Jets confirm Cowher not coaching candidate
NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The New York Jets say former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher is not interested in becoming the Jets' coach next season.
A Jets spokesman said representatives for Cowher had informed the NFL franchise that the former Steelers coach should not be considered a candidate for the Jets' head coach vacancy, Newsday said Wednesday.
"After reaching out to coach Cowher's representatives, we were informed tonight that he is not a candidate for the position," the unidentified spokesman said Tuesday.
The Jets management fired head coach Eric Mangini following the end of the NFL regular season last Sunday.
Cowher, who coached the Steelers to a Super Bowl XL win, has also informed Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner he has no interest in taking over for fired head coach Romeo Crennel.
Sources told Newsday that possible coaching candidates include former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and members of the current Jets' coaching staff.
Bobby Tolan's son shot by police
BELLAIRE, Texas, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The son of former Cincinnati Reds baseball star Bobby Tolan was hospitalized Wednesday after a police shooting, officials said.
A police officer in Bellaire, Texas, shot Robert Tolan, 23, early Wednesday after incorrectly believing the Nissan sport utility vehicle he was driving was a stolen car, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Police said two men got out of the SUV when it pulled up to a home, an altercation ensued and one of the men was shot by the officer. Relatives identified the victim as Robert Tolan, whom they say was in a car owned by his father, Bobby Tolan, a star outfielder who played for the Reds in the early 1970s.
The younger Tolan, who lives at the home where the shooting took place, was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston, the Chronicle said.
"It's my understanding that he's out of surgery, in stable condition and is doing well," said Bellaire Police Assistant Chief Byron Holloway.
Bellaire police and the Harris County District Attorney's Office say they are investigating the incident.
Charles Barkley cited for drunken driving
PHOENIX, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Police in suburban Phoenix said they cited former basketball star Charles Barkley with drunken driving early Wednesday.
Barkley was pulled over around 1:30 a.m. for allegedly running a stop sign and was then taken into custody on suspicion of drunken driving.
KPHO-TV in Phoenix said Barkley was cited and released, although police would not say what his blood-alcohol level was.
"There was nothing unusual about how he was taken into custody,"
Gilbert Police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said. "He was treated exactly like we would treat anybody else."
The officer who made the initial stop was from Gilbert and was part of a task force assigned to tackle drunken driving near the popular Old Town area of Scottsdale, KPNX-TV in Phoenix reported.
Barkley played for the Phoenix Suns during his 16-year career and made the all-star team 11 times.
Police cleared of attack on Packer's dad
HOUSTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Three Houston police officers have been cleared of assaulting the father of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver during a traffic stop.
An internal investigation by the police department found no credible evidence that the officers beat Marvin Driver Jr., the Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday. The officers were returned to duty Tuesday when the report was released.
Driver was arrested for outstanding warrants last month. His family said that he was so severely beaten that he was in intensive care.
Quannell X, a spokesman for the family, said that the investigation and report have "no credibility."
"From day one, we've always asked for an independent third party to investigate," he said.
The report said that when Driver was brought to the city's southeast jail he was unresponsive. A doctor at the jail advised that he be transported to a hospital and he was transferred to Hermann Memorial Hospital-The Texas Medical Center.
