■FOOTBALL
Association files grievance
The NFL Players Association filed a grievance on Tuesday challenging the suspension and fine given to Plaxico Burress by the New York Giants after the star receiver accidentally shot himself 10 days ago. The union said that the team violated the collective bargaining agreement last week when it placed Burress on the reserve-non football injury list, suspended him for the final four games of the regular season and fined him an additional week’s salary for conduct detrimental to the team. Placing Burress on the non-football injury list also will keep him out of the playoffs. The Giants won the NFC East division title on Sunday. Union spokesman Carl Francis said the grievance will be heard by an arbitrator after the season ends.
■FOOTBALL
Jones suspended for drugs
Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Matt Jones will serve a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy after his appeal was denied on Tuesday. The league handed down the suspension in October, but it was delayed while Jones appealed. His appeal was heard last week. He will miss the last three games of the regular season. Jones, the team’s leading receiver, was charged with cocaine possession in July when a police officer in Fayetteville, Arkansas saw him inside a parked car allegedly cutting up cocaine with a credit card.
■BASEBALL
FBI reviews Clemens files
Federal investigators subpoenaed medical records from Roger Clemens’ former teams to see if the pitcher perjured himself when testifying before Congress about doping, ESPN reported Tuesday. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young winner, told Congress in February that he had never used steroids or human growth hormone, as his former trainer Brian McNamee has alleged. According to the report posted on ESPN.com, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents met with club officials and attorneys from the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays.
■GOLF
Norman highest earner
Golfer Greg Norman headed the list of Australia’s highest-earning sports stars for the 12th straight year even after making the cut just once in four PGA Tour events. Norman, 53, kept his top ranking with estimated sports-related income of A$20.9 million (US$13.9 million), according to the annual list by Business Review Weekly magazine to be published tomorrow. Soccer player Harry Kewell was next with A$10.5 million, Norman, a two-time major winner, is chief executive officer of Great White Shark Enterprises Inc, a closely held company that counts golf course design, apparel, golf equipment, wine and residential development among its activities.
■BASEBALL
Bats to be upgraded by MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) hopes scary scenes of broken maple bats sailing into the stands or dugouts soon could be a thing of the past. All bats used in big league games soon will have their own serial numbers and ink markings for tracking, part of the first step in the league’s efforts to decrease the number of broken bats and ensure a safer environment for players and fans. By the start of next season, the plan of MLB’s safety and health advisory committee is that all bats will have been certified by MLB and that the 32 manufacturers making them will be held to a new list of standards surrounding their production.
■SOCCER
Ronaldo in Corinthians deal
Brazilian striker Ronaldo has expressed his pride after winning a nine-month battle against injury and agreeing to terms with Sao Paulo-based Corinthians. Ronaldo, 32, will join one of Brazil’s biggest clubs, who have just won promotion back to the top flight after one season in Serie B, for the 2009 season as he attempts to re-ignite his career. “I’m proud of myself,” he said in an interview with Brazilian television. “This was never an easy fight at any moment and I’m winning. Corinthians believed in me, they have a fantastic project for 2009 and I’m very confident it will be a great year, although I know I will have a lot of difficulties at the start.” Ronaldo had been widely expected to sign for Flamengo, where he had been training for the last four months, and his move to Corinthians upset supporters of the Rio de Janeiro-based club, who burned photos of him after hearing the news.
■SOCCER
Real fire coach Schuster
Struggling Spanish champions Real Madrid fired coach Bernd Schuster on Tuesday and immediately replaced him with former Tottenham and Sevilla coach Juande Ramos. Real sports director Pedja Mijatovic said he had held a meeting earlier in the day with Schuster, who had “accepted” the decision but “was sad to do so.” “We analyzed everything that has happened in recent months. We saw the difficulties and reached this decision by mutual agreement,” Mijatovic told a news conference. Schuster, one of a rare breed of soccer players who have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, was under contract with Real till 2010. Ramos, 54, has been given an initial six-month deal which will keep him at the Spanish giants until the end of the season. Schuster’s head was placed firmly on the block on Sunday when Real slipped to a humiliating 4-3 home defeat to Sevilla, a result that left them languishing in fifth place in the league, nine points behind leaders Barcelona.
■RUGBY UNION
Union urges Wembley probe
An Australian players’ union has called for an investigation into the safety of the playing surface at Wembley Stadium after two Australians were injured in last week’s match against the Barbarians in London. Wallaby prop Matt Dunning ruptured his Achilles tendon and fellow front rower Sekope Kepu tore a pectoral muscle when a scrum collapsed during the match. The Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) wants to know whether there is a link between the injuries and the state of the pitch. “From discussions I have had it was very, very unstable under foot,” RUPA boss Tony Dempsey told the Daily Telegraph yesterday.
■SOCCER
Australia throws cash at bid
Australia’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup received a major boost yesterday when the government agreed to spend A$45.6 million (US$30 million) to back the campaign. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Sports Minister Kate Ellis and Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said in a statement the cash injection “sends a clear message to the football world that Australia is serious about hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup.” “There is no better place in the world than right here in Australia,” Ellis told reporters. The Football Federation Australia (FFA) will formally lodge its bid by the end of 2010 with a decision on who will host the tournament expected in 2011. FFA chairman Frank Lowy told reporters the money would be spent wisely on securing the best “professional services” to ensure Australia has a genuine chance of hosting the soccer showpiece.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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