Thu, Jun 03, 2010 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■BASKETBALL

  James favors Cavaliers

  Cleveland forward LeBron James offered the strongest hint yet that he will remain with the Cavaliers, with the two-time MVP saying the team has an edge over other potential suitors when free agency begins on July 1. In a CNN interview with television personality Larry King to be broadcast tomorrow, James agreed Cleveland had “an edge” over other teams eager to sign the six-times All-Star. “Oh, absolutely,” James told King in a portion of the interview released by CNN on Tuesday. “This city, these fans ... have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it’s comfortable. So I’ve got a lot of memories here. And so it does have an edge.” James, whose top-seeded Cavaliers took an early exit out of the playoffs this year, heads a list of several high-profile players who could opt for free agency. The 25-year-old has never won a championship and many reports have suggested the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls would be among the teams interested.

  ■FOOTBALL

  Roethlisberger practices

  Beleaguered Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger practiced with his team mates for the first time since being suspended by the NFL six weeks ago for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Roethlisberger participated in stretching and passing drills Tuesday but did not talk to the media. He was suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell on April 21 after a Georgia college student accused the two-time Super Bowl winner of sexually assaulting her. No charges were filed. Roethlisberger is suspended for the first six games of the regular season. He is allowed to take part in the Steelers’ final six off-season drills and to attend training camp, which begins July 30.

  ■BASEBALL

  Willis sent to D’backs

  The Detroit Tigers sent struggling two-time All-Star pitcher Dontrelle Willis to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-hander Billy Buckner, the team said on Tuesday. The Tigers had designated Willis, rookie of the year in 2003 and a 22-game winner in 2005 with the Florida Marlins, for a minor league assignment on Sunday and had 10 days to either trade or release the left-handed pitcher. Willis, acquired by the Tigers from Florida in 2007 after he had lost his top form, went 1-2 with a 4.98 ERA in eight starts for Detroit this season. Buckner was 0-3 with an 11.08 ERA in three starts with Arizona this season.

  ■GOLF

  Don’t force events: Nicklaus

  The PGA Tour should put to rest an idea to force golfers to play in a greater number of lower-profile events each season, Jack Nicklaus, the host of this week’s Memorial tournament, said on Tuesday. According to Nicklaus, whose tournament will include six of the world’s top 10 golfers, the sport is too global to force the many international players to commit to more events on the US circuit. “You have got your four major championships, your [four] world championships. You have got your other significant events. [For] the players from around the world, that is a lot of golf for these guys,” Nicklaus told reporters. “They have got to go home and support their own tour. You start designating them to play more, it really becomes a difficult situation.” The idea of forcing tour members to play at least one designated “second tier” event among their minimum 15 starts each year came about as some lower-profile events struggled to draw decent fields because of the deteriorating economic situation.

  ■RUGBY UNION

  Reds sign Guy Shepherson

  The Queensland Reds have moved to bolster their front row stocks by signing former Australia prop Guy Shepherdson from the ACT Brumbies. Shepherdson, an 18-cap Wallaby, who played in the 2007 World Cup, will help the Reds recover from Laurie Weeks’ signing with new Super 15 franchise the Melbourne Rebels earlier this year. “It’s not often you get to bring in someone as experienced as Guy,” Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said.

  ■SOCCER

  Terry’s dad spared prison

  The father of England and Chelsea defender John Terry was spared jail on Tuesday for supplying cocaine to an undercover reporter after a judge said he was a victim of entrapment. Edward Terry, the 56-year-old father of the former England soccer captain, admitted supplying 3.5g of the drug to the journalist from the News of the World when he appeared before magistrates last month. “Employees of a national newspaper decided to mount what was in effect a sting operation against Mr Terry to ascertain whether he could or would supply class A drugs,” prosecutor Paul Scothern told Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday. The court heard the reporter, Dan Sanderson, had befriended Terry at a wine bar he frequented near his home in Essex, over a six-week period. Terry was sentenced to a suspended prison term of six months and ordered to do 100 hours of community service. John Terry, 29, was stripped of the England captaincy in February following newspaper reports about his private life.

  ■SOCCER

  Egypt ’keeper suspended

  Egypt goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari has been given a four-month suspension for breaching his contract with former club Al Ahli, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Tuesday. Swiss first division club Sion were also banned from signing players for the next two transfer windows over the same case. CAS rejected appeals from Al Hadari and the club against the sanctions imposed by FIFA last year over his move to Sion in 2008. However, the court said it had reduced the amount of compensation Al Hadari must pay al-Ahli, one of Egypt’s biggest clubs, from 900,000 euros (US$1.09 million) to US$760,000.

  ■SOCCER

  Angry fans tear-gassed

  Greek police tear-gassed angry supporters of the Salonika football club Iraklis who had gone on a rampage on Tuesday over their team’s relegation to the second division, police said. Nearly 3,000 Iraklis supporters had gathered to protest the team’s relegation over a financial dispute. Some angry fans began to set trash cans on fire in the city center and throw rocks at police, who fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Two people were arrested, police said.

  ■AUSSIE RULES

  Controversy over comment

  Australian Rules star Jason Akermanis has been suspended by his club over a controversial newspaper column in which he urged gay players to “stay in the closet.” The Western Bulldogs said Akermanis had been banned for two games for reneging on an agreement to let the club approve his Herald-Sun comment piece before publication. Akermanis, 33, has been heavily criticized over the column, which argued that the deeply traditional, Gaelic football-style sport was not ready for its first openly gay player. Senior Australian Football League (AFL) figures distanced themselves from the comments, while unknown assailants pelted the three-time championship winner’s house and car with eggs.
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