■BASEBALL
Ordonez earns US$18m
Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez has earned US$18 million with a fifth-inning groundball. The at-bat on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals was Ordonez’s 1,080th plate appearance since the start of the 2008 season, the number that he needed to automatically trigger his US$18 million contract option for next year. The option will make the contract that began in 2005 worth US$93 million over six years. The appearance was also Ordonez’s 455th of this year. If Ordonez comes to the plate 1,080 times this year and next year, he will activate another US$15 million option for the 2011 season.
■OLYMPICS
Canada language plan saved
The Canadian government will foot more of the bill for bilingual services at next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics. Federal Heritage Minister James Moore announced US$7.7 million in new funding for the Olympics just hours after reports raised concerns that the organizing committee was out of cash to meet the commitment. Federal official languages commissioner Graham Fraser said in his report that without additional funds, it would be difficult to provide all public information about the games in both official languages of French and English. “This money will go to translation services, to interpretation services, to permanent signage in and around all the Olympic sites in Vancouver as well as to medal ceremonies to ensure that they’re officially bilingual. And this is an important investment into the 2010 Games,” Moore said in Ottawa.
■ATHLETICS
Highway named after Bolt
The Jamaican roadway along which the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt crashed his car in April will be renamed in his honor. Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding told parliament on Tuesday that Highway 2000 would be called the Usain Bolt Highway. The road connects Kingston in the east with Montego Bay in the far west of the country. Golding also announced that the country’s fourth-highest honor, the Order of Jamaica, would be conferred on the 23-year-old sprinter. Bolt will also be appointed an ambassador-at-large and will be accorded full diplomatic status.
■FOOTBALL
Eagles add Vick to roster
The Philadelphia Eagles elevated Michael Vick to the team’s 53-man roster on Tuesday, a move that allows the quarterback to practice with them. The Eagles released receiver Hank Baskett to make room for Vick, who is eligible to play on Sept. 27 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Vick was to begin practicing with the NFL team yesterday, though he cannot play in Sunday’s home opener against the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles were heavily criticized by animal rights activists for signing Vick less than a month after he finished serving 18 months in federal prison. A month later, Vick’s jersey is the fourth-highest seller in the NFL behind Brett Favre, Jay Cutler and Troy Polamalu. The league rankings are based on sales from April 1 to Aug. 28.
■BASKETBALL
Warriors’ Jackson fined
Golden State’s Stephen Jackson was fined US$25,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for saying he wanted to be traded. Jackson, who averaged a team-best 20.7 points per game last season, told Dime Magazine last month that he wanted out and had told the Warriors front office as much. Players are not permitted to make trade requests publicly.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
MILWAUKEE PREVAIL: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points as the Bucks withstood Nikola Jokic’s 27th triple-double of the season to beat the Nuggets Golden State star Stephen Curry on Thursday drilled 12 three-pointers in a scintillating 56-point display that carried the Warriors to a 121-115 victory over the Orlando Magic. Curry’s explosive performance helped the Warriors dig themselves out of a 17-point hole, with the point guard signaling the start of the fightback with a three-pointer from beyond the half-court line to end the first half that pulled the Warriors within 66-52 at the break. In the third quarter, he single-handedly outscored the Magic with 22 points to Orlando’s 21. The four-time NBA champion finished two three-pointers shy of former teammate Klay Thompson’s record for most
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