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WASHINGTON -- Abe Pollin was the NBA's patriarch,

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WASHINGTON -- Abe Pollin was the NBA's patriarch, an old-school owner who won a championship and had the mettle to stand up to Michael Jordan. He introduced luxury boxes and the large replay screen to big-time professional sports. He used to have 3-point shooting contests with Wes Unseld.

That's plenty to admire for the rest of the country. In the nation's capital, Pollin will be remembered for so much more.

Hours after Pollin died at the age of 85, the Washington Wizards played the Philadelphia 76ers in a neighborhood that was torched during the 1968 riots, on a street that most everyone avoided only 15 years ago.

Now the street is called "Abe Pollin Way," and it sits in front of Verizon Center, an arena Pollin risked much of his fortune to build. The building anchors a downtown area flush with theaters, shops and restaurants -- all owing their existence to a man loyal to his city.

In the changing world of professional sports, Pollin stood out for decades as an owner who tried to run his teams like a family business.

No details of his death were disclosed, but he suffered for years from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance.

* Basketball

Move draws criticism: The official uniforms for NBA players could soon be made in Asia, a move drawing sharp criticism from a New York Democratic senator.

Sports apparel maker Adidas plans to end its contract with American suppliers and move production of NBA jerseys to a factory in Thailand. The move could cost about 100 jobs at a factory in upstate New York that makes more than half the uniforms worn by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and other NBA players.

Offutt leaving OSU: Sophomore guard Walter Offutt has decided to leave the Ohio State men's basketball program and will seek a transfer to another school.

Offutt, an Indianapolis native who appeared in 23 games at Ohio State, has not indicated where he will transfer. He will finish out the quarter at Ohio State. As a Buckeye, Offutt scored 29 career points, an average of 1.3 points per game. He appeared in 21 games as a freshman and two games this season.

Seventh dunk: Baylor freshman Brittney Griner became the seventh woman to dunk in a college basketball game when she slammed one down against Jacksonville State.

The 6-foot-8 Griner took a pass from Kelli Griffin and dunked with her right hand. Griner, who missed a dunk attempt in each of her previous two games, had seven points in the first 5 minutes against Jacksonville State.

* Baseball

Little League change: Little League Baseball is tweaking its pitch count rules so they are the same in regular season and tournament play.

Previously, a 12-year-old who threw the maximum 85 pitches in a regular-season game was required to have three days of rest and one game off, or a blanket four days of rest.

Tournament rules, including those for the Little League World Series, had called for a 12-year-old to have two days of rest and one game off before pitching again. Beginning next season, that pitcher will be required to rest four days, whether during the regular season or tournament play.

Different look: The New York Mets will have a different look next season -- both in the dugout and on the field.

Dave Jauss is the team's new bench coach and Chip Hale will take over as third base coach. Razor Shines, who coached third base this year, shifts over to first.

The Mets also announced that they are switching their home pinstriped uniforms to a retro design with a natural color similar to what they wore when they won the 1969 World Series.

Feds seek rehearing: Solicitor General Elena Kagan asked for an unprecedented reconsideration of an appeals court ruling that government agents illegally seized drug-testing samples and records of baseball players who allegedly tested positive for steroids in 2003.

Kagan and 22 lawyers from the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney's offices asked the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals to have all 27 of its judges rehear the long-running case that involves the results of 104 players the government says tested positive in baseball's 2003 survey.

* Elsewhere

Federer stays on top: Roger Federer again bounced back after losing the first set, rallying to beat Andy Murray 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the ATP World Tour Finals and ensuring he will have the year-end No. 1 ranking for the fifth time.

Federer dominated Murray in the final two sets, finally controlling play from his serve and getting his forehand on target. Murray, meanwhile, started to struggle to win any points.

Going outdoors: The American Hockey League is going outdoors following the lead of the NHL, which will be holding its third Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Fenway Park. when the Philadelphia Flyers will take on the Boston Bruins.

The Syracuse Crunch announced on Tuesday that it will host the Binghamton Senators in the Mirabito Outdoor Classic on Feb. 20 at the New York State Fairgrounds. The minor league game will be broadcast live by Time Warner.

Belbin-Agosto withdraw: Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, the reigning Olympic and world silver medalists in ice dance, have withdrawn from next week's Grand Prix final.

Belbin had surgery to treat an infected wisdom tooth and has been advised to avoid strenuous activity for a week. Agosto says the pair is confident it will be ready for the U.S. championships in January.

Olsen to retire: Longtime D.C. United and U.S. team midfielder Ben Olsen retired, finally succumbing to the numerous ankle injuries that kept interrupting his career.

Olsen leaves United as one of the most popular players in franchise history. He was the MLS rookie of the year in 1998 and helped the United win the MLS Cup in 1999 and 2004. He was the MVP of the 1999 championship game and a two-time league All-Star.