BRIEFLY : IOC MEMBER SPEAKS OUT.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

A senior IOC official said Thursday that the bribery scandal rocking the Olympics had been blown out of proportion and there was no reason for IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch to apologize.

Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the IOC medical commission, also suggested the ``underlying'' reason for the controversy was a plot to oust Samaranch.

``(The scandal) was given too much importance,'' de Merode, a former IOC vice president, said in an interview with The Associated Press. ``There was the impression that the IOC looked like the worst gang of thieves.''

He described the affair as ``very much exaggerated'' and said political motives might be involved.

``Perhaps there were other underlying reasons, that people wanted to see (Samaranch) leave,'' de Merode said. ``There are candidates for his position and not a few. There can also be political movements that think the IOC has taken a real and financial power which is abnormal and out of the control of politicians.''

The Olympics' drug chief, de Merode, also proposed selective bans to keep doping cheats out of certain - but not all - major events.

In an attempt to keep athletes from successfully challenging sanctions in court, he said the IOC will seek to impose bans that keep athletes out of some of the biggest competitions while allowing them to stay active in the sport to make a living.

BASEBALL: Federal officials joined a lawsuit against the New York Yankees and added New York City, which owns Yankee Stadium, as a defendant in a lawsuit claiming the storied ballpark does not have proper handicapped access.

The Texas Rangers signed relief pitcher Tim Crabtree to a two-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.

FIGURE SKATING: Alexei Yagudin skated a cleverly choreographed, emotional long program to defend his European Figure Skating title in Prague, leading a Russian sweep of the men's competition.

COLLEGES: Former Georgetown University basketball player Kevin Millen pleaded guilty in Washington, D.C., to stalking former coach John Thompson. Prosecutors were prepared to pursue more than a dozen charges against Millen who reportedly made 37 threatening phone calls to Georgetown between January and December of last year.

Former Northwestern player Christopher Gamble pleaded guilty to one count of lying to a federal grand jury investigating sports betting at the university.

Lisa Rathbun, an assistant Nevada-Las Vegas women's basketball coach, was fired after a player claimed she attacked her in practice.

FOOTBALL: The NFL's salary cap is expected to go up about $5 million next season to $57.5 million per team, according to an estimate by Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association.

The Baltimore Ravens hired Matt Cavanaugh as their offensive coordinator, a role that was shared by the team's offensive coaches this season.

The Chicago Bears named former Indianapolis Colts defensive-line coach Greg Blache as their new defensive coordinator and Louisiana Tech head coach Gary Crowton the offensive coordinator, the team said.

BOXING: Jimmy Thunder tore his left Achilles tendon and will be replaced by Jesse Ferguson in a 10-round heavyweight fight against Andrew Golota on Saturday in the Convention Center at Atlantic City, N.J.

HOCKEY: Former all-star Mike Gartner is joining the NHL Players Association as director of business relations, overseeing the union's licensing and charity departments.

WINTER SPORTS: Investigators in Pitkin County are looking into allegations that a joyride by Olympic gold medalist Hermann Maier in Aspen, Colo., left a car damaged.

Maier and Austrian teammate Andreas Schifferrer allegedly damaged a bicycle and a 1986 Acura during a night of partying Nov. 28 after the World Cup ski races.

COMMITMENT: Joe Gilliam, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver at Edison High in Fresno, has given Cal State Northridge an oral commitment. Gilliam had 37 catches for 768 yards and nine touchdowns for Edison High, which went 12-1 this season. He also was being recruited by Utah State, Fresno State and Colorado State.

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PHOTO Juan Antonio Samaranch may have been the target of an ouster plot, one IOC official suggested Thursday.

Fabrice Coffrini/Associated Press