Barry Bonds pleads not guilty to perjury
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Baseball home run king Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty to charges he lied to a federal grand jury when he told the panel he never knowingly took steroids.
The former San Francisco Giants slugger entered the plea Friday during a hearing at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, his first court appearance since being indicted Nov. 15 on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Bonds is accused of giving false testimony to a grand jury during the federal investigation of the BALCO steroids scandal more than four years ago.
Federal agents raided BALCO in 2003, seizing drugs, doping calendars and other evidence that the company was distributing designer steroids to sports stars. In the fall of 2003, more than 30 elite baseball, football and Olympic athletes were subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the case.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered Bonds to return to court Feb. 7.
Report: Fallon not guilty of fixing races
LONDON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- English jockey Kieren Fallon has avoided a jail term following a not guilty verdict in a race-fixing trial in London.
Fallon, a six-time champion, and five co-defendants had been accused of conspiring to throw races.
The Times of London reported Friday the 42-year-old Fallon denied deliberately making 27 horses lose to defraud the online betting exchange Betfair and others between December 2002 and September 2004.
"I am of course relieved and delighted, but also outraged," he told the newspaper after Friday's verdict. "There was never any evidence against me."
The paper added the presiding judge ruled there was no case after two months of prosecution evidence, which he said was characterized by "very significant limitations and shortcomings."
Fallon's lawyers demanded two inquiries after the trial -- one to study the police investigation and evidence officers gave in court, and the other to determine why the Crown Prosecution Service brought the case.
It was England's biggest horseracing scandal in decades.
Report: Ditka fund has small payouts
MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Contributions to former NFL players by Mike Ditka's Hall of Fame Assistance Trust Fund have been smaller than expected, USA Today reported.
Federal and Illinois tax records show the fund has paid out only $57,000 to former players in need of financial assistance from a total of $1.3 million collected with $315,000 in expenses.
The newspaper said records show the charity has spent the bulk of the money it raised, $715,000, to put on three annual golf tournaments.
The Ditka fund projected in 2004 when it sought tax-exempt status it would make $890,000 in grants to needy football Hall of Fame members or their families in its first three years.
"The problem is finding (needy) guys and getting them to fill out the (application) form," Ditka said in an interview. "Some of these guys are scared of forms. There could be pride involved, too."
On Capitol Hill earlier this year, the former Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints head coach testified about the great needs of retired NFL players.
Lute Olson to miss basketball season
TUCSON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Arizona men's basketball coach Lute Olson has extended his leave of absence though the 2007-08 season.
The 73-year-old Olson left the Wildcats in early November just before the season started for reasons not fully disclosed.
"After consulting my family, I have decided to extend my leave of absence for the remainder of the current basketball season," he said in a statement late Thursday. "I do this with great reluctance because I care greatly about the University of Arizona, the basketball program and the players on this team. But there are personal issues within my family that need to be addressed and I must devote my full energy to that."
He has a 780-280 career record at Arizona, Iowa, and Long Beach State.
His 589-187 record with the Wildcats includes the 1997 national championship, four Final Four appearances, 11 Pac-10 titles and 20 consecutive 20-win seasons.
Assistant Kevin O'Neill will continue to coach the 5-2 Wildcats in Olson's absence.
