The Record, Bergen County, NJ

Roundup

PANTHERS 3, ISLANDERS 0

Baseball World Shaking ; Mitchell Report Due Next Week Could Be Scandalous

NEW YORK Baseball is about to get its official boxscore on the Steroids Era. It's the Mitchell Report, the findings of former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's 20-month investigation into performance- enhancing drug use that has tarnished some of the game's greatest stars and records.

Kangaroo Course

Angling for Good Playoff Position

This week is extremely important or downright meaningless for head-to-head fantasy football players. Your team is in one of these four positions: In the playoffs and enjoying a first-round bye; starting the first round of the playoffs; fighting for a playoff spot or mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. This, of course, applies to those leagues smart enough to ignore the last week of the regular season, because to decide a championship when lots of marquee players are riding the pine i...

Niedermayer Makes Things Interesting

The Detroit Red Wings should start looking in the rear view mirror. With defenseman Scott Niedermayer's announcement Wednesday that he was going to play this season, the Anaheim Ducks suddenly were a lot closer to challenging the Red Wings as the Stanley Cup favorites in the West. It might not happen during the regular season at 13- 12-4 heading into Friday's game at Chicago, the Ducks did not hold a postseason spot but it would be hard to pick against the Ducks in the playoffs with their f...

Hatton Garners Crowd's Support

LAS VEGAS If Floyd Mayweather's WBC welterweight title bout with Ricky Hatton tonight is half as good as the weigh-in, boxing fans are in for a remarkable finish to a strong year. From the floor to the rafters, one end of the MGM Grand Garden Arena was packed with 5,930 singing, whistling, clapping fans Friday. All of them seemed to be supporting Hatton, the wildly popular underdog including the small brass band sponsored by a British newspaper.

2 Teams Share Shootout Lead

NAPLES, Fla. Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia shot an 8-under 64 in modified alternate-shot play Friday for a share of the first- round lead with Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman in the Merrill Lynch Shootout. Tournament host Greg Norman and Bubba Watson were a stroke back, and defending champions Jerry Kelly and Rod Pampling opened with a 66 on the Norman-designed Tiburon Golf Club course.

Great News On Everett ; Bills' Tight End Walking On Own

Kevin Everett is walking on his own at a Houston rehab center, the latest significant progress by the Buffalo Bills' tight end in his remarkable recovery from a serious spinal cord injury. "He doesn't have a full natural stride but, yeah, he's walking," a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday.

Oregon Bragging Rights On the Line in Jets' Game

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. The game was played seven years ago, yet after quickly searching his memory, Kellen Clemens still remembered the final score. "They just beat us in every sense of the word," the Jets' quarterback recalled this week. "That was a good team. They were loaded with talent, obviously Derek being one of them, and they just outplayed us. What was the final score, 40-something to 20- something? 46-26, maybe?"

Blackburn May Be Key Fill-in at Philly

EAST RUTHERFORD - Middle linebacker Chase Blackburn paused and then nodded, breaking into a sly grin. Did he remember the last time he started an NFL game?

All-Passaic Field Hockey

First team Kerrie Izer, Pompton Lakes, senior

No. Highlands Avenges State Loss to Fair Lawn

HACKENSACK Hundreds of vocal fans filled the stands at The Ice House on Friday night. And as Northern Highlands and Fair Lawn took the ice, the atmosphere resembled a postseason game more than the early-season contest that was about to be played. But after the puck was dropped it took only 50 seconds for the throng of Fair Lawn fans to go silent. And the Northern Highlands hockey team made sure those fans didn't have much reason to cheer for the rest of the evening.

All-Passaic Gymnastics

First team All-around: Jackie Friscia, Passaic Valley, senior

All-Bergen Gymnastics

First team All-around: Chelsea Goldschrafe, Ramapo, junior

All-Bergen Field Hockey

First team O: Alyssa Pessolano, Northern Highlands, senior

Knicks Notes

Curry returns As Eddy Curry ran, jumped and shot Friday morning to test the left ankle he sprained during a pregame walkthrough Wednesday, "He didn't trip on any lines," Isiah Thomas said with a laugh.

Kidd's Teammates Have Their Doubts

EAST RUTHERFORD - Jason Kidd's teammates are giving him the benefit of the doubt publicly. Privately, some believe he staged a boycott Wednesday when he missed the loss to the Knicks for what he said was a migrane, and expressed to management that they're unsure of Kidd's commitment, according to sources close to the team.

Rangers' Slide Reaches 3 Games

ATLANTA Despite dropping their third straight game, and again failing to muster much offense, the Rangers chose to adopt a positive attitude. "I thought we played great," center Scott Gomez said Friday night after the Rangers were humbled by the Atlanta Thrashers, 4-2. "We stuck to the game plan. We did everything, but it wasn't enough."

Devils Notes

Barry's big day The City of Newark and the Devils gave ESPN analyst Barry Melrose the royal treatment, providing a tour of the area around Prudential Center and of the arena itself Friday. He then watched the game from the luxury suite of Devils chairman and managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek.

Phillips Turns Back On Yankees

First baseman Andy Phillips refused the Yankees' outright assignment to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday and became a free agent. Phillips was designated for assignment Tuesday, when the Yankees needed to clear a roster spot for backup catcher Jose Molina, who finalized a $4 million, two-year contract.