GUS IS NO. 1 AGAIN 1979 NBA CHAMPS HELP WILLIAMS RAISE NUMBER TO RAFTERS.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Byline: JANNY HU P-I reporter

Sonics Gus Williams took the microphone at halftime and promptly roared these enthusiastic words: 'Hello, Seattle!'

'Hello, Gus!' was more like it.

The Sonics celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1979 NBA World Championship last night with a special halftime ceremony honoring the team, and more specifically, its leader.

Williams, looking spry despite his 50 years, beamed as his No. 1 jersey was raised to the rafters at KeyArena. The 'Wizard,' who played for the Sonics from 1977-84, stills ranks among the franchise's top five in four categories, including points, steals and assists.

'It doesn't get any better than this,' Williams told the sold-out crowd, adding that he did have one quibble. 'They give me one minute to say thanks, what took 25 years to accomplish - that's not fair.'

Almost the entire 1979 squad was on hand, including former stars Jack Sikma, Fred Brown and current team president Wally Walker. Only four players were missing: Tom Lagarde (who was home in New York with his expectant wife), Lonnie Shelton, and current NBA head coaches Lenny Wilkens and Paul Silas.

Williams also flew about 30 friends and family members from his hometown in Mount Vernon, N.Y., including his brother Ray and mother, Rosanna.

The Sonics feted Williams with a replica jersey, a Titleist golf bag with his name stitched on it, and a four-day, three-night golf vacation in the Bahamas.

'Gus was a lot of fun to be around,' Sikma said. 'If you had any weaknesses or exposed yourself, Gus found a way to bring it out in front of everyone. He was just a great guy to have around and a leader for us.'

Sikma and the players all wore what Williams described as 'Hell's Angels jackets,' heavy leather coats commemorating Seattle's only modern professional championship. The only thing shinier was the golden NBA trophy that was also displayed on the court.

'(To the) city and people and town of Seattle, this is an extra special moment for me,' Williams said. 'But, believe me, it would not be the same without people (to share it with).'

The crowd could only roar its approval. Said one arena employee: 'He was Magic before there was Magic.'

P-I reporter Janny Hu

can be reached at 206-448-8189

Can Michael Jordan rescue the Wizards?(Features)(Arts & Leisure)(Sports) - The Christian Science Monitor

When Michael Jordan was introduced as part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards Jan. 19, flashbulbs were popping as if it were a Broadway opening, with Jordan cast as The Wizard.

The ESPN athlete of the century had been recruited to salvage a pro basketball franchise that is in serious trouble. Jordan's first significant move as an NBA executive occurred six days ago when he fired head coach Gar Heard. He was replaced by former Toronto Raptors coach Darrell Walker.

Jordan told The Washington Post that he wanted to make a coaching change to salvage something of the season: 'We've got to kick-start the team and that starts with the coach.'

In a recent survey based on performance and attendance, Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal ranked the Washington Wizards 103rd among the 118 major-league sports franchises in North America.

The team is roiling from a host of problems, mainly personnel decisions that have left the Wizards with not only one of the poorest records in the league but also one of the highest payrolls.

To make matters worse, some of the highest-paid players with guaranteed contracts appear to have lost their competitiveness. 'It's difficult to root for a team that doesn't seem to care,' complains Robert Fetzer, one former fan.

Since last season, the number of season-ticket holders has fallen almost 25 percent. Somehow, Jordan must find a way to unload some of his highly paid players to make room for signing lower-salaried ones under the NBA salary cap.

And that's just the first challenge for Jordan, one of the most competitive players of all time.

But take a close look at the Washington Wizards, and one can see that there are many reasons to hope that Jordan succeeds. For the Wizards are more than a basketball team. In some sense, they're a historic experiment in urban renewal.

Abe Pollin, a local construction magnate who is their principal owner, bought the franchise when it was the Chicago Zephyrs in 1963. He moved the team to Baltimore and then to a new arena in suburban Landover, Md., in 1973. The Bullets, as they were called then, were a consistent winner. The team was NBA champion in 1978.

But in the mid-1990s, Pollin realized that his arena had become obsolete in an era of big buildings with corporate boxes, and he made a remarkable decision. He built a state-of-the-art arena with his own money in inner-city Washington, D.C.

Nathan Roberts, Channel 8 news anchor, remembers touring the construction site with Pollin. 'Walking around in his hard hat, there was no mistaking his civic pride,' Mr. Roberts says. 'He'd point out, 'Here's where the subway station will go!' Abe was building the arena in D.C. because he felt it would help the city come back.'

Today, walking around the MCI Center, it's evident that this part of the city has not come back. The arena is bordered by Chinatown businesses on one side and a scattershot of upscale restaurants and boarded-up storefronts.

'When the team started losing, people stopped coming down here to eat,' sighs Brenda Jackson, a reporter for local radio station WPFW, who covers all the games. Nonetheless, two nights after Jordan was introduced as a new owner, a near-capacity crowd turns out for a home game against the Indiana Pacers, even though Jordan is not in evidence.

The crowd is 50 percent black. That's an unusually high percentage of black fans for the NBA, but not for the Wizards. The atmosphere is electric. As the Wizards tromp up the ramp from the locker room and peer up at the crowd, a large fan in a leather coat leans over the railing, pumping his fist. 'All night long,' he thunders at the players. 'All night, all night, baby!'

The music is dynamic and multiethnic, featuring disco and rap. It's clear that the Wizards' multiracial fan base is no accident, and one suspects that the atmosphere is a good part of what Michael Jordan has been brought in to promote. But all these efforts to revitalize the city depend on a winning team.

On this night, the Wizards come through. After trailing much of the game, they pull ahead in the fourth quarter and send the Pacers - one of the best NBA teams - home with a 10-point defeat.

Juwan Howard, one of the veterans who has come under fire, finishes with a season-high 34 points. Rod Strickland, another disaffected vet, dives out of bounds after loose balls.

After the game, Mitch Richmond, the Wizards' all-star shooting guard, is asked to explain what happened. Richmond is on the injured list with a cracked rib.

Were these guys inspired by Michael Jordan being here? Or were they just afraid he'd trade them? he's asked. Richmond shakes his head. 'Maybe some of that,' he says, 'but for the most part it was the crowd. When the players came out and saw all those fans, they just got fired up.'

Boxing: Ugly scenes as pin-ups collide.(Sport) - The Mirror (London, England)

JOE CALZAGHE and Robin Reid clashed last night over their pin- up boy looks.

Reid sneered after world title rival Calzaghe bizarrely claimed to be the better-looking of the two super-middleweights.

'It's not a fashion show - it's a fight,' said Reid.

'And he'll find that out on the night we meet.'

The pair will fight for Calzaghe's WBO world super-middleweight title in Newcastle on February 13.

It is one of the most eagerly awaited domestic fights for years. Both Welshman Calzaghe and Manchester-based Reid turned up in central London for a meeting to publicise their clash wearing full-length leather coats.

Calzaghe, whose most significant win was over Chris Eubank when he claimed his vacant crown last year, goaded Reid and said: 'I first predicted I'd knock him out in four rounds but now I think it will take only three.'

Reid, who lost his WBC version of the title in his third defence against Sugar Boy Malinga last December, hit back: 'Everyone has a weakness and if he says he's coming out blasting, that could be it. I am the underdog, but I enjoy that.'

Calzaghe is believed still to be bitter after missing out on the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where Reid fought brilliantly to win a bronze medal.

The winner of the Reid-Calzaghe grudge clash could take on Telford's Richie Woodhall in an all-British unification match clash - so long as the Midlander successfully defends his crown against Vicenzo Nardiello in January.

Promoter Frank Warren said: 'Britain has the best fighters in the world in the super-middleweight division. Calzaghe, Reid and Woodhall are all better than the American WBA champion Frankie Lilles.

FOOTBALL SPY SPECIAL: HEARD A WHISPER?(Sport) - The Mirror (London, England)

MY pal cleans Freddie Ljungberg's leather coats. Freddie told him he is considering a move to Hamburg.- John Goody - by email

IN OCTOBER, BASEBALL FANS SAVOR THE REAL FALL CLASSICS.(SPORTS) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: Bob Molinaro

Funny thing about baseball in October. The games are even slower and more protractive than during the regular season.

But in the fall, as the plot thickens, the pulse of the country quickens. A sport that seems sluggish, even tedious, in the lazy days of summer takes on an air of urgency.

In October, every little thing about the games assumes exaggerated significance. Managerial moves that draw yawns or inspire trips to the bathroom during the regular season, take on great importance. Relatively routine at-bats become tableaus of strategy, concentration and nerves. Good fielding plays are elevated to greatness.

It's baseball on adrenaline. It's an entirely different pastime than the one played night after night for six months, when baseball serves as a sleep aid. When it all comes together to produce something as riveting as the Mets-Braves series, or as intriguing as Yankees-Red Sox, you go away with a greater appreciation for the game.

Anybody who saw the last few innings of Game 6 of the Mets-Braves series knows that it was not worth missing for a clubhouse card game. The National League melodrama left the World Series with a tough act to follow. But baseball already has made its point. There's no better sport when something important is on the line.

``There were just so many marvelous things that went on in those games,'' says Dave Rosenfield, general manager of the Norfolk Tides.

As the Braves and Mets created a TV bonanza for baseball, Rosenfield watched from behind home plate at Shea Stadium in New York with his wife, Charmaine, and Bobby Valentine's wife, Mary. During Game 5's 5-hour, 46-minute, 15-inning marathon, they sat through a steady rain.

``I had a leather coat on,'' Rosenfield says. ``When it was over, it weighed 400 pounds.''

He never considered seeking cover. Or complaining when the game dragged into the night.

``That game was not too long for anybody,'' he said.

He's probably right about that. But, then, Rosenfield never gets enough baseball.

``Every day of the year would be fine by me,'' he says.

On his way to Shea for the Mets' three home games, Rosenfield felt butterflies in his stomach.

``I think I like the game too much,'' he says. ``You shouldn't like it so much that you're nervous about it.''

When pitcher Octavio Dotel, and outfielders Benny Agbayani and Melvin Mora, all who played in Norfolk this year, performed well against the Braves, nobody was prouder than Rosenfield.

``It really makes you understand how valuable the minor leagues are,'' he says. ``Those are kids who got enough experience here that they could go up there and fill a hole.''

Every October, baseball fans discover talent that gets lost during the summer, when there are just too many games. Now if only something could be done about the length of playoff games. Four of the five times the Yankees and Red Sox met, their chess matches ran more than 3 1/2 hours.

So what, Rosenfield says. The time it takes to play these games ``isn't a negative,'' he insists. ``In a world where we're always rushing to beat the clock, baseball is the only game where you don't run out of time.

``What is perceived as slowness by some is part of the charm of baseball,'' he says. ``It isn't a hurry-up deal. We spend our entire lives hurrying up.''

At any rate, October clock watching is best left to fans of football, a sport perceived to be more popular than baseball. Comparisons of attendance and TV ratings are bogus, though. NFL teams play once a week. For six months, baseball teams play virtually every day.

``If we played one baseball game a week on a Sunday,'' said Rosenfield, ``you couldn't get a ticket for a million dollars.''

USPTO Issues Trademark V VALLEVERDE to Calzaturificio Valleverde for Sunglasses, Spectacles, Protection Masks, Purses, Handbags, Rucksacks, Shirts, Jackets, Coats - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 17 -- Calzaturificio Valleverde S.p.a, Coriano, Italy has been issued the trademark V VALLEVERDE (Reg. No. 79058606; International Reg. No. 0976590) by the USPTO.

The trademark application (serial number 79058606) was filed on May 7, 2008 and was registered on Aug. 11.

The description of the mark registered is 'Color is not claimed as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of a stylized letter 'V' encompassed by a wreath design. The 'V' and wreath design appear directly above the stylized word 'VALLEVERDE'. Beneath the term 'VALLEVERDE' appears two wavy lines.'

TRADEMARK: USPTO ISSUES Y NOAH TO Noah Yannick FOR Leather, Clothing, Gymnastics, Sports Articles - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 29 -- NOAH YANNICK; C/O SPORTINVEST CONSULTING INDIVIDUAL FRANCE, Levallois-Perret, France, has been issued the trademark Y NOAH (Reg. No. 3740122; International Reg. No. 0938119) by the USPTO.

The trademark application (serial number 79044037) was filed on June 20, 2007 and was registered on Jan. 19.

The description of the mark registered is 'The color(s) white, black, magenta, yellow and green is/are claimed as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of a white rectangle outlined in black and containing a smaller rectangle. The smaller rectangle is outlined in black and displays a black letter 'Y' inside the smaller rectangle. The color magenta appears on the left side of the 'Y', the color yellow appears on the top of the 'y' and the color green appears on the right side of the 'Y'. The word 'NOAH' is displayed in black stylized letters under the smaller rectangle inside the larger rectangle'.