The Ithaca Journal from Ithaca, New York • 19

7B The Ithaca Journal Saturday, September 25, 2004 www.theithacajournal.com Chris Feaver Sports Editor 274-9214 cfeaver ithaca.gannett.com Yankees get to tiring Pedro again ruui Sports SECTION IV CONFERENCE 26 16 Edison Lansing New York overcomes 5-2 deficit, wins 6-4 Dryden 33 B'bridge-G'ford 20 Abinye Smith rushes for 203 yards for Dryden. Cory Vargson rushes for 124 yards for Edison. By JIMMY GOLEN The Associated Press S-VE O-M 39 14 Hancock Groton 36 13 BOSTON Those Red Sox managers just never learn. With an eerie resemblance Hancock snaps Groton's five-game winning streak. to last year's postseason debacle, Pedro Martinez took a Glynn Johnson has two TD runs of more than 50 yards.

Moravia 29 Tioga 14 Cory Langtry passes for two touchdowns. 24 22 Una. Valley Candor lead into the eighth inning before tiring and the New Unadilla Valley converts on three 2-point conversions. York Yankees rallied past Boston 6-4 Friday night to open a 5'2-game advantage in the AL East. It had a lot of similarities to The Hot Corner Braves clinch 13th straight division title, 8B we're doing.

I was disappointed it was a tie game instead of having a one-run lead, but two pitches into the inning he's still, in my opinion, he's OK." Manny Ramirez hit his AL-leading 42nd homer and Trot Nixon also connected for Boston, which had been hoping to close ground on the Yankees but now needs to win the final two games of the series to have any realistic hope of winning the division. If not, the Red Sox are com-, fortably in the lead for the AL wild-card spot. They took a six-game lead over Anaheim and Texas into Friday night's games. "What can I say just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy," Martinez said. "I can't find a way to beat them at this point.

They're that good. They're that hot right now at least against me. I wish they would disappear and not come back." Martinez tried to deflect the blame from his manager, just as he did last October. "It's just frustrating for me not to do the job," he said. "It See YANKEES, 8B the playoff game last year," Yankees starter Mike 'What can I say just tip my hat and call the Yankees my Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox pitcher for the eighth even though he needed 101 pitches to get through the first seven innings; the Boston fans let Francona hear about it on Friday, much as they did for his predecessor.

Hideki Matsui homered on pitch No. 103 to make it 4-4, and Bernie Williams followed with a ground-rule double. Martinez struck out Jorge Posada, who hit the game-tying double off the Red Sox ace in the ALCS, but Ruben Sierra singled home the go-ahead run and finally chased Martinez. "If I run out there after two pitches it would make it look like I wasn't making a very good decision before the inning," Francona said. "We put a lot of thought into what Mussina said.

"History tends to repeat itself but usually not that quickly." Williams ordered to repay $8.6 million to Dolphins Orady Little was the Ked Sox manager last fall when he left Martinez in during the eighth inning of Game 7 in the AL championship series; the ter. Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, was out of the country, his office said. He didn't immediately return a phone message left Friday. Yankees overcame a 5-z deficit to tie it and earned a World Series berth when Aaron Boone homered in the 11th. lhe Dolphins had hied a grievance against Williams, asking an arbitrator to uphold Little was let go after the The Associated Press Tlte New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez watches his long single go off the Green Monster in left field against Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez during the first inning Friday.

Looking on is Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. Tlte Yankees won 6-4. season and replaced by Terry Francona. But Francona, their contractual right to recov er the money paid to him much as his predecessor did, between the signing bonus and sent Martinez (16-8) back out incentives. Before the griev ance, the Dolphins mailed a letter to Williams asking him to report or pay the money back.

MIAMI (AP) Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered Friday to repay the team more than $8.6 million for breaching his contract when he suddenly before training camp. Arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled Friday that Williams must repay $8,616353 in bonus money under the contract he left behind when he shocked the Dolphins and their fans with his sudden retirement. contract ran through 2007. "We are pleased that Mr. Bloch has confirmed that Ricky Williams breached his contract with the Dolphins and is required to repay compensation," NFL senior vice presidentgeneral counsel Dennis Curran said.

"This decision is consistent with many other cases that have affirmed the right of NFL clubs and players to negotiate compensation based on the player's fulfillment of the contract," Curran said. The Dolphins declined comment Friday, saying they only talk about players on their ros Williams also called the Purple Lions ran past B-G team, telling them he would come back if he received a new contract. The Dolphins declined that request. Dryden rushes for Williams has given many reasons why he called Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt days before workouts were to begin in July to tell him he was quit 291 yards ting. At different times, Williams has expressed dis pleasure with his contract, an in 33-20 win j.

-XFv excessive workload and new offensive coordinator Chris By BEN JACOBS Foerster. Journal Staff DRYDEN For the first Malone return in doubt for Lakers six quarters ot trie season, Dryden didn't look anything Malone's agent, Dwight Manley, refused comment. In July, he disputed reports that Malone had decided to retire. like the team that went to the playoffs last year in the first season under head coach Joe Mack. In the last 10 quarters, the The second-leading scorer in NBA history, Malone played 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz before joining the Lakers last Purple Lions have gone back to pounding the football, and the results have been summer.

Los Angeles will also be 'It's tremendous. We've got EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) Karl Malone's return to the NBA could be months away if he comes back at all. The Los Angeles Lakers said Friday they don't know if the 41-year-old forward will play this season. Malone, who had surgery on his right knee at the end of June, is a free agent and reportedly is being pursued by several teams.

"Our understanding is he's not going to be ready to return for a couple months," Lakers spokesman John Black said. "We're hopeful he does decide to play another season and he decides to play for us." without center Vlade Divac for a while. He has a herniated disc three or four running backs we can give the ball to," Mack said. "It mixes defenses up." in his lower back and is not expected to be ready when The Purple Lions mixed up training camp begins Oct. 5.

Black said it's too early to know when Divac can return. "We'll have a better idea next Bainbridge-Guilford and controlled the clock by running 55 times for 291 yards Friday in a 33-20 victory at Dryden Memorial Sports Complex. week, when he's re-evaluated. 'They really controlled the Armstrong disputes insurance company game with their ball control. That's usually our game," said B-G coach Steve Rice.

"They IRINA PERESSJournal Staff by reviewing Armstrong's med turned the tables on us and did ical records. a nice iod controlling tne beginning of the second quarter during Friday night's game in Dryden. Vie Purple Lions won 33-20. Bainbridge-Guilford's Dnstin Eklridge nins Dryden 's Luke Le iere out of bounds just short of a touchdown at the tempo of the game." Abinye Smith rushed tor Chris Compton, an attorney for SCA, told The Associated Press on Thursday, "We've requested (drug) test results to 203 yards and his two second-quarter touchdowns gave the Purple Lions a 14-7 lead. disprove the allegations clean test results that should be B-G did not let them take easily attainable." that lead into halftime, however, as Patrick Zieno rushed for "He's one of the best running backs I've seen this year," Mack said of Zieno, who rushed for 162 yards on 20 carries.

Dryden did not give the Bobcats a chance to get back into the game completely, though. The Purple Lions responded with a 15-play drive that took 7 minutes, 32 seconds off the clock before See DRYDEN, 9B his second touchdown or the But Friday's statement refuted what the management agency labeled "SCA's disingenuous and self-serving pleting 4-of-7 passes for 118 yards and the touchdown. Since taking over at quarterback midway through Dryden's second game, White is 16-for-28 for 371 yards and four touchdowns. B-G (2-2) bounced right back from Dryden's two early scores in the second half, marching 60 yards on nine plays to cut the lead to 27-20. Zieno finished the drive with his third touchdown.

ing advantage of the turnover. This time, the Purple Lions took to the air as Kyle White found Tim Finnerty for a 41-yard touchdown on the third play of the drive for a 27-14 lead. "Kyle can throw the ball and we were able to make a catch in tight coverage," Mack said. White did not need to throw often, but he was successful when he needed to be, com Lions received the ball and started off on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off by Corey Hollenbeck's 2-yard touchdown run. "We knew that we needed to control the first five minutes of that third quarter," Smith said.

"The line was blocking great. We could have driven an 18-wheeler through them." B-G fumbled on the first play of its next drive and Dryden wasted little time tak game with 9.4 seconds left and the extra point tied the game at 14. quote." "SCA is not interested in DALLAS (AP) Lance Armstrong's management agency said it provided clean drug test results more than a month ago to a company withholding a $5 million bonus owed Armstrong for winning a record sixth straight Tour de France. "Lance has made it unambiguously clear that he does not use, nor has he ever used, performance-enhancing drugs," said a statement issued Friday night by Capital Sports and Entertainment, the Austin, Texas-based agency that manages Armstrong's U.S. Postal Cycling Team.

"The baseless and mean-spirited doping allegations against Lance are not supported by any facts." In refusing to release the money, SCA Promotions Inc. of Dallas has cited allegations in a French book that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and said the company needs to investigate the claims Rather than getting dis couraged by the late score, valid and authenticated 'testing the statement said, Dryden (2-2) got tired up tor third quarter. The Purple claiming it provided that documentation to SCA in mid Aueust Rather, SCA has demanded MLB closer to "every medical record and med Hamm's quest continues ical provider of Mr. Armstrong: his complete medical history, all records of all Armstrong's past By EDDIE PELLS bonus awards; and all contracts Expos decision Tlie Associated liess involving Armstrong and a DENVER The flame number of individuals and enti went out nearly tour weeks WASHINGTON (AP) ties, the statement said. ago.

The gold medal sits securely in Paul Hamm's child As far as Washington is concerned, the negotiations with Giants safety Williams questionable hood home in Wisconsin, t-or Hamm, though, the Olympic odyssey meanders on. The Giants, who do not let reporters watch practice, did not say which knee was hurt. Sport, the ultimate authority in cases involving the Olympics, will hear Hamm's case Monday in Lausanne. Soon after, the panel will determine whether Hamm keeps the gold, or whether it should go to Yang Tae-young, who was mistakenly docked 0.1 points for the level of difficulty in his parallel bars routine in the all-around last month in Athens. It will be the latest and probably last step of the Olympic journey for Hamm.

Like so many of the earlier steps, he is disturbed that he has to go through it. "From what I understand lhe victory tour tor tne gym EAST RUTHERFORD, J. (AP) New York Giants safety Shaun Williams hurt a knee making an interception at practice on Friday, and his status for Sunday's game agaiast the Cleveland Browns is nastics all-around champion will take an unexpected detour this weekend to Switzerland, where the South Koreans will make one They listed Williams as questionable for the game. If Williams is not able to play, either rookie Gibril Wilson or final attempt to take away the gold they say belongs to them. Jack Brewer would start.

The Associated Press At stake, Hamm Deneves, isn't just his gold medal, but The city needs a decision by the end of next week so that legislation can be introduced to pay for a $13 million renovation of RFK Stadium as well as $440 million package that would build a new stadium south of the Capitol along the Anacostia River. The team would play in RFK for three seasons before moving to the new ballpark. If the process should start later, stadium financing would be in danger of not being passed before Dec. 31, when the terms expire for several City Council members whose votes are needed to pass the measure. "We believe that we are in very, very good shape," Mark Tuohey, the sports commission chairman, told radio station WTOP.

"We are told that an announcement will be next week. We told them we need an announcement before Oct. 1. Delay is not in the cards." the way Ulympic sports are about what this court deals Major League Baseball are essentially done. Now it's a matter of waiting for a 33-year drought to end.

Months of talks including an 11 '2-hour session last week and another round that lasted until midnight Wednesday have produced a 30-page document that would conditionally award the Montreal Expos to the nation's capital. "I would say that it is virtually completed without any major deal points outstanding," Bill Hall, chairman of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission's baseball committee, said Friday. So what's next? "As far as I'm concerned," Hall said, "(it) is to hear from Major League Baseball that we have a deal." The wait shouldn't be long. done in the future." with, I don't see that this con "You wouldn't know whether Top TV Baseball N.Y.

Yankees at Boston, 7 p.m., YES More television, 12B Best Bets stitutes something they get themselves involved in," said or not you won the medal until weeks after, until you find out Hamm, in Denver to perform in an exhibition. Paul Hamm, center, reacts after winning the gold medal during the men 's gymnastics individual all-around final at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. "It is weird that it is held to a different standard," Hamm said. "How can someone hold the Olympics to a higher standard than the Super Bowl? I'm sure mistakes have happened at the Super Bowl. But they don't go and change the result." The Court of Arbitration for Indeed, at the Olympics, CAS officials said they didn't involve themselves in "held ot play Later Saturday, the Ithaca High Little Red host Vestal in whether or not someone going to take it to court," he said Friday, his 22nd birthday.

A ridiculous notion? Maybe. But the Hamm controversy much like the figure-skating scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics two years ago is proof that the Olympics are a sporting event like no other. It's the Cornell football home opener as the Big Red host Yale at 1 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field. football at 7 p.m.

decisions such as the scoring error that caused all these problems. Given time to think about it, they changed their minds and decided to hear the case. From staff and win reports..