■ Soccer
Carlos signs with Turks
Turkish champions Fenerbahce said yesterday that they had signed veteran Brazilian full-back Roberto Carlos from Spain's Real Madrid. Fenerbahce vice-president Murat Ozaydinli said in a statement on the Istanbul club's Web site that the deal was clinched in a meeting late on Tuesday with Carlos' agent Dino Pasalic. "Our meeting for the transfer took only 15 to 20 minutes. We told them our principles and the deal was sealed," Ozaydinli said. "We signed a player who perfectly fits Fenerbahce's traditions." He added that the 34-year-old Brazilian was expected to come to Turkey soon to sign the contract. The statement did not mention the duration of the contract, but Turkish newspapers said Carlos had signed for two years.
■ Football
Former player ran sex ring
Former NFL player Bob Buczkowski pleaded guilty to helping run a million-dollar prostitution ring with his girlfriend out of his parents' suburban home. The 43-year-old Buczkowski pleaded guilty on Tuesday in court in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to two counts of promoting prostitution, six counts of possessing and dealing cocaine and other charges. He agreed to turn state's witness against others charged in the case, if their cases go to trial. State prosecutors said Buczkowski and girlfriend Amy Schifano ran the escort service Buckwild Entertainment, which did business as B.A.G. Enterprises. Buczkowski provided the muscle and Schifano allegedly was the madam, prosecutors said.
■ Basketball
Magic, coach to ax contract
The Orlando Magic and Bill Donovan are planning to cancel the contract Donovan signed to coach the NBA team tomorrow, ESPN reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the Magic have offered the job to former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy. Both sides are still working out the details, ESPN.com said. That report, citing multiple sources, said Donovan and the Magic have agreed upon a non-compete clause, requiring Donovan to refrain from coaching in the NBA for five years as one of the terms of his release from the contract. After guiding the University of Florida to its second straight national championship title in April, Donovan was introduced as the Magic's eighth coach on Friday.
■ Football
Player accused of assault
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman, who is already serving a suspension, has been accused of assaulting two men in the state of Georgia, US media reported on Tuesday. The men reportedly accused Thurman and his cousin of punching them at a weekend party, then later returning with guns drawn. A judge will hold a pre-warrant hearing tomorrow to determine whether an arrest warrant should be issued for Thurman and his cousin.
■ Soccer
Coach fuels `kamikaze' spirit
Japan coach Ivica Osim is trying to instill the daring spirit of the "kamikaze" in his players ahead of their tilt at a third straight Asian Cup next month. In a gamble, the Bosnian tactician employed what he called a "kamikaze" line-up of five midfielders, including Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura, behind Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara, for their match against Colombia on Tuesday. "It was a dangerous option. Still, the kamikaze option worked in part. We managed to survive," Osim said after Japan held the Latin American side to a scoreless draw.
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
CUNNINGHAM CONNECTS: In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons snapped their record 15-game playoff losing streak by beating the Knicks to level their series at 1-1 Kawhi Leonard on Monday scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting as the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round NBA Playoffs series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver. “It feels like he didn’t miss a shot,” James Harden said. “His shot-making ability is elite.” Good thing, too, because his teammates were a combined 26 of 66 for a 39 percent clip. “I made shots tonight,” Leonard said. “I just keep playing, try to stay in the zone no matter if I’m making or missing shots.” The fifth-seeded Clippers needed every bit of his brilliance to snatch the homecourt advantage in the series
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