■BASKETBALL
Israeli team robbed
Police are hunting for a man in his 40s thought to be behind the alleged theft of thousands of dollars in valuables and cash from members of an Israeli basketball team at Staples Center arena. Lieutenant Paul Vernon said the Hispanic suspect, who may have tried to disguise himself as an employee, was spotted by one of the ball boys in Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv’s dressing room on Tuesday night. Police also described the man as wearing a suit and carrying a clipboard and having a credential badge hanging out of his pocket. Police said the suspect was earlier kicked out of the Staples Center facility after being questioned by staff. The 10 players lost a total of US$22,000 in belongings in the theft that was discovered at halftime of Maccabi’s 108-96 loss to the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Clippers.
■BASKETBALL
Referees union strikes deal
The NBA and its referees union reached agreement on a two-year contract, ending a lockout of more than a month and saving the league from using replacements when the season starts on Tuesday. The officials ratified the deal that was reached earlier this week in a vote on Friday. No details of the vote were provided, nor were terms of the agreement. The referees were to begin a three-day training camp yesterday to be ready when the regular season starts. The league had been using replacement officials during exhibition play. The contract between the league and the National Basketball Referees Association expired on Sept. 1, and the league announced it was locking out the officials on Sept. 18, saying they had rejected its final contract offer.
■BASKETBALL
Jamison may miss weeks
Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison could miss up to six weeks because of the lingering effects of a shoulder injury, the NBA team said on Friday. The Wizards’ top scorer, Jamison suffered the injury during an Oct. 14 preseason win against Cleveland. The two-time all-star was originally expected to be back in the lineup for the season opener on Tuesday in Dallas, but the club now says he will miss four to six weeks with a subluxation of the right shoulder. Jamison averaged a team-high 22.2 points in 81 games last season for the Wizards.
■ATHLETICS
Man behind Vancouver dies
The man who headed the campaign to bring next year’s Winter Olympics to Vancouver died on Friday, hours after learning that the Olympic flame he dreamed of bringing to Canada had begun its journey. Jack Poole, 76, died in a Vancouver hospital after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, the Vancouver Organizing Committee said. Poole was chairman of the 2010 Winter Olympics organizing committee and had also chaired Vancouver’s successful bid in 2003 to host next year’s Games.
■FOOTBALL
Wrong chin strap equals fine
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco was fined US$10,000 by the NFL on Friday for a uniform violation. He was wearing the wrong color chin strap (black) last weekend. Also fined US$10,000 was Tennessee Titans safety Chris Hope for a roughing-the-passer penalty against New England in a 59-0 loss during which Tom Brady threw for six touchdowns. San Diego Chargers rookie linebacker Larry English was fined US$7,500 for a neck-high tackle in the loss to Denver on Monday.
■GOLF
Cabrera to miss Dubai
US Masters champion Angel Cabrera’s chances of winning Europe’s Race to Dubai money-list appear to have ended after his unsuccessful dash to play in this week’s Castello Masters. The Argentine, ninth on the money-list, will now end his season at next week’s World Match Play Championship in Spain. Cabrera needed to compete in Castellon to fulfill 12 mandatory European Tour events, the last of which would have been the end-of-season Dubai World Championship from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22. After missing out in Spain though, he will call it a day without trying to make the field for Dubai by playing in the World Golf Championship event in Shanghai or the Hong Kong Open. Cabrera has played 10 European Tour events, but the Match Play cannot count as one of his mandatory 12. Luck was not on his side on Thursday when flight delays after his appearance in the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda prevented him making his tee-off in Castellon.
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