Blotter

Petitioned
?The California Supreme Court, by O.J. Simpson, to throw out the $33.5 million civil judgment against him for the 1994 deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. O.J., who appeared last week in his own defense, argued that his constitutional right to confront his accusers was violated when former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman wasn't put on the stand. He also said exculpatory telephone records were not made available during the trial. No word on when a ruling will be handed down.

Rejected
?By a committee of the Illinois House of Representatives, a bill that would allow the sale of alcohol during Bears games at the University of Illinois's Memorial Stadium, where beer sales are now banned. The Bears say a final decision on whether to play in Champaign in 2002 while Soldier Field is being renovated won't hinge on the availability of alcohol.

Absent
?The referees' names, from the box score in Nashville's The Tennessean for a recent 76-69 victory by Lambuth University over Lipscomb in women's basketball. The game report faxed to the paper by a Lipscomb student statistician listed the officials as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Blind Lemon. Lipscomb's athletic director apologized to Lambuth officials, the teams' conferences and the real refs.

Booed
?By some faculty at North Carolina, the choice of SportsCenter anchor and Tar Heels alumnus Stuart (Boo-yah!) Scott as this year's commencement speaker. The selection committee wanted a guest who would be more lively than the traditional speakers from the ranks of government and the liberal arts. Last year's commencement address was given by Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Stuart (Boo-yah!) Eizenstat.