Golf
WOODS GETTING DEATH THREATS: Tiger Woods says he has gotten persistent death threats since joining the PGA Tour.
On Tuesday, during a conference call to promote the Skins Game later this month at La Quinta, Calif., Woods said, "People are taking offense to the things I'm doing and saying and trying to accomplish in golf. That's just the way it is."
Woods indicated in September 1996 that he received death threats, and Jack Nicklaus said earlier this year that such threats were an occasional problem for him as far back as the 1973 British Open.
In the conference call, Woods said the threats weren't limited to his pro career, which started more than a year ago.
"Unfortunately, I've had my share of threats since I was 16," said Woods, 21. "That's just the way life is when you're playing a sport that traditionally hasn't been a minority sport."
Volleyball
FORMER RHSM STAR HONORED: Former Rowland Hall-St. Mark's volleyball star Megan Williams, now a freshman at Emory University, recently was named to the all-tournament team at the Emory Invitational after leading her team to the tourney championship. Through late October, Williams had a .230 hitting percentage with 1.90 kills per game and 0.67 blocks per game. Emory had a 24-6 record and was ranked 15th in the nation among Div. III schools.
Baseball
NL ROOKIE OF YEAR: Philadelphia third baseman Scott Rolen was unanimously voted NL Rookie of the Year, breaking the Dodgers' five-year hold on the award.
Rolen, 22, became the youngest NL player to reach 90 RBIs since Darryl Strawberry in 1984, and led NL rookies in batting average (.283), runs , hits (159), doubles , homers and RBIs .
Rolen received all 28 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
OPTIONS DECLINED: Cleveland declined a $4.8 million option on pitcher Jack McDowell, the Yankees declined their $1.4 million option on second baseman Pat Kelly, and the Mets declined a $4.5 million 1999 option on second baseman Carlos Baerga.
Just two more players filed for free agency - Atlanta second baseman Mark Lemke and Kansas City right-hander Ricky Bones - raising the total to 128.
The Indians and left-hander Brian Anderson agreed to a $700,000, one-year contract with a 1999 team option.
Football
GILBERT OUT FOR SEASON: Washington defensive lineman Sean Gilbert will sit out the entire season. The NFL's free-agent signing deadline passed with the Redskins unable to land their franchise player, who wanted $4.5 million this year.
NFL FINES LLOYD: Pittsburgh linebacker Greg Lloyd was fined $15,000 by the NFL for "a flagrantly unnecessary" shot he took at Jacksonville receiver Keenan McCardell on Oct. 26.
Lloyd accused McCardell of making a threatening phone call to his house, which McCardell called "absurd." The league said it found no evidence of a call made by McCardell and will not pursue the matter further.
PHILLY'S EVERITT CHARGED: Philadelphia center Steven Everitt was charged with drunken driving, speeding and possession of drug paraphernalia after police stopped him and found a marijuana pipe in his car.
Basketball
COLSON SUSPENDED: North Carolina-Charlotte guard Sean Colson, the team's leading returning scorer, was suspended until Nov. 24 for violating team policy.
Colson, a 6-foot senior from Philadelphia, averaged 14.1 points and 6.3 assists last season.
Meanwhile, the career of freshman recruit Charles Hayward is uncertain after he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia late last week.
Boxing
MCCALL WANTS LEWIS: Former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall isn't crying anymore.
McCall (29-7) made a triumphant return to the ring by stopping Bryan Yates (15-16) in the eighth round of Tuesday night's scheduled 10-round bout at the Music City Mix Factory in Nashville, Tenn.
McCall was suspended and fined $250,000 for crying in the ring and refusing to fight Feb. 7 against Lewis in Las Vegas. After refusing to go to his corner twice and throwing only two punches in the fourth round, referee Mills Lane stopped that fight 55 seconds into the fifth round.
WHITAKER SUSPENDED: The promoter for Pernell "Sweetpea" Whitaker said his fighter, who tested positive for cocaine prior to a fight last month, was suspended 30 days pending an appeal.
Hockey
GRIZZLIES' FLAHERTY HONORED: Utah Grizzlies goalie Wade Flaherty was the International Hockey League's top keeper for the month of October. Flaherty posted a 6-1-1 record and had a 1.64 goals-against average.
"The credit has to go to the entire team for getting out to such a quick start this season," said Flaherty. "This award is more a team-defense award than anything."
The Grizz play host to the Houston Aeros tonight at 7 in the E Center.
FLORIDA'S MACLEAN SUSPENDED: Florida coach Doug MacLean was suspended two games without pay and fined $5,000 after a confrontation with officials at the conclusion of Saturday's game against Buffalo.
In overtime, Panthers goalie Mark Fitzpatrick appeared to stop a shot from Dixon Ward. The puck slipped out and was accidentally nudged in by defenseman Rhett Warrener.
MacLean thought the whistle should have blown and immediately hopped over the boards, storming toward referee Dennis Larue.
GRANATO UNDERGOES SURGERY: San Jose Sharks right wing Tony Granato underwent surgery to repair a fractured jaw caused by a puck that struck him in the face Saturday in St. Louis.
Granato also had plastic surgery to repair facial lacerations that resulted from the same puck.
Tennis
STOCKHOLM OPEN: In Stockholm, Sweden, four-time champion Boris Becker beat third-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain 6-4, 6-3, and top-seeded Patrick Rafter of Australia defeated Sweden's Mikael Tillstrom 6-3, 6-0 in opening-round matches at the Stockholm Open.
Stadiums
VOTERS REJECT TAX BOOST: The Steelers, Pirates and Twins should keep to the field and out of the voting booth.
Voters in Pittsburgh overwhelmingly rejected a tax boost Tuesday to build two stadiums while Minneapolis voters demanded a say before multimillion-dollar sports projects even get started.
Residents of 11 counties rejected a half-cent sales tax increase to finance stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers.