■OLYMPICS
USOC chief of sport resigns
Steve Roush resigned from the US Olympic Committee (USOC) on Tuesday, leaving a post in which he played a key role in organizing logistics for US athletes at the last three Games. He was the USOC’s chief of sport performance since 2003. For the three years before that, he worked as sports partnership director. His duties were expected to be curtailed in a reorganization dividing the sports performance division into two sections: one for operations and logistics and another for athletes and national governing bodies. Roush, 50, acknowledged his career decision in an e-mail to The Associated Press and said he would provide comments in a news release expected to be distributed later on Tuesday. He will be leaving five months after the Beijing Olympics, where he was entangled in a controversy involving cyclists who wore masks upon their arrival at Beijing airport. The cyclists complained they were treated rudely by Roush, who they said threatened to revoke their Olympic eligibility if they didn’t issue an apology for offending their hosts. The USOC drafted a letter of apology, acknowledging that parts of the meeting with Roush were handled poorly. But the athletes weren’t satisfied, and held a news conference in which they called for his firing. Roush was not fired, but instead resigned to pursue other opportunities.
■FOOTBALL
Saints’ Brees wins award
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees won The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday after nearly setting a passing record for yards. Brees threw for 5,069 yards, only the second time someone has eclipsed 5,000 yards passing in a season, but was left 15 short of Dan Marino’s mark from 1984. Although the Saints were 8-8 and didn’t make the playoffs, Brees performed so well he earned 22 votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. That easily beat Peyton Manning, the NFL Most Valuable Player for the third time for Indianapolis, and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. They tied for second with nine votes each. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers received six votes, and Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams (2), Atlanta running back Michael Turner (1) and Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith (1) also got votes.
■BASKETBALL
Anthony out three weeks
Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony will miss at least three weeks with a broken bone in his shooting hand, but he won’t need surgery. Anthony was fitted with a red, removable splint on Tuesday after breaking a bone in his right hand in a victory over the Indiana Pacers the night before. He’s been told by doctors he’ll be out for three to four weeks. Anthony was injured when Pacers center Jeff Foster swatted at the ball, catching part of Anthony’s hand.
■BASEBALL
Teixeira inks US$180m deal
Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees completed their US$180 million, eight-year contract on Tuesday, announcing the deal in perhaps the final event at the old Yankee Stadium. The deal was agreed to on Dec. 23, but both sides had to settle contract language and the first baseman had to pass a physical. Teixeira will wear No. 25, Jason Giambi’s old number. Teixeira had worn No. 23 with his previous teams in honor of his favorite player, Don Mattingly, whose number has been retired by the Yankees.
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