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Roethlisberger denies sex assault claim

PITTSBURGH, July 21 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not sexually assault a woman last year in Reno, Nev., the player's attorney says.

A statement released Monday by attorney William David Cornwell of DNK Cornwell, a sports law firm based in Atlanta, denied that the Super Bowl champion had assaulted anyone after it was learned that a Nevada court docket indicated an Andrea McNulty has filed a sex assault case in civil court, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

"This weekend, Andrea McNulty served Ben Roethlisberger with a civil complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her in July 2008," Cornwell's statement said. "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone, especially Andrea McNulty. The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct."

Cornwell said Roethlisberger "will be fully exonerated" should an investigation be commenced.

The attorney listed for McNulty, Calvin Dunlap of Reno, could not be reached for comment, the newspaper said.

Lack of will complicates McNair's estate

NASHVILLE, July 21 (UPI) -- Tennessee lawyers say handling the estate of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair will be tricky because he left no will and had kids with different women.

Mechelle McNair has less than two months to complete an inventory of her late husband's assets, which according to state law, will be divided among her and McNair's four children, two of whom are from earlier relationships.

McNair was shot to death on July 4, allegedly by a woman with whom he was having an affair.

The (Nashville) Tennessean said Wednesday that McNair had two boys with Mechelle; however he also has two other sons. Paternity will have to be established, estate attorneys told the newspaper, after which Mrs. McNair gets a third and the sons get the rest.

"In these situations, a common term used is that it 'gets messy,'" Nashville layer Richard Johnson said. "A lot of times everybody has an opinion and it gets expensive. Leave a will."

State law also taxes estates worth more than $3.5 million at 50 percent unless they are shielded by trusts or other legal arrangements.

Sveum suspended for argument with umpires

NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) -- Milwaukee batting coach Dale Sveum was suspended for three games for aggressive actions toward umpires, Major League Baseball officials said Tuesday.

Sveum, who has been with the Brewers for four years and served as interim manager late last season, was to begin his suspension Tuesday in Pittsburgh. He was also fined an undisclosed amount.

At the end of the Brewers' 5-3 loss Sunday in Cincinnati, Sveum argued with home plate umpire Kevin Causey about alleged inconsistent calls on pitches. The Brewers were called out on strikes five times in the game, including for the final out of the contest.

Third base umpire Brian Runge also became involved and exchanged words with Sveum.

MLB Tuesday said Sveum's "inappropriate and aggressive actions" toward the umpires were the reasons for the suspension.

Chitwood resigns as Indy Speedway head

INDIANAPOLIS, July 21 (UPI) -- Joie Chitwood has resigned as the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to join International Speedway Corp., racetrack officials say.

Chitwood, 40, indicated he is leaving Indianapolis to become vice president of business operations for ISC, the sister company of NASCAR, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., The Indianapolis Star reported Tuesday.

Coupled with the forced departure last month of Tony George as Indy's chief executive officer, Chitwood's departure has further shaken the legendary speedway's management structure, the newspaper said.

Jeff Belskus, who replaced George, told the Star he has also taken over Chitwood's duties, hinting that the presidents' position might go unfilled.

"We have a good leadership team in place," he said. "In this world we're in (economically) in terms of downsizing with head count such an important thing, we're going to continue to analyze that and staff ourselves appropriately."