Jones was sentenced to the six-month term for lying to federal prosecutors about her steroid use.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Disgraced former Olympic track and field star Marion Jones was released from a federal prison in Texas Friday after serving a six-month sentence.
Jones was sentenced to the six-month term for lying to federal prosecutors about her steroid use and her knowledge of a check-fraud scam involving her ex-boyfriend, former sprinter Tim Montgomery.
The sentence completed a fall from grace for Jones, who was once regarded as one of the greatest female athletes in the world.
In the past, Jones denied the use of any steroids, including to federal prosecutors when questioned in 2003. However, she finally admitted last October, in an emotional and tearful public statement to her family, friends, and fans, to using the steroid "the clear," produced by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative -- also known as BALCO -- that was given to her by her trainer Trevor Graham.
Jones admitted to taking the steroids leading up the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Jones was named Athlete of the Year by several organizations in 2000 for her accomplishments at the Sydney Games, where she became the only female track and field athlete to win five medals -- three of them gold -- at a single Olympics. She has been stripped of all of those medals as a result of her admitted steroid use.
The tour was to call for players learn English by the end of next year or face suspension.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Facing substantial criticism, the LPGA Tour announced Friday that it would rescind a recently-announced policy that would have required players to learn and speak English.
The tour was to call for players to comply by the end of next year or face suspension.
"After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every tour player," said LPGA commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens. "In that spirit, we will continue communicating with our diverse tour players to develop a better alternative."
The LPGA said it will announce a revised approach -- absent playing penalties -- by the end of the year.
It had faced considerable backlash from across the sports spectrum and beyond since the impending policy was first reported last week.
Among the policy's most vocal critics was California state senator Leland Yee, who called it "unfair, unreasonable, and discriminatory."
"Omitting qualified players from LPGA membership is inappropriate and unsuitable for the world we live in and poorly reflects on the increasingly diverse population of California and the United States," Yee said over the weekend.
Leading civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti- Defamation League had joined in the protest, as had several ethnic rights organizations.
Yee pointed out that there are 121 international players on the LPGA Tour from 26 different countries. Largest among the groups, of course, is the tour's burgeoning Korean population.
The Super Bowl champion Giants defeated the Washington Redskins 16-7 in the season opener.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Plaxico Burress celebrated his fresh two-year contract extension with 10 catches for 133 yards, and the defending-champion New York Giants opened their title defense with a 16-7 victory over NFC East rival Washington.
Burress was Eli Manning's favorite target throughout the night, piling up yards the same day he agreed to a two-year extension through 2012. Manning completed 19-of-35 passes for 216 yards, an interception and a first-quarter touchdown scamper. Brandon Jacobs ran for 116 yards on 21 carries for the Giants (1-0), who started a new campaign without its top two pass rushers from a season ago.
"He played really well tonight. He made some big catches, some in routes, some curls and different things he did really well, and I can tell before the game during our warm-ups for a couple of hours that he had a lot of energy, he was coming off the ball well, and I can tell he felt good," said Manning of Burress.
Michael Strahan retired to the network television booth and Osi Umenyiora is out for the season with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
Jason Campbell completed 15-of-27 passes for just 133 yards and a touchdown, while last season's most-worked running back Clinton Ports carried the football 23 times for 84 yards. However, he ran for just 61 yards on 22 carries if his 23-yard run is taken out of the equation.
Jim Zorn lost his NFL head coaching debut with the Redskins (0-1), while their leading receiver from a season ago, tight end Chris Cooley, caught just one pass for seven yards. Newly acquired defensive end Jason Taylor also made his Redskins debut, but played gingerly at the outset with a persistent knee injury.
"I was disappointed that we just looked so poor ourselves offensively. I didn't feel like there was domination," said Zorn. "It was what were we doing? The Giants have a really strong team and to play a Super Bowl defending team we cannot be as poor as we were on offense."
New York's offense came out with energy and precision over an 84-yard, 11- play touchdown march. Manning found Burress three times on the march for a total of 60 yards, the last an 11-yard connection on third down from the Redskins 17-yard line. Following a pass interference penalty, Manning ran it into the end zone off a bootleg from one-yard out for a 7-0 edge.
Washington was stuck in neutral during its first possession, while the Giants continued to press hard on the gas moments later. A nine-play, 45-yard drive stalled and resulted in John Carney's 24-yard boot. The methodical possession was highlighted by Jacobs' 17-yard jaunt.
Campbell didn't complete a pass over the first quarter, and New York again moved into Carney field goal range stretching into the second stanza. Another 11-play march, this one covering 62 yards, ended in Carney splitting the uprights from 25 yards out. Manning hit Sinorice Moss for 23 yards and Burress for 16 yards on the drive.
Carney was true on his third successive attempt later in the second period -- a 47-yard attempt --, giving the Giants a 16-0 edge. Burress caught another pass on the drive and elevated his numbers to 98 yards receiving on the night.
Washington's offense finally shook off the cobwebs en route to a touchdown late in the half. Rock Cartwright's 50-yard kickoff return set up the march, capped by Campbell's 12-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss on a crossing pattern for a 16-7 advantage.
Neither team put points on the scoreboard in the second half. Washington threatened to make it a game late in the fourth quarter, driving to the Giants 37-yard line. Campbell completed a dump pass to Portis for a first down, but a holding penalty negated the play. The Redskins ended up punting on the drive.
Game Notes
Washington defensive back Fred Smoot (back) left the game in the third quarter...The Giants have a 86-61-4 advantage in the all-time series...Sinorice's brother Santana caught five passes for 37 yards in the lone Washington score...New York won its 47th season opener to just 32 losses and five ties...Antwaan Randle-El led the Redskins with seven catches for 73 yards.
Zambrano will likely not take the mound again until September 14.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder Thursday.
Already expected to miss his next scheduled start Sunday against Cincinnati, Zambrano will likely take the mound September 14 at Houston after an MRI revealed the hurler needed anti-inflammatory medication and a few days rest.
Zambrano left after five innings of Tuesday's 9-7, 11-inning loss to Houston due to an apparent relapse of a tired arm. Zambrano was scratched from his Sunday afternoon start against Philadelphia because of the problem.
On Tuesday, he lasted 86 pitches before telling Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild he didn't feel well, then left the game.
The 27-year-old right-hander is 13-5 in 27 starts this season with a 3.58 ERA.
The Swiss star defeated surprise qualifier Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Reigning four-time champion Roger Federer was a hard-fought quarterfinal winner Thursday at the U.S. Open. The Swiss superstar will now play in his record 18th straight major semifinal against Serbian Novak Djokovic, who bested fan-favorite Andy Roddick in a four-set thriller under the lights at Ashe Stadium.
The second-seeded former world No. 1 Federer held off qualifier Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) on Day 11 on the hardcourts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Federer took the first set via tiebreak against the 6-foot-5 big-serving Muller, as neither player was able to record a service break in the opening stanza.
In the second set, the Swiss would assume control of the bout by registering the first, and only, break of the match for a 5-4 lead and then closed out the stanza with a hold for a commanding two-sets-to-love advantage.
The third set went to another tiebreak, which Federer captured by winning five of the last six points. He converted on his first match point when a game Muller netted one final backhand.
Muller swatted 16 aces in the 2-hour, 26-minute affair.
Federer is now 3-0 lifetime against the 130th-ranked Muller, with their previous two meetings coming in 2005.
The upstart 25-year-old Muller upset fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 18th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro and former top-10 star Tommy Haas at this Big Apple fortnight. He overcame two-sets-to-love deficits against both the German Haas and Almagro.
Federer was this year's Wimbledon and French Open runner-up to Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal, who supplanted the Swiss atop the men's rankings last month.
The 27-year-old Federer will see a familiar face in the semis on Saturday, as Djokovic looks to avenge last year's loss in the finals to the 12-time major titlist.
The Serbian star overcame a hostile crowd and a gutty performance from Roddick, topping the eighth-seeded American 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in just over 2 1/2 hours.
Roddick, who was the last player to hoist the trophy (2003) before Federer's four-year reign, had no answer for the third-seeded Serbian's serve throughout the match.
After taking the first two sets with relative ease, Djokovic, who bested 15th- ranked Tommy Robredo in a five-set marathon in the quarterfinals, dropped the third set to Roddick.
The American looked to take control of the match, breaking Djokovic at 3-3 in the fourth and serving for the set at 5-4. But the Serb broke Roddick in the game and managed to force a tiebreaker.
At 5-5 in the tiebreak, Roddick tried to mix up a long baseline exchange with a drop shot, but his effort fell into the net and his return of Djokovic's serve on match point went long, much to the crowd's displeasure.
Djokovic topped Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year before taking Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for his first career Grand Slam title.
Saturday's other semi will pit the five-time major champion Nadal against sixth-seeded Brit Andy Murray, as those two men won their quarterfinal matches here on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Murray will appear in his first-ever Grand Slam semi.
Alex Rodriguez added yet another home run, his 550th of his career, in a 7-5 loss.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Scott Kazmir pitched six strong innings as the Tampa Bay Rays avoided the sweep with a 7-5 win over the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.
Kazmir (11-6) gave up just one hit with five walks and seven strikeouts for the Rays, who have won six of their last eight games. Willy Aybar went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI.
"Kaz was very good, I'll take it," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "The way the Yankees have been playing us we needed that pitching performance."
With the win, Tampa moved 3 1/2 games ahead of idle Boston for first place in the AL East.
Derek Jeter hit a three-run home run and Alex Rodriguez added a solo shot for the Yankees, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Darrell Rasner (5-10) was banged up for five runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work.
"He just wasn't making his pitches," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "He was up in the zone a little bit. It comes down to location, change of speeds and he just missed."
The Rays plated five runners in the second to take the lead. With men on first and third, Gabe Gross doubled to bring home Eric Hinske. Jason Bartlett followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Dioner Navarro and Akinori Iwamura's single to center brought home Gross.
B.J. Upton singled and Carlos Pena walked to load the bases and chase Rasner from the game. Alfredo Aceves took the mound and struck out Cliff Floyd, but Aybar followed with a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.
Tampa Bay got another run in the fourth on Aybar's two-out, solo shot over the wall in right field.
Kazmir, meanwhile, was cruising through the game. In the first six innings he had given up five walks and a base hit, but worked 1-2-3 fourth and sixth innings and only allowed one runner to reach third, Cody Ransom in the fifth.
Trever Miller took the mound in the seventh for the Rays and worked around a one-out single to keep the Yankees off the board while Chad Bradford gave up just a two-out single in the eighth.
Iwamura led off the eighth with a triple and then scored on Upton's sacrifice fly to center for a 7-0 advantage.
New York avoided the shutout in the ninth. An RBI single from Cody Ransom scored Ivan Rodriguez, who led off the frame with a double. Johnny Damon later walked and Jeter hit an opposite-field home run to make it a three-run game. Alex Rodriguez followed with a monster shot that hit the catwalk over the left field seats to make it a 7-5 game. Dan Wheeler, though, took over for Jason Hammel and got Xavier Nady to fly out and pick up his 11th save of the season.
Game Notes
New York right fielder Bobby Abreu was scratched from the starting lineup due to a sore left wrist. He is listed as day-to-day...The Yankees begin a three- game set in Seattle on Friday...Tampa hits the road for the next nine games and starts a three-game series in Toronto on Friday...Kazmir is 3-0 over his last four starts...The home run was No. 550 in Rodriguez's career. He is the fastest player to reach that mark in MLB history.
The former star quarterback spent the best years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
(Sports Network) - Daunte Culpepper has announced his retirement from the NFL, bringing an end to a nine-year career for the quarterback that started with promise and finished with injury-filled disappointment.
The former Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders quarterback made the announcement via e-mail to multiple media outlets on Thursday.
Culpepper, just 31 years old, played in seven games last season -- six starts -- for Oakland, completing 108-of-186 passes for 1,331 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. He was placed on injured reserve by the club with a strained quadriceps, clearing the way for No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell to play late in the season.
The Raiders did not re-sign Culpepper, who played last season on a one-year contract, and he did not catch on with another team this summer.
"Since the beginning of training camp I was told that my opportunity would come when a quarterback gets hurt," Culpepper said in the e-mail. "I cannot remember the last time so many QB's have been injured during the preseason.
"I have been strongly encouraged from family, friends and league personnel to continue to be patient and wait for an inevitable injury to one of the starting quarterbacks in the league. I would rather shut the door to such 'opportunity' than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterbacks to suffer a serious injury. Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life."
Selected with the 11th overall pick out of Central Florida in 1999, Culpepper was part of that year's much-heralded draft class of quarterbacks that included Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith -- taken Nos. 1, 2, and 3 by the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively -- as well as Cade McNown, selected 12th by the Chicago Bears.
Culpepper and McNabb appeared to be the only two quarterbacks worthy of the hype early in their careers, but Culpepper never really recovered after he tore three ligaments in his right knee in 2005. After a career year in 2004 -- completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 4,717 yards with 39 touchdowns and 11 interceptions -- Culpepper's 2005 was disappointing even before he hurt his knee, as he had thrown 12 interceptions to only six touchdowns in seven games.
New Vikings coach Brad Childress and Culpepper clashed in the offseason, and Culpepper demanded a trade prior to the 2006 season. The Vikings dealt him to the Miami Dolphins, where his struggles continued. Culpepper lasted only four games with the Dolphins in 2006 before he was benched, mostly because of mobility problems with the knee, and eventually placed on injured reserve. The Raiders signed him prior to the 2007 season.
Culpepper is the all-time Vikings leader in completion percentage -- connecting on 64.4 percent of his passes -- and he also rushed for a franchise record 2,476 career yards by a quarterback. He finished his NFL career with 22,422 passing yards and a 63.8 career completion percentage, with 142 touchdowns and 94 interceptions.
Drugs were believed to be involved in the latest involving Joe Paterno's football team, which in recent years has experienced a growth in off-the-field problems.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Penn State football program has reportedly suspended three players for Saturday's contest against Oregon State and dismissed cornerback Willie Harriott from the team.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday that defensive end Maurice Evans, tight end Andrew Quarless and defensive tackle Abe Koroma were involved in an alleged incident at their apartment residence, where Penn State police discovered a small amount of marijuana on Tuesday.
No explanation was given as to the reason behind Harriott's dismissal.
The Columbus Crew Argentinian star was named the league's player of the month for August.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sports Photos: Check out new pics of everything going on today in the world of sports!
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for August, it was announced on Thursday.
Schelotto scored a goal while also recording six assists to lead the Crew to a 3-1-0 record during the month. Columbus holds the top record in MLS at 12-6-4, and with 40 points sits two points ahead of the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference table.
"He's definitely a special player," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said of Schelotto.
Since joining the Crew in 2007 from storied Argentine club Boca Juniors, Schelotto has proven to be one of the best set-up men in the league. He was a member of the 2007 MLS Best XI after finishing tied for third in the league with 11 assists. His 16 assists this season are the most for an individual in MLS since the 2003 season when Preki recorded 17. In 44 career MLS games, Schelotto has recorded 27 assists and 11 goals.
"[Schelotto] has the ability to make special plays," Schmid said. "He has the ability to make plays that decide games. And he's done it for us all season, and the guys know what he can do. He came into our team last year, and just being around the whole year makes a big difference; everybody understands him and everybody respects him for what he does."
The Major League Soccer Player of the Month is selected following the last regular season game of each month by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (SoccerReporters.com). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
Below are the 2008 player of the month winners to date:
A doctor in Kansas says that fall sports like football, soccer and basketball tend to generate more ankle injuries than other sports.
Friday, September 5, 2008
(UPI) - A U.S. foot physician warns ankle injuries increase as young athletes begin playing fall sports such as football, soccer and basketball.
Kansas City, Kan., foot and ankle surgeon Dr. James Good says fall sports can lead to sprains, broken bones and other problems -- and injuries should be seen to right away.
"Have a qualified doctor examine the injury," Good says in a statement. "The sooner rehabilitation starts, the sooner we can prevent long-term problems like instability or arthritis, and the sooner your child can get back into competition."
Good, a fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, advises having old sprains checked by a doctor to see if they could benefit from wearing a supportive brace.
He also suggests that parents:
-- Have children begin the season with new footwear, as old ones can become uneven, and get the right footwear for the sport.
-- Walk the field, especially when children compete in non-professional settings like public parks and alert coaching officials to dips, divots and holes. Most sports-related ankle sprains are caused by jumping and running on uneven surfaces.
© 2008