Chicago Celebrates Bulls’ Fifth NBA Title

Dennis Rodman didn’t curse--he said “hell” once. Phil Jackson spoke for less time than it takes a 24-second clock to expire. And Michael Jordan dedicated the Chicago Bulls’ fifth NBA title to the city’s working people.

Tens of thousands of fans crammed into Grant Park at Chicago on Monday for a 38-minute, low-key, ho-hum-it’s-another-championship celebration. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who has rankled fans with talk of changes to the team, didn’t say a word.

“This championship goes to all the working people here in the city of Chicago who go out every single day and bust their butts to make a living,” Jordan said.

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NBC’s coverage of the NBA finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz drew the second-highest rating in league championship history. The Bulls’ six-game victory over the Jazz received a Neilsen rating of 16.8 with a 30 share. . . . Portland Trailblazer forward Jermaine O’Neal spent a night in jail last weekend after the 18-year-old was arrested at a mall in Columbia, S.C. for what police say was mouthing off at Richland County Sheriff’s deputies. . . . Detroit Piston Coach Doug Collins announced he would be back next season after he and team owners renegotiated his contract.

Hockey

Richard Gnida, the driver in the limousine accident that injured two Detroit Red Wings and the team masseur, appeared never to have applied the brakes and might have been asleep when the limo careened into a tree, police said.

Michigan State Police Sgt. Larry Richardson said tests show the limo’s brakes and steering were working and no other mechanical problems were found.

The crash left defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov comatose and also injured defenseman Slava Fetisov.

There has been no explanation by the Red Wings as to why the three were riding in a limo. They were returning from a golf outing but the team has not commented on the outing, who was there or who paid for it or the limo.

Tennis

Three-time champion Pete Sampras was given the top-seeding in the men’s draw for Wimbledon and Martina Hingis earned the women’s top spot. The No. 2 men’s spot went to third-ranked Goran Ivanisevic. Boris Becker, who has slipped to No. 18 in the rankings, was elevated to the No. 8 seeding. Monica Seles was seeded second among the women and Jana Novotna was seeded third.

Venus Williams advanced to the main draw of the Eastbourne tournament by defeating Miho Saeki of Japan, 6-3, 6-4. . . . The Heineken Trophy grass-court tennis tournament lost its first seeded player when Dutchman Sjeng Schalken ousted No. 7 Thomas Johansson of Sweden, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), at Rosmalen, Netherlands. . . . Marcelo Rios, a Chilean clay-court player, was ousted in straight sets from the Nottingham Open in England by Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark in the first round, 6-4, 6-2.

Pro Football

Veteran linebacker Seth Joyner was released by the Arizona Cardinals, who hope to re-sign him for less money. Joyner, 32, was scheduled to make $3.45 million next season and $2.7 million in 1998, including a $700,000 signing bonus each year.

Wide receiver Darnay Scott signed a one-year, $785,000 contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, who said they are trying to negotiate a long-term deal with him. . . . Buffalo wide receiver Eric Moulds was fined $540 and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service for attacking two women. Moulds, 23, pleaded guilty to harassment April 29. . . . The Kansas City Chiefs signed free-agent cornerback Mark McMillian, who played last season with the New Orleans Saints, to a three-year contract. . . . The final vote count confirmed that the 49ers’ stadium measures on the San Francisco ballot squeaked to victory two weeks ago. The “yes” vote got 50.4% of the vote.

Miscellany

Tiger Woods completed his meteoric rise in the world golf rankings, passing Greg Norman to become the youngest player to hold the top spot in the 11-year history of the rankings.

Also, Woods’ representatives filed a federal suit against the Franklin Mint, claiming a medal commemorating the golfer’s Masters victory is an unauthorized use of his image.

Larisa Nechayeva, 44, director general of the Russian soccer club Spartak Moscow, was killed Sunday at her country house east of Moscow. Nechayeva was shot in the head and chest. Police theorized that the killing could be linked to Nechayeva’s business activities. . . . Testosterone, the male hormone that has led to the suspensions of distance runner Mary Slaney and hurdler Sandra Farmer-Patrick, should be dropped from track’s list of banned drugs unless a foolproof test can be developed to catch cheaters, U.S. Olympic Committee executive director Dick Schultz said

Formula One driver Olivier Panis will probably be sidelined until at least fall after having surgery on both legs he broke in a crash in the Canadian Grand Prix Sunday at Montreal. . . . Former heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick was jailed in Syracuse, N.Y., awaiting extradition to Florida. Berbick, arrested Saturday, is wanted by Florida authorities for failure to make court-ordered payments for violating probation.

Washington State lineman Jason McEndoo has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against teammate Ryan McShane, stemming from a car crash that killed McEndoo’s wife.