Ice Hockey
Predators acquire Forsberg
The Nashville Predators, the NHL's top team, on Thursday acquired former league MVP Peter Forsberg from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Predators (39-16-3), who led the overall NHL standings with 81 points going into Thursday's action, paid a high price for the all-star Swede, sending winger Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent and a third-round pick to Philadelphia. "Peter Forsberg is one of the NHL's most complete players and the ultimate competitor -- a consistent winner who has year in and year out been a difference-maker in the Stanley Cup Playoffs," Predators general manager David Poile said.
■ Baseball
Yankees want to visit China
If Major League Baseball decides to play a regular-season game in China, the New York Yankees would volunteer to go. A ballpark is being built in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. "We'd be interested in going," said Yankees president Randy Levine, who led a team delegation to Beijing earlier this month. "But not in 2009. It would have to be after that," he said. New York plans to open the new Yankee Stadium in 2009. Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, who doesn't like long plane trips, complained when the team went to Tokyo for its 2004 opener. He was happy China would be several years off. "Just in time for me to not be playing," the 38-year-old right-hander said.
■ Ice Hockey
Doan to remain a Coyote
National Hockey League legend Wayne Gretzky, coach and part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, was happy enough with captain Shane Doan to sign the right wing to a new five-year deal. Doan, the only player remaining from before the club moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from Winnipeg in 1996, inked a deal reportedly worth US$23 million and avoided free agency after the current season. "Shane is the face of our franchise and our best player. He is a great captain and leader and an even better person. We are thrilled to have him in a Coyotes uniform for the next five years," Gretzky said.
■ Football
Eagles coach's son charged
A second son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid was charged with drug violations on Thursday, just days after the coach took a leave of absence to deal with family matters. Garrett Reid, 23, was charged with 14 misdemeanor offenses stemming from a high-speed traffic accident in suburban Philadelphia on Jan. 30, including assault, drug possession and driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Authorities found syringes with heroin and testosterone in Garrett Reid's Jeep, and he acknowledged that he had used heroin and the anabolic steroid in the past, the Montgomery County police complaint states. He was scheduled to surrender yesterday morning to police in Plymouth Township.
■ Doping
Lawyer admits disclosure
A lawyer pleaded guilty in US federal court on Thursday to obstructing justice by disclosing, against a judge's order, secret grand jury documents to two reporters covering the US government's probe of doping in sports. Troy Ellerman could be sent to prison for as long as two years and fined up to US$250,000 for the convictions. He could also lose his license to practice law. The 44-year-old Ellerman entered the plea in US District Court the day after federal prosecutors announced he negotiated a deal that would prevent two San Francisco Chronicle reporters from going to jail for refusing to divulge their source.
■ Skiing
David wins ski cross event
Ophelie David of France and Japan's Hiroomi Takizawa won freestyle World Cup ski cross events yesterday. David, who leads the overall ski cross World Cup standings, finished ahead of Sweden's Magdalena Iljans. Meryl Boulangeat of France was third. The three-day event continues today with men's and women's mogul races. Ski cross will make its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
■ Boxing
Holyfield looks for third win
Evander Holyfield will look to stay perfect since coming out of retirement when he fights Vinny Maddalone on March 17. The 44-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion has won both fights since returning from a two-year layoff, improving to 40-8 with two draws. His first comeback fight was a second-round knockout of Jeremy Bates in Dallas in August. In November, Holyfield won a decision over Frez Oquindo in San Antonio. The 33-year-old Maddalone (27-3, 19 KOs) is from New York City. The fight will mark Holyfield's second professional fight in Corpus Christi. He knocked out Jesse Shelby in 1986, and captured his first world title two fights later.
■ Soccer
S Korean makes peace
S Korean striker Lee Chun-soo has made peace with his club Ulsan after threatening to boycott them, claiming they scuttled his proposed move to Premier League side Wigan Athletic. Lee, who scored the winner for South Korea with a magnificent curling free-kick in their friendly with European champions Greece last week, retracted the threat and joined the team's training on Wednesday. "It was a misunderstanding but after meeting we have solved the problem. I spoke too hastily. I will watch my mouth and just play football," said Lee, 26. He added he was frustrated as his proposed move to Wigan failed to materialize last month. His club reportedly wanted a permanent deal while Wigan wanted the winger on loan.
■ Cricket
Samuels in Windies squad
All rounder Marlon Samuels, who is under investigation by the International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption unit, has been included in the West Indies squad for the World Cup starting in the Caribbean next month. Samuels and 19-year-old Trinidad all rounder Kieron Pollard were both named in a 15-man squad announced on the West Indies Cricket Board Web site on Thursday. Three ICC officials met senior police officers in Nagpur on Monday after police said they had taped telephone conversations of Samuels allegedly passing confidential team information to a bookmaker.
■ Soccer
Night matches to resume
Serie A teams will be able to resume playing night matches, the Italian league president said on Thursday, as the country continued its recovery from the death of a policeman in fan rioting that forced officials to halt all play. League president Antonio Matarrese told reporters after meeting with police officials that night play will be back starting the Feb. 24-25 weekend. All matches were suspended after a policeman died on Feb. 2 in rioting outside Catania's stadium in Sicily, and night matches also were scrapped. Last week, games resumed and stadiums that were judged to have met new safety standards, already passed but not required to be in place until later this year, were allowed to admit fans.
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