■ Baseball
Pat Dobson dies suddenly
Pat Dobson, one of four Baltimore Orioles pitchers to claim 20 wins during the 1971 season, died suddenly on Wednesday aged 64. The announcement was made on Thursday by the San Francisco Giants, where Dobson had been a scout and special assistant to general manager Brian Sabean for nine years. Dobson posted a record of 20-8 during the 1971 season as part of a punishing Orioles starting rotation that included Dave McNally (21-5), Mike Cuellar (20-9) and Jim Palmer (20-10).
■ Boxing
Former inmate ready to box
Scott Harrison believes his stint in a Spanish jail will help him retain his WBO featherweight title next month. Harrison, who was released on Nov. 13 after 5 1/2 weeks behind bars in Malaga, Spain, for an alleged assault, is scheduled to fight Nicky Cook on Dec. 9 in London. "The food wasn't very good in prison. I was eating two meals a day and my weight's come down," Harrison said on Thursday, speaking publicly for the first time since his release on bail. "The boys in the jail made a skipping rope for me and some weights as well and I was also able to do some push-ups," he said.
■ Hockey
Columbus gets new coach
Ken Hitchcock was headed back to Philadelphia for his first game with the Columbus Blue Jackets. A month after being fired by Philadelphia, Hitchcock was formally introduced on Thursday as the Blue Jackets' coach. Columbus, last in the NHL standings, were scheduled to play the Flyers -- just a point ahead of the Blue Jackets -- yesterday in Philadelphia. "When I was on the plane flying here, I felt like, `Man, I'm in The Twilight Zone."' Hitchcock said. "I hope the players have a lot better day than I'll have tomorrow. It's going to be a tough day," he said. Hitchcock said his first goal is to restore the team's confidence.
■ Skiing
Nyman fastest in training
The US' Steve Nyman had the fastest time in training on Thursday for the season-opening World Cup downhill tomorrow, completing the 3,136m course in 1 minute, 49.99 seconds. "I improved in areas where I was horrible yesterday, but there were some areas where I messed up today that I was great in yesterday," said Nyman, from Provo, Utah. "It's a training run. That's the beauty of downhill. It's not just one day. It's three days of preparation for the big day." Austrian Christoph Gruber, the fastest in the first training run on Wednesday, was second in 1:50.1, and Sweden's Patrik Jaerbyn followed in 1:50.66.
■ Cycling
Beijing course `for climbers'
Top sprinters like Tom Boonen and Robbie McEwen can forget about going for gold in the Olympics' road race in Beijing in two years, one top official said. The Beijing course was given its first public airing on Thursday, and top International Cycling Union (UCI) delegate Charly Mottet has called it a "true course for climbers." "It's similar to a climbing stage on the Tour de France," said Mottet, a former champion cyclist who is now a consultant for planning stages on major races. "What is being proposed, but hasn't been approved yet, is a start near the Forbidden City, going past Tiananmen Square and then leaving Beijing towards the Great Wall of China. "That part is 80 km, and all of it is flat. But then, when they reach the Wall the riders will have to negotiate a circuit of 24 km to be covered six or seven times," Mottet said in the interview with Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure.
■ Soccer
Vietnamese tackle UK sides
Vietnamese top-flight team Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) will travel to England next month to take on three Premier League clubs in friendly matches, state media reported yesterday. HAGL, who finished fourth in this season's V-League, will face Arsenal on Dec. 13, Charlton Athletic on Dec. 16 and Tottenham Hotspur on Dec. 21, reports said. The club's chairman visited London last month to discuss commercial deals with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, in which HAGL would promote the clubs in Vietnam in return for Premier League coaches training their players.
■ Cycling
Swiss likely to probe Ullrich
Swiss anti-doping chiefs said on Thursday they are likely to open disciplinary proceedings against former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich in January. Bernhard Welten, the commission's legal expert, told reporters he expected the disciplinary body to deliver a ruling about two months after it takes up the case, the average for most cases its considers. Welten said he was waiting for documents to arrive from Germany before opening the procedure. "That will most probably be at the beginning of January. As soon as these documents are in I will put together the case file and petition the disciplinary chamber for a decision," he said. Ullrich, a former Olympic champion who won the Tour's yellow jersey in 1997, was barred from competing in this year's Tour de France after being implicated in a doping investigation by Spanish police. The German cyclist, who has a Swiss cycling license, is alleged to have been given EPO, steroids and human growth hormone by a Madrid doctor, Eufemiano Fuentes, who is accused of running a major doping ring.
■ Soccer
Bridge extends Chelsea deal
Defender Wayne Bridge signed a new four-year contract with two-time defending English Premier League champion Chelsea on Thursday. Bridge had 18 months left on his contract but is now signed until 2010. "I feel as though I'm playing well this season," the 26-year-old England international said. "I believe that I will continue to get opportunities. It's been a great week for me and I'm delighted to have signed." Bridge joined Chelsea in 2003 from Southampton and spent last season on loan to Fulham. He has made 85 appearances for Chelsea and has won 24 international caps.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping