on the SIDELINES

Panthers fire coach Keenan\nSUNRISE, Fla. -- Mike Keenan was fired Sunday as coach of the Florida Panthers after failing to turn the franchise into a Stanley Cup contender.\nKeenan will be replaced on an interim basis by general manager Rick Dudley, who made the announcement at a news conference.\nKeenan joined the Panthers in December 2001. Last season, his first full year with the team, the team finished 24-36-13.\nOnly five of the other 29 NHL teams had fewer points this season than the Panthers, who are off to a 5-8-2 start and won just 45 of the 153 games they played under Keenan.\n"Sometimes when things aren't working as you want them too, someone pays a price," Dudley said. "And unfortunately, it's him."\nSorenstam has record-breaking day at Mizuno\nOTSU, Japan -- Annika Sorenstam wrapped up another LPGA Tour player of the year award Sunday and set more records along the way, winning the Mizuno Classic by nine shots for her sixth victory of the year.\nSorenstam closed with a 66 at Seta Golf Course and finished at 24-under 192, breaking the 54-hole record in relation to par by three shots.\n"I would love to have that every week," Sorenstam said. "This was the first time I had no bogeys for 54 holes, and the first time I had no three-putts for 54 holes. So, I was very consistent and solid."\nSorenstam and Wendy Ward shared the previous 54-hole record of 21 under par.\nThe 33-year-old Swede, in her first tournament since her induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame last month, won the Mizuno Classic for the third straight year.\nKenseth takes first title; Elliott wins race\nROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- Matt Kenseth earned his first Winston Cup championship Sunday with a fourth-place finish at North Carolina Speedway.\nBill Elliott won the Pop Secret Popcorn 400 while Kenseth, who has led the points since the fourth race of the season, wrapped up the first Cup title for car owner Jack Roush with one race remaining.\n"I got all this stuff bottled up inside because I didn't want to get too excited the last few months," Kenseth said. "I don't know what I'm going to do now. It's an awesome feeling."\nKenseth came into Sunday's race knowing he needed only to finish seventh or better to end the suspense.