Newsday (Nassau Edition) from Hempstead, New York • 95

TH Move Over, Homer Fox outbids CBS for NFC over as knee KOs Doc 27-8 and began their late-season run to the best record in the East But Anthony sprained his ankle in mid-March, then got involved in the brawl in Phoenix, and has not been able to regain his previous form since. Rivers, while not compiling gaudy stats during his 11th season (7.5 points and 5.3 assists in 19 games), set a standard that wont be easy to match. He has tremendous courage, guile, Riley said. The way he went about things, playing hurt Were going to miss that more than anything else, his savvy. Rivers, 31, will not undergo reconstructive surgery until after Jan.

1, and team doctor Norman Scott said he could be off crutches in two or three weeks and back to playing basketball by Jidy or August. Although he said he briefly wondered if he would be able to play again, Rivers said he was encouraged by the relatively short recovery time and added, I dont want to end my career being carried off. I want to end it By David Steele STAFTteapiSPONDENT Chicago Injuries, they all said. The only thing that could halt the Knicks inevitable run to the NBA Finals was injuries. That theory now will get the ultimate test and the earliest return! werent pretty last night, as the Knicka lost, 98-86, in the home of the three-time woridcham-pion Bulls, of all teams.

Point guard Doc Rivers, who started at the position considered the Knicks shakiest, is gone for the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The injury was revealed during an MRI yesterday morning in New York. Riven knee collapsed Thursday night as he drove during the Knicks win over the Lakers at the Garden. The ball now is in the hands of Greg Anthony, in every sense of the term. No trades for a vMeran point guard are imminent; in fact, theyre no more likely now than they were during the Docs Prognosis Doctors said yesterday that Knicks guard Doc Rivers tore Ns anterior cruciate ligament and his medial meniscus forcing him to miss the rest of the season, the eighth in which he has been injured in his 11-year NBA career.

Season dames Loot fojury offseason, when the KnickS were dealing from strength rather than weakness. Besides the loss of Rivers, the Knicks are without Charles Smith, another starter, until Jate January because. of arthroscopic knee surgery. From the way the Knicks talk, they plan to turn over the team to Anthony, the third-year point guard who, fay his own let his failuieto win the starting job iAlraining camp upset him. His pfajy has deteriorated this season, from poor shooting (28.9 percent going into last nijdit) to surprising drops in his Left ankle sprain By Manny Topol STAFF WBTTBB The Fox television network has outbid CBS for the NFC television package and will begin broadcasting games next season, an NFL spokesman said lad: night.

Fox reportedly outbid CBS by $100 million a year, according to a CBS source, for the rights to the garnet. Sources said CBS has submitted a bid for the rights to the AFC package, now owned by NBC. NBC has 72 hours to mt that bid. If it does, CBS would be left without pro football An the first time since the 1960s. The deal gives Fox its first regular sports programming.

Dick Eberaol, president of NBC Sports, said in January, If we dont think we can make a profit in our next NFL arrangement, we wont be in it, period. because nobody can afford this kind of money. Were not a charity. The NFL will announce the complete package in a couple of days, according to Joe Browne, the NFL vice president of communications and development. He would not say how much Fox paid for the package.

CBS paid $1.06 billion for the NFC package in adeal negotiated in 1990. TNT and ESPN, which split the Sunday night package, each paid $450 million for those rights. NBC paid $792 million. The total $3. 652-billion television deal is the most lucrative in television history and brings the NFL about $900 million a year.

The league has been negotiating with all the networks to replace the package, which expires at the end of this season. Network and advertising officials had predicted that the new television deals would be worth no more than 75 percent of the previous agreements. However, with Fox taking over the mqjor part of the package, the NFL will probabty make more money on tiie new television package. The prime-time package of Monday night i on ABC and Sunday night games, split tween ESPN and TNT, will remain the same. Sources said the Fox network targeted the NFC from the very beginning of ita negotiations.

The NFC package has been the more lucrative because it includes more mqjar broadcast mar-kets than the AFC, including New York (Giants), Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington. CBS has also been helped fay the fact that NFC teams have won the last 10 Super Bowls. The NFC on CBS also had the most popular of sports announcers in Pat Summerall and analyst John Madden. It was unclear last night what their futures would be in the new network alignment Fox officials also promised the NFL that it would promote the league heavily and will continue to promote the NFL even during the offseason. The Fox network, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, will, in a sense, become the network of the NFL.

Hie Fox Television Network, which started in 1987, is expected to lose money on the deal. But officials there are said to be prepared for the initial loss and consider the NFL package aa a loss leader that would boost the network a a a the networks, has televised NFL games since the 1950s and took the NFC when the NFL and AFL merged in 1970. NBC took the AFC and ABC got Monday Night Football. AaaoriotedPnu contributed to thia story- Booing from home fans quicfcgMnmL Pat Riley strongly defended: Anthony yesterday jfAt said of his poor play since training camp: Hit has affected his confidence, then hes not a professional. After three years, youve got to take a hit.

John Starks, as well as hes played, has walked off to boos. If the Knicks add a pUard, he likely will 4. Tlbuia 5. Medial Anterior crudele ligament 2. Knee cap 3.

Fibula or come from theCBA. ESPN walking off. Preferably as a champion, which he said is one reason he plana to return when healthy. Where the Knicks will be then will depend greatly on Anthony. Staying with him, the Knicks say, is a better option than trading from weakness.

Were not going to break down the fiber of this team because somebodys going to hold us hostage, Riley said. That probably would predude a deal for Derek Harper, who is on the market because of frequent run-ins with new Mavericks coach Quinn Buckner. The Knicks showed interest in Harper as far back as last season, but a source said the expected Knicks offer Tony Campbell, now starting at small forward but unhappy with his playing time, and Davis wont be enough. It likely would cost them Anthony Mason and at least one draft pick. Scott Skiles of foe Magic or Brian Shaw of the Heat could have been available for aa little aa a first- or second-round draft pick before Hivere injury.

Orlando now may be reluctant to make a deal that would help the vulnerable Knicks, a key rival in the East. Or the Knicks will try to use their depth to maintain theirpracariousperchatoptheEast Itsaaetback Anus, but thia league will bring you to your knees if you dwell on it, Nay said. You have to move forward quickty. These guys who have been clamoring for min- Utes t-7 now is with the LaCrosee (Wis.) Catbirds of the CBA. Gaines has played with the Nets, Nuggets and 76ers.

The Knicks did not confirm the report. St Johns alumnus David Cain, who spent training nmp with the Knicks this fall and earned Rileys respect? is with the GBAe Rochester, franchise and is another candidate. In addition, Starks will play some backup point, and Hubert Davis and Rolando Blackman likely will play more. Butatrade, the Knicks said, wont happen any time soohMlong as Anthony plays well. Greg Anthony will get an opportunity, just like he did last year at this same time when Doc went out, general manager Ernie Grunfeld said.

Hes a very tough guy. Hes been in tough situations before, and hes gotten through them before, even in college, because he works hard. Anthony was in a tough situation last night: He had bwr ill: with the flu since last Saturday and had not practiced or played until the Lakers game Thursday. He looked and sounded shaky after the teamamorning walkthrough at its downtown Chicago hotel and in the locker room at Chicago Stadium before the game. He had Sifc points and three assists against the Bulls.

With (Anthony in the starting lineup last season while Bxvwrs nursed asbouldarigjuiy, the Knicks want.