Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Sports Briefs: Blazers lock in stars through 2010
By The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | No comments posted.
PORTLAND — The Portland Trail Blazers exercised fourth-year options Saturday on the contracts of forward LaMarcus Aldridge and guards Sergio Rodriguez and Brandon Roy.
The Blazers also said exercised their third-year option on center Greg Oden, who missed last season following microfracture surgery on his right knee after being selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft.
The moves, announced by general manager Kevin Pritchard, keep all four players under contract through the 2009-10 season.
NFL
Up to eight NFL players investigated for doping
NEW YORK — Six to eight players are under investigation by the NFL for violating the league’s drug policy by taking a weight-loss diuretic considered a masking agent for steroids.
A person familiar with the case provided the number of players involved Monday, saying estimates of a higher figure were untrue. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the players are appealing the findings.
Larry Johnson charged with simple assault
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Larry Johnson, already facing possible suspension by the NFL, was charged with simple assault for spitting his drink in a woman’s face.
Several hours later, the Kansas City Chiefs indicated the two-time Pro Bowl running back would not play for the foreseeable future.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Johnson would meet with league officials in New York today. The person requested anonymity because the league has not announced the meeting.
Johnson also faces a Dec. 4 court date for another incident that occurred last February when he allegedly pushed a woman’s face in another Kansas City nightspot.
Arizona man gets a year for Super Bowl threat
PHOENIX — An Arizona man accused of planning to kill people at this year’s Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., was sentenced Monday to a year and a day in prison.
Kurt William Havelock, 36, was accused of bringing a semiautomatic rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition to a parking lot near University of Phoenix Stadium, where pregame activities were happening. He also sent letters to major media outlets promising to be “swift and bloody.”
Havelock didn’t attack, however, and he later turned himself in to Tempe police. He was found guilty in June of six counts of mailing threatening communications.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Cowboys get another $63 million for stadium
STILLWATER, Okla. — T. Boone Pickens will give another $63 million in cash to Oklahoma State to finish the renovation of the football stadium that bears his name, but the future of other athletic projects he’d intended to fund is in doubt because of the economic downturn.
Pickens also said he would be returning to the school the $125 million that remained from its investment in a hedge fund he’d been managing since donating a record-breaking $165 million to the university in January 2006.
That donation was the largest gift to a college athletic program.
GYMNASTICS
IGF insitutes licensing system for athletes
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Beginning Jan. 1, all junior and senior gymnasts who represent their countries at most international meets will need a license from the International Gymnastics Federation. The licenses will include their name, sex, country and date of birth, and be their proof of age for their career.
The licensing system, approved by the FIG’s executive committee at its Oct. 15-16 meeting and announced Monday, was in the works long before the Beijing Olympics. But it got new attention after questions were raised about the ages of China’s gold medal women’s team, with media reports and online records suggesting some of the girls could be as young as 14.
AUTO RACING
Kodak favors golf sponsorship over NASCAR
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Eastman Kodak Co. is ending its 22-year sponsorship in NASCAR and putting more sports marketing dollars into professional golf.
The photography pioneer, betting its future on electronic imaging, said Monday the realignment fits better with a new effort to highlight its brand digitally, such as on PGA Tour scoreboards.
Kodak also wants to engage more customers overseas since 60 percent of its sales are outside the United States.
Kodak said it is also ending a four-year sponsorship of Penske Racing at year-end.
Since signing on with NASCAR in 1986, Kodak-sponsored cars have won the Daytona 500 four times — with Ryan Newman’s car this year, Sterling Marlin’s in 1994 and 1995 and Ernie Irvan’s in 1991.
The Blazers also said exercised their third-year option on center Greg Oden, who missed last season following microfracture surgery on his right knee after being selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft.
The moves, announced by general manager Kevin Pritchard, keep all four players under contract through the 2009-10 season.
NFL
Up to eight NFL players investigated for doping
NEW YORK — Six to eight players are under investigation by the NFL for violating the league’s drug policy by taking a weight-loss diuretic considered a masking agent for steroids.
A person familiar with the case provided the number of players involved Monday, saying estimates of a higher figure were untrue. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the players are appealing the findings.
Larry Johnson charged with simple assault
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Larry Johnson, already facing possible suspension by the NFL, was charged with simple assault for spitting his drink in a woman’s face.
Several hours later, the Kansas City Chiefs indicated the two-time Pro Bowl running back would not play for the foreseeable future.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Johnson would meet with league officials in New York today. The person requested anonymity because the league has not announced the meeting.
Johnson also faces a Dec. 4 court date for another incident that occurred last February when he allegedly pushed a woman’s face in another Kansas City nightspot.
Arizona man gets a year for Super Bowl threat
PHOENIX — An Arizona man accused of planning to kill people at this year’s Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., was sentenced Monday to a year and a day in prison.
Kurt William Havelock, 36, was accused of bringing a semiautomatic rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition to a parking lot near University of Phoenix Stadium, where pregame activities were happening. He also sent letters to major media outlets promising to be “swift and bloody.”
Havelock didn’t attack, however, and he later turned himself in to Tempe police. He was found guilty in June of six counts of mailing threatening communications.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Cowboys get another $63 million for stadium
STILLWATER, Okla. — T. Boone Pickens will give another $63 million in cash to Oklahoma State to finish the renovation of the football stadium that bears his name, but the future of other athletic projects he’d intended to fund is in doubt because of the economic downturn.
Pickens also said he would be returning to the school the $125 million that remained from its investment in a hedge fund he’d been managing since donating a record-breaking $165 million to the university in January 2006.
That donation was the largest gift to a college athletic program.
GYMNASTICS
IGF insitutes licensing system for athletes
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Beginning Jan. 1, all junior and senior gymnasts who represent their countries at most international meets will need a license from the International Gymnastics Federation. The licenses will include their name, sex, country and date of birth, and be their proof of age for their career.
The licensing system, approved by the FIG’s executive committee at its Oct. 15-16 meeting and announced Monday, was in the works long before the Beijing Olympics. But it got new attention after questions were raised about the ages of China’s gold medal women’s team, with media reports and online records suggesting some of the girls could be as young as 14.
AUTO RACING
Kodak favors golf sponsorship over NASCAR
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Eastman Kodak Co. is ending its 22-year sponsorship in NASCAR and putting more sports marketing dollars into professional golf.
The photography pioneer, betting its future on electronic imaging, said Monday the realignment fits better with a new effort to highlight its brand digitally, such as on PGA Tour scoreboards.
Kodak also wants to engage more customers overseas since 60 percent of its sales are outside the United States.
Kodak said it is also ending a four-year sponsorship of Penske Racing at year-end.
Since signing on with NASCAR in 1986, Kodak-sponsored cars have won the Daytona 500 four times — with Ryan Newman’s car this year, Sterling Marlin’s in 1994 and 1995 and Ernie Irvan’s in 1991.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines