U.S. boxing team loses bantamweight
BEIJING, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. boxer Gary Russell Jr. collapsed in Beijing while trying to make his 119-pound weight limit and is out of the 2008 Olympics.
Russell, a two-time national bantamweight champion, was considered a top U.S. contender for a medal. His coach told The New York Times Russell was trying to lose a "few pounds" to get under the weight limit when he collapsed at the Olympic Village. Paramedics reported the boxer had fainted and was in an extremely dehydrated state.
He wasn't cleared by medical personnel in time to make a weigh-in ahead of the start of the Olympics boxing matches on Saturday.
U.S. boxing team Coach Dan Campbell told the Times, "We thought he was a very good shot at a medal, and we tried to tell the team, when we have these kinds of adversities, we still have eight guys in there, and we're concentrating on those eight guys."
The remaining American boxers at the Olympics are: Sadam Ali (lightweight), Demetrius Andrade (welterweight), Shawn Estrada (middleweight), Javier Molina (light welterweight), Rau'Shee Warren (flyweight), Deontay Wilder (heavyweight), Raynell Williams (featherweight) and Luis Yanez (light flyweight).
U.S. Open champ Orville Moody dies
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Orville Moody, who advanced through local qualifying to win the 1969 U.S. Open, has died in Texas at the age of 74.
The PGA announced Moody's death but didn't release details such as a cause of death.
Moody won the U.S. Open just 15 months after ending a 14-year career in the U.S. Army. It was his only tour victory although he won the U.S. Senior Open in 1989 and 10 other senior tour tournaments.
"He will always be remembered for winning the 1969 U.S. Open, the last player to win after being in local and sectional qualifying," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.
His Army career result in his nickname "Sarge."
"We are all going to miss 'Sarge' who was a patriot first and a professional golfer second," Finchem said. "He embodied a bit of golf's everyman whom we all could identify with, having risen from his Oklahoma roots as part (Choctaw Indian) and serving his country in a 14-year Army career."
Report: Baseball probes Ramirez trade
BOSTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Major league officials are investigating the circumstances leading up to Boston's trade of disgruntled outfielder Manny Ramirez to the LA Dodgers.
The Boston Globe revealed details about Ramirez's unhappiness with the reigning World Series champions in a report Friday.
Boston had the option of signing Ramirez to a $20 million contract for the 2009 season but the report said the 36-year-old left fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, wanted him to be free agent after this season, and he allegedly chose to use tactics like jogging to first base on ground balls, sitting out games and playing at half speed.
The report said Boras called the Red Sox and said Ramirez would stay and play hard for the rest of this year if the club merely dropped the options.
"In no way did I make a call regarding having the trade intervened with," Boras told the newspaper. "My job is to do what is best for my client. It was Boston's decision to trade him."
Report: Ohio State suspends two players
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Two players have been suspended for two games by the reigning Big Ten conference champion Ohio State for undisclosed team rules violations.
The suspensions of cornerback Donald Washington and safety Jamario O'Neal were reported Friday by The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.
"My first game will be USC (on Sept. 13)," Washington told the newspaper. "I've put a little chip on my shoulder and I've just got to move on, take my situation and turn it into a positive and use it as motivation. I can't play the first two games, that's the reality of it. Those are facts."
O'Neal also confirmed he will miss the first two games because of a suspension.
The Buckeyes face Youngstown State on Aug. 30 and Ohio University on Sept. 6.
Last season, Washington, a junior, compiled 39 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception that he returned 70 yards for a touchdown.
O'Neal made 14 tackles on defense and special teams.
Ginn Tribute dropped from LPGA schedule
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The LPGA tournament hosted by Annika Sorenstam will be dropped from the tour's schedule for at least the next two seasons, the LPGA announced Friday.
The tournament -- officially called the Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika -- had been contested in 2007 and 2008, with Nicole Castrale winning the first year and Seon Hwa Lee the second. Both titles were decided in playoffs.
Bobby Ginn, chairman of The Ginn Cos., said "the current market and corresponding cuts in corporate spending" made it tough for the tournament to find sponsors.
The move leaves the LPGA without a stop in the Charleston, S.C., area.
LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens said the decision to cancel the 2009 and 2010 Ginn Tribute tournament was "mutually agreed" to.
"We also appreciate all of the fan support that the LPGA received in Charleston and from throughout South Carolina and look forward to returning to South Carolina market in the future," she said.
