Grambling Faces Major Rules Violations

The NCAA has accused Grambling of major violations that could lead to penalties including limiting scholarships, postseason play and possible probation.

“We don’t automatically accept the NCAA’s conclusion,” Grambling Athletic Director Robert Piper said Tuesday.

The NCAA found eight violations, including a lack of control over its football program headed by Eddie Robinson, college football’s winningest coach.

The governing body for college athletics accused the football program of violations ranging from illegal recruiting contacts to coaches holding improper tryouts and practices and offering scholarships in violation of NCAA rules.

The NCAA also alleged that two basketball players received scholarships or practiced while ineligible.

The school recently completed an investigation in which it admitted two rules violations. The university has until Feb. 24 to respond to the charges lodged by the NCAA. The final ruling and penalties will be determined by the Committee on Infractions in April.

Basketball

Magic Johnson arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, for two charity basketball games after the country’s health minister said the public had to be warned that the former Laker star could spread the virus that causes AIDS.

Indonesia has no policy against admitting HIV-positive visitors, but officials can deny visas to carriers of contagious diseases.

Tennis

Jennifer Capriati, in a second comeback from highly publicized off-court problems, looked like a contender in beating Chanda Rubin, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, at the Sydney International in Australia.

Top-seeded Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was far from competitive in a 6-3, 6-3 second-round loss to American Amy Frazier.

Second-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland and third-seeded Iva Majoli of Croatia won second-round matches.

Baseball

Slugger Tony Perez, passed over for the sixth time in voting for the Hall of Fame, was so frustrated that he wondered if it’s because he is a Latino.

“I never wanted to be controversial about racial stuff, but this thing has me thinking,” said Perez, a Florida Marlin executive who was part of the Cincinnati Reds’ World Series champions in 1975 and 1976.

“It might be just because my last name is Perez. I’m not only speaking for myself. What about Luis Tiant, Dave Concepcion, Tony Oliva and all the other guys? They just ignore us.”

“Obviously the writers have no ax to grind against Latin players,” said Jack Lang, assistant secretary for the Baseball Writers Assn. of American, which conducts the voting. “The writers have given so many Latin players the MVP, Cy Young and rookie-of-year awards, you can’t find fault with us.”

Cincinnati owner Marge Schott has agreed to sell her Chevrolet-Geo dealership after being accused of faking car sales, a spokesman for Schott said.

Outfielder Mike Kingery, scheduled to be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ third highest-paid player this season, was given his unconditional release. If another team does not sign Kingery, the Pirates are responsible for his guaranteed $750,000 contract.

First baseman-outfielder Mark Carreon, 35, signed with Japan’s Lotte Marines. Carreon, who hit .281 with 11 homers and 65 RBIs in 119 games last season with San Francisco and Cleveland, passed up a two-year, $2.3-million offer from Seattle. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Names in the News

Heavyweight Andrew Golota pleaded guilty to beating up Pawel Bialostocki during a 1990 disco brawl in Wloclawek, Poland, but denied pointing a gun.

Golota, a U.S. resident who twice was disqualified for repeated low blows in fights he was winning against former champion Riddick Bowe, could be sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison if he is convicted of the second charge. A spokesman, however, said that it is his understanding Golota would only be fined.

Rusty Smith, 16, of Sunset Beach, will represent the United States in the Junior World Short Track Speed Skating Championships this weekend in Marquette, Mich. Smith is the 1996 U.S. men’s junior short-track champion.

Rich Hammond, a 19-year-old sophomore at USC, won the first Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Allan Malamud scholarship, given to a student planning a career in sportswriting. The award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s sixth induction banquet on Jan. 18 at the Westside Jewish Community Center. It was created to honor the memory of Malamud, a popular columnist at The Times who died in September.

Mike Gagliardi, who drove to victory in the 1977 Little Brown Jug and later was the leading harness racing trainer at the Meadowlands, has died of cancer at age 48 in Lakewood, N.J.

Miscellany

The Canadian Football League will meet with Montreal Alouette officials Thursday in Toronto, with the possibility the franchise might be revoked from owners Michael Gelfand and Jim Speros, according to the Toronto Globe and Mail.