, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network ROCKETS SUSPEND OLAJUWON: Hakeem Olajuwon was suspended without pay Monday by the Houston Rockets - in the heat of the battle for a playoff spot - for allegedly faking a hamstring injury. Olajuwon, averaging 21.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, says he is hurt and can't play; the team says he is faking the injury in a ploy to get his contract renegotiated. Houston refused a request last week to renegotiate. NETS TOP HORNETS: The New Jersey Nets went on a 10-0 fourth quarter run to seal a 123-120 win over the Charlotte Hornets Monday. Derrick Coleman led the Nets with 37 points and 12 rebounds. New Jersey has won 14 of its last 16 home games. In other NBA games: Philadelphia 105, San Antonio 92; Atlanta 126, Golden State 125, OT; Denver 100, Minnesota 95. NHL NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE: NHL owners and players resume negotiations Tuesday in an effort to avoid a strike set for noon Monday. The issue is money. The players say the league has plenty of money to meet their demands, but the owners say they will lose $9 million this season. "If we are wrong, they are supposed to show us," said Vancouver Canucks player representative Ryan Walter. BRUINS RECOVER TO BEAT SHARKS: The Boston Bruins mounted a furious comeback to beat the San Jose Sharks 7-6 Monday. Defenseman Don Sweeney scored with 1:03 left to climax a four-goal third period. Rookie Joe Juneau had two goals and an assist for Boston and Brian Lawton scored two for the Sharks. In the only NHL game: Toronto 3, St. Louis 2. LIONS OFFER $5.5M TO SWILLING: The Detroit Lions have offered New Orleans Saints linebacker Pat Swilling, a restricted free agent, a three-year contract worth an estimated $5.5 million that will make him the NFL's highest-paid defensive player. The Saints have seven days to match the offer or they'll lose Swilling, a three-time Pro Bowler. As compensation, they would receive Detroit's No. 1 draft picks this year and next. EDBERG BACK AT NO. 1: Sweden's Stefan Edberg regained the No. 1 ranking in the world ATP tennis computer rankings Monday, ending Jim Courier's 40-day reign. Courier is No. 2, with fellow American's Pete Sampras at No. 4 and Michael Chang at No. 6. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario remains No. 5 behind Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova. MANHATTAN WINS NIT GAME: Manhattan beat Rutgers 62-61 Monday in a second round NIT game when Chris Williams dribbled the length of the court for a layup at the buzzer. In other games: Purdue 67, Texas Christian 51; Notre Dame 64, Kansas State 47; Virginia 77, Tennessee 52; Florida 77, Pittsburgh 74; New Mexico 79, Washington State 71. Also, in the NAIA final, Oklahoma City beat Central Arkansas 82-73 in OT. HASKINS GETS ATTENTION: Basketball fans are taking notice of the architect of UTEP's 66-60 upset of Kansas in the NCAA men's basketball tournament Sunday. Don Haskins is the 12th winningest coach of all time, behind only North Carolina's Dean Smith among active coaches. "Him being so far down in Texas," the Miners' Prince Stewart says, "people seem to forget about him." He has 606 wins in 31 seasons - all at UTEP. PGA TO MAKE `FINAL OFFER': Facing a possible strike, the PGA Tour will make "a final offer" Tuesday in contract negotiations with field staff officials. Richie Phillips, negotiator for the Professional Association of Golf Officials, said the union will cease work Wednesday at the Players Championship if demands for an improved economic package are not met. QUEEN MAY BID FOR AUCTION: Calumet Farm will auction will be auctioned Thursday to pay of the horse farm's $127 million debt. One of the possible bidders is Queen Elizabeth, who has visited the Lexington, Ky., farm that has produced such legends as Citation and Whirlaway but is now in bankruptcy court. The queen is among 10,000 who requested an auction catalog. The farm and individual items are to be auctioned. SILVERDOME GETS SOCCER MATCH: The first indoor World Cup soccer match will be played during the 1994 competition as the Pontiac (Mich.) Silverdome was selected Monday as one of nine venues. The other locations: Washington D.C. (RFK Stadium), Los Angeles (Rose Bowl), Dallas (Cotton Bowl), Chicago (Soldier Field), New York (Giants Stadium), San Francisco (Stanford Stadium), Orlando (Citrus Bowl) Boston (Foxboro Stadium). FLUTIE SIGNS WITH CALGARY: Former Boston College star quarterback Doug Flutie jumped Canadian Football League teams Monday when he signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the Calgary Stampeders. He was voted the CFL's outstanding player last season while playing for the British Columbia Lions. Flutie's four-year deal is believed to be worth $1 million a year. EXPOS TOP METS: The Montreal Expos beat the N.Y. Mets 8-5 Monday in a baseball spring training game. In other gams: Cincinnati 2, Boston 2; Kansas City 6, Los Angeles 2; Toronto 11, St. Louis 10; Oakland 4, Cleveland 3, 12 innings; San Francisco 7, California 4; Detroit 7, Pittsburgh 6; Texas 4, Minnesota 3; Chicago Cubs 4, San Diego 2. 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION: USA TODAY Sports Hot Line. 95 cents a minute. 1-900-555-5555. Sports Editor: Jason P. Smith. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM