Outside Oberlin: a national sports roundup

Neely attempts comeback

Two years after his premature departure from the National Hockey League, former Boston Bruins forward Cam Neely, 33, returned to the ice for the first time on Wednesday to determine whether he could overcome the degenerative hip condition that forced his early retirement. While Bruins general manager Harry Sinden emphasized that a full-fledged comeback is a "long shot," Neely hopes that his surgically replaced hip will enable him to play with the Bruins sometime during final month of the current season. If successful, his bid to return to the big leagues would mirror similar comebacks by Carolina Hurricanes forward Gary Roberts, who briefly retired due to chronic back troubles, and former Pittsburgh Penguin superstar Mario Lemieux, who braved Hodgkin's Disease during the 1995 season before returning to the league the next year to win the Art Ross Trophy. For his part, Neely tallied 395 goals and 299 assists during his distinguished13-year career with the Bruins and was an Eastern Division All-Star four times. After ten days of intensive workouts, he will announce whether he intends to continue practicing with the team. "I'm not going to go through the pain like last time," he said. "If I last four days in a row and my hip's barking at me, then that's all she wrote." So stay tuned, hockey fans, and cross your fingers... Dominik "The Dominator" Hasek is up to his old tricks. The acrobatic goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres earned his third shutout of the young season on Thursday night in a 2-0 victory over rival netminder Olaf Kolzig and the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Sabres are 4-0-3 in their last seven games and have climbed within two points of the top spot in the Northeastern Division... The Dallas Stars are one of the hottest teams in the league, thanks in large part to the efforts of Brett Hull, the former St. Louis Blues star who was acquired as a free agent during the offseason. In his first 12 games, Hull has four goals and six assists, helping his team to an impressive 7-3-2 record.

Mailman wants out of Utah

Although the labor strike prohibits NBA teams from negotiating contracts with restricted and unrestricted free agents around the league, one player has already resolved to seek a trade from his current club. Karl Malone, the premier power forward who has led his Utah Jazz to two consecutive NBA Championship Series, recently declared on his daily radio program that his days among the Mormons are over. "I will say it right now, I have played my last game in Salt Lake City," he said. "It's time for Karl to move on." Blaming his discontent upon the disloyalty and cowardice of Jazz owner Larry Miller, the Mailman expressed an interest in playing with the Los Angeles Lakers when the lockout ends or during the 1999-2000 season, when his current contract will expire. He also voiced his desire for the labor dispute to reach a swift conclusion, noting that sales of Rogaine have plummeted in recent weeks due to widespread public apathy toward basketball and its most recognizable stars... Speaking of the lockout, the Players Association director Billy Hunter recently accused commissioner David Stern and his merry band of owners of stalling negotiations while the season wastes away. Although Hunter insists that a player-endorsed proposal was submitted to the league office a week ago, deputy commissioner Russ Granik denies that such a proposal exists. "We have no idea what he's talking about," Granik said. Communication between the feuding parties has once again broken down, as their unproductive talks were suspended last Friday. If the lockout were to be resolved today, the regular season still could not begin until the middle of December at the earliest, but constant bickering between players and owners makes the prospect of a swift resolution unlikely. Look for the NBA to return sometime before the millenium, when a sufficient number of players have spent their fortunes on sports cars, Rogaine, and the upkeep of illegitimate children... Finally, will Michael Jordan return to the hardcourt once the lockout has ended? Fans would undoubtedly love to see His Airness defending his championship title with the Chicago Bulls, while league officials hope and pray that Jordan will delay his retirement, as his presence guarantees massive ticket sales, higher television ratings, and instant fan forgiveness. Although many sources close to the Bulls insist that Jordan has little interest in saving the game one last time, his recent actions suggest otherwise. A month ago, his agent, David Falk, declared that he had worked out a deal that would bring Jordan, forward Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson into the fold for one final run at the title. Meanwhile, Jordan, who rarely lends his precious name to any cause that does not promote his own financial interests, voiced his support for the Players Association during a press conference in Las Vegas a few weeks back. Should he return to professional basketball, Jordan would certainly benefit from a player-friendly labor agreement... In a related story, Dennis Rodman, who objects to the labor strike only because it denies him the opportunity to act like a fool on national television, recently announced that he would be willing to re-sign with the Chicago Bulls when the regular season commences...

Free agency frenzy hits MLB

Although the season officially ended when the New York Yankees completed their four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres in the World Series, the offseason has begun to heat up as teams around the league have begun to bid on high-priced free agents like Mo Vaughn, Bernie Williams, Kevin Brown, and Randy Johnson. Although certain players, namely Williams and Johnson, are expected to negotiate contract proposals with several teams during the next month, others have opted to sign quickly. Among the transactions that have occured during the last week: the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Bobby Bonilla to his former team, the New York Mets, in exchange for oft-maligned reliever Mel Rojas; pitcher David Cone guaranteed that the New York Yankees will have a staff ace for at least one more season, re-signing with the Bronx Bombers for one year and $8 million; Mike Piazza, who spurned a six-year, $80 million offer from the Dodgers last season, signed with the Mets for seven years and $91 million; and Dean Palmer, who brings a powerful, albeit inconsistent, bat to the lowly Detroit Tigers for five years and $35 million... As for Vaughn, his days with the Boston Red Sox appear to be over. Having rejected the organization's best offer - a five-year, $65 million contract - the slugger and his former team have agreed to move on. Vaughn has reportedly received a six-year, $72 million offer from the Anaheim Angels; meanwhile, Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette has expressed interest in Williams and Albert "Criminally Insane" Belle, late of the Chicago White Sox. Two years after the Roger Clemens debacle, one would think that the Sox brass might display some regard for the feelings of New England fans and the welfare of their team. Think again...

Collins acts like a moron (again)

Having been waived recently by the Carolina Panthers, quarterback Kerry Collins, whose reputation for tossing interceptions and racial epithets is legendary, has already begun to alienate fans of his new team, the New Orleans Saints. On November 2, Collins was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina for driving while intoxicated. He refused to submit to a breath test, a la Mo Vaughn, and later admitted publicly that he had broken the law. Sounds like a smart career move for a guy without a contract for next season.. In Denver, future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway has decided to sit out of Monday's contest against the faltering Kansas City Chiefs to nurse his damaged ribs. "I'll miss this week," Elway said. "It's not something that I'm going to rush. I've rushed everything this year, and I'm not rushing this one. I'm mad at myself for not being smarter in approaching these injuries." With his team sporting an astonishing 9-0 record and threatening to repeat as Super Bowl champions, Elway has made the wise decision. Although the 38-year old quarterback is enjoying yet another stellar season with nine touchdowns, three interceptions, and 1301 passing yards, he cannot afford to risk serious injury at this late stage of the season - and his career... Last but not least, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart completed 15 of 22 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown in a Monday night defeat of the powerhouse Green Bay Packers. Perhaps he read my column from last week's Review...

Chicago Fire win MLS Cup

On Oct. 25, the Chicago Fire, an upstart expansion club, defeated the two-time Major League Soccer champion D.C. United in the championship match by a score of 2-0. Despite the tough defeat, United coach Bruce Arena managed to mask his disappointment. "I'm proud of the team," he said. "I find it hard to believe they're not the best team in the league." For his part, Arena will leave the team to fulfill his appointment as the U.S. national team coach for the 2002 World Cup.

Meanwhile, the United will attempt to gain international recognition for themselves and the American soccer community in an upcoming contest with the powerful Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. The game, scheduled for Saturday, is part of a two-game InterAmerican Cup series that has been held irregularly since 1968; traditionally, the series pits the best pro team from South America against the champion of the North American region.