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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1996)
Baseball owners reject players’ labor deal ■ CONTRACT: The sport will operate Jor yet another season under the agreement that expired in December 1993 By Ronald Blum The Associated Press ROSEMONT, 111. — Baseball owners voted 18-12 Wednes day to reject their proposed five-year labor agreement with the players’ association, prob ably dooming the deal and in terleague play, too. At the end of a deeply divid ed six-hour meeting that in cluded a National League re buke to the authority of acting commissioner Bud Selig, own ers voted 30-0 to give their rul ing 10-man executive council the authority to ratify a modi fied agreement on behalf of all major league teams. But union head Donald Fehr called the rejection “extremely unfortunate,” and it appeared remote that players would agree to changes. “The fact that the owners have repudiated their own ne gotiator makes the future quite uncertain,” said Fehr, who agreed to the deal with man agement negotiator Randy Levine on Oct. 24. Selig tried to strike a positive tone, saying he hoped talks will continue. "While we could not accept the proposed agreement as pre sented, there is substantial agreement on the vast majority of issues,” Selig said without going into details. The moves by owners may be just part of the cat-and mouse of negotiations, but it probably signals the sport will operate for yet another season under the agreement that ex pired in December 1993. The deal remains in force under the federal court order that ended the 232-day strike on March 31, 1995. “The real deadline is Nov. 15,” Levine said. “After mid night Nov. 14, it’s not going to be done.” Free agents may not start signing with new teams until Nov. 15. Once that date is reached with no deal, the sides are locked into another offsea son under the rules of the old agreement. In addition, the rejection may signal a renewed attempt by owners to pursue a salary cap. If that happens, player agents have predicted it would lead to either a spring training lockout or a strike that would threaten another postseason. A three-quarters majority — 23 of 30 votes — was needed to approve the agreement, and the motion fell 11 votes short. Selig’s daughter — Wendy Selig-Prieb — told other own ers that she cast the Milwaukee Brewers’ vote against the deal, according to a management of ficial who spoke on the condi tion he not be identified. Her move was a direct repudiation to Levine, hired by her father in September 1995 to achieve the elusive agreement. Levine had threatened to re sign if the deal was voted down. After he gave a presen tation that lasted about three hours, Levine was told to leave the room and excluded from the debate. “I’m extremely disappointed about the vote,” said Levine, who may quit next week. "What Don and I came to when we finished negotiations is the best that I could do.” Turn to CONTRACT, Page 16 Eagles suspend 13 for betting ■ GAMBLING: Two players are being investigated for waging against their team By Jimmy Golen The Associated Press NEWTON, Mass. — Two Boston College players bet against their team in a Oct. 26 loss to Syra cuse, the local prosecutor said Wednesday. The school said those two players and 11 teammates were suspended for betting on sports. Middlesex County District At torney Thomas Reilly said there was no evidence of point-shaving, but he noted that an investigation was continuing. Syracuse beat BC 45-17. One of the players was a mem ber of the special teams, but nei ther player was in a position to af fect the outcome of the game, Reilly said. Reilly said a total of 13 BC play ers had bet on college and pro foot ball and on major league baseball games, including this year’s World Series. The bets ranged from $25-$50 to ‘‘several hundred dollars and others that were much higher,” Reilly said. A list of players "suspended for failure to meet their responsibili ties as a student athlete at Boston College” was released, but there was no indication which of the players might have bet against their own team. At an afternoon news confer ence, BC Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said, “When it comes to the moral and ethical conduct of our players and when it pertains to the integrity of our university, there will be no compromises at Boston College." The suspended players were identified as running back Jamall Anderson, offensive lineman Mar cus Bembry, defensive back Paul Cary, defensive linemen John Coleman and Dan Collins, wide receivers Chris Cosenze, Steve Everson and Brandon King, tight end Scott Dragos, center Kyle Geiselman, linebackers Brian Maye and Jermaine Monk, and tight end Rob Tarido. Syracuse was a 13-point fa vorite against Boston College, but trailed 14-7 before rallying for 17 consecutive points in the final minute and 34 seconds of the first half. The Orange got the ball for those three scores on two BC punts and an interception. The 8,800-student school was at the center of a point-shaving scan dal in 1982 when Rick Kuhn was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in fixing six bas ketball games during the 1978-79 season. Initial reports pointed to a similar problem this time. But coach Dan Henning, either knowing or hoping that no such evidence existed, stressed Tues day that things could have been worse. “We’re dealing with a situation here where the NCAA has a rule, and there are going to be some in dividuals here that are going to live with some kind of problem if they have bet on a game,” the em battled coach said. “That’s not my major concern. “My major concern is if any body on our football team has bet on our game and against us. That’s an indefensible position.” Henning has closed practices this week as the team prepares for its biggest game of the year, on Sat urday against No. 17 Notre Dame. At a Tuesday news conference with an unusually large media contingent, he noted that friendly bets are placed by everyone from reporters to state governors. “Let’s not be naive, gentleman,” Henning said, indicating that sus pensions were imminent. “I would expect that ... we have some sort of a problem. ’ ’ Rumors of point-shaving or game-fixing by BC players sur faced in recent weeks and intensi fied after Thursday’s 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh, a game in which the Eagles were favored by 11 1/2 points. Four Eagles sophomores — Kieman Speight, Monk, Anderson and King, who hasn’t played this season because of a broken foot — were confronted by Henning and the team’s student captains Satur day. Later that day Gladchuk an nounced that the school would in vestigate the rumors with the goal of clearing the program’s name. John McBride, an attorney for the four BC sophomores at the center of the controversy, said only two of his clients admitted they have gambled. “They told the authorities at Boston College that they never bet on BC games,” McBride said. "But they also told the authorities that they did bet on other games.” NCAA rules forbid athletes from betting on any intercollegiate or professional sporting event. McBride also said Tuesday he was told the matter would be resolved by Wednesday. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” he said. “But right now, it is not something that it was originally thought.” Henning said Speight and an other player, whom he didn't identify, had asked out of practice Monday and would sit out again Tuesday. Speight has denied any gambling. “He [SpeightJ doesn’t feel like he could practice football as long as his name has been put up like that,” Henning said. “That’s un fortunate. But I certainly under stand his feelings. “If they’re not named or if they’re innocent, they’ll play” Sat urday, Henning said, noting that he usually doesn’t let players par ticipate in games if they don’t practice. Henning’s job was already in jeopardy because of his 15-17-1 record, with a 4-5 mark this sea son. Henning said his team was deal ing with the distractions well while preparing for Notre Dame — their biggest game of the year. On a scheduled teleconference with the Boston and South Bend, Ind., me dia, Fighting Irish coach Lou Holtz said he didn’t expect an easy game because of the turmoil. “I expect the Boston College team to play against us. I have no reason to think anything else.” “33 years of Quality Service” Mercedes • BMW Volkswagen • Audi GERMAN AUTO SERVICE, INC. 342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon, 97402 NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU TRAVEL, YOU’RE ALWAYS CLOSE TO CAMPUS. 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