UPI NewsTrack Sports

Longtime coach Bill Walsh dies at 75

SAN FRANCISCO, July 30 (UPI) -- Hall of Fame football coach Bill Walsh, whose innovative offenses made the San Francisco 49ers three-time Super Bowl winners, has died at the age of 75.

Walsh died Monday at his California home of leukemia, which in November 2006 he announced he had.

Walsh developed the West Coast offense that a turned a passing attack into a ball-control offense and powered the 49ers to Super Bowl wins in 1982, 1985 and 1989. He had a pro regular-season coaching record of 92-52-1 and was 10-4 in playoff games over 10 seasons.

Walsh coached at Stanford University, leading the Cardinal to a pair of bowl game victories.

He was also credited with developing a series of coaches who also became head coaches in the NFL, including Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes and George Seifert.

Among the players to flourish under the Walsh system was quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice.

Walsh was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. He was the UPI NFL Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1984.

Vick co-defendant pleads guilty

RICHMOND, Va., July 30 (UPI) -- A co-defendant in Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick's federal dog fighting case has pleaded guilty in Richmond, Va.

Tony Taylor entered the guilty plea Monday in U.S. District Court and pledged to cooperate fully with the prosecution, CNN reported.

Taylor had pleaded innocent last Thursday alongside the National Football League quarterback and two other co-defendants, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips.

Taylor had been accused by the prosecution of helping purchase pit bull dogs and puppies and of executing at least two dogs "who did not perform well in 'testing' sessions ... by shooting one dog and electrocuting the other."

He is to be sentenced Dec. 14.

The three remaining defendants are expected to go on trial Nov. 26. If convicted, they could be sentenced to six years in prison and fined $350,000.

2 new races on 2008 Formula 1 schedule

LONDON, July 30 (UPI) -- New races in Spain and Singapore have been added to the 18-race 2008 Formula One schedule, the circuit's governing body announced Monday.

The European Grand Prix is set for Aug. 24 in Valencia, Spain, while Sept. 28 will see the Formula One series at the Singapore Grand Prix, the two new races for Formula One racing in 2008. Both locations are subject to F1 officials' approval.

The Singapore event would be the first F1 race scheduled to run at night.

Singapore currently is the site of the Chinese Grand Prix, which remains on the F1 schedule. It was unclear from the F1 Web site whether the Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled two weeks after the Singapore Grand Prix, would be run on the Singapore track.

The 2008 F1 season is scheduled to begin March 16 in Australia and wrap up Nov. 2, in Brazil.

There is no stop in the United States in 2008 but the Canadian Grand Prix was set, provisionally, for June 8.

Holliday wins weekly N.L. player honor

NEW YORK, July 30 (UPI) -- Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday, who had a league-high four home runs last week, Monday was named the National League player of the week.

Holliday's four home runs allowed him to pile up 10 runs batted in and nine runs scored. He hit .364 with a slugging percentage of 1.000 for the Rockies last week.

The National League listed 24 players receiving considering for the NL's player of the week award. Included in that group were Holliday's teammates Garrett Atkins, Yorvit Torrealba and Aaron Cook.

Ramirez named A.L. player of the week

NEW YORK, July 30 (UPI) -- Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez, who hit nearly .400 last week, was selected the American League player of the week, the league said Monday.

Ramirez hit .393 with four doubles, three home runs, 10 runs batted in and seven runs scored in seven games for the Red Sox. He had three hits, including two home runs, four runs scored and four RBI in a game last Thursday against Cleveland.

It was the 15th American League Player of the Week Award for Ramirez, the most of any player.

Also considered for the league's player of the week award were Seattle's Adrian Beltre, Kansas City's Ross Gload, Detroit's Curtis Granderson and Oakland's Mike Piazza.

'Pacman' Jones to try pro wrestling

NASHVILLE, July 30 (UPI) -- Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, banned from the NFL this season, is reportedly looking to join a professional wrestling group.

WTVF-TV in Nashville reported Jones is expected to sign a deal with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling this week. The report said Jones's agent would neither confirm nor deny the story.

Jones was suspended for the 2007 season by NFL Commissions Rogers Goddell following a series of run-ins with law enforcement personnel over the last two years. Jones was allegedly linked to a Las Vegas shooting at a strip club in February.

Since entering the NFL prior to the 2005 season, Jones has been questioned by police 10 times and arrested five times.