HOCKEY

GRETZKY DISCUSSED GAMBLING RING ON TAPE Wayne Gretzky was recorded on a wiretap talking to the alleged financier of a gambling ring, discussing how the hockey great’s wife could avoid being implicated, a person with knowledge of the investigation told the Associated Press yesterday.

Gretzky, coach and part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, can be heard on wiretaps made within the past month talking about his wife with assistant coach Rick Tocchet, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Gretzky’s wife, actress Janet Jones, allegedly bet at least $100,000 on football games over the course of the investigation by state authorities, the person said. There is no evidence that Gretzky placed any bets, according to the person.

Authorities say from December 29 through February 5 – the day of the Super Bowl – bettors placed a total of $1.7 million in wagers with the ring run by a New Jersey state trooper, Tocchet, and a South Jersey man. All face charges of promoting gambling, money laundering, and conspiracy and are scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court on February 21, the state Attorney General’s office said yesterday. Jones has not been charged.

GOLF

DONALD LIGHTS UP SPYGLASS AT PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM Luke Donald holed out for eagle from 96 yards to complete a round of 10-under 62 and take a one-shot lead over Mike Weir at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am yesterday. Donald matched Phil Mickelson’s record at Spyglass Hill, set exactly one year ago.

After missing a 10-foot birdie putt on his opening hole, no. 10, Donald ran off three straight birdies, one of those a 45-foot putt on the par-3 12th.Then came his sand wedge from 96 yards to a hole location on the front shelf of the green that dropped for eagle, and another birdie on the 15th. His round went so well that when he hit 6-iron into 12 feet on the ninth hole, it was the same putt he had on Wednesday during a practice round, so he knew the break.

The low score at Poppy Hills, usually the easiest of the three courses because it has five par 5s, came from Arron Oberholser. He responded to back-to-back bogeys with laughter, then ran off four birdies over his next five holes and finished with a 7-under 65. He was joined by Michael Allen (Spyglass) and Nick Watney (Pebble Beach). Mickelson, meanwhile, looks like he will end a dubious streak at this tournament – the last four defending champions at Pebble Beach have missed the cut. Lefty was headed that direction with a double bogey on his third hole at Poppy Hills, making the turn in 37. But he finished with a flourish – birdie-birdie eagle – for a 67 and was tied for 10th.

FOOTBALL

ABC TRADES MICHAELS TO NBC FOR CARTOON BUNNY Al Michaels is moving to NBC and will broadcast Sunday night NFL games with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons.

In exchange for letting Michaels out of his contract with ABC and ESPN, which are owned by the Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal sold ESPN cable rights to Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups, granted ESPN increased usage of Olympic highlights, and sold to the Walt Disney Co. the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a character in silent cartoons made by Walt Disney from 1927-28.

Michaels had been with ABC since 1976 and was the play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football since 1986.

WHISENHUNT, PETRINO TURN DOWN RAIDERS JOB Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino have pulled out of consideration for the Oakland Raiders coaching vacancy.

Whisenhunt told the Raiders yesterday that he had decided to stay in Pittsburgh for another season, making him one of the top coaching candidates for after next season. The Raiders also talked with Petrino, who had previously said he had no interest in the NFL. Louisville assistant sports information director Rocco Gasparro said Petrino will stay at the school. Oakland, the only team currently with a head coach opening, has been without a coach since Norv Turner was fired January 3.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NATIONAL TITLE = BIG RAISE FOR TEXAS’S BROWN Texas football coach Mack Brown got a $390,000 pay raise yesterday after leading the Longhorns to their first outright national championship in 36 years. University system regents unanimously approved the salary bump, which gives Brown an annual salary of about $2.55 million, keeping him among the highest-paid coaches in college football. The 54-year-old Brown agreed to a 10-year deal with Texas at the end of the 2004 season that boosts his salary $100,000 every year. The regents also unanimously approved a $150 million expansion and renovation project that will increase Royal-Memorial Stadium seating capacity from 80,082 to more than 90,000.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

OHIO STATE STEALS FIRST WIN IN MICHIGAN SINCE 2002 Jamar Butler scored a career-high 20 points to lead no. 19 Ohio State to a 94-85 victory over no. 22 Michigan last night for the Buckeyes’ first win at Crisler Arena since 2002.

The victory moved Ohio State into a three-way tie with Michigan State and Illinois for second place in the Big Ten. The three teams trail Iowa by a half-game.

Courtney Sims had 26 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the Wolverines (16-5, 6-4), who lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Chris Hunter’s three-point play gave Michigan a 73-70 lead with 8:45 to play, but Ohio State (17-3, 6-3) answered with a 14-2 run, during which it was 7-for-7 from the field, to go ahead for good.