Blotter

Ordered
?By the California Department of Motor Vehicles to turn in his vanity license plate, IREDSKN, former Washington Redskins fullback Dale Atkeson, 71. The state says Atkeson's plate is a slur against Native Americans. Atkeson, whose wife's car continues to sport the plate RDSKN2, is appealing the order.

Skipped
?Without permission, the final 7:37 of last Saturday's game against the Penguins, by Rangers forward Theo Fleury, who was upset after receiving his third penalty of the game. Fleury spent his AWOL time showering and sitting on the team bus. Earlier in the week he'd gotten into a postgame tiff with the Sharks' mascot, Sharkie. Fleury, who refuses to comment on the mascot incident, reportedly struck Sharkie in the ribs.

Substituted
?The colors blue and white for red on the signage and interior of a McDonald's restaurant near the home stadium of the Leeds United soccer club in England. Leeds's team colors are blue, white and yellow; rival Manchester United wears red.

Died
?At age 77, Basketball Hall of Famer and former Ohio State coach Fred Taylor, of natural causes. Taylor, whose Buckeyes won the national title in 1960 and whose .778 winning percentage in NCAA tournament play is the ninth best in history, coached Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Bob Knight, who said that Taylor's teams "were a working model for me."

?Of a heart attack, former White Sox outfielder Al Smith. 73. Smith, who batted .272 in 12 seasons and played in two All-Star Games, was immortalized in a photo that shows a fan spilling beer onto Smith's head as the fan attempted to catch a home run ball during Game 2 of the 1959 World Series.