BASEBALL

SELIG APPROVES JOHNSON DEAL

The drawn-out deal to send Randy Johnson to the Yankees was approved by Commissioner Bud Selig, making a contract extension the last obstacle to the Arizona-New York swap. The Yankees were given a 72-hour window to come to terms with the five time Cy Young Award winner. Johnson’s current deal pays him $16 million in 2005 and expires after this season.

The Diamondbacks would receive pitchers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey, young catcher Dioner Navarro, and $9 million to be paid over three years.

Arizona also agreed yesterday to a proposed trade that would send Navarro and other prospects to the Dodgers for Shawn Green and $8 million. Green was part of a three-team, 10-player swap involving Johnson and the Yankees that collapsed December 21 when Los Angeles backed out.

Selig granted the Diamondbacks a window to work out an extension for Green, who will make $16 million this year, then can become a free agent. The windows for both trades will begin today and end at noon Friday.

Also yesterday, Tanyon Sturtze and the Yankees agreed yesterday to a one-year contract that guarantees the righthander $1 million. Sturtze, 34, the only New York player eligible for salary arbitration, gets $850,000 this season.

ANGELS ADD ‘LOS ANGELES’ TO NAME

Baseball’s Angels have a new name, and it’s a mouthful: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The switch, which will be challenged in court by the city of Anaheim, is intended to help the team market itself to more of Southern California and attract more advertising sponsors and broadcast revenue, the team said yesterday.

The city of Anaheim will file a lawsuit to block the name change and hopes to obtain a temporary restraining order in place this week, city spokesman John Nicoletti said. Anaheim officials believe the change violates the terms of the team’s 33-year lease with the city.

“It’s geographically confusing and absurd,” Nicoletti said. “No other professional sports franchise that I know of has two different cities in its names.”

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ACC’S RECORD RUN COMES TO AN END

The Atlantic Coast Conference’s record run of seven ranked teams came to an end yesterday. The Big East provided the two unbeaten replacements – West Virginia and Boston College – and tied the ACC with five schools in The Associated Press Top 25.

Illinois and Kansas remained 1-2 in the poll for the fifth straight week. That’s how long the ACC had seven teams in the Top 25, the longest run ever with that many. North Carolina State lost two straight games and fell from 17th, while Virginia lost its conference opener to Wake Forest and dropped from no. 25.

The Big 10 had seven ranked teams for four weeks in January 1999. The other times it happened were for two weeks in December 1997 by the ACC and for one week in January 1993 by the Big 10.

Illinois (14-0) had three easy wins last week and received 62 first-place votes from the national press panel. Kansas (9-0) stayed second for the seventh straight week with a dramatic overtime win over Georgia Tech, winning for the second time without injured preseason All-American Wayne Simien. The Jayhawks got the other 10 no. 1 votes.

ST. JOHN’S TO MISS BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

St. John’s will not participate in the Big East postseason tournament because of the penalties the basketball program imposed on itself earlier this season.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese confirmed yesterday that St. John’s will not be eligible for the field and there will be one less game in completing the 11-team tournament.

In November, St. John’s imposed two years of penalties – including a postseason ban for 2004-05 – after an investigation revealed former player Abe Keita was given cash by an athletic department employee.

HOCKEY

GRETZKY FEARS LOCKOUT COULD LAST TWO YEARS

Wayne Gretzky fears the NHL could be shut down for as long as two years if a labor deal is not reached soon. Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer and part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, said an “even more alarming” scenario could await the league if the lockout is not settled in the next few days.

The NHL board of governors is to meet January 14 in New York. The league rejected a union proposal and its own counteroffer was turned down during a session December 14. No new talks are scheduled. Since the players are not paid between April and October, Gretzky said there may be little chance of any breakthrough during the summer on a new collective bargaining agreement. “We’re going to be back where we were last September 15 come this September 15,” he said.

FOOTBALL

UTAH’S SMITH, CAL’S RODGERS TO ENTER DRAFT

Utah quarterback Alex Smith, emboldened by a strong showing in Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh, will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft, according to reports. Smith, 21-1 as a starter for the Utes going back to last season, believes he will be a first-round draft pick. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist, the school’s first, and led his team to an 11-0 regular season and the Fiesta Bowl berth.

Also yesterday, California quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced that he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Rodgers signed with Cal after one year at a junior college in his native Chico, Calif., starting the final 10 games last season. He passed for 2,903 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing more than 60% of his passes, throwing just five interceptions and leading Cal to a victory in the Insight Bowl.

BASKETBALL

CAVALIERS SOLD FOR $375 MILLION

The Cleveland Cavaliers were bought yesterday for $375 million by the founder of the nation’s largest online mortgage company.

Dan Gilbert of Detroit, founder of Quicken Loans, will assume ownership of the Cavaliers and operational control of the 20,000-seat Gund Arena once the league’s Board of Governors approves the deal. Former owner Gordon Gund will maintain a minority stake of no more than 10%, a source with knowledge of the terms of the sale told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Gund and his brother George bought the team from Ted Stepien in 1983 for $20 million.

– Associated Press