Thu, Jan 08, 2009 page19

• SPORTS BRIEFS

  • AGENCIES
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  ■OLYMPICS

  USOC chief of sport resigns

  Steve Roush resigned from the US Olympic Committee (USOC) on Tuesday, leaving a post in which he played a key role in organizing logistics for US athletes at the last three Games. He was the USOC’s chief of sport performance since 2003. For the three years before that, he worked as sports partnership director. His duties were expected to be curtailed in a reorganization dividing the sports performance division into two sections: one for operations and logistics and another for athletes and national governing bodies. Roush, 50, acknowledged his career decision in an e-mail to The Associated Press and said he would provide comments in a news release expected to be distributed later on Tuesday. He will be leaving five months after the Beijing Olympics, where he was entangled in a controversy involving cyclists who wore masks upon their arrival at Beijing airport. The cyclists complained they were treated rudely by Roush, who they said threatened to revoke their Olympic eligibility if they didn’t issue an apology for offending their hosts. The USOC drafted a letter of apology, acknowledging that parts of the meeting with Roush were handled poorly. But the athletes weren’t satisfied, and held a news conference in which they called for his firing. Roush was not fired, but instead resigned to pursue other opportunities.

  ■FOOTBALL

  Saints’ Brees wins award

  New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees won The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday after nearly setting a passing record for yards. Brees threw for 5,069 yards, only the second time someone has eclipsed 5,000 yards passing in a season, but was left 15 short of Dan Marino’s mark from 1984. Although the Saints were 8-8 and didn’t make the playoffs, Brees performed so well he earned 22 votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. That easily beat Peyton Manning, the NFL Most Valuable Player for the third time for Indianapolis, and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. They tied for second with nine votes each. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers received six votes, and Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams (2), Atlanta running back Michael Turner (1) and Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith (1) also got votes.

  ■BASKETBALL

  Anthony out three weeks

  Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony will miss at least three weeks with a broken bone in his shooting hand, but he won’t need surgery. Anthony was fitted with a red, removable splint on Tuesday after breaking a bone in his right hand in a victory over the Indiana Pacers the night before. He’s been told by doctors he’ll be out for three to four weeks. Anthony was injured when Pacers center Jeff Foster swatted at the ball, catching part of Anthony’s hand.

  ■BASEBALL

  Teixeira inks US$180m deal

  Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees completed their US$180 million, eight-year contract on Tuesday, announcing the deal in perhaps the final event at the old Yankee Stadium. The deal was agreed to on Dec. 23, but both sides had to settle contract language and the first baseman had to pass a physical. Teixeira will wear No. 25, Jason Giambi’s old number. Teixeira had worn No. 23 with his previous teams in honor of his favorite player, Don Mattingly, whose number has been retired by the Yankees.
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