■ Football
Vikings suspend Onterrio
Troubled Minnesota Vikings running back Onterrio Smith was suspended by the NFL for the entire 2005 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The NFL did not specify a reason. The announcement was expected for several weeks, ever since Vikings head coach Mike Tice suspended Smith indefinitely following an embarrassing run-in at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. In April, Smith's bag set off a screening device, and a search found several vials of dried urine and "The Original Whizzinator," a prosthetic used to beat drug tests. Smith told police the gear was for his cousin. He wasn't charged by police, and the NFL said possession of the device alone wasn't enough to violate league drug policies. Smith missed four games last season for violating the league's drug policy, and had two strikes against him before the latest violation. The third strike in the program comes with an automatic one-year suspension.
■ Basketball
Skiles stays with Bulls
Scott Skiles agreed to a contract extension with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, one day after the coach said he had ended negotiations for a deal the the National Basketball Association club. General manager John Paxson would not disclose the terms of the contract, but Skiles told reporters it was for four years. Skiles had ended negotiations for a contract extension a month after leading the team to its first playoff appearance in seven years, and it was unclear as early as Tuesday afternoon whether he would stay with the team. In the Bulls' second season under Skiles, they improved from 19-47 to 47-35 then lost to Washington in the first round of the playoffs.
■ Soccer
Razov goes to MetroStars
The Columbus Crew dealt disgruntled forward Ante Razov and a portion of an allocation to the MetroStars for another former US international John Wolyniec on Tuesday. Razov has been unhappy since joining the Crew before this season because of a lack of playing time. He had one goal for Columbus, the lowest-scoring team in Major League Soccer with seven goals in 10 matches. Wolyniec had two goals in eight games this season for the MetroStars. He tied for the team lead a year ago with 10 goals, and has 21 in his seven-year MLS career spent with the MetroStars, Chicago and New England. Razov entered this season as the MLS leader in multiple-goal games (16), tied for fifth in goals (77), and second in game-winning goals (23). He has also played for Los Angeles and Chicago.
■ Hockey
NHL ponders shootouts
When the National Hockey League finally returns to the ice, the drawn game will probably be a thing of the past. "If they don't have a shootout, I'll be shocked," New York Islanders general manager Mike Milbury said Tuesday. "That's an easy one. The fans want it, and it's the least we can do after spitting at them for the last 12 months." Fans in the American Hockey League and other minor leagues have grown to enjoy penalty shootouts to decide drawn games. The NHL seems ready to implement the system. "It sounds like most people want a definite outcome -- a win or loss -- one way or the other," Vancouver Canucks director of player personnel Steve Tambellini said during a break on the second day of the three-day NHL research camp. Shootouts would be used to determine a winner if a game remained tied after a five-minute overtime period.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
RSS