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Girardi signs deal to manage Yankees

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Joe Girardi signed a three-year contract Tuesday to manage the New York Yankees.

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Girardi replaces Joe Torre, who guided the Yankees to 12 playoffs appearances in 12 seasons but didn't accept a one-year contract offer at the end of the 2007 season.

Girardi, 43, has Yankees ties, having played four of his 15 major league seasons with New York. He was a catcher with the Yankees for the 1996, 1998 and 1999 World Series teams.

He also served as Torre's bench coach in 2005 before taking the manager's position in Florida. He led the Marlins, a young team not expected to do well in 2006, to a 78-84 record and was in the playoff hunt until the final week. He was selected the National League manager of the year but was fired for run-ins with team upper management.

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Girardi was selected over Don Mattingly, a long-time Yankees player and Torre's bench coach this past season, and Tony Pena, a former Kansas City Royals manager who was the Yankees' first base coach for the past two seasons.


Brazil to be site of 2014 World Cup

ZURICH, Switzerland, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Brazil, which was the site of the World Cup tournament in 1950 and has won five of soccer's championships, was chosen Tuesday to host the 2014 World Cup.

FIFA President Joseph Blatter made the announcement Tuesday in Switzerland. He also said two-time defending women's World Cup champion Germany would be the site of the 2011 women's soccer championship.

That Brazil was chosen for the 2014 event wasn't much of a surprise, since its organizers submitted the only bid to be the tournament host.

"There was an extraordinary presentation by the delegation and we witnessed that this World Cup will have such a big social and cultural impact in Brazil," Blatter said. "This is the country that has given to the world the best football and the best footballers and they are five times world champions."

The next men's World Cup is scheduled for 2010 in South Africa.

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Romo given six-year contract extension

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has been given a six-year contract extension, the Cowboys announced Tuesday.

The new deal, worth a reported $67.5 million, makes Romo one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. It also keeps him with the Cowboys through the 2013 season.

Romo has completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,984 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions this year for the 6-1 Cowboys. It is his first full season as the Dallas starter.

He was undrafted out of Eastern Illinois University and signed a free agent contract with Dallas in 2003. He started last season on the bench but was made the starter over Drew Bledsoe and played well enough to be selected to the Pro Bowl.

"This is just the beginning of what Tony is about as far as the Cowboys are concerned and what we believe to be our future," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.


Torre downplays reports of move to Dodgers

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Former New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre downplayed reports he would soon be announced as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Torre, in an appearance Monday on CBS's "Late Night with David Letterman," said, "There's nothing to any of it so far."

However, the Journal-News of Westchester, N.Y., cited two unnamed sources saying Torre would be announced as the Dodgers manager Tuesday. The Los Angeles Times reported the team was in talks with Torre.

Such a move would involve the firing of Dodgers Manager Grady Little, who managed the team in 2006 and 2007. Los Angeles tied for the National League West title in 2006 with an 88-74 record but was fourth in 2007 at 82-80.

Torre left the Yankees after the team offered him a one-year incentives-laden contract. The team had made the playoffs in each of Torre's 12 seasons as manager. His 2,067 total managerial victories -- he also managed the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals -- ranks eighth all time.


U.S. raps Mich. stadium accessibility

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The University of Michigan has received notice its students may lose federal aid because its football stadium is not handicapped accessible.

The U.S. Department of Education sent its report to the university last week, The Detroit News reported.

The Michigan Paralyzed Veterans Association, which has sued the university under the Americans With Disabilities Act, welcomed the findings. The suit claims that a planned renovation of the stadium does not do enough to make it accessible.

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"This basically validates what we've been saying all along and hopefully the university will start taking this more seriously now," and Mike Harris, the group's executive director.

But the university disputes the report. Kelly Cunningham, a spokeswoman, said that no handicapped ticket holder has been turned away and that the renovations will add handicapped accessible seats in all sections of the stadium and make restrooms, parking lots and concession stands more accessible.

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