■ 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
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