NOVEMBER 14, 2006
Today's "top" story . . .
Punched player will press charges
(BBC) -- A Bristol Rovers football player, punched during an FA Cup game on Saturday, has said he wants to press charges.
Barrow defender James Cotterill appeared to strike Sean Rigg in the FA Cup defeat by Bristol Rovers.
Mr. Rigg was left with a double fracture of the jaw during the incident.
In a statement, Bristol Rovers said: "The player has advised Bristol Rovers FC that he wishes to press charges. Cumbrian police have been informed." more
SUBJECTS: Bristol | Soccer | James Cotterill | Sean Rigg | Barrow
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Dowie axed by Addicks after just 15 matches
(ESPN) -- Iain Dowie's Charlton reign has lasted only 15 games after the club announced the departure of their manager.
The 41-year-old former Crystal Palace boss only took over from Alan Curbishley on a three-year deal in May but has won just two Barclays Premiership matches out of 12 this season, leaving the club bottom of the table.
Dowie, who spent the best part of £10million while in charge, did lead the Addicks to the Carling Cup quarter-final last week but it was not enough to save his job after Saturday's 3-2 league defeat at Wigan. more
SUBJECTS: Iain Dowie | Charlton | Firing | Soccer
Tech Not Commenting On Latest Bobby Knight Incident
(KWTX) -- Texas Tech officials declined to discuss Texas Tech men's basketball coach Bob Knight after the hot-tempered coach struck a player in the chin Monday night.
The latest episode occurred late Tech's 86-74 win over Gardner-Webb.
Knight approached forward Michael Prince during a timeout after Prince was called for a foul, then used his open hand to push Prince's chin as if to make him look the coach in the eye.
A short time later, Prince appeared to be moving his jaw around as he sat on the bench.
Prince and his parents tell the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal they didn't think Knight's actions were a big deal. more
SUBJECTS: Texas Tech University | Bobby Knight | Basketball | Michael Prince
Parker dunks to lead No. 5 Lady Vols
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee's Candace Parker opened the season by giving the home crowd something new to cheer about.
Parker dunked for the third time in her career during the fifth-ranked Lady Vols' 102-72 victory Sunday over Chattanooga, and the first time in Thompson-Boling Arena. She is the fourth woman to dunk in a college game.
With Tennessee leading Chattanooga 75-43 in the second half, the preseason All-American stole the ball from Brooke Hand near the sideline. Parker dribbled to the other end of the court and slammed it in with her right hand with 16:01 remaining. more
SUBJECTS: University of Tennessee | Candace Parker | Basketball
Sources: Red Sox bid high of $42M for Matsuzaka
(ESPN) -- The Red Sox bid $42 million for the right to negotiate with prized Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons. Boston's bid far exceeded any other team's offer.
Matsuzaka will learn Tuesday whether the Seibu Lions have accepted a bid for him by a major league team.
Major League Baseball and the Japanese commissioner's office will make simultaneous announcements at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday (10 a.m. Tokyo time Wednesday), MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said Monday at the big league general managers' meetings.
The amount of the highest bid was forwarded by the major league commissioner's office to the Japanese commissioner's office last Wednesday, and the Lions have until Tuesday to accept. Only if the offer is accepted will the identity of the winning team be revealed. more
SUBJECTS: Daisuke Matsuzaka | Baseball | Boston Red Sox | Seibu Lions
Report: Sosa denies steroids played part in success
(ESPN) -- Sammy Sosa, contemplating a return to baseball in 2007, would like to end the speculation that steroid use played a part in his impressive career slugging statistics.
"No question about it," Sosa told the Chicago Tribune on Friday. "I am clean, and I always have been clean. There has been a lot of speculation, but they don't have no evidence. So you take it from there. They haven't been writing a book about me doing this or doing that."
Despite word surfacing the past few months that steroid user Jason Grimsley implicated Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons in a federal probe involving steroid abuse, Sosa's name has yet to surface in any credible report "Because I don't do that," Sosa told the newspaper. "My name would have been in there. Think about it. All of the questions and all the speculation, my name is never there."
"Yeah, everyone is surprised because, you know why? I hit 60 [homers] three times. I put up the numbers. But you know what? I put up those numbers by going to bed at 9 o'clock at night in Chicago because I have to play a day game every day at 1 o'clock. I prepared myself for that. more
SUBJECTS: Sammy Sosa | Baseball | Steroids
UND to host playoff game; NCAA won't appeal judge's ruling
FARGO, N.D. -- The NCAA won't appeal a district judge's decision allowing the University of North Dakota to host a playoff game despite its Fighting Sioux nickname.
Judge Lawrence Jahnke's order granting a preliminary injunction was formally released Monday. Attorneys had been notified by e-mail late Saturday, hours before the North Dakota football team was chosen for a home playoff game next weekend.
"We're disappointed," NCAA spokesman Chuck Wynne said Monday. "But it's not totally unexpected.
"For all practical purposes, there really isn't time (to appeal). UND is going to host a playoff game and they will wear their normal uniforms." more
