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John Elway has promised to get rid of his dog if it's found wandering the streets again. Elway appeared before a municipal judge in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., after being cited last month for allowing his malamute, Kimo, to escape. It was the fifth such citation in two years for the former Denver Broncos quarterback. Judge James E. Turre fined Elway $500, with $250 of it suspended as long as there are no further violations in the next year. He also said that Kimo would be banished from the city if he's caught wandering loose during that period. "The dog got out, and we won't let that happen again," Elway said. "We'll lock all the gates." Rogge: Olympics will avoid fads IOC president Jacques Rogge insists he won't let big money sponsors pressure the Olympics into adopting trendy sports that could quickly lose popularity. "The Olympic program must always adapt itself to youth, but we must not fall into the trap of temporary fashions," Rogge said at a news conference. "When I was young, the hula hoop was in fashion. I was actually very good at it, but it hasn't lasted." The International Olympic Committee recently rejected proposals to consider surfing, parachuting, roller-skating and nine other sports for inclusion in the 2008 Beijing Games. Last month, the IOC also delayed a decision to include golf and rugby. $00:0200345848: $199:A0200345848 $01:Copyright 2002 The Columbian Publishing Co. $02:$?The Columbian $20:December 21, 2002, Saturday $30:Sports; Pg. b3 $60:NHL REPORT: SABRES COULD LEAVE BUFFALO WITHOUT HELP $90:The Associated Press $100:NHL Hockey $120: The financially troubled Buffalo Sabres are in jeopardy of folding or leaving the city after this season unless state and local governments help out a pair of prospective buyers, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday. "There's no question the franchise will complete the season. What happens beyond that will depend on if we can complete the sale," Bettman told The Associated Press. "It hinges on a lot of things, but it will hinge, in some measure, on whether this is a good investment for the community. And that's something that only the government leaders will decide." The Sabres have been the league's most troubled franchise on and off the ice since the NHL took over operating control of the team from owner John Rigas last June. The team's poor performance combined with ownership uncertainty has significantly affected ticket sales. The Sabres have sold out only one game this season and are averaging about 12,700 fans a game, about 6,000 below capacity and 5,000 fewer than last season's average. Slapshots * Dallas placed center Mike Modano on injured reserve after he showed signs of post-concussion syndrome. * Boston forward Sergei Samsonov is expected to miss up to three months after he undergoes surgery on a broken right wrist. * Calgary forward Scott Nichol has been suspended for five games for hitting Columbus' Hannes Hyvonen in the mouth with his stick. $00:0200345850: $199:A0200345850 $01:Copyright 2002 The Columbian Publishing Co. $02:$?The Columbian $20:December 21, 2002, Saturday $30:Sports; Pg. b3 $60:PORTLAND REMAINS INTERESTED IN EXPOS $90:AP $120: PORTLAND (AP) -- Some Oregon politicians are hoping the Montreal Expos will relocate to Portland, but others say the state can't afford the team while it's still tussling with a big budget deficit. "They're looking for corporate welfare from the state of Oregon," said state Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland. "They can seek their welfare from somewhere else." Officials in Portland and the Washington, D.C., area were contacted last week as major league baseball considers relocating the Expos. The team is the collective property of league owners, who want to sell it and move to another city by the 2004 season. The Expos, plagued by poor attendance, are planning to play 22 games in Puerto Rico next season. Portland Mayor Vera Katz said she would get "directly involved" with any effort to bring the team to the city and would revive a stadium financing bill. Katz said she would work with the Oregon Sports Authority after the holidays to bring the Expos to Portland and persuade the Legislature to approve the financing all by Major League Baseball's "soft" deadline of late February. But she emphasized the cost would be a key factor. "I've said loud and clear we will not sacrifice city services," Katz said. State Sen. Ryan Deckert, D-Beaverton, who spearheaded an effort to bring a team to Oregon in 2001, said he would lead a similar fight when the 2003 Legislature opens Jan. 13. Deckert said he has met with baseball backers the last few days and the proposal would be the same as the one that fell short in 2001 a revenue bond backed by income taxes to be paid by future major leaguers in Portland. Any use of other taxpayer money is "not in the cards," Deckert added. Deckert argued the proposal would result in a net gain for the state budget because the jobs created by the stadium construction project would boost income tax revenue in a state that depends heavily on personal and corporate income taxes. Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority, said the strategy for the local government stadium share is the same as at the state level: floating bonds to pay for upfront costs, then using taxes and fees generated by the stadium and the team to pay the long-term debt. But Mahalic said the estimated $350 million ballpark proposal by Portland Baseball Group President Steve Kanter was premature. "That's definitely putting the cart before the horse," Mahalic said. The recruiting effort would stand a better chance if it was backed by a wealthy investor, supporters say, but attempts to attract a big corporate name have failed in the past. $00:0200345852: $199:A0200345852 $01:Copyright 2002 The Columbian Publishing Co. $02:$?The Columbian $20:December 21, 2002, Saturday $30:Sports; Pg. b3 $60:MILLWOOD SENT TO PHILADELPHIA ON ACTIVE DAY $90:JOSH DUBOW, Associated Press writer $100:baseball $120: NEW YORK -- The NL East race just got a little more competitive. The Phillies and Mets kept up their offseason dealing Friday, with Philadelphia acquiring right-hander Kevin Millwood from Atlanta and New York agreeing in principle to a $26 million, four-year deal with outfielder Cliff Floyd. It was a busy day in baseball. Fred McGriff agreed to a one-year deal with Los Angeles, Sandy Alomar Jr. signed a $700,000 deal with the Chicago White Sox, shortstop Mike Bordick agreed to a $1 million deal with Toronto, lefty Shawn Estes finalized a $3 million deal with the Cubs, and Charles Nagy signed a minor league deal with San Diego. Also, All-Star Robert Fick, World Series champion designated hitter Brad Fullmer, Jose Cruz Jr. and Shane Spencer all became free agents when their teams did not offer them contracts for 2003. But the biggest news came in the NL East. After watching the Braves run away with yet another division title this year, the Phillies and Mets have been two of the busiest teams this offseason. The Phillies finished just two games behind Atlanta in the NL East in 2001, but faltered last year, finishing 211/2 games out. Philadelphia already committed $102 million to free agent first baseman Jim Thome and third baseman David Bell, but missed out on pitchers Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer. "He had electric stuff last year," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said of Millwood. "He had the best stuff on that staff." With the Braves looking to shed salary and unload an extra starter, the Phillies gave up catcher Johnny Estrada for Millwood. Millwood was 18-8 with a 3.24 ERA last season, helping the Braves win an unprecedented 11th straight division title. "It's a shock," Millwood said. "But I'm excited to be going to a team that wants to win." He made $3.9 million last season. He is eligible for salary arbitration, and will get a hefty raise in 2003. "We had no choice but to move payroll," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "We had to trade Kevin Millwood. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do, but we have a very high regard for Estrada as our catcher of the future." Floyd batted .288 with 28 homers, 43 doubles and 79 RBI last season for Boston, Montreal and Florida. He will be a major upgrade over Roger Cedeno or Jeromy Burnitz in one of the corner outfield spots. Floyd, who declined salary arbitration from Boston on Thursday, must pass a physical today to make the deal official. McGriff, whose deal will be finalized when he passes a physical next week, will replace Eric Karros at first base for Los Angeles. Karros was traded to the Cubs earlier this offseason. McGriff hit .273 with 30 homers and 103 RBI in 146 games for the Cubs last season. He is 22 homers short of becoming the 17th player in history with 500. After a disappointing 2002, Estes was reunited with manager Dusty Baker and former pitching coach Dick Pole. Estes was an All-Star in 1997 when he pitched for Baker and Pole on the Giants, going 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA. But the former All-Star struggled last season, going 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA for the Reds and the Mets. Alomar returned to the White Sox five months after they traded him to Colorado. He will be a backup for Miguel Olivo and Josh Paul. Bordick finished last season with 110 consecutive games without an error and 543 consecutive errorless chances, both major league records for a shortstop. He will back up Chris Woodward. Also, several players agreed to deals ahead of Friday's deadline to offer 2003 contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters: Florida infielders Luis Castillo ($4.85 million) and Alex Gonzalez ($1.7 million); Cubs catcher Paul Bako ($750,000) and right-hander Alan Benes ($600,000); Milwaukee lefty Valerio De Los Santos ($925,000); San Francisco lefty Scott Eyre ($725,000); Kansas City second baseman Carlos Febles ($775,000) and outfielder Mark Quinn ($500,000); and Texas catcher Todd Greene ($750,000) and right-hander Danny Kolb ($450,000). At least 34 players became free agents when they weren't offered contracts. More were expected before a midnight deadline. Fullmer was one of the most prominent. He was Anaheim's primary DH last season, batting .289 with 35 doubles, 19 homers and 49 RBI.
John Elway has promised to get rid of his dog if it's found wandering the streets again. Elway appeared before a municipal judge in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., after being cited last month for allowing his malamute, Kimo, to escape. It was the fifth such citation in two years for the former Denver Broncos quarterback. Judge James E. Turre fined Elway $500, with $250 of it suspended as long as there are no further violations in the next year. He also said that Kimo would be banished from the city if he's caught wandering loose during that period. "The dog got out, and we won't let that happen again," Elway said. "We'll lock all the gates." Rogge: Olympics will avoid fads IOC president Jacques Rogge insists he won't let big money sponsors pressure the Olympics into adopting trendy sports that could quickly lose popularity. "The Olympic program must always adapt itself to youth, but we must not fall into the trap of temporary fashions," Rogge said at a news conference. "When I was young, the hula hoop was in fashion. I was actually very good at it, but it hasn't lasted." The International Olympic Committee recently rejected proposals to consider surfing, parachuting, roller-skating and nine other sports for inclusion in the 2008 Beijing Games. Last month, the IOC also delayed a decision to include golf and rugby. $00:0200345848: $199:A0200345848 $01:Copyright 2002 The Columbian Publishing Co. $02:$?The Columbian $20:December 21, 2002, Saturday $30:Sports; Pg. b3 $60:NHL REPORT: SABRES COULD LEAVE BUFFALO WITHOUT HELP $90:The Associated Press $100:NHL Hockey $120: The financially troubled Buffalo Sabres are in jeopardy of folding or leaving the city after this season unless state and local governments help out a pair of prospective buyers, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday. "There's no question the franchise will complete the season. What happens beyond that will depend on if we can complete the sale," Bettman told The Associated Press. "It hinges on a lot of things, but it will hinge, in some measure, on whether this is a good investment for the community. And that's something that only the government leaders will decide." The Sabres have been the league's most troubled franchise on and off the ice since the NHL took over operating control of the team from owner John Rigas last June. The team's poor performance combined with ownership uncertainty has significantly affected ticket sales. The Sabres have sold out only one game this season and are averaging about 12,700 fans a game, about 6,000 below capacity and 5,000 fewer than last season's average. Slapshots * Dallas placed center Mike Modano on injured reserve after he showed signs of post-concussion syndrome. * Boston forward Sergei Samsonov is expected to miss up to three months after he undergoes surgery on a broken right wrist. * Calgary forward Scott Nichol has been suspended for five games for hitting Columbus' Hannes Hyvonen in the mouth with his stick. $00:0200345850: $199:A0200345850 $01:Copyright 2002 The Columbian Publishing Co. $02:$?The Columbian $20:December 21, 2002, Saturday $30:Sports; Pg. b3 $60:PORTLAND REMAINS INTERESTED IN EXPOS $90:AP $120: PORTLAND (AP) -- Some Oregon politicians are hoping the Montreal Expos will relocate to Portland, but others say the state can't afford the team while it's still tussling with a big budget deficit. "They're looking for corporate welfare from the state of Oregon," said state Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland. "They can seek their welfare from somewhere else." Officials in Portland and the Washington, D.C., area were contacted last week as major league baseball considers relocating the Expos. The team is the collective property of league owners, who want to sell it and move to another city by the 2004 season. The Expos, plagued by poor attendance, are planning to play 22 games in Puerto Rico next season. Portland Mayor Vera Katz said she would get "directly involved" with any effort to bring the team to the city and would revive a stadium financing bill. Katz said she would work with the Oregon Sports Authority after the holidays to bring the Expos to Portland and persuade the Legislature to approve the financing all by Major League Baseball's "soft" deadline of late February. But she emphasized the cost would be a key factor. "I've said loud and clear we will not sacrifice city services," Katz said. State Sen. Ryan Deckert, D-Beaverton, who spearheaded an effort to bring a team to Oregon in 2001, said he would lead a similar fight when the 2003 Legislature opens Jan. 13. Deckert said he has met with baseball backers the last few days and the proposal would be the same as the one that fell short in 2001 a revenue bond backed by income taxes to be paid by future major leaguers in Portland. Any use of other taxpayer money is "not in the cards," Deckert added. Deckert argued the proposal would result in a net gain for the state budget because the jobs created by the stadium construction project would boost income tax revenue in a state that depends heavily on personal and corporate income taxes. Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority, said the strategy for the local government stadium share is the same as at the state level: floating bonds to pay for upfront costs, then using taxes and fees generated by the stadium and the team to pay the long-term debt. But Mahalic said the estimated $350 million ballpark proposal by Portland Baseball Group President Steve Kanter was premature. "That's definitely putting the cart before the horse," Mahalic said. The recruiting effort would stand a better chance if it was backed by a wealthy investor, supporters say, but attempts to attract a big corporate name have failed in the past. $00:0200345852: $199:A0200345852 $01:Copyright 2002 The Columbian Publishing Co. $02:$?The Columbian $20:December 21, 2002, Saturday $30:Sports; Pg. b3 $60:MILLWOOD SENT TO PHILADELPHIA ON ACTIVE DAY $90:JOSH DUBOW, Associated Press writer $100:baseball $120: NEW YORK -- The NL East race just got a little more competitive. The Phillies and Mets kept up their offseason dealing Friday, with Philadelphia acquiring right-hander Kevin Millwood from Atlanta and New York agreeing in principle to a $26 million, four-year deal with outfielder Cliff Floyd. It was a busy day in baseball. Fred McGriff agreed to a one-year deal with Los Angeles, Sandy Alomar Jr. signed a $700,000 deal with the Chicago White Sox, shortstop Mike Bordick agreed to a $1 million deal with Toronto, lefty Shawn Estes finalized a $3 million deal with the Cubs, and Charles Nagy signed a minor league deal with San Diego. Also, All-Star Robert Fick, World Series champion designated hitter Brad Fullmer, Jose Cruz Jr. and Shane Spencer all became free agents when their teams did not offer them contracts for 2003. But the biggest news came in the NL East. After watching the Braves run away with yet another division title this year, the Phillies and Mets have been two of the busiest teams this offseason. The Phillies finished just two games behind Atlanta in the NL East in 2001, but faltered last year, finishing 211/2 games out. Philadelphia already committed $102 million to free agent first baseman Jim Thome and third baseman David Bell, but missed out on pitchers Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer. "He had electric stuff last year," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said of Millwood. "He had the best stuff on that staff." With the Braves looking to shed salary and unload an extra starter, the Phillies gave up catcher Johnny Estrada for Millwood. Millwood was 18-8 with a 3.24 ERA last season, helping the Braves win an unprecedented 11th straight division title. "It's a shock," Millwood said. "But I'm excited to be going to a team that wants to win." He made $3.9 million last season. He is eligible for salary arbitration, and will get a hefty raise in 2003. "We had no choice but to move payroll," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "We had to trade Kevin Millwood. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do, but we have a very high regard for Estrada as our catcher of the future." Floyd batted .288 with 28 homers, 43 doubles and 79 RBI last season for Boston, Montreal and Florida. He will be a major upgrade over Roger Cedeno or Jeromy Burnitz in one of the corner outfield spots. Floyd, who declined salary arbitration from Boston on Thursday, must pass a physical today to make the deal official. McGriff, whose deal will be finalized when he passes a physical next week, will replace Eric Karros at first base for Los Angeles. Karros was traded to the Cubs earlier this offseason. McGriff hit .273 with 30 homers and 103 RBI in 146 games for the Cubs last season. He is 22 homers short of becoming the 17th player in history with 500. After a disappointing 2002, Estes was reunited with manager Dusty Baker and former pitching coach Dick Pole. Estes was an All-Star in 1997 when he pitched for Baker and Pole on the Giants, going 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA. But the former All-Star struggled last season, going 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA for the Reds and the Mets. Alomar returned to the White Sox five months after they traded him to Colorado. He will be a backup for Miguel Olivo and Josh Paul. Bordick finished last season with 110 consecutive games without an error and 543 consecutive errorless chances, both major league records for a shortstop. He will back up Chris Woodward. Also, several players agreed to deals ahead of Friday's deadline to offer 2003 contracts to unsigned players on 40-man rosters: Florida infielders Luis Castillo ($4.85 million) and Alex Gonzalez ($1.7 million); Cubs catcher Paul Bako ($750,000) and right-hander Alan Benes ($600,000); Milwaukee lefty Valerio De Los Santos ($925,000); San Francisco lefty Scott Eyre ($725,000); Kansas City second baseman Carlos Febles ($775,000) and outfielder Mark Quinn ($500,000); and Texas catcher Todd Greene ($750,000) and right-hander Danny Kolb ($450,000). At least 34 players became free agents when they weren't offered contracts. More were expected before a midnight deadline. Fullmer was one of the most prominent. He was Anaheim's primary DH last season, batting .289 with 35 doubles, 19 homers and 49 RBI.
