■BOXING
Bullets flew around Forrest
Former champion Vernon Forrest exchanged gunfire with robbery suspects before being shot to death, Atlanta police said on Monday. The 38-year-old former two-division champion was killed on Saturday night. Investigators believe between 20 and 24 shots were fired from two guns, said Lieutenant Keith Meadows. Police recovered Forrest’s gun and one shell casing belonging to that gun, he said. Forrest was putting air in his car tires at a service station when a man asked for money, his manager Charles Watson said. When he pulled his wallet out, the man snatched it and started running, and Forrest took off after him, Watson said. Meadows would not confirm those details and said investigators have no new leads on suspects.
■SOCCER
Ronaldo has double fracture
Three-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldo will be sidelined for at least five weeks while he recovers from a double fracture of his left hand, his Brazilian club Corinthians said on Monday. The 32-year-old striker — a two-time World Cup winner and all-time leading World Cup finals scorer — suffered the injury when he fell during a match against rivals Palmeiras, the club’s doctor Paolo de Faria said.
■SOCCER
Obama backs World Cup bid
US President Barack Obama offered support on Monday for the US bid to host the World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said after a meeting at the White House. Blatter told Obama that as FIFA chief he had to stay neutral on the issue of bids — there are 11 contenders so far for the 2018 host country — but said that Obama appealed for Blatter to “make another move toward United States soccer.” According to Blatter, Obama said that being able to host the competition might boost the US profile of the sport. Blatter said he played a little soccer with the president, who is better known for his basketball skills than his soccer talent. But the FIFA chief said the US president managed to control the ball, kicking it twice with his feet and once with his head, and said he was “impressed” by Obama’s skills.
■BASEBALL
Mets fire combative VP
The New York Mets, who have had a frustrating, injury-plagued season, made a front office move on Monday by firing vice president of player development Tony Bernazard for some combative behavior. Mets general manager Omar Minaya dismissed Bernazard, telling reporters that “his behavior in his interaction with others was inconsistent with our organization’s values.” Bernazard had the spotlight on him after a Daily News report that he had ripped off his shirt and challenged members of the Mets’ struggling Double-A Binghamton team to a fight during a post-game tirade this month. Other incidents were also reported, including a profanity-laced complaint about another team’s scout sitting in a seat he wanted at New York’s Citi Field, and a run-in on the team bus with Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez.
■BASKETBALL
Suns extend Nash contract
Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash has been signed by the Phoenix Suns to a two-year contract extension through the 2011-2012 season, the club said on Monday. The 35-year-old point guard has averaged 14.4 points and eight assists over his 13-year NBA career. Nash is one of only nine players in the NBA to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards (2005, 2006) and is a six-times All-Star.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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
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