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■ ICE HOCKEY

Ramage sentenced to prison

Former NHL player Rob Ramage was sentenced to four years in prison for a 2003 crash that killed ex-Chicago Blackhawks player Keith Magnuson. Magnuson, 56, died at the scene when a rental car driven by Ramage slammed head-on into another car north of Toronto. In October, a jury found Ramage guilty on all five charges he faced, including impaired driving causing death. Ramage, 49, is also banned from driving for five years after his release. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that Ramage would be allowed to appeal his conviction. Ramage's lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said he would appeal the conviction and sentence. While his appeal is being processed, the court ordered Ramage to reside at his home in St. Louis, abstain from alcohol and not to operate a motor vehicle.



■ BASEBALL

FBI opens dossier on Tejada

The FBI has opened a preliminary investigation into whether Major League Baseball star Miguel Tejada lied to federal authorities when he denied taking performance-enhancing drugs. The inquiry, in response to a US congressional request, amounts to an initial look at facts surrounding the case. It does not mean charges will be brought against the Dominican, who in 2002 was the American League's Most Valuable Player. "The Justice Department has referred the Miguel Tejada matter to the FBI and a preliminary inquiry will be conducted," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said. At issue are comments Tejada gave to congressional investigators in August 2005 when he was playing with the Baltimore Orioles. He denied during the interview that he had used illegal performance-enhancing drugs or knew of other players using or talking about steroids.



■ BASKETBALL

Draft pick caught urinating

Chicago Bulls draft pick JamesOn Curry was arrested in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday for urinating in public and resisting police arrest. Curry, a 22 year-old guard, was charged with urinating in public and booked into the Ada County jail on a misdemeanor charge of resisting and obstructing an officer, the Boise Police Department said. A patrol officer saw Curry relieving himself in an alley outside a hotel at about 2:30am on Thursday and approached him, a statement from the police department said. The officer restrained Curry while he was trying to enter a locked door of the hotel, authorities said. Curry posted a US$600 bond and was released from jail at 4am. He is a second-round draft pick of the Bulls, who signed him last year. He is currently with a Bulls development league team.



■ BASEBALL

No timetable for Cubs sale

The sale of the Chicago Cubs does not appear to be imminent. Prospective buyers have been submitting to background checks, but Major League Baseball's ownership committee has not been given a formal financial offer to review. "There is no formal timetable for a sale," Bob DuPuy, MLB's chief operating officer, said during a two-day owners' meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, that ended on Thursday. Tribune Co said last month it anticipated closing on the Cubs sale by the middle of this year. Analysts have said the Cubs could fetch as much as US$1 billion if packaged with Wrigley Field. Miami-Dade County commissioners last month approved a public works project that includes a new 37,000-seat retractable-roof stadium.

■ FOOTBALL

TV station spites Giant

A local television station in Green Bay is doing its part in the gamesmanship war between the Packers and the New York Giants by scrubbing its usual showing of Seinfeld -- a favorite show of Giants quarterback Eli Manning -- on the eve of tomorrow's NFC championship clash. The station was asking viewers to vote on what should replace the show in the 5:30pm slot today. Giants veteran defensive end Michael Strahan was stunned. "Do they realize they have Seinfeld DVDs? We can always watch Seinfeld," Strahan said. "If they think that's going to mess him up, I've got to move to Green Bay. I could be very successful there with some of my ideas."



■ SOCCER

Americans not selling Reds

Liverpool's US owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, whose relationship with the Anfield fans has become increasingly fraught, have denied reports they are planning to sell the club. Potential investors Dubai International Capital, who tried and failed to buy the club last year, were reported to have been planning a bid for the 50-percent stake owned by Hicks. The Liverpool Echo said that senior executives at the Dubai-based international investment company were given the go-ahead by Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum to launch a second bid to buy into Liverpool in a year and that an offer has been agreed in principle. But a spokesman for the two Americans said there was nothing in the reports. "Any suggestion Hicks and Gillett are contemplating a sale of the club or any portion of it is categorically untrue," a spokesman told the BBC.



■ FORMULA ONE

Teams face budget cap

Formula One teams will face a cap on expenditure from next year, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Thursday. FIA President Max Mosley confirmed in a letter, sent to all team principals on Wednesday, that the cap would apply to all costs other than engines, drivers and expenditure exclusively for promotion and marketing. "Because of the variety of arrangements, particularly shareholdings, team principals' remuneration will not be included in the cap," he said. The arrangements were agreed at a meeting with the teams in Paris on Jan. 11. Another meeting will be held in Paris on Jan. 31.



■ SOCCER

Inter earns quarters berth

Inter Milan kept on its winning ways and earned a birth in the Italian Cup quarter-finals by defeating Reggina 3-0 on Thursday. Hernan Crespo scored in the 34th minute, Reggina midfielder Emmanuele Cascione conceded an own goal in the 45th and midfielder Cesar's second-half injury time goal wrapped up a 7-1 aggregate victory. Most of the regular starters, including Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, were rested by Inter, which leads the Serie A, 32 points ahead of second-to-last Reggina. Inter will meet Juventus in the quarter-finals. In Thursday's other game, Napoli and Lazio drew 1-1, a result that pushes Lazio through to the quarter-finals on 3-2 aggregate. Lazio's Albanian striker Igli Tare scored for the visiting team in the 55th while Napoli's Maurizio Domizzi hit the equalizer in the 79th. Lazio held off a desperate Napoli in the last 11 minutes. Lazio will play Fiorentina in the quarter-finals, scheduled for Jan. 23 and 30. In the other quarter-finals Roma meets Sampdoria and Udinese plays Catania.
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