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(06/01/06 2:04am)
PARIS -- An early start paid off Wednesday for Nikolay Davydenko, who became the first man to reach the third round of the French Open when Flavio Saretta retired with the flu trailing in the second set.\nSeeded sixth, Davydenko led 6-2, 4-1 when Saretta quit.\n"He was sick already from yesterday," Davydenko said. "We get some long rally. I think he was feeling he cannot like try to play more games."\nSaid Saretta: "I couldn't run anymore."\nThe weather was cool and damp for the fourth day of the tournament, with rain forcing three interruptions. Davydenko played well from the beginning despite an 11 a.m. start.\n"It looks like you're sleeping on the court the first few games because this was too early," Davydenko said.\nAnother Russian, No. 14-seeded Dinara Safina, beat Hana Sromova 6-0, 6-2. Safina hit 31 winners, including six aces.\n"I can say it was an easy match today," Safina said. "I was pretty solid."\nAravane Rezai, a 19-year-old qualifier from France, rallied to upset No. 22 Ai Sugiyama 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.\n"This is a fabulous moment for me," said Rezai, who is ranked 142nd. "I was playing a match on Court Suzanne Lenglen with a lot of pressure. I started to recover at the end of the second set."\nIn the completion of a suspended match, 16-year-old Alize Cornet of France beat 32-year-old Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.\n"When I realized I was playing someone who was twice my age, it's true that it was quite funny," said Cornet, ranked 243rd.\nNo. 24 Katarina Srebotnik beat Ashley Harkleroad 6-3, 6-2, leaving three Americans in the women's draw. No. 17 Flavia Pennetta defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-0 in 52 minutes.\nDavydenko hit 15 winners to six for Saretta and lost only six points on his serve. A semifinalist last year at Roland Garros, Davydenko won his sixth career title Saturday in Austria.\nHe takes a seven-match winning streak into his next match against No. 30 Carlos Moya, the 1998 champion, who held every service game and beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.\n"I know that I'm not a favorite here," the 29-year-old Moya said. "That changes things for you, because you're not under so much pressure. I think I've still got good tennis to play. ... Playing Davydenko is going to show me where I stand."\nNo. 20 Tomas Berdych swept Filippo Volandri 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.\nFor American men at the French Open, it's the same old story -- even the quotes.\n"Whatever I said last year, just copy it," said Andy Roddick, one of five U.S. first-round losers. "I'm sure it still fits."\nFor the second time since 1967, only two American men advanced to the second round at Roland Garros. It also happened in 2004.\nA year ago, three made it. And Roddick's right: Last year's quote still fits.\n"We all have a lot of pride," he said then, "and it has gotten taken down a lot in the last couple of years here."\nRoddick made his latest hasty exit on a bad ankle, retiring when he trailed Alberto Martin 6-4, 7-5, 1-0 Tuesday. Seeded fifth, Roddick aggravated a sprain he suffered last week and quit in part because he feared making the injury worse.\nBut like his compatriots, Roddick tends to stumble on red clay anyway. He lost in the opening round for the third time in six appearances at Roland Garros, and his career record at his worst Grand Slam event fell to 4-6.\n"I wanted to come out here and at least give it a shot," Roddick said. "I've played through injuries before. But the circumstances here and how much you use that part of your body on this stuff makes it a tough combo."\nPreceding him to the sideline were fellow Americans Paul Goldstein, Vince Spadea, Justin Gimelstob and No. 17-seeded Robby Ginepri.\nTwo years ago, for the first time at a Grand Slam event since 1973, no U.S. men made it to the third round, and it could happen again. The two remaining Americans, No. 8-seeded James Blake and Kevin Kim, face difficult matches Thursday.\nBlake plays Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who's 19-6 on clay this year. Kim, who lost in qualifying and made the field only because another player withdrew, faces defending champion Rafael Nadal.\nThe French Open has long brought out the worst in U.S. men. Grand Slam champions such as Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors never won at Roland Garros.
(12/02/05 2:38pm)
DALLAS -- Michael Irvin says he has been suspended by ESPN for one week for not telling the network about his arrest last week, when police found a drug pipe hidden in his car during a traffic stop.\nIrvin, who has maintained that the pipe belonged to a friend, told The Associated Press Thursday that he won't return to the air until Dec. 11. He was arrested Friday in Plano, Texas, for an outstanding warrant on an unpaid speeding ticket but was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after police searched his car.\nESPN did not learn of Irvin's arrest until reporters began calling the network Sunday night. Irvin said he didn't tell the network about his arrest because he was scared.\n"I was just scared, hoping and praying that maybe it would go away," Irvin said. "I was told that I paid the fine and it was over. I was hoping it was over."\nESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said the network doesn't comment on specific personnel records. On Monday, the network had said it expected Irvin to appear on the air Sunday for NFL Countdown.\nIrvin, a former wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys and semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said he had no problem with the suspension.\n"Being an employee and not giving them the information, certainly it's fair," Irvin said.\nPlastic baggies with marijuana residue were found in a sunglasses case along with the pipe in Irvin's car. Irvin said he put the items there after finding them on a friend who arrived at his house in Carrollton, Texas, on Thanksgiving. Irvin said he planned to throw the items away but forgot.\nIrvin had said his friend, whom he's known for 17 years, had checked himself out of a Houston rehab center earlier in the week.\nIrvin was driving with his wife in the car Friday afternoon when he was pulled over for going 78 mph in a 60 mph zone. Irvin was released after paying a $335 fine for the arrest warrant and a $256 bond. The paraphernalia charge is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $500 fine.\nIrvin said Thursday he's been in "shutdown mode" since the story broke, not checking phone messages or watching television. He said the arrest won't deter him from continuing to help his friends but said he would now handle a similar situation differently -- namely, by not touching \nanything.\n"I need to take a better approach toward things," Irvin said.\nIn 1996, Irvin pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges. He also was arrested on drug possession charges in 2000, but they were later dropped.\nIrvin won three Super Bowls in four years with the Dallas Cowboys as part of an offense that also featured Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. A vocal, emotional leader, he set every significant career receiving mark in team history before retiring because of an injury suffered in 1999.
(12/01/05 6:13pm)
NEW CASTLE, Ind. -- Tom McKinney, who coached Bloomington North to the last single-class boys tournament championship in 1997, has been named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.\nHe and 13 others will be inducted in Indianapolis on March 22, three days before the 2006 four-class tourney finals.\nThe new group of Hall of Famers also includes 1964 Mr. Basketball Dennis Brady of Lafayette Jeff and Steve Hollenbeck, a high school teammate of McKinney in 1964 at No. 1-ranked Columbus.\nMcKinney was a sophomore reserve on that Columbus team, which was unbeaten until the state tourney semifinals.\nHe achieved greater success as a coach, compiling a 25-year record of 415-168. His final 17 years were at Bloomington North, where his team won the 1997 championship the season before the tournament was split into separate classes. His 2000 team, which lost to Marion in the 4A championship game, included current NBA players Jared Jeffries and Sean May, both Mr. Basketball winners.\nMcKinney retired as North coach in 2004 and still teaches there.\nBrady, who led Lafayette Jeff to the state championship in 1964, also played basketball and baseball at Purdue. He later played three seasons of minor-league baseball and coached basketball and baseball at Attica.\nOther inductees include Sylvester Coalmon, who played on South Bend Central's unbeaten state championship team in 1957; Mike Rolf of 1963 champion Muncie Central; and the late Mel Payton, who played at Martinsville and Tulane and later for Philadelphia and Indianapolis in the early years of the NBA.\nAlso, Don Thomas, who played and coached at Indianapolis Attucks and coached Indianapolis Shortridge to the state's No. 1 ranking in 1973; Bill Slayback, who played at Aurora and Franklin College and later coached at Aurora and North Dearborn; and Skip Collins, who played and coached at Valparaiso.\nThe other inductees are former Anderson coach Ray Estes, former Jasper and Purdue player Tom Hoffman, former Scottsburg and Vanderbilt player Hub Hoagland, former Southport and Wabash player Tom Bennett, and former Northfield and Indiana player Steve Ahlfeld.
(12/01/05 6:12pm)
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It's gut-wrenching for Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman to talk about missing the playoffs, but at least his team can try to derail the Chicago Bears' playoff plans.\n"In our situation right now, we're not going to be in the playoffs. That's out of the picture," Sherman said Wednesday. "We certainly can revel in being the spoiler."\nReveling in the spoiler role? At this point in the season, it will have to do.\n"It really turns in my gut to be up here and talk like that, but that's where we are today," Sherman said. "There's always a challenge out there, but this challenge is a little bit different than what we've had in the past."\nThe Packers have ruled their division for much of the Brett Favre era, often embarrassing the Bears in the process. Green Bay has won 19 of its last 22 games against Chicago, including 11 straight on the road, and can tie a record for consecutive road victories against a single team on Sunday.\nBut the Packers (2-9) have been beset by injuries and mistakes this season, while the Bears (8-3) suddenly find themselves trying to ride a dominant defense and solid running game to a first-round playoff bye.\nWith two games against the Bears in December -- at Soldier Field on Sunday and at Lambeau Field on Christmas -- the Packers could still figure prominently in the Bears' playoff plans.\n"It's surprising," defensive tackle Grady Jackson said. "You know, whoever thought the Packers were going to play spoilers this year?"\nFavre, who has an 11-1 career record at Soldier Field, isn't used to playing spoiler to anybody, let alone the Bears. The closest situation Favre remembers is the 2001 season, when the Packers accounted for two of the Bears' three losses but still finished second to them in the division.\n"I'm sure Bears fans across the country don't feel sorry for the Packers," Favre said. "We've been on top for a long time."\nOffensive coordinator Tom Rossley, a former Bears assistant, said records don't matter when it comes to a rivalry.\n"It doesn't matter what the records are, we're playing the Bears," Rossley said. "I've been on both sides. I coached in Chicago as well, I know the importance there, I know the importance here as well. Records aside, this is a big game and both teams will give it their best."\nSherman said he isn't surprised the Bears are playing well, particularly on defense.\n"I kind of thought they would have a good season if they could stay healthy," Sherman said. "There have been other years that I thought they would and they just haven't been able to stay healthy because they've had a good defense and they've added to that recently with high draft picks and now they're even better. But yeah, I thought they'd be a pretty good team this year."\nThe Packers are more surprised at their own failings than at the Bears' success.\n"It's more surprising where we are at, really," Jackson said. "Because this is not us. And how many years in Packer history has it been like this?"\nThe Bears' success makes it even worse.\n"They're winning the games that they have to win, something we haven't done," Favre said. "They're going to be going to the postseason, we're not"
(06/06/05 12:50am)
OXFORD, Miss. -- As of right now, his heart -- literally and figuratively -- isn't in it. \nIn a shocking move Wednesday afternoon, former Ole Miss football head coach David Cutcliffe resigned from his coaching post at Notre Dame due to health concerns just months after undergoing triple bypass heart surgery. \nCutcliffe, 50, was hired on Jan. 4, just weeks after being fired from Ole Miss. Then on March 9, while in Oxford, Miss., he underwent the procedure. \nIn accordance with his medical leave from Notre Dame in early March, he cited poor health for his stepping down despite feeling better after the surgery. \n"I'm happy to say that I am on the mend and, in fact, that I am healthier since my bypass surgery than I've been in years," Cutcliffe said in a statement. "However, it will be months before I can claim that mental, physical and emotional intensity and would never give any program less than the passion and energy it deserves."
(06/06/05 12:49am)
MUNCIE -- Scot Bunnell will no longer be seated on the Ball State University bench this season. After spending the past seven seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach for the Cardinals, Bunnell accepted a head coaching position at Lafayette Jefferson High School this week. \nBunnell will also serve as assistant athletics director at Lafayette Jefferson, which is an 4A school. \nThroughout his tenure at Ball State, Bunnell was introduced to many players and coaches who influenced him. \n"I coached a lot of players, and even more so, I coached a lot of good guys," Bunnell said. "I've got to coach against the very best, and when you coach against the best, you can't help but learn things from them. \n"I got the chance to coach at the highest level of college basketball. It will always be really special for (my family)"
(06/06/05 12:46am)
PARIS -- Rafael Nadal's first Grand Slam final will be remembered for the magnificent tiebreaker he lost, the set points he saved and the title he won.\nIn a match filled with spectacular exchanges at dramatic moments, Spanish sensation Nadal beat an unseeded but unyielding Mariano Puerta 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to win the French Open.\nWith Sunday's victory, the young king of clay earned a congratulatory handshake from the king of Spain.\n"This is incredible," said Nadal, who turned 19 Friday. "It's a dream come true."\nThe No. 4-seeded Nadal overcame three set points in the final set and became the youngest men's Grand Slam champion since Michael Chang won the French Open in 1989 at age 17. Nadal is the first man to win the French Open on his initial try since Mats Wilander, who claimed the first of his seven Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros in 1982.\n"I fight every ball," Nadal said in English. "When I have problems in the match, I fight, I fight, I fight every game."\nFor sheer entertainment, the final surprisingly surpassed Nadal's semifinal win on his birthday against top-ranked Roger Federer.\nThe match inspired the best kind of clay-court creativity, keeping both players on the run as they chased drop shots, lobs and sharply angled groundstrokes. Some of the best rallies came in the tiebreaker, with each point seemingly more \nspectacular than the last.\nPuerta, hampered by a sore thigh and weary from consecutive 3 1/2-hour five-setters in the previous two rounds, kept battling Nadal even after losing the second and third sets.\n"He brought out the best in me," Puerta said. "I lost to an excellent player. He's the best player in the world."\nThe Argentine's efforts to force a fifth set won over the center-court crowd, who repeatedly chanted his name, and drew applause even from Nadal's coach and uncle, Toni Nadal.\n"Mariano played better tennis than Rafa," Toni Nadal said. "But Rafa had the luck when he needed it."\nPuerta was one point from winning the fourth set serving at 5-4, 40-15. But in another series of thrilling exchanges, Nadal rallied to break serve for 5-all. Two games later, after 3 hours, 24 minutes of tennis, he closed out the victory when Puerta pushed a forehand wide.\nNadal collapsed to the clay, flat on his back, then rose and embraced Puerta at the net. The young Spaniard then trotted to the other end of the court to shake hands with King Juan Carlos of Spain, seated in the front row.\n"These moments are very strong," Nadal said. "It's something you can't explain. When you reach your goal, it's an extraordinary moment. For the first time, I cried after winning a match. It never happened to me before."\nWith his 24th consecutive victory, Nadal surpassed Andre Agassi for the longest winning streak by a male teenager in the Open era. All of the victories have come on clay.\n"I didn't think he was going to arrive this early in his career," said Wilander, who covered the match as a TV commentator. "But mentally he's just so tough."\nNadal celebrated shots by flexing his Popeye-caliber biceps, and with leaps, uppercuts, and other muscular moves worthy of Olympic judo champion David Douillet of France, who was among the spectators.\nBut while the charismatic teen delighted fans, so did the journeyman Puerta. He won one point with a flying forehand volley, a la Boris Becker, and another when he faked a drop shot to send Nadal into a skid, then hit a deep forehand winner instead.\nIt was the first all-lefty men's final at Roland Garros since 1946, and Nadal become the first left-handed men's champion since Thomas Muster in 1995.\nOn a cool, gray afternoon, Nadal broke in the opening game and led 3-1 when Puerta called for a trainer in the middle of the next game.\nPuerta framed backhands on consecutive points to fall behind 40-15, then went to his changeover chair for treatment. He grimaced as the trainer massaged his right thigh, then taped it.\nWith that, Puerta rallied. He won the game, then broke serve for 3-all. Both players held to the tiebreaker, and Nadal led 3-2 when the two players began a sequence of six consecutive spectacular points.\nEach involved scrambling rallies with plenty of improvisation and improbable saves. When Nadal sent a backhand winner down line for a 5-4 lead, he dropped his racket so he could celebrate with both hands, then pounded his chest with his fist.\nAt 5-all, the Spaniard went into a shoulder roll in the clay trying to scoop out a shot in the corner. He lost the point, and two points later his lob landed a millimeter wide, giving Puerta the set after 72 minutes.\nNadal was 1-for-8 on break-point chances before he converted for a 3-1 lead in the second set. He broke three more times in the third set while easily holding serve, but there was more drama to come.\nPuerta's last gasp came serving at 5-4 in the final set. On one set point, he lunged to his right to dig out a volley, then leaped to his left in a vain attempt to return another, dumping the ball in the net as he landed in the clay.\nThe last point of the game produced another frantic exchange. Nadal charged forward to scoop up a drop shot, and when Puerta sent a forehand back toward him from point-blank range, the Spaniard hit a reflex volley for a winner.\nNadal received $1,082,400 for his sixth tournament title this year, all on clay. Puerta, who arrived in Paris with a career Grand Slam record of 8-15 and a tainted reputation after serving a nine-month drug suspension, won admirers with his grinding style and received $541,200.
(06/02/05 12:00am)
CLEVELAND -- Mike Brown, a 13-year NBA assistant with a league title on his resume, has been hired as the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team said Wednesday.\nThe 35-year-old Brown spent the past two years as Rick Carlisle's top assistant in Indiana, where he was credited with improving the Pacers' defense and developing Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson.\nBrown's challenge in his first head coaching job will be getting star forward LeBron James and the Cavaliers back into the NBA playoffs. Cleveland was poised for a return to the postseason for the first time since 1998 before their 2004-05 season collapsed amid an ownership change and the firing of coach Paul Silas.\nThe firing of Silas, which came with the Cavaliers at 34-30, was followed by Jim Paxson's dismissal as general manager; the silence of James, who recently fired agent Aaron Goodwin; and owner Dan Gilbert's secretive search for a coach, GM and president.\nThe Cavaliers have scheduled a news conference for Thursday at Gund Arena.\nEarlier this week, The Associated Press was one of several media outlets to report that Brown had been offered the Cleveland job.\nBrown is the league's second youngest coach behind New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank, who is 34.\n"It's a great choice," Cavaliers guard Eric Snow said. "He's a guy who has worked hard and paid his dues. He's very knowledgeable in the game. It's great that they're giving an opportunity to someone who is very deserving."\nCleveland's newest coach -- he's the Cavaliers' 17th full-time coach and sixth in six years -- comes with reports saying he'll be working under current Detroit coach Larry Brown. Gilbert's representatives have spoken with Larry Brown about becoming the club's president of basketball operations when the Pistons' season is over.\nWhile the nomadic 64-year-old coach defiantly maintains that his focus is on his health and the Pistons, who are tied 2-2 with Miami in the Eastern Conference finals, there are signs pointing to him eventually joining the Cavaliers.\nMike Brown is one of them. As an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs -- he won an NBA title with them in 2003 -- Brown worked with Gregg Popovich, a close and friend and confidant of Larry Brown's.\nBefore joining the Spurs, Mike Brown was also a scout and video coordinator for the Denver Nuggets. He later joined the Washington Wizards as an assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff and was also a scout.\nA father of two, Brown played two seasons at the University of San Diego after spending two years at a community college.
(05/26/05 3:48am)
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Liverpool won the European Champions Cup for the first time since 1984, overcoming a three-goal deficit to beat AC Milan 3-2 on penalty kicks following a 3-3 tie Wednesday night in the greatest comeback in the tournament's history.\nAC Milan captain Paolo Maldini scored in the first minute, and Hernan Crespo added goals in the 39th and 43rd.\nNo team had ever come back from a three-goal deficit in the final, but Liverpool did just that during a stunning sequence in the 50th Champions Cup final. Captain Steve Gerrard scored in the 54th, Vladimir Smicer made it 3-2 in the 56th and Xabi Alonso tied it in the 60th on the rebound of his penalty kick, which goalkeeper Dida had saved.\nThe game went to 30 minutes of overtime, and Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek stopped Andriy Shevchenko twice in the 118th minute, first saving his header, then blocking Shevchenko's shot off the rebound.\nSmicer scored the winning penalty kick for Liverpool, with Shevchenko and Djibril Cisse connecting.\nIt was the fifth title for Liverpool, the first since its fans rioted in 1985 in Belgium, causing the death of 39 fans and leading to a lengthy ban from European competition. Under currently rules, Liverpool won't be able to defend its title because only the top four teams in England's Premier League qualified for next year's competition and Liverpool finished fifth.
(05/26/05 2:14am)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- It took the governor of West Virginia to reach out to the state's two largest universities before they would reach out to each other. \nLast week, Gov. Joe Manchin announced that West Virginia University and Marshall University will meet for the first installment of a seven-year football series in Morgantown, W.Va., on Sept. 2, 2006. \nThe two schools had agreed to play at least four games in Morgantown and two in Huntington, W.Va., before hitting a snag in deciding where a seventh game of the series would be played. \nThat's when Manchin, who was once on the WVU football roster, stepped in. \nBy suggesting that the meeting in 2009 be awarded to whichever school has the better record after the first three games of the series, Manchin provided a solution that pleased both WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong and Marshall Director of Athletics Bob Marcum. \nIn addition to 2006, WVU will host the 2008, 2011 and 2012 contests, while the 2007 and 2010 games will be played in Huntington. \nMarshall will receive a flat fee of $750,000 for its four guaranteed trips to Morgantown, while WVU will receive $300,000 for its two scheduled visits to Huntington.
(05/26/05 2:13am)
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- \nIt's almost impossible to imagine a storybook ending any better than this one. \nWith everything seemingly against them -- the momentum, the fans and, most importantly, history -- the members of the UCLA men's tennis team did the absolutely unthinkable. \nThey won. \nAfter 21 long and painful years, the Bruins are finally back atop the college tennis world after an improbable 4-3 victory over defending national champion Baylor in the NCAA finals Tuesday night. \n"That was just a perfect scenario," said senior Kris Kwinta, who clinched the comeback victory for the Bruins after UCLA had fallen behind 3-1 in the match. \n"If you want to write a scenario for a tennis movie, that would be it. It was just a pure dream come true"
(05/26/05 2:12am)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte Hiller gave a simple answer in February when she was asked what the long-term goal for her women's lacrosse program was. \n"I think we want to win a national championship," said Amonte Hiller, one week before her team began its fourth season as a varsity squad. \nThat long-term goal came true for Amonte Hiller and her 34 players as the Wildcats assembled a Cinderella season of 21-0 and topped it off by beating defending national champion Virginia 13-10 in the NCAA final.
(05/26/05 2:11am)
WASHINGTON -- Moving forward on trying to legislate steroid-testing policies for pro sports, a House Commerce and Energy subcommittee approved changes to a proposed bill Wednesday, including calling for two tests instead of one per athlete each year.\nThe Drug Free Sports Act was introduced last month by Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican who chairs the subcommittee. Other tweaks include allowing the Commerce Secretary to tailor the list of banned substances to each sport, and adding the possibility of reduced penalties if an athlete proves he didn't know he was taking an illegal substance.\n"The message our young athletes get today is that the 'Breakfast of Champions' is chock full of juice," said the subcommittee's ranking Democrat, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, who introduced the amendment with those changes.\nThe legislation aims to set standard drug-testing policies and minimum penalties for Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL, Major League Soccer and the Arena Football League. Based on the Olympic model, the bill calls for a two-year ban for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second.\nThose penalties are also in place in the Clean Sports Act, introduced this week by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va. That proposal mandates a minimum of five drug tests each year, three during the season and two in the offseason.\nInstead of the Commerce Secretary, the White House drug czar would oversee steroid-testing in Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA and NHL, with the possibility of adding the NCAA or other leagues.\nDavis is the chairman of the Government Reform Committee, which held three hearings on steroids in sports, with witnesses ranging from Mark McGwire to the parents of a high school athlete who committed suicide after using steroids. That committee will consider changes to its bill Thursday.\nRep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, offered and then withdrew an amendment to Stearns' bill that would have changed the penalties to a half-season suspension for a first offense, a full-season suspension for a second, and a lifetime ban for a third. A similar change could be reconsidered when the bill is put before the full Commerce and Energy Committee, expected early next month.\n"Markey's idea of 'three strikes and you're out' is a good approach," Stearns said. "We might want to have it vary, depending upon sports."\nRight now, a first failed test draws a 10-day ban in baseball, a five-game ban in the NBA and a four-game ban in the NFL. The NHL doesn't test players for performance-enhancing drugs.
(05/23/05 6:53pm)
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas sophomore guard J.R. Giddens was stabbed in the leg during a fight in the parking lot of the a bar early Thursday morning. \nThough the injury was labeled non life-threatening, Giddens was taken to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment. \nDoctors informed Kansas head coach Bill Self that the wound was a laceration to Gidden's lower leg. \nThe fight occurred at about 2:20 a.m., and at least five other people were injured in the altercation. \nA 24-year-old man from Olathe, Kan., was responsible for wounding Giddens and four others with a 4-inch folding knife, said police Sgt. Dan Ward. \nWard said no arrests have been made, but once police finish an investigation, a complete report would be forwarded to the district attorney. \nSelf said he would have no comment until he knows more about the situation. \n"We are still in the fact-gathering stage," Self said. "Out of respect to everyone involved, at this time we have nothing to say and will have a release at the appropriate time"
(05/23/05 6:52pm)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the second time in two weeks, an Ohio State football player has been arrested on drug charges. \nErik Haw, a freshman running back, was arrested Wednesday evening outside Baker Hall East for possession of drugs and later released with a court summons for May 27, according to Ohio State University Police. \nAccording to the police report, Lt. Andrew West was patrolling the university area near Baker Hall when he observed Haw and two unidentified males acting suspiciously. \nIn the report, University Police said West witnessed one of the individuals acting as a "lookout" and that upon seeing a marked police vehicle, that individual alerted the group, who then began to walk away. \nWest then observed Haw attempt to conceal and later drop something from his left hand, the report said. \nWest asked Haw what he had dropped and Haw indicated it was a marijuana cigarette, the report said. \n"Mr. Haw's activity was suspicious in its own nature," said Rick Amweg, a spokesman for University Police. "It wasn't the officer just arbitrarily going, 'gee, I'm going to go see what these people are up to.' He saw something that he thought was suspicious -- the fact that somebody was trying to hide or conceal something in their hand from him." \nAccording to the University Police, Hall was charged with a minor misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance. The penalty is a maximum fine of up to $100. \nIn a news release issued by the university, football coach Jim Tressel, who was attending a meeting in Chicago, said he was disappointed and that he would deal with the situation when he returns to Columbus. \nHaw will be "required to enter a management and education training program and will undergo frequent evaluation, monitoring and testing by the department's management team," which is part of the Department of Athletics' substance abuse policy, according to the news release. \nHaw, a redshirt freshman from Columbus, was rated the top running back in the Midwest and 11th-best running back in the nation in 2004 by SuperPrep, a high-school football recruiting magazine. Haw is also expected to challenge Antonio Pittman for the starting tailback position this season. \nThis incident marks the second time this month an OSU football player had a encounter with authorities over marijuana. Redshirt freshman place-kicker Jonathan Skeete was arrested in Baker Hall East May 11 for selling about half a pound of marijuana to an undercover police officer. Skeete was suspended indefinitely from the football team.
(05/23/05 6:51pm)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack got his comeback off the ground in a big way Saturday, qualifying for the May 29 race with a faster speed than pole-sitter Tony Kanaan.\nWhen the 39-year-old Swede stepped out of his car following a four-lap, 10-mile qualifying effort of 227.598 mph, defending 500 winner Buddy Rice -- the man he replaced in the cockpit of the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Racing entry -- was waiting there to give Brack a big hug.\nBut Brack, coming back from serious injuries in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway in October 2003, will have to settle for starting 23rd in the 33-car field for the Memorial Day weekend race after missing the opening day of qualifications last week.\n"I don't think the starting position will make a difference," Brack said. "I think having a good race car is what matters. I am just relieved we're in the field and I'm also glad for the team. They have had a real tough month, but they gave me the chance to shine a little bit."\nIt will be his first Indy Racing League start since the devastating crash in which he broke both ankles, a thigh, his back and ribs. One of the ankles was crushed, and Brack spent three months in hospitals recovering and rehabilitating.\nHis performance Saturday was the culmination of all the hours of physical therapy and training he has put in over the past 18 months.\nAbout his qualifying effort, which included the fastest lap of the month at 227.940, he said: "It wasn't perfect, but it was plenty good enough."\nKanaan led 22 qualifiers last Sunday with a speed of 227.566, locking up the top starting spot for the 500-mile race. Brack didn't even arrive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until Tuesday, called by team co-owner Bobby Rahal to replace the injured Rice -- ironically, the driver who replaced him last year.\nRice, who started from the pole last year, was expected to be a strong contender for both the pole and the race win again this year before he crashed during practice on May 10.\nDespite spending one night in the hospital with a concussion and a back injury, Rice was expected to be back in his Honda-powered Panoz this week, ready to join teammates Danica Patrick and Vitor Meira in the race.\nInstead, doctors discovered a partially torn spinal ligament in his neck, forcing Rahal Letterman to find a replacement.\nBrack got the call.\n"I was surprised, although I have worked my way to be back for an opportunity like this since I had my accident," he said. "I have done a lot of rehab and a lot of hard work to be able to get into one of these cars. I didn't have any opportunities (earlier) in the month."\nRice watched his replacement's qualifying effort with team officials from pit lane.\n"It's great for Kenny," Rice said. "He's done the job before, but to come in on short notice and do this, it's awesome."\nBrack won the 1998 IRL championship and the 1999 Indy 500 while driving for A.J. Foyt.\nFoyt, who struggled to get his son Larry and grandson A.J. IV qualified Saturday, was smiling after watching Brack's qualifying effort.\n"I'm real proud of the boy," Foyt said. "He's just an awesome driver. To come back the way he did, it's great. He was hurt pretty bad."\nThe crash in the 2003 IRL season finale nearly ended Brack's racing \ncareer.\nOnce he got back on his feet, Brack stayed close to the team owned by Rahal and television talk show host David Letterman, working with the other drivers and staying active. He tested an IndyCar in June at Richmond but, despite being fast, Brack decided he wasn't physically ready to return to the IRL.\nWhen Rahal called on Monday night, though, he was ready.\nHe passed his Speedway physical Tuesday and took just five laps Wednesday, under observation by IRL officials, to get up to 220 mph. In practice later that day, Brack reached 225. Thursday's practice was rained out, but Brack, a five-time Indy starter, spent most of the day Friday on track, turning 139 laps and getting more and more comfortable with the car and the familiar 2 1/2-mile oval.\nStill, Saturday's speed was something of a surprise to Brack.\n"We've been working the race setup and didn't know what it would do in qualifying," Brack said. "The team showed a lot of faith in me and I'm glad I could do this."\nTen more drivers posted qualifying speeds Saturday, leaving one spot open for Sunday's final day of time trials.\nRyan Briscoe came back from a crash during a qualifying attempt last week to post a four-lap average of 224.080. He was followed by Patrick Carpentier at 222.803, Ed Carpenter at 221.439, Jaques Lazier at 221.228, A.J. Foyt IV at 220.442, Marty Roth at 219.497, Larry Foyt at 219.396, Jeff Ward at 218.714 and Jimmy Kite, filling in for injured rookie Paul Dana, at 218.565.\nArie Luyendyk Jr., who passed his rookie test Saturday before brushing the wall with his right rear tire, remained as the only driver assigned to a car going into Sunday.\nAlthough there is no certainty the field will be filled, there remains the slim possibility of the slowest qualifiers being bumped from the lineup Sunday if any deals for new car-driver combinations can be made in time.\nThe last time fewer than 33 cars started at Indy was in 1947, when 30 took the green flag.
(05/19/05 12:57am)
Winning the long jump and the triple jump titles at the Big Ten Championships last weekend wasn't enough for senior Aarik Wilson as Wednesday the conference announced that he was track's Athlete of the Year and the Athlete of the Championships for the outdoor season.\nWilson also earned the same honors during the indoor season. The last time the feat was accomplished was in 1995 by Kevin Sullivan of Minnesota.\nThe Hoosiers will be in action again when they host the Mideast Regional May 27-28 at Robert C. Haugh Track and Field.
(05/19/05 12:26am)
Even though Indiana (25-26, Big Ten 8-19) is eliminated from the postseason, the Hoosiers will look to end on a high note as they battle Purdue (21-27, Big Ten 14-10) this weekend at Sembower Field. The first game of the series will be played Friday at 3 p.m.
(05/19/05 12:25am)
After originally not being selected to the main draw of the NCAA Singles tennis Championships, senior Jakub Praibis has moved from second alternate to the main draw.\nThe tournament, which has the top 64 players in the country, will take place May 23-28 at the University of Georgia. Praibis is currently ranked No. 58 in the country, boasting a 22-10 record. Last season Praibis advanced to the round of 32 in the main draw before being ousted by Ohio State's Jeremy Wurtzman.\n"We are very happy that Jakub is into the main draw of the NCAA Singles Championship," said IU coach Ken Hydinger in a statement. "He deserves to be among the best players in the country. He is a quality player and has the ability to make an impact on the tournament"
(05/19/05 12:22am)
For the second straight season the IU men's golf team will be fighting for the right to particpate in the NCAA Championships, as they compete in the NCAA East Regional Thursday through Saturday at the Golf Club of Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn.\nIn order to continue their season and advance to the NCAA Championships June 1-4 in Owings Mills, Md. at Caves Valley Golf Club, the Hoosiers will have to bring their best game. The East regional boasts 10 teams in the top 30, including No. 2 the University of Georgia. The top 10 teams from each regional as well as two individuals not on placing teams advance to the championship.\nThe No. 50 Hoosiers will bring seniors Jeff Overton and Heath Peters, junior Scott Seibert, sophomore Aaron Harrell and freshman Santiago Quirarte. This week, Overton was named Player of the Week by Golfweek and GolfWorld and is currently ranked No. 4 in the country by Golfweek.
