Expos get Livan Hernandez from Giants
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 25 (UPI) -- The Montreal Expos reunited Livan Hernandez with his half-brother Monday night.
The Expos acquired the burly righthander from the San Francisco Giants as part of a three-player trade.
The Expos also received backup catcher Edwards Guzman and cash considerations and sent righthander Jim Brower to the West Coast.
Hernandez, a 28-year-old workhorse, rejoins 33-year-old half-brother Orlando, who was obtained in an offseason trade involving the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.
NFL Europe will go on as scheduled
PHOENIX, March 25 (UPI) -- Citing a strong consensus from NFL owners, NFL Europe will go on as scheduled despite war in Iraq.
The developmental league's six teams have been training in Florida for the past three weeks and will head overseas Tuesday and Wednesday. The season will begin as scheduled on April 5.
"We all know the world has changed, but that's the environment we live in," Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Monday at the NFL owners meetings. "But we had a strong consensus to go forward and play the season and that's in recognition of how football has been embraced in Europe.
The discussion on sending players was one of several on the opening session of the meetings. Three of NFL Europe's teams are based in Germany, with the others in Spain, Scotland and the Netherlands. It serves as primarily a training league that is best known for producing St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. Quarterback Brad Johnson of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers also played in NFL Europe.
The NFL's Diversity Committee met for more than an hour Monday, but Pittsburgh Steelers owner and committee chairman Dan Rooney said no decision has been made on whether the Detroit Lions will be penalized for their coaching search before hiring Steve Mariucci.
Rooney had said after the hiring that the Lions "failed to meet the new league guidelines outlined to interview minority candidates" for the job opening. Lions President Matt Millen claimed five minority candidates refused to interview for the job because they believed Mariucci was Millen's choice.
Discussions will continue on efforts to improve diversity hiring for coaches and front office executives. The NFL wants to create programs that promote qualified minority candidates. There are only three black head coaches in the NFL - Herman Edwards of the New York Jets, Tony Dungy of Indianapolis and Marvin Lewis of Cincinnati - and two black general managers - Ozzie Newsome of Baltimore and James Harris of Jacksonville.
Tagliabue kicked off the meetings, which consist of a group of about 300 owners, executives, coaches and officials, with a 30-minute review of league affairs.
The NFL began the meetings by unveiling several more games that will be part of the league's season-opening weekend on Sept. 7-8.
The Rampa Buccaneers will play in the opening Monday night game of the season on Sept. 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of the NFC championship game. It will mark the Eagles' first game at their new home, Lincoln Financial Field.
The first Sunday night game of the season, on Sept. 7, will have the Oakland Raiders visiting the Tennessee Titans in a rematch of the AFC title game. Earlier that day, the Dallas Cowboys will host the Atlanta Falcons in their first game under new Coach Bill Parcells and Indianapolis will play Cleveland.
the second-best record would play the third wild card team instead of receiving a bye.
Davenport, Mauresmo ousted in Miami tennis
MIAMI, March 25 (UPI) -- Lindsay Davenport of the United States and Amelie Mauresmo of France became the latest seeds Monday to exit the $6.21 million Nasdaq-100 Open.
Davenport, who missed this event last season after knee surgery in January 2002, suffered a thigh injury and retired after failing to win a game in the first set against Marion Bartoli.
The 18-year-old French qualifier advanced to the quarterfinals of a Tier I event for the first time. However, she now has to play world No. 1 and defending champion Serena Williams of the United States, a 6-0, 6-4 winner over Uzbekistan's Iroda Tulyaganova.
Mauresmo, who had been suffering from a virus in Indian Wells last week, endured a 6-0, 6-2 defeat to No. 12 Chanda Rubin of the United States.
These are triumphant days for Rubin, who has taken seven years and three surgeries to win back a place in the world's top 10, and whose intelligently fluent game is now almost as effective, in the power game era, as it ever has been.
Whether Davenport will also regain her former effectiveness, as the women's game needs her to, remains in the balance.
"The leg felt tight when I woke up in the morning, and I felt something go in the second game," she said. "It was impossible to go on."
Bartoli has had a fortunte run to the quarterfinals, having played a local wild-card player, a lucky loser, a qualifier and an injured player in successive matches. She came to Miami on a five-match losing streak.
Meanwhile another former world No. 1, Jennifer Capriati, had no such difficulties. She ended the run of her American compatriot Sarah Taylor, 6-1, 6-0.
Also into the last eight is Jelena Dokic, the ninth-seeded Yugoslavian, who posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Australian Alicia Molik.
On the men's side, Andre Agassi routed No. 32 Jarddo Nieminen of Finland, 6-2, 6-0. The second-seeded American is looking to become the second player to win this event three straight years. His wife, Steffi Graf, did it from 1994-1996.
No. 16 Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco ousted 10th seed David Nalbandian of Argentina, 6-3 4-6 6-4.
Texas Ford, UConn Taurasi Naismith winners
ATLANTA, March 25 (UPI) -- Texas sophomore guard T.J. Ford and Connecticut junior guard Diana Taurasi on Monday were named Naismith College Basketball Players of the Year.
The 5-10 Ford is the floor leader for the Longhorns (24-6), who face Connecticut on Friday in the South Region semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. He leads the team in scoring (15.0), assists (7.4) and steals (1.96).
Ford ranks second on the school's all-time list with 495 assists. Last season, he became the first freshman to lead the nation in assists, averaging 8.27 per game.
The 6-foot Taurasi won Big East Conference Player of the Year honors after leading the lady Huskies to a two-year record of 71-1. Connecticut won an NCAA women's-record 70 straight games before losing to Villanova in the Big East championship game.
Taurasi surpassed the 20-point mark nine times this season, leading the Huskies (32-1) in scoring (16.5), assists (4.7) and blocks (1.2). She already is 12th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,452 points.
In their 35th year, the Naismith awards are presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Big new contract for Randy Johnson
PHOENIX, March 25 (UPI) -- Randy Johnson, in the midst of one of the most dominant stretches by a pitcher in the last 50 years, has agreed to a contract extension with Arizona.
The deal is believed to be for two years and worth $26 million.
With Arizona, he has a record of 81-27 with a 2.48 ERA.
Less than a week after locking up their top offensive player, Luis Gonzalez, to a three-year extension, the Diamondbacks stepped up financially to secure Johnson's services through 2005.
He is coming off another dominant season, one that resulted in his fourth straight Cy Young Award and fifth trophy overall. The only other pitcher to win the Cy Young award four straight seasons was righthander Greg Maddux of Atlanta (1992-95).
"His numbers absolutely speak for themselves," said General Manager Joe Garagiola. "Every time he takes the ball, there is a sense that history could be made that day, and fortunately, our organization has been the beneficiary of his work for four seasons. Randy is one of the very few pitchers who impacts a game several days before he takes the hill."
Last season, Johnson, 39, became the first NL pitcher since Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets in 1985 to win pitching's Triple Crown -- wins, ERA, and strikeouts. He went 24-5 with a 2.32 ERA, and struck out 334 batters in 260 innings.
Known as "The Big Unit" because of his 6-10 frame, Johnson led the Diamondbacks to a World Series title in 2001, winning Games Two, Six, and Seven. He was named co-MVP for his efforts, and last season showed no signs of slowing down.
Johnson also won the American League Cy Young Award with the Seattle Mariners in 1995. Only Roger Clemens, who won his sixth Cy Young Award in 2001, has more.
During the season, Johnson moved from ninth to fourth place on the all-time strikeouts list with 3,746. He recorded a pair of 17-strikeout games -- April 21 against Colorado, and Sept. 14 against Milwaukee.
Lions make offer to Packers' linebacker
ALLEN PARK, Mich., March 25 (UPI) -- The Detroit Lions say they signed restricted free agent Na'il Diggs, a starter at linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, to a four-year offer sheet.
Financial terms of the offer sheet, which was officially signed on Saturday, were not disclosed.
Diggs, 24, has started 44 games in three seasons with the Packers and finished second on the team in tackles last year with 111. He also had three quarterback sacks and two interceptions.
Green Bay recently waived starting weakside linebacker Nate Wayne for salary cap purposes and signed Hannibal Navies, but is in danger of losing unrestricted free agent defensive end Vonnie Holliday, who turned down a multi-year deal by the Packers.
Green Bay has room under the salary cap and was concerned that restricted free agent defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila would get an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Eagles. But Gbaja-Biamila left Philadelphia without an offer and now the Packers will ponder matching Detroit's offer to Diggs.
The 6-4, 238-pound Diggs visited the Lions' training facility last week along with unrestricted free agent linebacker Wali Rainer.
If the Packers do not match the offer by Saturday, Diggs will likely start at strongside linebacker ahead of Brian Williams in Detroit.
Devil Rays get Conti from Milwaukee
PHOENIX, March 25 (UPI) -- The Milwaukee Brewers, looking to bolster their outfield depth, acquired Jason Conti from Tampa Bay Monday for catcher Javier Valentin.
Conti, 28, hit .257 with three homers and 21 RBI in 78 games for the Devil Rays last season, and was off to a slow start this spring (.222 in 15 games). However, the Brewers are desperate for outfielders with Geoff Jenkins, Alex Sanchez, and Brady Clark battling injuries.
"In Jason Conti, we have acquired an outfielder with major league experience that will provide immediate assistance given the injuries our club has sustained during spring training," said Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin. "He has great versatility in the outfield, and will provide depth to our club as we begin regular season play."
Valentin, 27, was having a rough spring, batting just .147 in 34 at-bats. With Tampa Bay, he will serve as a backup to Toby Hall.
College Football Hall adds thirteen
SOUTH BEND, Ind., March 25 (UPI) -- Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State was among 13 individuals named to the College Football Hall of Fame on Monday.
Sanders was the 1988 Heisman Trophy who had one of greatest rushing seasons in football history.
Eleven players and two coaches spanning more than half a century of college football comprise the Division I-A Class of 2003, which will be inducted on Dec. 9 in New York City, and officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend in the summer of 2004.
Ricky Bell of Southern California is the other running back on the list, and quarterbacks Joe Theismann of Notre Dame and John Rauch of Georgia also were elected.
Hayden Fry, who led his teams to 17 bowl appearances, and Doug Dickey were selected as coaches.
The rest of the field includes Dartmouth defensive back Murry Bowden, Minnesota guard Tom Brown, Pittsburgh tackle Jimbo Covert, Southern Methodist end Jerry LeVias, Alabama tackle Billy Neighbors, Arizona State linebacker Ron Pritchard, and Missouri defensive back Roger Wehrli.
Sanders was a backup at Oklahoma State for two seasons before exploding for 2,628 rushing yards, 39 touchdowns, and 234 points in 1988, all NCAA records he still holds. He set 34 NCAA records in 1988, and won the Heisman, Maxwell, and Walter Camp Awards.
During his career, Sanders rushed for over 300 yards in a game four times, 200 yards in a game seven times, and 100 yards 17 times.
The first pick in the 1989 NFL draft played 10 seasons for the Detroit Lions before retiring in 2000.
Bell finished second in the Heisman voting in 1976, and third in 1975. He helped the Trojans win a national title as a sophomore in 1974. A year later, he led the nation in rushing.
Theismann set 19 Notre Dame records and took the Fighting Irish to their first bowl appearance in 45 years in 1969. A year later, Notre Dame was 10-1 and snapped a 30-game winning streak by Texas with a win in the Cotton Bowl. Theismann, who went on play for the Washington Redskins, posted a 25-4-3 college record.
Rauch started all 45 games of his career at Georgia, and led the Bulldogs to two Southeastern Conference titles and a national title in 1946.
Fry coached at SMU (1962-72), North Texas State (1973-78), and Iowa (1979-98), and is best remembered for the rebirth of football at Iowa. He led the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten Conference titles, and ranks 11th in Division I-A history with 232 wins.
Dickey revived the program at Tennessee, taking the Volunteers to five bowl games from 1964-69. He left for Florida, his alma mater, in 1970, and the Gators made four bowl appearances during his tenure from 1970-78.
Bowden led Dartmouth to the school's last undefeated season in 1970, when it won the Ivy League title.
Brown, known as the "Rock of Gibraltar," was the anchor of a team that went from last in the Big Ten Conference in 1959 to a national title the following season.
Covert was at Pittsburgh from 1979-82, and was a key blocker for quarterback Dan Marino, who already is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
LeVias was the first black player in SMU history, and was MVP of the Senior Bowl in 1969. In 1966, he led the Mustangs to their first Southwest Conference title in 18 years.
Neighbors played under Bear Bryant at Alabama from 1959-61, and helped the Crimson Tide to three straight bowl appearances.
Playing both sides of the ball, Neighbors was a key cog of the 1961 team that was 11-0 and helped Alabama its first national title in 20 years.
The hard-hitting Pritchard played at Arizona State from 1966-69, and led the Sun Devils to a pair of eight-win seasons.
Wehrli had seven interceptions in 1968, and led Missouri to a win over Alabama in the Gator Bowl.
Olympic speed skater sues Chicago police
CHICAGO, March 25 (UPI) -- U.S. Olympic speed skater Shani Davis Monday filed a federal court suit against the Chicago Police Department for illegally stopping and detaining him.
Davis and brothers Damien and Quincy Joyner allege they were stopped in separate incidents by police, detained and searched for no apparent reason or legal justification.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois filed the suit on behalf of the three, alleging their civil rights were violated and Chicago police commit such violations regularly, particularly against black and Hispanic men.
Davis said he was confronted by officers as he walked down a Far North Side street in March 2001 and was subjected to an "intrusive" search. He said police first used their hands to pat down his arms, legs and torso, then had him pull his pants and underwear away from his body so they could be inspected by flashlight. Davis said his pockets also were searched before he was allowed to proceed.
