Willis Reed Resigns: ‘Things I Can’t Do’

Willis Reed resigned as coach of the Creighton University basketball team, saying he would be unable to build a competitive program without violating NCAA recruiting rules that other schools ignore.

“If you’re going to stay in college basketball and be successful, you’ll have to do some things I can’t do, I won’t do,” Reed said. “I know we’ve lost kids consistently because of it. I find out down the line they have been offered things.”

Reed, 42, played for the New York Knicks for 10 years and is a member of the NBA Hall of Fame. He compiled a 52-65 record at Creighton. His 1984-85 Bluejays were 20-12 but lost their last six games.

Reed would not name schools he believed violated rules. He cited Indiana University and St. John’s University as schools that have built good basketball teams without violating rules.

The Freedom Bowl, played for the first time last year in Anaheim Stadium, has been sanctioned for Dec. 30, 1985, by the NCAA.

The inaugural game was played last Dec. 26, with Iowa defeating Texas, 55-17, in a downpour. The attendance was 24,093, raising some speculation that the bowl would not be sanctioned again.

Pitcher Bert Blyleven of the Cleveland Indians was fined $250 and suspended three days by the American League for making an obscene gesture following his removal from a game. Blyleven appealed the suspension, which will be put off until the appeal is decided. The Indians said the fine would be paid immediately.

Tampa Bay Bandits owner John Bassett said he has signed several of Tuesday’s NFL draft choice for a new spring football league he hopes to have formed within a month.

The players Bassett said he has signed are Memphis State cornerback Derrick Burroughs, first-round Buffalo pick; Alabama linebacker Emanuel King, first round, Cincinnati; Nevada Las Vegas quarterback Randall Cunningham, second round, Philadelphia; Memphis State defensive back Donnie Elder, third round, New York Jets; Alabama running back Ricky Moore, third round, San Francisco; Wisconsin center Dan Turk, fourth round, Pittsburgh; Colgate quarterback Steve Calabria, ninth round, Tampa Bay, and Virginia Tech tight end Joe Jones, 10th round, Dallas.

Blaming the universities of Georgia and Oklahoma for reduced college football television revenues, University of Arizona Athletic Director Cedric Dempsey announced cuts in nearly all athletic programs, aimed at avoiding a looming $1.5-million deficit.

Dempsey pointed a finger at lowered television revenues in general, and the result of litigation by Georgia and Oklahoma in particular, saying, “Their action is the most devastating action ever taken in intercollegiate athletics.”

Mark Leddy, 21, of Yonkers, N.Y., died from injuries sustained in a 100-foot fall from an escalator at Shea Stadium after a New York Mets baseball game Wednesday night, the team said.

A Mets spokesman said Leddy fell after sliding down the railing of a non-operating escalator from the upper deck to the mezzanine level.

The Boston Celtics moved up four places in next month’s NBA draft by swapping first-round picks with Dallas. Boston traded the 24th choice this year and its second-round pick in 1988 for the 20th choice, which the Mavericks obtained in a 1980 deal with Detroit.

Anandar, a 3-year-old son of Alydar purchased for $750,000 last year, sustained a broken leg in his stall at Hollywood Park and had to be destroyed. Anandar had raced little because of various ailments.

Manchester became the third British city to announce a bid for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. London and Birmingham had made earlier bids.

Czechoslovakia crushed the United States, 11-2, and Canada beat the Soviet Union, 3-1, in the World Ice Hockey Championships at Prague. Czechoslovakia plays Canada for the gold medal Friday.

Names in the News

Denver Nuggets President Vince Boryla was named Executive of the Year by the National Basketball Assn.

Susan Fletcher, daughter of former Philadelphia Eagles owner Leonard Tose, resigned as vice president and legal counsel for the National Football League team.

Milton McCrory will defend his World Boxing Assn. welterweight title against Panama’s Carlos Trujillo July 14 at Monte Carlo.

Senior Darrell Adams was named most valuable player on the Cal State Long Beach basketball team.

Former Jefferson High linebacker Joe Kelly was named one of four University of Washington football captains for 1985.

Former Pepperdine swimmer and water polo player Tim Elson was named coach of Pepperdine’s first women’s swimming team.

Olympic pole vault gold medalist Pierre Quinon of France and world women’s 400-meter record-holder Jarmila Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia have entered the Pepsi Invitational May 18 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

Thomas Schulze, a reserve forward on Iowa’s 1969-70 Big Ten championship basketball team, was found shot to death at his home in West Des Moines, Iowa.