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Sports Briefs: Red Sox throw in the towel in Mark Teixeira courtship
By The Associated Press
Friday, December 19, 2008 | No comments posted.
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have been outbid for free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira and “are not going to be a factor” in acquiring him, owner John Henry said in an e-mail.
Henry, general manager Theo Epstein and president Larry Lucchino went to the Dallas area to meet with Teixeira and his agent Scott Boras.
Henry’s reference to the “other offers” leaves open the possibility that he is calling a bluff. Boras represented former Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon, who signed with the New York Yankees in 2005 after the Boston brass apparently refused to believe that the offer from their archrivals was real.
Aaron Boone signs with Houston Astros
HOUSTON — Free agent Aaron Boone agreed Thursday to a $750,000, one-year contract with the Houston Astros.
Boone played for the Washington Nationals last season, hitting .241 with six homers and 28 RBIs.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR settles in discrimination case
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR has settled a $225 million lawsuit filed by a former official who said she was subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment during her two-plus years working for the stock-car organization, The Associated Press has learned.
The suit was settled during a Dec. 3 mediation held in New York between Mauricia Grant and NASCAR. Settlement terms were confidential.
Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR’s second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her October 2007 termination. In the lawsuit filed in June in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grant alleged 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination during her employment.
BASKETBALL
Mississippi coach arrested for assault
CINCINNATI — Police arrested Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy after a cab driver said the coach punched him while calling him “bin Laden” and other racial insults.
A pretrial hearing has been set for Jan. 16. Kennedy was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of assault, which would carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
Kennedy denied the allegations and his attorney, Mike Allen, entered a written plea of not guilty in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
Kennedy, a former assistant and interim head coach at Cincinnati, later coached the Rebels in a 77-68 loss to No. 9 Louisville in the SEC/Big East Invitational.
Elton Brand out for month with hurt shoulder
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand will be sidelined for a month because of a dislocated shoulder.
Team officials said Brand has a fracture and tear in his right shoulder, but will not need surgery. Brand was hurt Wednesday night in a win over Milwaukee.
Brand is averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds this season. He signed a five-year, $80 million free agent contract with the 76ers in July.
A playoff team last season, the 76ers struggled to a 9-14 start before firing coach Maurice Cheeks last week. They are 2-0 under interim coach Tony DiLeo.
WRESTLING
Mike ‘Mad Dog’ Bell dies at the age of 37
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Mike “Mad Dog” Bell, a former professional wrestler whose struggle with substance abuse was featured in the documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” has died. He was 37.
Bell was found Sunday at a Costa Mesa live-in rehabilitation facility, his family said.
An autopsy was conducted but investigators couldn’t immediately determine the cause of death, said Dan Akin, a supervising deputy at the Orange County coroner’s division. The coroner is awaiting the results of toxicology tests, he said.
Chris Bell, whose 2008 documentary examines the steroid use of his two brothers, said Mike Bell had long battled with his addictions to prescription painkillers and alcohol.
“He was always wrestling, he was a personal trainer, he was always pushing his body to the max,” Chris Bell told the Orange County Register.
“You can’t really blame wrestling, but it’s kind of the lifestyle,” he said. “You have a couple of painkillers to get to the next match, have a couple drinks night to night and it gets out of hand.”
Bell wrestled on World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Monday Night Raw” as a “jobber,” a fighter who takes falls to promote others.
“Although Mr. Bell was never under a WWE contract, WWE extends its deepest condolences to the Bell family,” the organization said.
VOLLEYBALL
Penn State tops Nebraska to go to finals
OMAHA, Neb. — Nicole Fawcett had 24 kills, Megan Hodge added 23 and top-seeded and unbeaten Penn State beat Nebraska 25-17, 25-18, 15-25, 22-25, 15-11 on Thursday night to set up a rematch with Stanford in the NCAA women’s volleyball title match.
Second-seeded Stanford advanced with a 20-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-13 victory over No. 3 Texas. The Cardinal became the first team in the history of the volleyball final four to win after losing the first two sets.
Henry, general manager Theo Epstein and president Larry Lucchino went to the Dallas area to meet with Teixeira and his agent Scott Boras.
Henry’s reference to the “other offers” leaves open the possibility that he is calling a bluff. Boras represented former Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon, who signed with the New York Yankees in 2005 after the Boston brass apparently refused to believe that the offer from their archrivals was real.
Aaron Boone signs with Houston Astros
HOUSTON — Free agent Aaron Boone agreed Thursday to a $750,000, one-year contract with the Houston Astros.
Boone played for the Washington Nationals last season, hitting .241 with six homers and 28 RBIs.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR settles in discrimination case
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR has settled a $225 million lawsuit filed by a former official who said she was subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment during her two-plus years working for the stock-car organization, The Associated Press has learned.
The suit was settled during a Dec. 3 mediation held in New York between Mauricia Grant and NASCAR. Settlement terms were confidential.
Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR’s second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her October 2007 termination. In the lawsuit filed in June in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grant alleged 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination during her employment.
BASKETBALL
Mississippi coach arrested for assault
CINCINNATI — Police arrested Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy after a cab driver said the coach punched him while calling him “bin Laden” and other racial insults.
A pretrial hearing has been set for Jan. 16. Kennedy was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of assault, which would carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
Kennedy denied the allegations and his attorney, Mike Allen, entered a written plea of not guilty in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
Kennedy, a former assistant and interim head coach at Cincinnati, later coached the Rebels in a 77-68 loss to No. 9 Louisville in the SEC/Big East Invitational.
Elton Brand out for month with hurt shoulder
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand will be sidelined for a month because of a dislocated shoulder.
Team officials said Brand has a fracture and tear in his right shoulder, but will not need surgery. Brand was hurt Wednesday night in a win over Milwaukee.
Brand is averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds this season. He signed a five-year, $80 million free agent contract with the 76ers in July.
A playoff team last season, the 76ers struggled to a 9-14 start before firing coach Maurice Cheeks last week. They are 2-0 under interim coach Tony DiLeo.
WRESTLING
Mike ‘Mad Dog’ Bell dies at the age of 37
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Mike “Mad Dog” Bell, a former professional wrestler whose struggle with substance abuse was featured in the documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” has died. He was 37.
Bell was found Sunday at a Costa Mesa live-in rehabilitation facility, his family said.
An autopsy was conducted but investigators couldn’t immediately determine the cause of death, said Dan Akin, a supervising deputy at the Orange County coroner’s division. The coroner is awaiting the results of toxicology tests, he said.
Chris Bell, whose 2008 documentary examines the steroid use of his two brothers, said Mike Bell had long battled with his addictions to prescription painkillers and alcohol.
“He was always wrestling, he was a personal trainer, he was always pushing his body to the max,” Chris Bell told the Orange County Register.
“You can’t really blame wrestling, but it’s kind of the lifestyle,” he said. “You have a couple of painkillers to get to the next match, have a couple drinks night to night and it gets out of hand.”
Bell wrestled on World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Monday Night Raw” as a “jobber,” a fighter who takes falls to promote others.
“Although Mr. Bell was never under a WWE contract, WWE extends its deepest condolences to the Bell family,” the organization said.
VOLLEYBALL
Penn State tops Nebraska to go to finals
OMAHA, Neb. — Nicole Fawcett had 24 kills, Megan Hodge added 23 and top-seeded and unbeaten Penn State beat Nebraska 25-17, 25-18, 15-25, 22-25, 15-11 on Thursday night to set up a rematch with Stanford in the NCAA women’s volleyball title match.
Second-seeded Stanford advanced with a 20-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-13 victory over No. 3 Texas. The Cardinal became the first team in the history of the volleyball final four to win after losing the first two sets.
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