A bigger trade was never made...Ledell's Roman holiday...An unwelcome departure in Florida

Swapped
By the Calgary Flames to the Toronto Maple Leafs in an unprecedented 10-man deal, playmaking center and would-be actor Doug Gilmour. The sputtering Flames sent Gilmour and four others to woeful Toronto for winger Gary Leeman (a former 50-goal scorer who had seven this season), enforcer Craig Berube and three others. Gilmour, 28, skipped practice last week in a contract dispute and was postmarked for shipment a day later. Gilmour may yet pad his bottom line: He has agreed to play outlaw Jesse James in a made-for-TV Western that's scheduled to be taped this summer. Gilmour's nickname? Killer.

Signed
To a five-year contract worth $27 million, outfielder Danny Tartabull, by the schizophrenic New York Yankees. General manager Gene Michael, handcuffed for months by the Yankees' parsimonious top brass, got the green light to go after Tartabull last weekend. "I like spending money," Michael insisted. Although the crosstown Mets dumped more cash—a record $29 million—on outfielder Bobby Bonilla, Tartabull may be a better player. He hit .316 with 31 homers and 100 RBIs for Kansas City in '91.

Punted
From the boarding area while waiting to take an American Eagle commuter flight from Tallahassee, Fla., to Miami, six disorderly Florida State football players who verbally abused airline employees. One player allegedly called a ticket agent a "white bitch." The players—linebackers Marvin (Shade Tree) Jones, Sterling Palmer, Dulack Guerrier and Tyrant Marion, fullback Paul Moore and defensive back Devin Bush—were en route to their homes the day after the Seminoles beat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. No one was arrested, but it took seven police officers to persuade the players to calm down. They left on a later flight.

Singed
The shooting hand of Washington Bullet guard Ledell Eackles, when a Roman candle he lit on New Year's Eve exploded prematurely, belching fire and a shower of sparks. Eackles missed the injury-riddled Bullets' next practice. Coach Wes Unseld was not amused. "It was illegal, ill-advised and just plain stupid," Unseld said.

Switched
From the marathon—her signature event—to the 10,000 meters, runner Joan Benoit Samuelson, 34. The winner of the first Olympic women's marathon, at the 1984 Games, Samuelson missed the '88 Olympic trials because of injuries. She said she'll pass up the Olympic marathon trials on Jan. 26 because she can't match the 2:24.52 she ran in '84 and because the flu had put her training behind schedule. The 10,000-meter trials are in June. "I don't think I can beat Lynn Jennings, but I think I can get a spot on the team," Samuelson said.

Restored
To a University of Oklahoma propaganda film that's shown during telecasts of Sooner football games, a two-second appearance by law professor Anita Hill. After Hill's testimony at the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, the university snipped Hill from the tape. But Oklahoma told ABC to air the uncut video during the Sooners' low-tech lynching of Virginia in the Gator Bowl.

PHOTO

MARK KATZMAN

The Flames tired of Gilmour's act.