Congress not done monitoring steroids

Congress is sending a message to the NFL, NBA, NHL, and their players: Now that baseball strengthened its steroids policy, we're turning our attention to you. But those other leagues and unions aren't necessarily planning to get right to work rewriting drug-testing programs that already have been made tougher since lawmakers began focusing on the issue eight months ago. ''We don't think we need to stiffen our penalties," NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw said. ''Let Congress act if they want to. We have put a responsible model in place. It's actually our model that they have been holding up as the way to go." But four lawmakers, including Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, all made clear the threat of congressional intervention isn't disappearing. ''We are very anxious to rid all professional sports of any . . . steroids or amphetamines," said Bunning. ''We're still in discussions with some of the other sports," said Representative Tom Davis, Republican of Virginia. ''Hockey, in our judgment, has a fairly weak system." The NHL didn't test for steroids until this season.

Baseball
Mets reportedly to trade Cameron

The New York Mets have agreed to trade Mike Cameron to the San Diego Padres for Xavier Nady in a deal of outfielders, Newsday reported. Cameron shattered his face in a collision with Carlos Beltran at Petco Park, the Padres' home field, last August. The deal will not be announced until the Padres receive the results of an exam to check Cameron's eyesight . . . Major League Baseball hopes it can resolve differences with Washington officials over a stadium lease by next week, clearing the way for a sale of the Nationals. Some progress was made in negotiations earlier this week, and talks should resume tomorrow, said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. Baseball is balking at Washington's request for guaranteed rent, believed to be about $6 million a year.

Colleges
Brewington quits PC for studies

Leading scorer Dwight Brewington has quit the Providence basketball team to concentrate on academics. Brewington left the team but told coach Tim Welsh that he wanted to remain in school. ''Dwight was not asked to leave the team," Welsh said in a statement yesterday. ''He wants to remain at Providence College for the entire school year. I told him that as long as he is in good academic standing that he could keep his scholarship for this academic year." Brewington, a junior guard from Lynn, has been suspended from the squad since missing a team meeting earlier this month. Brewington averaged 13.3 points last season. His departure leaves the Friars with only one player, Donnie McGrath, with extensive experience in Big East play . . . Two University of Maine hockey players were suspended from the team after being charged with assault and aggravated criminal mischief for allegedly beating another student at an apartment in Orono, Maine. Michael Hamilton and Wesley Clark were suspended indefinitely for violations of the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct, interim athletic director Blake James announced . . . The University of Massachusetts-Lowell field hockey team, which defeated Bloomsburg in double overtime Sunday to win the national Division 2 title, will be honored today at a rally on the steps of Cumnock Hall on University Avenue at 11:30 a.m. The national championship marked the first for a women's team at the school.

NCAA closes book on South Carolina

The NCAA released its final report on its investigation of South Carolina's football program under ex-Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz. The NCAA outlined 11 violations -- five major and six secondary, raising the total infractions by one from South Carolina's summary disposition report this summer. In August, the NCAA added an additional year of probation to the two years already self-imposed by South Carolina. The latest report did not change the penalties handed down in August, but did reclassify one violation originally listed as major to secondary and added a secondary violation not included in the August report. Along with the probation, South Carolina will have two fewer scholarships during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons . . . Harvard's sophomore quarterback Liam O'Hagan took home the Golden Helmet for the Division 1-AA level this week after running for a touchdown and throwing three scoring passes to Kelly Widman. O'Hagan helped the Crimson remain alive in the Ivy League title hunt with their 29-3 win against Penn Saturday at Harvard Stadium.

Miscellany
Revolution clean house, waive 7 players

The Revolution waived seven players, including veterans Ricardo Phillips (midfielder/forward) and Connally Edozien (forward/midfielder). Midfielder Gilberto Flores, forward Jamie Holmes, midfielder Marcos Romaneiro, midfielder Luke Vercollone, and defender/midfielder Easton Wilson also were let go . . . Overzealous sports fans could face up to $25,000 in fines under a law passed by the New York City Council to crack down on rowdy spectators . . . Seventh-seeded Nikolay Davydenko advanced to the semifinals of the season-ending Masters Cup by defeating Gaston Gaudio, 6-3, 6-4, in Shanghai . . . Josh Radosevich, a 16-year-old apprentice jockey died after falling from his horse while leading the third race at Beulah Park in Columbus, Ohio . . . Former NBA star Vlade Divac has been charged with evading the military draft, the Serbia-Montenegro Army said . . . Broadcaster Ralph Edwards, who was considered the voice that launched the Jimmy Fund, the children's cancer-fighting charity long favored by the Red Sox, has died. He was 92. During a May 22, 1948, broadcast of his national radio show ''Truth or Consequences," Edwards interviewed a young cancer patient in Boston who loved baseball and dreamed of having a television to watch his favorite team, the Boston Braves. At the end of the broadcast, Edwards asked listeners to donate money for cancer research, as well as to buy a TV for the boy, whom he called ''Jimmy" to protect his privacy..