■ Football
Eric Mangini to pilot Jets
New England Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini was hired as New York Jets coach on Tuesday, becoming the youngest head coach in the NFL. Mangini, a disciple of Patriots coach Bill Belichick, turns 35 today. He replaces Herman Edwards, who left for Kansas City after five seasons. Mangini accepted an offer from the Jets on Monday, a few hours after the team interviewed former Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice. But the deal wasn't completed until Tuesday. Terms of the deal weren't known but it is believed he will get between US$2 million and US$2.5 million per year over five years. He emerged as the leading candidate for the Jets last week. Though he is young and has been a coordinator for one season, he is regarded as one of the brightest defensive minds in the game after spending 10 of his 11 seasons in the NFL working under Belichick.
PHOTO: AP
■ Baseball
Bloomquist a Mariner
The Seattle Mariners and utility player Willie Bloomquist on Tuesday agreed to a two-year contract worth US$1.525 million. The deal is pending a physical. Pitcher Gil Meche is the only Seattle player left eligible for arbitration. Seattle used Bloomquist's versatility last season, when the 28-year-old played at first (one game), second (32 games), third (six games), shortstop (24 games) and the outfield (15 games). Bloomquist had career-highs in at-bats (249), batting average (.257), doubles (15), RBIs (22) and stolen bases (14) last season. He is hitting .261 in 267 career games. "He helps us in a variety of roles, including the ability to steal a base and play almost any position on the field," general manager Bill Bavasi said. Bloomquist tied a team record with three doubles on July 6 against Kansas City, but his season ended early after he was placed on the disabled list on Aug. 30 with a strained left hamstring.
■ Olympics
Italy uses military units
The Italian army is moving 2,500 soldiers -- including 1,000 members of an anti-aircraft artillery unit -- to strengthen security at next month's Turin Olympics. Many are already patrolling Turin and the Alpine venues based around Sestriere for the Feb. 10-26 games. General Franco Cravarezza said Tuesday that 760 soldiers will help prepare ski courses and another 40 will be assigned to emergency snowmobile vehicles, according to news agency ANSA. Italian police forces are expected to mobilize around 9,000 officers as the main security force.
■ Gaelic Games
Stadium deal signed
International football and rugby matches will be played next year at Croke Park -- the citadel of native Gaelic games and a venue off-limits to British sports for more than a century -- following an agreement of Irish sports leaders. In a joint statement on Tuesday, the Gaelic Athletic Association, Football Association of Ireland and Irish Rugby Football Union said they had agreed on a contract for 2007 only. The move followed a vote in April by GAA officials to open Croke Park to their sporting rivals when Dublin's traditional home for football and rugby, Lansdowne Road, is demolished for redevelopment.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was