Thu, May 01, 2008 page18

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■SOCCER

  Ronaldo in hooker shocker

  Ronaldo went into hiding on Tuesday after an encounter with cross-dressing prostitutes that prompted police to investigate whether to charge one with trying to extort money from the three-time FIFA Player of the Year. Police said Ronaldo committed no crime, but he was accused by one prostitute of using drugs and not wanting to pay. Prostitution is legal in Brazil. “It is necessary to clarify that no formal accusations were made against Ronaldo,” read a statement on the player’s Web site. “An advocate of social causes, Ronaldo has never used drugs and has always been admired by children in Brazil and around the world. There are indications of an extortion attempt in which the Milan striker is the only victim.” Ronaldo acknowledged to police he knew they were prostitutes but did not realize they were cross-dressers until getting to a motel in the early hours of Monday morning, when one allegedly tried to extort money from him to hide the story from the media, according to police.

  ■CRICKET

  Marshall bids for Flem spot

  James Marshall began on Tuesday his bid to fill the hole in New Zealand’s batting order left by the retirement of former captain Stephen Fleming ahead of the tourists’ Test series with England. Marshall took over Fleming’s No. 3 position in the ongoing tour match against Kent and, at the end of the second day of New Zealand’s three-day game in Canterbury, was 20 not out in a total of 92 for one. Black Caps stand-in skipper Jamie How was unbeaten on 53. “Flem is a hard player to replace,” Marshall said. “He has obviously played a lot of cricket for New Zealand. But it is a different era now, so hopefully whoever takes that role will express their own skills. I don’t think there is pressure to try to be like Flem.” In a day cut short by bad weather, New Zealand lost Aaron Redmond for 14. Earlier Kent declared on their overnight score of 324 for one.

  ■CRICKET

  Players need help: Kumble

  Indian cricketers need professional help to cope with their fame and wealth, Test captain Anil Kumble said yesterday. Kumble’s comments in a newspaper column came two days after Harbhajan Singh was banned for the remainder of the domestic Twenty20 league after being found guilty of slapping Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. “There’s so much money in the game now, especially with the India Premier League,” Kumble wrote. “Instead of people blaming whatever happens on ‘too much money’ or justifying incidents by saying things happen in the heat of the moment, it’s important that someone ensures that players are given the right kind of advice, that there are professionals to help them cope with fame and the money it brings.”

  ■SOCCER

  Sven set to leave City

  Sven-Goran Eriksson is unlikely to be Manchester City manager next season, his agent said on Tuesday. British media have speculated the former England coach would resign or be sacked after City’s Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra said earlier this month he was unhappy with the Premier League club’s recent form and wanted change. Asked whether the Swede would still be at the helm at the beginning of next season, Eriksson’s agent Athole Still said: “It’s looking odds against. If Dr Shinawatra was going to give a ringing message of support I think we would have heard it.” Eriksson said he had met Thaksin at the weekend but declined to give details about their discussions.

  ■SOCCER

  Hall of Famer dies at 74

  Gordon Bradley, a major figure in US soccer who once coached legends Pele and Johan Cruyff in the North American Soccer League, died on Tuesday at age 74. England-born Bradley, a 1996 inductee into the US Soccer Hall of Fame, coached Brazilian superstar Pele in the 1970s with the New York Cosmos and later guided Dutch standout Cruyff as coach of the Washington Diplomats. “He was one of the true legends of the game in our country,” US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati told the Washington Post. “He was a giant.” Bradley coached at George Mason University from 1985 through 2000, going 183-113 with 35 drawn and six national tournament appearances.

  ■BASKETBALL

  Scott wins coach of the year

  Byron Scott, who guided the once-lowly New Orleans Hornets to a club-record 56-win season, was named the NBA Coach of the Year on Tuesday. Scott, who won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s during a 14-year playing career, will receive the Red Auerbach Trophy after masterminding an 18-game improvement by the Hornets over last season. Scott, 47, received 458 points, including 70 first-place votes, from a North American media panel with five points for first, three for second and one for third to become the first Hornets coach to ever receive the award.

  ■ICE HOCKEY

  Hart Trophy finalists named

  Calgary Flames right wing Jarome Iginla, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin are the three finalists for the Hart Trophy that is awarded to the NHL’s player of the year. Iginla, a Hart Trophy finalist for the third time, had 50 goals and 48 assists to rank third in the NHL in both categories. It was the second time he had reached the 50-goal mark, and the 98 points were a career best. Malkin and Ovechkin both are first-time Hart finalists. Ovechkin won the scoring title with 112 points and also led the league with 65 goals. Malkin was second in scoring with 106 points.

  ■ICE HOCKEY

  Group to look at equipment

  The NHL and its players’ union have formed a group to examine the size and configuration of goalie equipment. They will meet on June 11 in Toronto. The NHL representatives include Doug Risebrough of Minnesota, Garth Snow of the New York Islanders, Jim Rutherford of Carolina and Brett Hull of Dallas. Three goalies and two skaters will represent the players — Martin Brodeur of New Jersey, Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders, Ryan Miller of Buffalo, Dany Heatley of Ottawa and Mike Cammalleri of Los Angeles. There is a belief among some in ice hockey that reducing the size of goalie equipment would increase scoring.

  ■FOOTBALL

  Bills to get double payment

  The Buffalo Bills will receive US$78 million — more than double their calculated 2006 operating income — to play eight NFL games in Toronto over the next five years. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the downtown Rogers Center. In becoming the NFL’s first team to play annual games outside the US, the Bills are scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a preseason match at Toronto on Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.
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