Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins grew up in the deep South, played in the Southeastern Conference and spent more than a decade as two of the NBA’s greatest forwards.

Now the men with the familiar nicknames and the formidable highlight reels will go into the Basketball Hall of Fame, fittingly, together.

Barkley and Wilkins each got the required 18 votes from the honors committee and will join former Detroit Pistons guard Joe Dumars, Connecticut women’s coach Geno Auriemma, Italian coach Sandro Gamba and longtime contributor Dave Gavitt at September’s induction in Springfield, Mass.

“Charles and I go back since college,” Wilkins said Monday after the announcement was made. “None of us thought this would happen, we just wanted to play basketball. This is the highest honor that can ever be paid, and it’s mind-blowing.”

Barkley, Auriemma and Gavitt were first-ballot selections. Gavitt’s nomination was delayed because he had to wait two years after finishing his term chairman of the Hall of Fame board in 2003, a rule Gavitt helped craft.

Dumars played on the Detroit Pistons championship teams in 1989 and 1990, then helped the Pistons win another NBA title in 2004 as team president of basketball operations. Auriemma has already collected five national championship trophies with the Huskies and is closing in on winning his 600th career game next season.

As coach at Providence, Gavitt had eight straight 20-win seasons. Later, he helped establish the Big East Conference, while also expanding the NCAA tournament to 64 teams and increasing network television coverage of the three-week event.

Among those that failed to get enough votes were former players Ralph Sampson and Adrian Dantley, former coaches Gene Keady and Don Nelson and ESPN analyst Dick Vitale.

Terrell Owens has gone from stomping on the Dallas Cowboys’ star logo to wearing it on his helmet.

The reviled receiver joined the Cowboys, signing a three-year contract to play for Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells in what promises to be an interesting combination of strong personalities.

“I’m a star among stars now,” a smiling Owens said.

There’s no questioning his talent — Owens has consistently put up numbers the Cowboys have lacked since Michael Irvin was in the prime of his career in the mid-1990s.

It’s his attitude that prompted the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles to get rid of Owens. His relationship with the Eagles soured only months after he led them to the Super Bowl, finally ending with his release March 14.

Owens referred to his past problems as “life-learning experiences.”

“I’m going to put those things behind me,” Owens said. “They can only make a man stronger, wiser. For me, that’s what it’s done. I’ll be a better teammate, a better person, a better man in life. I’m looking forward to this opportunity. I couldn’t be more excited to be here.”

Following up a question to Jones about Owens’ past, the receiver interjected: “Jerry, I know what’s expected of me. I won’t let you down.”

Jones didn’t immediately reveal any contract details, but it was likely to include behavior-related provisions. Owens’ blowup with Philadelphia last season even led to new rules regarding punishment being written into the NFL’s latest collective bargaining agreement.

“We can both disappoint each other in this agreement,” Jones said. “But this is no free lunch to the Dallas Cowboys. We made a commitment to him. That means something.”

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said seven teams pursued Owens, “but this was the only team for Terrell.”

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams apparently is in trouble with the NFL again.

The Miami Herald reported on its web site Sunday night that Williams faces at least a one-year suspension from the NFL after testing positive for drug use a fourth time under the league’s substance abuse policy.

According to the report, two sources confirmed a report by WSVN-TV that Williams had failed the test, although neither would say the substance he used. Williams had tested positive in the past for marijuana use.

After stunning the football world by announcing his retirement during training camp in July 2004, Williams returned to the NFL this past season and rushed for 743 yards and six touchdowns.

Williams missed the first four games of the season and was fined for the second and third violations of the substance abuse program. Those positive tests reportedly occurred in December 2003 and in the 2004 offseason.

Known for his interesting and complex nature off the field, Williams has rushed for 7,097 yards in six seasons since being picked fifth overall by the New Orleans Saints in 1999. The Saints traded eight picks to the Washington Redskins for the right to select the former Heisman Trophy winner.

In 1999, Williams’ professional career also started in odd fashion when his eight-year contract was negotiated by rapper Master P’s agency. The deal contained large incentives but low base salaries, including just $350,000 as a rookie.

Ricky is in India right now…

Back in december, Kobe Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks, then sat out the fourth because of how lopsided the game was. Many critics and fans alike cried foul, saying he should�ve stayed in the game to see how many he could score. It was his one chance to make hoops history and he blew it. He quit. Or did he?

Sunday night, Bryant lit up the Toronto Raptors for 81 points to lead the L.A. Lakers to a 122-104 win. Eighty-one points!?! That�s more than Rafael Araujo has scored all season (80). On a side note, how crazy is it that Araujo has scored 80 points this season? We would�ve guessed something more like, 17. Anyway, Sunday�s bucketfest makes the case for Kobe as the most dominant one-on-one player in history. And it almost makes up for Kobe giving himself the bizarro nickname, Black Mamba.

The only other single-game perfomance as dominant as the Mamba�s was Wilt Chamberlain�s 100-point game in 1962 in Hershey, Pa. But it wasn�t televised. Plus, Wilt the Stilt was a centre. Also, let�s be honest, the NBA in 1962 wasn�t exactly as competitive as it is today, what with all those white dudes in Chuck Taylors running around. Air Jordan himself has said that it�s tougher for perimeter players to score � MJ should know, his career game-high is 69 points and that included an overtime.

Black Mamba dropped 55 in the second half. (Wilt, by the way, had 59 second-half points in his most productive game). It�s ludicrous. He was shooting so much � going 28 for 46 � we were just waiting for the Raps to throw some quadruple coverage on him.

His point-piling exhibition has definitely put No. 8 into the pantheon of all-time greats, but the question remains on just how good a teammate the Black Mamba is. Between running Shaq out of La-La Land, the whole rape trial debacle and his reputation as a spoiled brat, can Mamba�s freakish individual skill make up for his � so far � shortfall in the leadership department? It�s the difference between winning championships and simply being a scoring circus act.

Though many will view this as a more impressive display than Wilt�s 100, Chamberlain fans can take solace in the fact that his bedroom record is still safe for now. But with a name like Black Mamba, anything can happen.

Even though the refs tried to give the game to the Colts they still came up short. Watching how Dungy sent out the fucking punt team and then Manning waves them off I have to wonder WHO THE FUCK THE COACH IS.

That dude Polamalu is a beast on defense, too bad the stole that interception off of him. Dont get me wrong I wanted the Colts to win – but you have to win fairly. That pass interfence that wasnt called was bullshit too.

Bettis almost fucked up the whole thing with that fumble – Lucky for him Roethlisberger slowed down Nick Harper.

Bottom line, Hell of a game. Props to Reggie Wayne and The Edge for reppin’ THE U!

Vince Young, back in the Rose Bowl and at his best, lifted the Longhorns to a 41-38 Rose Bowl victory over top-ranked Southern California on Wednesday with his 8-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 19 seconds left.

“I went through all my progressions,” Young said, “so I just took off with it.”

The victory brought the Longhorns their first outright national championship since 1969.

“As a leader, I knew how much hard work we put in to get to this point,” Young said. “To see my guys happy, with the coaches and the fans, that’s why I love playing football.”

Young came to California hoping to prove he was the best player in the country after his bitter disappointment at finishing second to USC running back Reggie Bush for the Heisman Trophy, which Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart won the year before.

By running and passing his way through another spectacular Rose Bowl performance, the Longhorns quarterback finally relegated USC’s stars to supporting roles.

This was, without a doubt, Young’s show: He ran for 200 yards and passed for another 267 in a game that surpassed his 372-yard, five touchdown effort against Michigan here last year, and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 2,500 in a season.

“Do whatever it takes,” Young. “It’s all about heart, focus and poise.”

Before the game, Young went through his usual routine, listening to music on his iPod while tossing passes to his receivers and hamming it up with thousands of Texas fans who came to the game early.

By kickoff, he was reaching for what he calls his “Jordan Mode” — the zone where he feels he can make any play at any time. It worked to perfection on Texas’ first touchdown when Young snuck one past the USC defense and the replay officials.

Young broke through the left side of the line and pitched the ball to tailback Selvin Young, who slipped through three tacklers to get into the end zone. The quarterback was being tackled when he tossed it, and television replays showed his knee was down before the ball left his hands. Game officials did not review the play.

By the second quarter, he was still dancing on the field, pantomiming riding on a horse during a timeout.

On one play, Young slipped through the tackle of blitzing USC safety Brandon Ting for a short pass, then turned and shook Ting’s hand as if to say “I’ll be here all night.”

Young scored his first touchdown when he capped a seven-play, 80-yard drive in the third with a stiff-arm of a Trojan defender before diving for the end zone pylon to give the Longhorns a 23-17 lead. He then flashed a “Hook’em Horns” sign to the crowd.

His second touchdown, a 17-yard run in the fourth, started when he dropped back to pass, then used a burst of speed to run through the middle of the defense. The score pulled the Longhorns within 38-33 with 4:03 to play.

By then, Young was unstoppable.

When Texas got the ball back for its final drive near midfield, Young completed five passes and covered the final 14 yards on his own. He also pushed his way through the middle of the line for the two-point conversion that made it 41-38.

“We made the stop, Vince drives us down again and scores and the rest is history,” said Texas senior defensive tackle Rod Wright. “If he had to throw it or he had to run it, he was going to get it done.”

“He’s a fantastic player and he made the difference,” Carroll said. “How classic was it that he ran it in on the last play?”

The only question now is whether the junior, who said he plans to return for a final season, leaves school early for the NFL.

If he stays, the Longhorns can expect to enter the 2006 season ranked No. 1.

Young said he’d sit down his family soon to discuss his future. First he was going to enjoy the moment and the emotion of winning Texas’ first national title in a generation.

“My tears haven’t come yet,” he said. “I know they’re coming.”

Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was accused of robbing two people at gunpoint in an alley behind a bar early Sunday, the latest trouble for the Buckeyes star who left the school in disgrace and failed to gain early entry into the NFL.

Clarett fled the scene and was wanted on two counts of aggravated robbery. According to police, he left in a white sport utility vehicle with two other men and took only a cell phone from his alleged victims, who weren’t injured.

The 22-year-old Clarett fled when the bar owner or manager, who knew both Clarett and the victims, came into the alley and identified him shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, detectives said.

One alleged victim, Lucas Nyarko, 28, told The Columbus Dispatch that he could not identify Clarett as the man who robbed him. He said his friend identified Clarett after police showed her photographs.

Nyarko said they were approached by a man dressed in black, who told them he needed something. Nyarko said the man pulled up his shirt and showed them a gun tucked in his pants. The man moved the gun to the front of his waistband and told them to empty their pockets.

Nyarko said after he handed the man his cell phone, a woman came out of the nightclub and yelled, “Maurice!” in greeting to the man, who hugged her. He then carried the woman, who police said was bar owner Tashona Corvi, toward the SUV, put her down and got in the vehicle.

Clarett’s cousin, Vince Marrow, told the Dispatch he spoke to Clarett’s mother on Sunday.

“She is shocked. She was getting ready to go to church and I told her there was an arrest warrant for Maurice. She was like, ‘What?”‘ he said.

A message was left Sunday at Michelle Clarett’s home in Youngstown.

Clarett’s agent, Steve Feldman, said Sunday evening he had not yet spoken to his client. “At this point we still don’t know what’s fact and what’s fiction,” he said.

Culpepper, Bryant McKinnie, Fred Smoot and Moe Williams were charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd or lascivious conduct, according to court papers.
If convicted, each player faces up to a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $10,000 fine on each count.

Prosecutor Steve Tallen’s decision was based on findings by the Hennepin County sheriff’s office, whose investigators reviewed allegations of lewd and drunken behavior aboard a floating party Oct. 6 that involved some Vikings players.

Crew members complained that some people took off their clothes and engaged in public sex acts during the cruise, according to Stephen Doyle, an attorney representing the boat owners, Al & Alma’s Supper Club and Charter Cruises in Mound. The crew members identified 17 Vikings among about 90 people on the two boats.

The court papers released Thursday said Smoot and defensive end Lance Johnstone arranged the charter.

Smoot declined comment in the team’s locker room before practice. Both Culpepper and Williams are on injured reserve and in rehabilitation on their own, away from the team. McKinnie wasn’t seen in the locker room.

Vikings coach Mike Tice was careful with his reaction.

“According to NFL rules and union contracts, there is a large difference between allegations and charges and convictions,” Tice said. “So until at any point there is a conviction of some type, if there is, I have no action to take and nothing to say.”

After that, Tice threatened to stop talking to reporters if anyone asked more questions about the allegations.

Reports that some women at the party were paid to come from outside Minnesota had raised the possibility of federal charges, but U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger said Thursday that no such charges would be brought. Heffelfinger cited insufficient evidence.

That decision, along with sheriff’s decision to send the case to Tallen’s office, meant any charges would be minor. Tallen is the prosecuting attorney for the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District, which handles nonfelony crimes committed on the big lake just west of Minneapolis.

The boat scandal hit the Vikings when they were already reeling, off to a 1-3 start, and made them the object of national ridicule on late-night TV and cable sports channels. New owner Zygi Wilf, who had been seeking state help for a new stadium, responded forcefully, apologizing to Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other state officials and instituting a new code of conduct.

Reggie Bush left the competition far, far behind — as usual.

Southern California’s incomparable junior tailback won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide as college football’s best player Saturday night over Texas quarterback Vince Young and USC quarterback Matt Leinart, last year’s winner.

Flashing uncanny acceleration and ability to change direction, Bush has conjured up memories of Gale Sayers, drawn comparisons to Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders and Tony Dorsett, and is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft.

“Oh man, this is amazing,” Bush said, a row of former winners lining the stage behind him. “It’s truly an honor to be elected to this fraternity. I’ve been in college for three years and it’s the first time I’ve been invited into a fraternity.”

Bush received 2,541 points to finish 933 points ahead of Young, with Leinart a distant third.

The 784 first-place votes received by Bush was the second-most in Heisman history, topped only by USC’s O.J. Simpson, who had 855 in 1968. Bush was first in all six regions and appeared on 99 percent of the ballots, also a Heisman record.

Bush and Leinart will be the first Heisman winners to play in a college game together when USC goes for a third straight national title against Texas in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4.

When Bush’s name was announced, he bent over in his chair, and clasped his hands. When he reached the podium, he let out a big sigh. He must have been the only one in doubt about the outcome.

This year’s Heisman race appeared tight for much of the season, with Bush making a big statement in mid-October against Notre Dame. He ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns in South Bend, and provided the final push Leinart needed to score the winning TD in the closing seconds of a classic 34-31 victory.

The Philadelphia Eagles have filed a tampering complaint against the Dallas Cowboys after Dallas owner Jerry Jones suggested on a radio show that his team is often interested in players such as suspended wide receiver Terrell Owens.

“In general, I am a risk-taker. We’ve gone down that road,” Jones said when asked if the Cowboys might be interested in Owens. “I probably have a propensity to try and make things work. … A top receiver could flourish with Drew Bledsoe. That’s always appealing.”‘

NFL spokesman Michael Signora confirmed Sunday the Eagles filed the complaint over Jones’ remark and said “the matter is under review.”

Owens was suspended for four games by the Eagles on Nov. 5 for criticizing quarterback Donovan McNabb, fighting with team “ambassador” Hugh Douglas and other actions deemed detrimental to the team. Last Tuesday, the suspension was upheld by an arbitrator.

After the suspension ends, the Eagles are expected to deactivate Owens for the rest of the season. He is expected to be traded or released for next season.

NFL bylaws prohibit “any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissibly induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL.”

The Eagles’ complaint was first reported by Fox.