For The Record

Died At age 73, Hall of Fame guard Gene Hickerson (above, number 66). At 6' 3", 248 pounds, Hickerson, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was small by today's standards, but he anchored the Browns' offensive line from 1958 to '73, made six straight Pro Bowls and finished his career with 165 consecutive games played. In his 15 seasons the Browns never had a losing record, and Hickerson plowed paths for three Hall of Fame runners: Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly and Bobby Mitchell. Brown, for whom Hickerson was often a personal escort on the field, once called him "the greatest downfield blocker in the history of pro football."

Announced By oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, that he's donating $63 million to the athletic department of his alma mater, Oklahoma State. In 2005 Pickens, 80, gave $165 million to the school. The money was invested in his hedge fund, BP Capital, which has seen its holdings drop drastically in value. Oklahoma State has put some athletic building projects on hold, but on Monday, Pickens said he's helping the school continue "forward with improvements to its athletics initiatives."

Rejected By the NFL, a contract for Rams interim coach Jim Haslett that would have given him the permanent title if St. Louis wins six games. Haslett, 52, was promoted from defensive coordinator when head coach Scott Linehan was fired after the Rams got off to an 0-4 start. St. Louis won its first two games under Haslett, and the team tried to rework his contract to include the wins incentive. Last week the NFL said the deal would violate the league's so-called Rooney Rule, which requires interviews of minority candidates when there are coaching vacancies. "Jim wants to do everything in his power to further the goals of the Rooney Rule," Haslett's agent, Peter Schaffer, said, "even if it works against him."

Violated By at least six players, the NFL's drug policy, according to reports. KDVR-TV in Denver reported that the Saints' Deuce McAllister and Will Smith are among the players; Houston TV station KRIV said the Texans' Bryan Pittman is also on the list, and ESPN.com reported that the number of players who tested positive for banned substances may exceed 15. McAllister and Smith allegedly used bumetanide, a diuretic that can be used as a masking agent. Pittman and McAllister denied wrongdoing, and Smith would not comment. A first-time offense results in a four-game suspension.

Won By John McCain, the Bobble-Election held by the Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs of the AHL last Friday. Before their game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins the Monarchs stocked up on 1,000 bobbleheads of the Republican presidential candidate and 1,000 of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Fans at Verizon Wireless Arena were given their choice of bobblehead as they entered, and the first candidate to have his supply exhausted was declared the victor. McCain won by 32 bobbleheads, giving him 50.8% of the vote. The Monarchs' result contradicts a Boston Globe poll, released Sunday, which had Obama ahead by 15 percentage points in New Hampshire.

Won By Norm Duke, the PBA World Championship in Wichita, Kans., on Sunday, making him the first PBA Tour bowler in history to win three consecutive majors. Duke, 44, also won the Denny's World Championship last February and the U.S. Open in March. This was Duke's second straight World Championship win.

Hosted By Palestine for the first time, an international soccer match. Palestine, ranked 180th out of 207 teams in the world, played Jordan to a 1-1 draw in a friendly on Sunday. The game took place at Al-Husseini Stadium--the only regulation-sized field on the West Bank--in the town of al-Ram. The stadium recently had a $4 million renovation financed by FIFA. Said FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who was in attendance, "We are here to realize a dream, that is the national team of Palestine playing in its own stadium."