Magic says he’s done for good
INGLEWOOD, Caiif (AIM
Magic Johnson, who returned
to the Los Angeles Lakers in
September after missing last
season because ho is HIV posi
tive, said today he is retiring for
good because of the controver
sy surrounding his comeback.
Johnson's annourn;ement
came after several NBA plovers
said they were concerned about
playing against him The sea
son starts Friday
"It has become obvious that
the various controversies sur
rounding my return are taking
away from both basketball as a
sport and the larger issue of liv
ing with HIV for me and the
many people affected." John
son said in a statement Mon
day "After much thought and
talking it over with Cookie and
my family, I decided I will re
iiu; -- for good from the Lai. ■
ers.”
Dr Michael Mellman, John
son's personal physician and
the Lakers' team doctor, said
Johnson's medical condition
"has not changed from the mo
ment ho returned to basket
ball."
"This is not based on his
doctor's advico It's his lifestyle
decision." Mollmun said.
Several NRA stars, including
follow Dream Team member
Karl Malone, said they were
concerned about playing with
Johnson for fear of contracting
the virus One NBA general
manager, speaking on the con
dition that he not be identified,
told Tho New York l'inu\s that
Johnson should step aside to
avoid any controversy
"Look at the tails and
scratches 1 get now," Malone
said "All of a sudden, the Inst
second of the game, and here
comes Magic to the basket. It's
the same us. What d I had the
virus as a player and what if a
Buck Williams or a Charles
Barkley comes in? It is a physi
cal game und you do get kicked
PAC-10
Continued from Page 8
12 loams, with (Colorado to become its 11th mem
ber and Toxus tho second expansion target
"They're approaching Colorado first because
they think it's ready to go and Texas Is not," said
one official, who spoke on the condition of ano
nymity- "Texas is the more important one."
Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hanson said he has
boon instructed no! to comment on expansion
"I won't confirm or deny anything." Hansen
said "Once you start down that path, you never
stop."
Colorado athletic director Bill Marolt said he
had no knowledge of the I’ac-lO’s discussion
([WAFFLE
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and scratched 1 do have con
cerns. just like anybody would
hove It's not a thing of kicking
a man when he's down "
A source close to Johnson,
also speaking on the condition
of anonymity, confirmed that
Johnson's retirement was relat
ed to the controversy surround
ing hi* comeback, and not his
health
well us continuing with HIV
and AIDS education projects
than in the competitive and
time-consuming world of the
NBA "
It was only l-riday night, after
the Laker's final exhibition
game, that Johnson had said he
and tt\e team were readv for the
upcoming season Johnson
made only 1 of 10 field-goal at
I ho sourc e
referred to
the story in
Sunday's
Time s ,
which exam
ined the haz
ards of play
ing basket
ha 11 with
Johnson
Another
source famil
iar with the
situation,
who also de
clined to be
identified,
said Johnson
''probably
thought he
‘It is a physical
game, and you do
get kicked and
scratched. I do
have concerns, just
like anybody would
have. It's not a
thing of kicking a
man when he’s
down.’
Kar! Malone,
Utah Ja/s
tempts while
scoring eight
points in the
Lakers'
10'J-02 lo ss
to Cleveland
at C h a p e 1
Hill. NC He
p 1 a v e d - H
minutes and
had five as
Slsts
He sat out
a few min
utes in the
first quarter
of that game
when he got
a scratch on
his right
a r m T h e
would he above any kind ol
controversy borause ho’.*- Mag
ir: Fhi! Fin discovered that
wasn't going to happen.""
NBA Commission!!!’ David
Slum said "Wo know tins is a
difficult and complex decision
liuil only Magic could make
VV«' certainly respect ids choice
and Magic knows that he has
the NBA’s continued support "
Johnson played In five of the
Lakers" eight preseason games,
averaging 10 4 points and near
ly 12 assists a game
"Tvo come to realize that it
simply isn’l possible to return
to playing in the NBA and still
continue to be involved in all
the things I want to do," John
son's statement said " Although
my family has given me their
support to return to the Lakers,
1 feel that it is more important
to spend my time with them as
scratch required a bandage,
which he covered with a sweat
hand
Johnson, the NBA's i areer
leader in assists with lt,W21,
shocked the sports world last
Nov 7 when lie suddenly an
nouncod his retirement He
said he was quitting because he
recently had tested HIV posi
tive.
Not long after, he tiegan con
templating a comeback and in
February was the Most Valu
able Flayer in the NBA All-Star
game, when he scored 25
points and made three straight
it-pomters in the final five min
utes
A week later, his number was
retired bv the Lakers, but even
at that time be made it clear he
was considering a return
"Well, there arc all sorts of rumors about .ill
sorts of schools," Murolt said. "I really don't have
anything to say."
An official within the Pac-10 told the newspa
per "in the next few weeks and months, there
will he movement at the presidential level" re
gardlng Colorado He said the Pur-10 presidents
had been "careful" not to take a vote on the issue
Texas Chancellor William Cunningham was out
of town Monday and did not return a phone call
from The Associated Press
A second official in the Pm 10 said the CliOs
hud taken a straw vote of 9-0. with one absten
tion, to pursue Colorado. The league requires
unanimous agreement in ull formal votes
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Pao10 awards weekly
honor to Duck end
The Pacific-to Conference named Oregon defensive end
Jeff Cummins defensive player of the week for Ins perfor
mance Saturday in the Ducks' il l 1" win over Washington
State
Cummins, a senior, hod five tm kies and three sat ks total
ing 25 yards against (tie favored Cougars In Ihillman
Cummins shares the honor with CSC s Curtis Conway and
California's Russell White, who won the honors for special
teams and offensive play, respectively
kic ker Tommy Thompson is the only other Dm k to re< eive
the honor this season He has received the award twice this
year
SEASON
Continued from F’age 8
Cougars tu linisli 4 ’
OK. so I was off by .1 fi'\v. but
who Knew t l l.A would lie so
bad this Into in the season, and
I underestimated thn patsies
Washington St,ilf scheduled to
put life in the program
Somr ut thf teams VVSt bf.it
on its wav to a 0-0 record arf
Montana, who is currently I S
in thi Hig Skv Conference,
Temple (17) and tin- previous
|y mentioned Oregon Slain Una
vnrs Sum thfv Imat 5 -I Tresno
Statf, hut thnv struggled to do
that, and thnv h at Arizona, hut
that was whnn thn Wildcats
worn struggling so had thnv lied
thf Heavers
Thu Cougars succeeded in
fooling people for a while, and
were ranked as high as 1 Ith in
the country before folding in
back-to-back weeks against
DSC and Oregon It doesn't get
much easier for the Cougars as
they finish the season against
Arizona Stale, Stanford and
Washington
Number One: It is time for
the NCAA to realize the lug
business college football Inis
hei time and make two changes,
institute a playoff system and
play overtime when a game is
tied after regulation
I have rarely had more re
spect for a c oach than I did lor
Texas Tech head coach Spike
Dykes earlier this year when lie
passed up an almost certain tie
to go for the win against Ore
gon
Too often we see couches like
Lou Holtz of Noire Dame and
Auburn's I’ot "Tin" Die go fur
lies instead of wins during big
games. I know college football
is played by amateurs and win
ning shouldn’t lie everything,
but if that is the case, tell me
why college basketball has
overtime
As for this No 1 controversy:
I.ike 1 said earlier, I know win
ning .ind Iming the !>esi aren't
supposed in Ik w ii.ii college
athletics urn .ill .iImiuI. lull I ask
win college basketball bus ,i
post-season tournament and
football ilnr-.ii i ’
1 hr simplest way lo Institute
.1 pl.iyoff system is firs! lo move
bowl games up Iwo Wrrks. 11 Is
ridiculous for trunis to nrrd
five weeks lo prepare lor a
howl game For example this
ve.ir Washington's lm.il regular
season game is Nov _’l nguinst
Washington Stale, but then It
must wait until New Year's Day
to plav 111 the |{ose flow I
Play tin- txiwl games during
the first Ihree weeks of Decem
ber, then lake the top four
learns in the pulls and have
thorn phtv a college IimiIIj.iII Fi
nal Four during the final week
ol Dor ember and the lirsi week
ol lenuary
As fur who is No 1 llus year,
I was finally sum it was Miami
until Washington annihilated a
good Stanford squad last wis t,
hv a scorn id -11 • 7. and nine
again < loaded the picture The
only thing that is sure is we are
( urrenlly seeing two of the
most talented college football
teams in a long time For these
two teams to go unbeaten lor ii
most two whole seasons is in
i redihle and thus ImiIIi teams
should he called the best
One solution to finding out
who is No 1 is to bring buck all
the Miami and Washington
players who graduated last
year, and play at a neutral sight
somewhere In Kansas There
aren't many sporting events I'm
willing to pay money to watch
on IV. but this would lie a Fay
I’er Vtew bonanza Are you lis
tening Don King'
.Steve Mims is n sports rrporl
er for I hr Fmoruld
Hornbuckle
for City Council
for the people, for the common good
Endorsers Gradual* Teaching Fellows Federation. OR
Women's Political Caucus. Lane County Fair Share.
PeaceWorks. CiSCAP. Lane County Labor Council. Eu
gene Firefighters Local 851 Profs Pope. Ryan. Urquhart.
Foster. Brick. Bybee. Burns. Wolfe (emeritus). Sptgner.Lo
|»4«j jar *n4 authorby TV t'm.ypi* jb» llomtoKki* Rue Chow, treasurer, 1 TtS W 14«h. Fupene