Mike Brown

BaseballHouston Astros -- Sent C Raul Chavez and C Scott Maskarewisz to their minor-league camp for reassignment.Pittsburgh Pirates -- Sent P John Hope, P Roberto Ramirez, P Dan Miceli, C Keith Osik, 1B Mike Brown, 1B Rich Aude, IF Dave Rohde and OF Stan Cameron to their minor-league camp for reassignment.St. Louis Cardinals -- Sent P Brian Barber, P Brian Eversgerd, P Doug Creek, P Willie Smith and P Steve Montgomery to their minor-league camp for reassignment.Toronto Blue Jays -- Sent P Ricardo Jordan and P Jesse Cross to their minor-league camp for reassignment.

CHICAGO -- NFL owners failed to close the gap between the haves and have-nots at their meeting yesterday.They passed an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement by a 25-5 vote, but it did not include new revenue-sharing provisions.The vote was overshadowed by the Baltimore-Cleveland settlement, but it could have far-reaching ramifications because it will put pressure on low-revenue teams to move for better deals."It's every man for himself," said Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, who voted against the extension because it doesn't include new revenue sharing.

Baseball Astros: Placed IF Tripp Cromer on 15-day DL. Purchased contract of P Rusty Meacham from Triple-A New Orleans. Braves: Signed ex-Orioles OF Rich Amaral to minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Richmond. Cubs: Activated IF Shane Andrews from 60-day DL. Optioned IF Chad Meyers to Triple-A Iowa. Basketball Hawks: Named Wally Blase head athletic trainer and Tom Smith assistant trainer/equipment manager. Rockets: Signed F Maurice Taylor to one-year contract. Spurs: Named Mike Brown assistant coach and director of player development.

Gov. Martin O'Malley joins a long list of political and agricultural leaders across the state who have voiced concern over the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic and the Waterkeeper Alliance's litigation against Alan and Kristin Hudson of Berlin who raise chickens on their Worcester County farm ("O'Malley criticizes UMB for lawsuit," Nov. 18). The governor is correct in pointing out this unfair attack on a family farm represents an "ongoing injustice" and that the environmental law clinic and the Waterkeepers are pursuing "costly litigation of questionable merit.

For The Record Moves Baseball MARINERS: Activated SS Mike Morse from suspended list. Sent IF Bucky Jacobsen outright to Triple-A Tacoma. Recalled C Rene Rivera and OF Shin Soo Choo from Tacoma. MARLINS: Recalled IF Joe Dillon from Triple-A Albuquerque. METS: Purchased contract of IF Anderson Hernandez from Triple-A Norfolk. Designated P Dae Sung Koo for assignment. NATIONALS: Placed P Tony Armas Jr. on 60-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. Activated IF Junior Spivey from 60-day DL. Basketball CAVALIERS: Signed F Alan Henderson to one-year contract.

Baseball Astros: Named Charlie Norton GM and Jay Edmiston director of baseball operations for Appalachian League Martinsville. Announced Martinsville assistant GM Jennifer Bender will leave at the end of the year to work for Astros' spring training facility operations staff. Indians: Declined 2002 options on P Scott Radinsky and P Dave Burba. Exercised 2003 option on P Ricardo Rincon. Named Mike Brown pitching coach. Basketball Hawks: Waived C Ivano Newbill, F Ira Newbill and G Scoonie Penn.

BaseballDodgers: Agreed to terms with 1B Glenn Davis, first-round draft pick.Expos: Recalled C Raul Chavez from Triple-A Ottawa.Mets: Optioned IF Kevin Morgan to Triple-A Norfolk. Recalled P Juan Acevedo from Norfolk.Pirates: Activated P Jason Christiansen from 60-day DL. Sent OF Jermaine Allensworth to Triple-A Calgary for rehabilitation assignment. Designated P Dave Wainhouse for assignment. Named Marc Hill roving instructor, Jeff Bannister manager of Double-A Carolina, Jeff Richardson manager of Single-A Lynchburg and Scott Little of Single-A Augusta.

Some county coaches think that Howard's boys basketball team for years has been a sleeping giant. And they also think that first-year coach Kevin Broadus may awaken that giant this season.The Lions' usual wealth of talent is enhanced this year by the transfer from North Carolina of brothers Javier and Jevon Michaux.Javier, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, is touted by one opposing coach as one of the most talented players in the county. Jevon is a 5-8 guard.The Lions return four players from last season's 5-14 team -- all of them seniors.

Annapolis could have been a double winner in Thursday night's late-finishing Anne Arundel County Indoor Track Championships at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. But the Panthers were crossed up and tripped up. Erin Masterson of the Panthers was a triple winner, but the No. 5-ranked Annapolis girls lost by a point to unranked Arundel. The No. 9 Annapolis boys were hurt by a tripping incident and finished third behind runner-up Chesapeake and champion Broadneck.

The students at Joppatowne High couldn't ignore the words spray-painted on the front of their school in the fall of 1992 -- "KKK," "White Power," "Go Back to Africa" and "Nigger."Though the visible signs of racism could be cleaned up, the underlying messages made an impact on the students and staff."We saw some ugly stuff on the walls of the school," said Principal Doris Williams. "What it did to the student body can't be denied."The vandalism also set in motion the formation of a committee of students and teachers to address the issues of bigotry and multiculturalism.