Abe Pollin

Gilbert Arenas said he used "bad judgment" in bringing guns into the Wizards locker room. He also denied that he gambles and said there are misconceptions in stories about a dispute between him and teammate Javaris Crittenton . His remarks came following the Wizards' 97-86 loss to the Spurs on Saturday night after two days of reports about the investigation into the guns he kept at the Verizon Center - and about an hour after the family...

BaseballAL: Named Indians OF Manny Ramirez Player of the Week.NL: Named Mets C Mike Piazza Player of the Week.Athletics: Activated C Mike Macfarlane. Optioned C A. J. Hinch to Triple-A Vancouver.Yankees: OF Shane Spencer was cleared to begin rehab program a week after doctors diagnosed an irregular heartbeat.BasketballMagic: Signed F Corey Maggette, first-round draft pick, to $3.71 million, three-year contract.WNBA: Named Utah F Natalie Williams Player of Week.Charlotte (WNBA): Named Dan Hughes interim head coach and Bob Bass GM.CollegeNCAA Championships/Competition Cabinet: net: Named Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson chairman of Division I men's basketball committee, effective Sept.

PHILADELPHIA -- When Washington Bullets forward Tom Gugliotta woke up yesterday morning, he had no idea his name was in the news.Gugliotta has been mentioned over the past few days as part of a possible trade to the Golden State Warriors, for forward Chris Webber. Webber, the No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year last season, is involved in a bitter holdout with the Warriors."No, it isn't a distraction," Gugliotta said before last night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. "I'd be surprised if it happened, but in this business you never know."

Rock Newman, the manager of heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, said yesterday that he favors unranked Jesse Ferguson as Bowe's next challenger, with RFK Stadium as the likely site for the May 21 fight.Newman has spent the past few days conferring with George Brown, deputy commissioner of development for Washington Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly."The city is primed for an event like this," Newman said. "And I believe the stadium would be the perfect place to hold it."Asked about the possibility of inclement weather, Newman said there would be no rain date.

The Baltimore Arena , which was $1.183 million in the red before the city turned over its operations to Centre Management in 1988, earned a $14,070 profit last year, city and arena officials announced today.The financial turnaround was the result of "professional management" which was able to cut costs and boost revenues at the arena, said Abe Pollin, chairman of the board of the Centre Group, the parent company of Centre Management."We told the city at the time that we took over that we would eliminate the operating deficit in five years," Pollin said.

THE plan sounds simple enough: Get tough with criminals by putting more of them in jail and throwing away the key. Do away with parole. Pressure judges to give longer sentences to violent criminals, and then make the prisoners serve the entire term meted out.That's what one long-shot Democratic candidate for governor, American Joe Miedusiewski, wants to do. And so does Republican candidate Ellen Sauerbrey.But these fiscal conservatives are playing a shell game with voters. Who's going to pay for the added costs?

NEW YORK -- Washington goaltender Don Beaupre was irked yesterday because the Capitals offered him a termination contract, meaning the team wants him back next season but isn't sure about two years from now."How can I be happy?" said Beaupre. "You do what you think is a good job. You play a big part in the first-round upset of Pittsburgh in the playoffs. And what reward do you get? If someone gives me a better deal, I'm going to take it."Caps general manager David Poile said the decision is a "calculated risk" based on Beaupre's $925,000 deal and his age, 32."

Apparently the "new approach" that Washington Bullets owner Abe Pollin has suggested John Nash take in contract talks with Juwan Howard will begin next week. Nash, the team's general manager, retreated to his Philadelphia home yesterday.Perhaps Nash will take a few days to plot his strategy to get the team's first-round pick into uniform in time for the team's opening game against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 4.Nash, with his travels, was unavailable for comment yesterday. Howard's agent, David Falk, remained elusive -- for the second day in a row he did not return phone calls by The Sun to his office.

SURE, THEY'VE been gone for more than three decades, but we still have a soft spot for the NBA franchise formerly known as the Baltimore Bullets. The now-Washington Wizards ended their season this past weekend, losing to the Miami Heat to conclude an 0-4 sweep. But it was an honorable effort and the pain shouldn't last. The Wizards had a turnaround year, their best in a quarter-century. The Bullets weren't much of a success when they came here from Chicago in 1963 either. But in a decade in Baltimore, a playoff-caliber team emerged with stars such as Wes Unseld, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Kevin Loughery, Gus Johnson and Jack Marin.

The prospects of Washington Capitals forwards Peter Bondra and Michal Pivonka suiting up for the start of the regular season are dim today, after general manager David Poile rejected the latest offer from agent Rich Winter, who represents both players."