■FORMULA ONE
Silverstone rakes in US$2m
Silverstone organizers have raised US$2 million from ticket sales within 24 hours of regaining the rights to host Formula One’s British Grand Prix for the next 17 years. Donington Park was stripped of its contract after efforts to raise funds for a necessary upgrade failed. But Silverstone stepped in to save the British Grand Prix, which it has staged every year since 1987, and agreed to a new deal on Monday with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips said on Tuesday they “have been overwhelmed by the early level of interest for tickets for next year’s event.” By selling just less than 6,500 tickets, organizers have raised more than £1.2 million (US$2 million) in revenue.
■BASKETBALL
Jordan hoax costs Flash
An NBA Development League (NBADL) team will refund the ticket prices to the thousands of fans who went to a Utah Flash game in Orem, Utah, and expected Michael Jordan to play in a charity exhibition at halftime. A Jordan lookalike was introduced instead to face former Utah Jazz guard Bryon Russell in a promotional fiasco that will cost Flash owner Brandt Andersen. Andersen acknowledged sending a Jordan lookalike around town on Monday, when supposed “Jordan” sightings and an Internet video of the impostor eating at a local restaurant created buzz that Jordan really was in town. More than 7,500 fans showed up hoping to see Jordan play one-on-one against Russell. NBADL president Dan Reed joined Andersen in apologizing on Tuesday in a statement “for a Utah Flash promotion that never should have happened.” Andersen really did invite Jordan in September when he issued a public challenge, offering US$100,000 to the charity of the winner’s choice. The team continued pitching the Jordan-Russell rematch despite never hearing from Jordan after Andersen issued the first challenge. Andersen said he had always planned to send out a lookalike into the community. “We wanted to test the strength and effectiveness of viral media by putting him out in Provo with bodyguards, and some hype,” he said. “I always assumed it would be uncovered very quickly that it was a hoax.” Fans caught on when the impostor trotted to the court at halftime. They started booing, then leaving.
■FOOTBALL
Ochocinco fined over poncho
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco was fined US$30,000 by the NFL for donning a poncho and sombrero after scoring a touchdown, a person in the league told reporters on Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league had not made any announcement about the fine. Ochocinco wore a gray poncho and black sombrero after catching a touchdown pass in the 23-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. NFL rules prohibit players from bringing any extraneous object onto the field. This punishment came about a month after Ochocinco was fined US$20,000 and reprimanded by the NFL for pretending to bribe an official a dollar.
■OLYMPICS
Grange to miss Vancouver
World Cup slalom champion Jean-Baptiste Grange will miss next year’s Vancouver Olympics because of a knee injury that will force him to undergo an operation. Grange ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a World Cup giant slalom last week at Beaver Creek, Colorado. Grange, who has won six World Cup races since his debut, was one of France’s best hopes of a medal in Vancouver.
■SOCCER
Panathinaikos can ten Cate
Panathinaikos on Tuesday fired Dutch coach Henk ten Cate, with the club appointing Greece under-21 manager Nikos Nioplias as his successor. Ten Cate, who had six months left on his contract, was given his marching orders after talks with Panathinaikos president Nikos Pateras. The former Chelsea assistant manager said in a statement: “I respect the fact that some people may not be happy with the general picture, but my assistants and I have given everything to succeed.” Ten Cate, 55, failed to gain a league title last season and leaves with the club lying second, one point adrift of arch rivals Olympiakos, in the Greek first division. His overall record since joining in June 2008 stands at 45 victories, 17 draws and 13 losses.
■SOCCER
Team cancels New Year
Chinese club Henan are canceling the Lunar New Year holiday in a bid to make a big impression in their first Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign, manager Yang Nan said. The Henan squad will be kept in training camp throughout the festival, which falls in mid-February, to prepare for their opening ACL group fixture on Feb. 24, Yang said. “This is a great opportunity for Henan to play in the AFC Champions League and it didn’t come easily,” she told the Asian Football Confederation’s Web site. Henan, who finished third behind Beijing and Changchun in the Chinese Super League to take one of China’s four spots in the Champions League, face last year’s ACL champions Gamba Osaka of Japan, South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings and a qualifier in the group stage. If Henan succeed, they would be the first Chinese team to reach the knockout stages of the ACL since Shanghai Shenhua reached the quarter-finals in 2006.
■TENNIS
Vandeweghe takes wild card
CoCo Vandeweghe and Ryan Harrison earned wild cards into next month’s Australian Open by winning US Tennis Association playoffs. Vandeweghe, who turned 18 on Sunday, beat Christina McHale 7-6 (2), 0-6, 6-3, while 17-year-old Harrison defeated Jesse Levine 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 and will make his Grand Slam singles main draw debut.
■SOCCER
ESPN to show FA Cup
US-based satellite broadcaster ESPN has signed a four-year deal worth some £35 million (US$57 million) to televise the FA Cup, England’s governing Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday. The deal, which will start ahead of the 2010/11 season, will run in parallel with the FA’s existing agreement with terrestrial broadcaster ITV to cover the FA Cup and England international matches. Both ITV and ESPN will have the right to show the FA Cup final live.
■SOCCER
Juniors, Independiente draw
Gonzalo Prosperi scored in the final minute to earn Argentino Juniors a 1-1 draw with Independiente in the Argentine Apertura soccer tournament on Tuesday. Dario Gandin opened the scoring for Independiente in the 81st minute. In other matches on the first day of midweek fixtures, Boca Juniors played out a scoreless draw with Huracan and Colon defeated Godoy Cruz 1-0. Banfield would take the championship if it defeated Tigre and Newell’s Old Boys failed to pick up three points at Gimnasia yesterday. San Lorenzo was to play Lanus in yesterday’s other game. Today it’s Chacarita Juniors vs Velez Sarsfield, Arsenal vs Atletico Tucuman and River Plate vs Racing Club.
‘AWFUL PERFORMANCE’: Golden State were always chasing the game after failing to threaten from long range, making just eight of 33 three-point attempts Aaron Gordon on Monday scored 38 points as the Denver Nuggets shrugged off the absence of Nikola Jokic to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak with a 114-105 victory over their Western Conference rivals. A dazzling display from Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for Denver, who were missing regular starters Jokic and Jamal Murray from their lineup. The absentees were barely felt by Denver, who startled the Warriors early at San Francisco’s Chase Center and led for most of the game. The Warriors threatened to stage a late rally after slashing the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter lead from 15 points
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres scored twice on Sunday to help secure a late 4-2 comeback win at Atletico Madrid in a pulsating La Liga clash that took the Catalan side back to the top of the table. Barca have 60 points and a game in hand after last week’s postponement of their home game with CA Osasuna. They are level on points with Real Madrid, who won 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday. “I am happy and proud of this team,” Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick told a news conference. “They never give up... It’s a great three points and we are happy to
Paolo Banchero on Sunday scored 24 points as the Orlando Magic overturned a 13-point deficit to end the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-game unbeaten streak with a gutsy 108-103 road victory. Cleveland, the runaway Eastern Conference leaders, had looked poised to extend their franchise-record winning run after surging clear of Orlando early in the third quarter, but after a season where they have staged hefty winning comebacks of their own, the tables turned on Cleveland in the face of a furious burst of Orlando scoring. The Magic outscored Cleveland 35-23 in the third quarter, with Franz Wagner leading the charge with nine points and
Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday held their nerve to beat Liverpool 4-1 on penalties and reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after their tie finished one-apiece on aggregate, while Bayern Munich saw off Bayer 04 Leverkusen to complete a 5-0 win over both legs. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha fired Barcelona into the next round as the Catalans bested SL Benfica 3-1, and Inter booked a last-eight meeting with Bayern by seeing off Feyenoord 2-1. At Anfield, Ousmane Dembele netted the only goal of the night as PSG bounced back from Liverpool’s late winner last week to force the tie to extra-time and penalties. Maligned
RSS