Sports briefs: News from around the nation
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Published: July 29, 2010
the associated press
Blakely signs NBA contract
BURLINGTON — Former University of Vermont basketball star Marqus Blakely is getting his shot at the NBA.
On Tuesday Blakely signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Blakely’s agent Sam Porter wouldn’t give the Burlington Free Press the value of the contract, but said it was enough to pass up six-figure contracts in Europe.
The NBA’s minimum rookie salary is $473,604.
During his time at Vermont, Blakely scored 1,875 points, had 1,044 rebounds, won two America East player-of-the-year trophies and an America East title.
He was passed over in the June NBA draft, but played for the Clippers in the NBA Summer League.
Huggins released from hospital
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University says men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins has been released from a Las Vegas hospital. The university says Huggins was released Wednesday. He had been hospitalized since breaking seven ribs in a fall in his hotel room on Friday while in Nevada on a recruiting trip.
Roush stable after plane crash
MILWAUKEE — NASCAR team owner Jack Roush remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition Wednesday, one day after he walked away from a plane crash in Wisconsin. In a statement, Roush Fenway Racing said Roush is under observation for facial injuries he sustained in the accident.
According to the EAA, a Beechcraft Premier business jet registered to Roush Fenway Racing, LLC was involved in a landing accident at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.
With Roush at the controls, the plane crashed while attempting to land. Photos from the scene showed serious damage, with the tail section cracked away from the rest of the plane. It is the second close call in an airplane for Roush, who crashed into a lake in Alabama eight years ago and nearly drowned before being rescued by an ex-Marine who lived nearby.
Patriots release oft-injured Crable
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have released injury-plagued linebacker Shawn Crable. Crable was cut on Wednesday after never playing in a regular-season game for the Patriots, who drafted him in the third round from Michigan in 2008.
Patriots sign
CB McCourty
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — First-round draft choice Devin McCourty has signed with the New England Patriots, according to his agent.
Andy Simms tweeted Wednesday morning that McCourty, a cornerback from Rutgers, had signed a contract and was in camp. All 12 players drafted by the Patriots this year have signed in time for the first full-squad practice today.
Detroit’s Leyland suspended
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Wednesday.
MLB cited Leyland for inappropriate and aggressive conduct during the bottom of the third inning of Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay. The manager was ejected during an argument in which Leyland said he accidentally sprayed second base umpire Marty Foster with sunflower seeds.
“You take your medicine and move on,” Leyland said. “Whether you always agree with it or not, you honor the system. It’s behind us. Move forward.”
Leyland also argued in close quarters with crew chief Gary Cederstrom, who stepped between him and Foster.
“The way I understood it, the suspension really had nothing to do with the argument,” Leyland said. “It was more Cederstrom and I.”
Leyland was scheduled to serve his suspension Wednesday night when the Tigers play the Rays.
Davydenko into Croatia quarters
UMAG, Croatia — Defending champion Nikolay Davydenko beat Stephane Robert 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the Croatia Open quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The top-seeded Russian will meet Juan Ignacio Chela, who defeated Italian qualifier Simone Bolelli 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-1.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2009 finalist, downed Pablo Cuevas 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 for his 25th clay-court victory of the season.
The former No. 1 will play Alexandr Dolgopolov, who beat wild card Franco Skugor 7-6 (1), 6-3.
Smoke: NASCAR’s clampdown is OK
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Count two-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart among those who think NASCAR’s decision to clamp down on public criticism of the sport is OK.
NASCAR warned teams during the offseason that critical comments would no longer be tolerated, and in an appearance Wednesday with Syracuse University basketball coach Jim Boeheim, Stewart said he didn’t think the policy was necessarily a bad thing.
Stewart says in the heat of the moment drivers say a lot of things, and it transfers to the media and the people.
At least two star drivers have been fined for comments that were deemed destructive to the industry. Stewart, who once compared NASCAR’s officiating to professional wrestling, says he doesn’t know who was fined, but says he wasn’t.
Furyk chasing FedEx Cup lead in W.Va.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Carl Pettersson felt as if someone had turned back the clock when he arrived at West Virginia’s historic Greenbrier resort.
There’s the white facade of the regal hotel, quaint cottages, horses towing carriages along tree-lined streets, and the Sam Snead’s personal playground — the 96-year-old Old White golf course.
Pettersson hopes to relive some of his own memories from his Canadian Open win when he tees off today in the Greenbrier Classic.
Pettersson shot 60 in the third round at St. George’s in Toronto last week and came from six strokes down with 11 holes left for his fourth PGA Tour win.
Now comes Old White, which has six par 4s at 405 yards or less and rough that isn’t as thick as St. George’s, leading Pettersson and others to believe the winning score could reach 20 under par or better.
The field for the Greenbrier Classic isn’t as strong as other tournaments — only three of the top 10 money leaders are entered — and some golfers believe those who aren’t here were reluctant to commit to a new tournament.
That could be a bonus for Jim Furyk, who’s fifth in the FedExCup points standings and with a win could leap past Ernie Els into the top spot with four weeks remaining until the playoffs.
Tiger to play at Bridgestone Invitational
AKRON, Ohio — Tiger Woods has entered the Bridgestone Invitational next week at Firestone, where he is the defending champion and a seven-time winner of the World Golf Championship.
Woods won last year by rallying to beat Padraig Harrington, becoming the first player to win a PGA Tour event seven times on the same course.
He has won every year at Firestone since 2005, except for when he missed the second half of the 2008 season following knee surgery.
Anthony Kim also has entered the tournament that begins Aug. 5. It will be Kim’s first tournament since having thumb surgery in May.
The Bridgestone Invitational is a a week before the final major championship of the year, the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Former Okla. St. football star Fenimore dies at 84
STILLWATER, Okla. — Former Oklahoma State star Bob Fenimore, who was the top pick in the 1947 NFL draft, has died in Stillwater. He was 84.
Oklahoma State athletic department spokesman Kevin Klintworth says Fenimore died Wednesday. The Tulsa World reports that Fenimore had been battling cancer.
Fenimore, from Woodward, was nicknamed the “Blond Bomber” and starred at a halfback for the Cowboys in the 1940s. In 1944, he led the nation in total offense and the following year, he helped Oklahoma State finish 9-0, leading the nation in total offense and rushing.
His 18 career interceptions remain a school record.
He finished third in the Heisman Trophy race in 1945. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972.
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