SOCCER
Galaxy expect Becks to stay
Los Angeles Galaxy players are expecting David Beckham to stay with the club next season despite reports linking him with a move back to Europe, club captain Landon Donovan said on Tuesday. Beckham’s five-year deal with the Galaxy concludes at the end of the current Major League Soccer campaign and there have been suggestions that Paris Saint-Germain and a number of English clubs are interested in signing the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder. Galaxy’s owners, however, have indicated a new deal may be on offer to the 36-year-old Beckham, who has kept his intentions very close to his chest and refused to discuss his future until the end of the MLS season. In an interview with US radio station AM 570, Donovan said the Galaxy squad expected the former England captain would be around next season.
SOCCER
Cassano markedly improved
AC Milan and Italy forward Antonio Cassano, in hospital after being struck down with an undiagnosed illness on Saturday, has shown a “marked improvement,” the Serie A champions said on Monday. The club denied reports that the 29-year-old player, who was taken ill on the flight back from the 3-2 win at AS Roma on Saturday, had suffered a stroke.
“AC Milan inform that the news in circulation containing a hypothetical diagnosis on Antonio Cassano’s state of health cannot be considered true as it does not come from an accredited medical source,” Milan said in a statement. “AC Milan underline that Antonio Cassano is in a phase of marked improvement and in the next few days will undergo further medical examinations.”
BASKETBALL
Wallace gun charge dropped
Prosecutors dropped a felony gun charge against Ben Wallace on Tuesday as the Detroit Pistons center pleaded guilty in Detroit to lesser charges of driving and possessing a firearm under the influence of alcohol. Assistant prosecutor Robert Novy said authorities agreed to the plea deal because Wallace had no prior record and cooperated with police when his vehicle was stopped on Sept. 24. A breath test showed the NBA player’s blood-alcohol level was 0.14 percent, above Michigan’s legal limit for driving of 0.08 percent. Police found an unloaded pistol registered to Wallace’s wife in a backpack. Wallace was originally accused of carrying a concealed weapon, but the charge was dropped. Wallace could face up to 93 days in jail, but defense attorney Steve Fishman said he expected him to receive probation and community service when he is sentenced on Dec. 13.
BASKETBALL
Jordan not going to Australia
Michael Jordan won’t travel to Australia as a captain’s assistant for the US Presidents Cup team because of the NBA’s ongoing labor dispute. Fred Couples, who will captain the US side in the matchplay showdown with an International team on Nov. 17 to 20 at Royal Melbourne, had enlisted Jordan to “motivate and inspire” the US as they bid to retain the trophy. However, Jordan, the former Chicago Bulls great, is now the majority owner of the league’s Charlotte Bobcats and decided to withdraw to deal with the NBA lockout. The news came on Tuesday, the same day that the NBA season had been scheduled to start, but the impasse between owners and players over financial issues has led to the cancelation of all games scheduled for this month. Couples replaced Jordan with golfer John Cook, who will join Jay Haas as an assistant.
SOCCER
‘Immoral’ players punished
Two Iranian soccer players have felt the wrath of the country’s national federation for “immoral” on-field behavior that included one player pinching the other’s bottom, Iranian state television revealed. Defender Mohammad Nosrati was suspended for an “indefinite period” after YouTube pictures of a live televised match showed him pinching the bottom of Persepolis teammate Sheys Rezaei during a goal celebration against rivals Damash Gilan. In another YouTube video, Rezaei is shown hugging another, unidentified teammate to celebrate Persepolis’ winning goal in the final minutes of a 3-2 win. Rezaei suffered the same fate as Nosrati as Iranian soccer officials took a dim view of the players’ intimate approach to celebrating goals. Both players have also been suspended by Tehran-based Persepolis, which is backed financially by the government, and have been ordered to pay fines of 500 million rials (about US$40,000) each.
SURFING
Contestant spots ‘shark’
A professional surfer competing in a contest on Tuesday in the cold waters of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach left the waves before the end of his heat after saying he saw a large shark. Surfer Dusty Payne, 22, of Hawaii left the surf while competing against Jordy Smith of South Africa. Payne said he spotted a large shark fin just outside the “lineup,” where surfers sit in the water and wait for their turn. “I was just sitting there, and I was waiting for a wave. I’ve seen dolphins before, and it wasn’t a dolphin,” Payne said during an interview on the beach with the Rip Curl Pro Search event’s camera crew. “It was the biggest fin I’ve ever seen in my life coming straight at me.” A contest boat floating just offshore called in after the alleged sighting, saying they saw a dolphin, not a shark, said Dave Prodan, media director for the Association of Surfing Professionals.
BASKETBALL
Heat owner fined for tweet
The National Basketball Association (NBA) said on Tuesday that Miami Heat owner Micky Arison has been fined following reports that he used his Twitter account to comment on the league’s four-month-old lockout. The NBA, which confirmed the fine in an e-mail, did not issue an official statement on the matter and would not say the amount or reason for the fine, but several media reports said Arison was fined US$500,000 for his comments. The Heat declined to comment. Arison made several comments on his Twitter account on Friday after a posting to him read: “Fans provide all the money you’re fighting over you greedy [expletive] pigs.” The Heat owner, who Florida media say is pushing for the resumption of play, responded: “Honestly u r barking at the wrong owner.”
FOOTBALL
Suh meets with Goodell
Detroit Lions star defender Ndamukong Suh got his meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday and said he came away with “a better understanding” of how to play the game. Suh had requested the meeting at NFL headquarters in New York during the Lions’ bye week to discuss the penalties and fines he has been assessed. Lions coach Jim Schwartz and team president Tom Lewand also attended, Goodell said. The Lions are 6-2 for the first time since 2007 as they vie for their first NFL title since 1956. Suh has been a key contributor, but his rough style has brought him US$42,500 in fines since Detroit made him the second overall draft selection in 2009.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely