Jones denies Parcells offered coaching job
IRVING, Texas, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Bill Parcells and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones met for five hours last Wednesday, but both insisted Saturday that no job offer was made.
Parcells, who directed the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles and the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance, has been out of coaching for three years and turned down an offer from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
Speculation swirled that the 60-year-old Parcells was ready to return to the NFL after Wednesday's meeting. Jones is expected to fire coach Dave Campo after the season.
"He did not offer me a job with the Cowboys," Parcells said in a statement. "We discussed pro football, philosophy and the Cowboys."
"We didn't talk about the job of coaching the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said before Dallas' game against the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday night. "I've talked to him several times over the last couple of years. I've asked his opinion of my team, how we play, general questons like that. I've done that with Bill Walsh and John Madden as well."
Jones is known for his constant meddling with coaches and driving away former coach Jimmy Johnson, who won three Super Bowl titles with Dallas. Johnson, however, had it written in his contract that he would have the last word about on-field personnel.
Eagles near home-field advantage
IRVING, Texas, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A.J. Feeley remained perfect at Philadelphia's starting quarterback Saturday night, carrying the Eagles past the frustrated Dallas Cowboys, 27-3.
Feeley threw for 253 yards and a touchdown while Dallas running back Emmitt Smith, in what may have been his final game for the Cowboys at Texas Stadium, could manage only 30 rushing yards.
The NFL's all-time leading rusher needed 68 yards to reach 1,000 for the 12th straight season but was limited to eight carries by Coach Dave Campo, Dallas' beleaguered coach who likely will be fired after the season.
That left it up to first-year starting quarterback Chad Hutchinson -- who completed 27 of 68 passes with four interceptions in his previous two games -- to try to beat a defense with a strong pass rush and three Pro Bowl players in the secondary.
Hutchinson clearly was overmatched, getting sacked seven times and having an interception returned 80 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Shawn Barber.
Along with a dominant defensive performance, the Eagles (12-3) received another efficient outing from Feeley. Six weeks ago, Feeley was No. 3 on the depth chart, but has stepped up after injuries felled Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer.
The win was the sixth straight and ninth in 10 games for Philadelphia, which needs a win against the New York Giants next Saturday or a loss by Tampa Bay and Green Bay to clinch homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
In Minneapolis, Gary Anderson lined a 53-yard field goal that grazed the right upright and sneaked over the crossbar with 17 seconds left, lifting the Minnesota Vikings to a thrilling 20-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Waived in the offseason in what Coach Mike Tice called his "toughest decision," the 43-year-old Anderson was brought back in Week 3 to replace Doug Brien, who missed two extra points and a 44-yard field goal in a 45-39 overtime loss to Buffalo on Sept. 15.
Although Anderson had converted 16 of 20 field goals this year, his longest had been from 44 yards and the 53-yarder appeared to be outside his range.
Former Viking Cris Carter watched in stunned disbelief from the Miami sideline as the crowd of 64,285 erupted and Minnesota star receiver Randy Moss ran onto the field and lifted Anderson off his feet. Anderson ran his NFL record career point total to 2,215.
"I didn't think he could make it," Carter said.
In the other game that kicked off the next-to-last weekend of the NFL's regular season, NFC West champion San Francisco got past Arizona, 17-14.
Garnett paces Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Kevin Garnett scored 21 of 27 points in the second half Saturday night to carry Minnesota past the Houston Rockets, 98-86.
Garnett added 10 rebounds for his league-leading 23rd double-double.
Troy Hudson had 12 of his 15 points in the first quarter as Minnesota opened a 30-20 lead. The Timberwolves built their biggest edge, 42-24, on a dunk by Marc Jackson with 8 1/2 minutes to play in the half before the Rockets closed within 53-45 at halftime.
Houston took a 67-66 lead on the second of two free throws by rookie Yao Ming with 3:13 to play in the third quarter, but Rod Strickland countered with a jumper with 2:39 left to give Minnesota the lead for good.
Other NBA results: Atlanta 79, Philadelphia 77; Boston 89, Cleveland 82; New Jersey 100, Detroit 92; Chicago 110, Indiana 103; Milwaukee 94, New York 90; San Antonio 92, Washington 81; Phoenix 110, Sacramento 101.
Ottawa takes lead in Eastern Conference
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Peter Schaefer broke a deadlock with 12 1/2 minutes left Saturday to help the Ottawa Senators to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ottawa, which has won seven of its last eight games and is 15-2-3 in its last 20, moved two points clear of Boston atop the Eastern Conference.
Schaefer scored his third goal of the season with a wrist shot from the low slot past Roman Cechmanek.
Michal Handzus had tied it at 2:54 for the Flyers by finishing an attack from defenseman Kim Jonsson, who pushed the puck to him on the left side after gaining the Ottawa zone. Handzus fired the puck to Patrick Lalime's short side.
The Senators opened the scoring when Michael Fisher deflected the puck in front with 1:36 remaining in the first period while on the power play.
Daniel Alfredsson exchanged passes with Todd White, who skated in the middle of the slot and fired on net. Fisher was stationed in front and tipped the puck low between Cechmanek's glove and pad.
Defenseman Wade Redden added an empty-net goal with 31 seconds left for his fourth tally this season to cap the scoring.
Other NHL results: New Jersey 5, Dallas 3; Florida 3, Boston 3; Montreal 6, Buffalo 2; Washington 3, New York Islanders 1; San Jose 3, Toronto 3; Detroit 2, New York Rangers 1; Pittsburgh 2; Calgary 0; Tampa Bay 2, Nashville 2; Colorado 4, Minnesota 2.
Oakland-Denver game highlights Sunday action
OAKLAND, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- One of the NFL's fiercest rivalries resumes Sunday when Oakland hosts Mike Shanahan and the Denver Broncos in a pivotal AFC West matchup.
A win by the Raiders (9-5) coupled with a loss by San Diego will give them their third straight division title. Oakland could also clinch a playoff berth with a win and if either the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans or Indianapolis Colts lose Sunday.
But if the Broncos (8-6) win Sunday, they would hold the edge over Oakland due to a better division record. They host Arizona the folowing Sunday.
Fired as Raiders coach by owner Al Davis 13 years ago, Shanahan won 12 of the first 14 games against his former team. But Raiders coach Bill Callahan beat Shanahan in his first crack at him, a 34-10 romp Nov. 11 at Denver. That snapped a four-game losing streak and started a five-game winning streak for the Raiders.
The Titans (9-5) could secure a playoff berth with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8). They also could win the AFC South Division title with a win and if the Colts (9-5) lose to the New York Giants.
Indianapolis could return to the playoffs with a win and with losses by either Denver or New England.
The Giants (8-6) desperately need a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. If the Giants should lose, the six NFC playoff teams could be decided Sunday.
In order for that to happen, the New Orleans Saints (9-5) will have to beat the NFL's worst team, the Cincinnati Bengals (1-13), and the Atlanta Falcons (8-5-1) have to avoid an upset against Detroit (3-11).
A loss by the Bengals would give them a franchise record for losses in a season while clinching the first pick in April's draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles (11-3), Green Bay Packers (11-3) and San Francisco 49ers (9-5) have clinched division titles in the NFC and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-3) are assured of at least a wild card spot.
College's top 10 takes a hit
BATON ROUGE, La., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The LSU Tigers defeated a No. 1 team for the first time in 24 years Saturday night, holding on for a 66-65 victory over Arizona.
Arizona almost erased a 15-point deficit in the final nine minutes but suffered its first loss of the season.
The Wildcats (5-1) had a chance to win as Jason Gardner drove the lane in the final seconds, but LSU's Jaime Lloreda knocked the ball out of bounds with a half second remaining.
Arizona could not get off a shot on the ensuing inbounds play, setting off a wild celebration as fans poured onto the court.
It was LSU's first win over a top-ranked team since Dale Brown's Tigers beat Kentucky, 95-94, in overtime on Feb. 11, 1978.
Antonio Hudson had 20 points for LSU (7-1). Gardner led the Wildcats with 16.
No. 6 Indiana also fell Saturday, losing to 16th-ranked Kentucky in Louisville, 70-64.
Keith Bogans hit five of six free throws after Indiana Coach Mike Davis was ejected with 2.6 seconds remaining in a wild finish to a thrilling game.
Following five lead changes in the last two minutes, Indiana's Bracey Wright drove the right baseline in the final seconds only to have his shot blocked from behind by Jules Camara.
Davis became enraged that no foul was called and charged onto the floor, drawing his first technical. He continued to berate the officials, picking up a second technical and an automatic ejection.
Bogans made all four technical free throws, then one more for a foul called on Wright, who grabbed him after he pulled down the rebound.
No. 10 Missouri also suffered its first loss of the season, dropping an 85-70 decision in St. Louis to No. 12 Illinois.
The second-ranked Duke Blue Devils, who do not play again until Dec. 29, are poised to take over the top spot in the coaches ratings.
Diamondbacks sign Mark Grace
PHOENIX, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- After declining their club option on Mark Grace, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced Saturday they have signed him to a one-year contract.
The agreement includes a club option for the 2004 season.
The Diamondbacks decided to retain Grace, who lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz., and wanted to return, after they traded Erubiel Durazo to Oakland in a four-team deal last week.
A lifetime .305 hitter and four-time Gold Glove winner, Grace spent the first 13 years of his career with the Chicago Cubs before signing with Arizona as a free agent in December 2000.
He batted .298 with 15 homers and 78 RBI in Arizona's 2001 championship season, but his numbers slipped to .252 with seven homers and 48 RBI in 124 games last year.
Grace, 38, will enter the 2003 campaign just 82 hits shy of 2,500. His total of 506 doubles is fourth among active major leagues. Grace has 170 home runs and 1,130 RBI.
Bonzi Wells suspended
NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The NBA suspended Portland Trail Blazers swingman Bonzi Wells two games without pay and fined him an undisclosed amount Saturday.
Wells suffered the punishment for his role in a wild brawl following Portland's win at Golden State Friday night.
NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson handed down the suspension and fined Wells for throwing a punch and fighting in the fracas that followed the final buzzer.
Trail Blazers forward Rasheed Wallace was fined $15,000 for trying to go into the stands following the on-court altercations.
Jackson said, however, that the league's investigation is continuing and further sanctions are expected Sunday.
Wallace won the game with a 17-footer at the buzzer, but chaos ensued almost immediately as Golden State's Chris Mills shoved Wells under the basket. As teammates and coaches tried to pull the two apart, Wells hit Mills with a punch.
The teams squared off and Wallace had to be restrained by teammate Zach Randolph and Coach Maurice Cheeks from going after a member of the Warriors. As the Blazers left the court, fans showered them with insults and debris, setting off the volatile Wallace.
