Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis, stating that he “feared for his life,” Tuesday requested that a judge bar his fired business manager from having any contact with him. “After being held hostage for over four months since my retirement from diving and my return from the 1988 Seoul Olympics, I felt that I could no longer tolerate the abuse and threats,” Louganis wrote in a statement for the court. Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs ordered R. James Babbitt to stay away from the diver, but allowed him to withdraw $5,000 in living expenses from their joint account. Babbitt, in a sworn statement, said he is willing to agree to not threaten or harass Louganis because he said he has never done so. The judge did not order Babbitt out of the Malibu home he and Louganis have shared for four years. Louganis alleged that Babbitt threatened to make public “confidential and private facts” unless Louganis rehired him or compensated him. Louganis fired Babbitt, his manager for six years, March 13.
BOXING FORMER CHAMP DE JESUS PAROLED BECAUSE OF AIDS
Puerto Rico Gov. Rafael Hernandez Colon granted immediate parole eligibility to former champion Esteban de Jesus, who was sentenced to life in prison for murder and later found to be afflicted with AIDS. De Jesus was found guilty of first-degree murder in 1981 for shooting to death a youth during a street brawl. By advancing his parole eligibility from 1993, the governor in effect commuted de Jesus’ sentence. The parole board has agreed to release de Jesus “on the condition that he be transferred to the Faith Home of the Americas, where AIDS patients are treated,” said a statement released by the governor’s office. De Jesus, 37, was World Boxing Council lightweight champion from 1976 to 1978. He retired in 1980…
Defending champion Terry Norris scored a unanimous 12-round decision over former International Boxing Federation champion Buster Drayton to retain the North American Boxing Federation junior middleweight crown in Las Vegas, Nev. The 21-year-old Norris (20-2, 12 KOs), ranked No. 4 by the IBF, scored with right crosses and uppercuts, however, it was a left uppercut to the head that knocked down Drayton (33-12-2, 25 KOs), the IBF champion in 1986 and 1987, in the third round. It was the only knockdown in the bout…
Fort Lauderdale’s John Coward defeated Marnix Stamps in the 147-pound welterweight division to advance to the quarterfinals of the 1989 Boxing Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. Coward, 19, won by a technical knockout in the third round at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Stamps is with the U.S. Marine Corp stationed at Camp LeJeune, N.C. Coward’s quarterfinal opponent, Ronald Manley of the U.S. Army, fought in the 1988 Olympic trials.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL ST. JOHN’S, ST. LOUIS BRING HISTORY TO NIT FINAL
St. John’s and St. Louis meet tonight at 9 for the National Invitation Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s is playing in its 25th NIT and St. Louis is appearing for the 14th time, but it has been years since either school won the championship of the country’s oldest postseason tournament. “Easy” Ed Macauley led St. Louis to its only NIT title in 1948. St. John’s won the last of its four NIT championships in 1965. “We may be a surprise team to a lot of people around the country,” Billikens coach Rich Grawer said. “It’s kind of mind-boggling, but someone told me there’s only 10 teams in the country with 27 wins or more, and we’re one of them.”…
Clem Haskins, who coached Minnesota into the “Sweet 16” of this year’s NCAA Tournament, has received permission from Athletic Director Rick Bay to discuss the coaching vacancy at Washington. There have also been reports that Tennessee is considering Haskins. Washington’s Andy Russo resigned after a 12-16 season and Tennessee’s Don DeVoe resigned after an 18-9 season…
Creighton coach Tony Barone has been interviewed by Marquette University to succeed Bob Dukiet as coach, the Milwaukee Sentinel reported.
FOOTBALL MILLARD DENIES ARREST; TAYLOR ENTERS INNOCENT PLEA
Minnesota Vikings All-Pro defensive tackle Keith Millard denies he was arrested and charged with drunken driving last week, but police said they’re sure it was the football player they arrested. “I don’t know him personally, but we certainly did arrest a Keith Millard,” said Redmond (Wash.) police Sgt. Rich Moothart. “He certainly is big enough, and he bragged about it to the officers that he was a Viking,” Moothard said. He said police fingerprinted Millard as well as obtaining his driver’s license. But Millard, who lives near Redmond, said he was out of town last Wednesday when the charges of drunken driving, reckless driving and malicious mischief were filed…
Lawrence Taylor, the New York Giants’ All-Pro linebacker, entered a written plea of innocent to an alcohol-related charge and waived a court appearance, the Saddle Brook, N.J., township prosecutor said. No new court date was set. Taylor had been scheduled to appear in court today. The prosecutor said he was awaiting police reports and results of alcohol tests, and expected to decide this week whether to proceed with a charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol or recommend it be dropped…
The Houston Oilers will not sign former Texas A&M; quarterback Kevin Murray to a free-agent contract, General Manager Mike Holovak said. Murray has not sufficiently recovered from a college ankle injury, Holovak said. “The doctors still feel the ankle wouldn’t hold up for more than one or two years,” Holovak said…
Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins and Ron Brown of the Los Angeles Rams, the only two winners in the NFL’s Fastest Man Competition, will meet for the first time in this year’s competition, May 6 at Palm Desert, Calif. Green was the winner in 1986 and 1988, and Brown, an Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter relay in 1984, won in 1987. But Brown did not race in the years that Green won and Green did not enter when Brown won.
PITT, RUTGERS IN ISLE CLASSIC
Teams from Rutgers University and the University of Pittsburgh will compete in the Emerald Isle Classic II in Dublin, Ireland. The game will be played Dec. 2 in place of a Rutgers home game scheduled for Nov. 4 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. The inaugural game was played Nov. 19, when 42,535 fans filled The Lansdowne Road stadium to see Boston College defeat Army 38-24…
Roger Carr, a former Pro Bowl receiver with the Baltimore Colts, is resigning after two seasons as receivers coach at Northeast Louisiana University, the school said. Carr gave as his reason for leaving as the hardships family members have had to endure because of the time his job requires and his 60-mile daily roundtrip commute between Monroe and his home in Ruston.
DRUG TESTING REPORT: 300 SOVIET ATHLETES PUNISHED FOR USING DRUGS
Nearly 300 Soviet athletes were punished for using forbidden drugs in the three years preceding last summer’s Olympic Games, a Moscow newspaper reported. “In the three pre-Olympic years, the anti-doping laboratory of the Sports Committee had to work hard — 290 of our athletes and trainers were punished for doping,” Leninskoye Znamya reported. Leninskoye Znamya reported that the Soviet sports establishment was tightening control over illegal drug use by athletes by expanding its spot-testing and introducing new punishments.
MISCELLANEOUS MICHIGAN HARNESS DRIVERS BANNED FOR IMPROPER BETS
North American race tracks have banished 16 Michigan harness drivers, owners, trainers and grooms for allegedly betting against their own horses or underreporting winnings on tax returns, state officials say. The 16 admitted the wrongdoing when confronted by officials after an investigation stemming from a Nov. 25 race at Sports Creek Harness Raceway in Swartz Creek, Deputy Racing Commissioner Barbara MacKenzie said. Those people will be suspended for at least three years, and more charges are expected against other drivers, owners and patrons, MacKenzie said. The charges are civil and carry no criminal penalties. “They are literally forbidden to go on the grounds of a race track in the United States or Canada,” MacKenzie said. “You can’t bet against yourself.”…
The Indianapolis 500, which paid more than $5 million in the richest prize package in auto racing history a year ago, will be even richer this year. A cash prize of $100,000 to the pole-position starter in the Indy 500 was announced by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Last year, Rick Mears earned a record $804,853 for the Penske Racing Team, including more than $80,000 for winning the pole.
