■ Football
Ex-cheerleader avoids jail
A former Carolina Panthers cheerleader avoided jail on Monday by pleading no contest to charges stemming from her role in a brawl sparked by accusations that she was having sex with another cheerleader in the bathroom of a bar. Under the deal with prosecutors, 21-year-old Victoria Renee Thomas pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and unlawful display of a license. And she entered a pretrial intervention program for the one felony charge she faced, giving a false name to an officer. Thomas was ordered to participate in anger management counseling, perform 50 hours of community service and pay US$400 restitution to a woman she punched, who had been waiting to use the bathroom at Banana Joe's in November. A police report said witnesses reported that Thomas and another member of the TopCats cheerleading squad, 26-year-old Angela Keathley, appeared to be having sex in the bathroom stall before getting in a fight with patrons and getting arrested on Nov. 6. They were in town for the Panthers' NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
■ Soccer
Wenger not buying Beckham
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Monday dismissed English newspaper reports that he is interested in signing David Beckham for the new season. Wenger is quoted on the Arsenal Web site as saying that he is not interested in securing the England captain's services. "Once again that was the creative side of the English press," he said. The reports said that Arsenal were willing to offer 22 million euros (US$26.2 million) for the Real Madrid player, whose contract expires at the end of the next season. "I said he was a player I always liked and that he can give a final ball, but that does not mean I want to buy him," Wenger said.
■ Cricket
Proteas surprise punters
Australian gamblers relearned an old lesson along with the nation's cricketers in last week's record breaking one-day international in Johannesburg: There's no such thing as a certainty. After Australia posted a record one-day total of 434 at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday, three punters lost A$56,000 dollars (US$42,000) betting that South Africa could not beat it. The odds were not attractive. Two of the gamblers bet A$20,000 each with Centrebet at 1.01 to one for the chance to win just A$200. The third put A$16,000 on with Sportsbook.com.au at 1.06 to one, hoping to make A$960. All lost when South Africa romped home with one ball to spare. Nobody backed South Africa at Centrebet's odds of 26 to one. At that price, A$20,000 would have earned a cool A$520,000.
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