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Arenas pleads guilty to gun possession

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of carrying a pistol without a license.

The violation of the District of Columbia's gun statute also violates the moral turpitude clause in his six-year contract, giving the NBA team the power to invalidate the remainder of his $111 million deal.

Arenas, 28, faces a possible six-month jail term. Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin set Arenas' sentencing date for March 26.

Under the plea worked out by his attorneys Thursday, Arenas waived his right to a trial by jury. He was released after agreeing to surrender his passport, undergo periodic drug testing and to not possess any handguns.

Commissioner David Stern suspended the high-priced guard indefinitely and without pay when reports surfaced that he and teammate Javaris Crittenton pulled guns during a dispute about a gambling debt and Arenas subsequently used his fingers to pretend he was shooting a gun courtside before a Jan. 6 game at Cleveland.

Stanford's Gerhart to enter NFL draft

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Heisman Trophy runner-up running back Toby Gerhart says he is leaving Stanford, where he has one year of eligibility remaining, to enter the NFL draft.

Gerhart finished second to Alabama running back Mark Ingham in the Heisman Trophy voting for last season. He was 28 ballot points behind Ingham in the closest voting ever for the trophy awarded to college football's best player.

However, he did win the Doak Walker Award, given to the best college-level running back.

"Toby will be a great pro and we are all excited for his opportunity at the next level," Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh said Friday when Gerhart announced his decision. "We are excited and enthused to watch Toby and all of our seniors go on to become leaders in their chosen fields."

Gerhart set a Stanford record last season with 1,871 rushing yards. He led the nation with 28 rushing touchdowns. Gerhart had at least 100 yards 11 during the Cardinals' 8-5 2009 season. He had 3,522 yards and 44 touchdowns in 671 carries (5.2 yards a carry) during his career at Stanford.

He was a senior but had eligibility left because of a 2007 knee injury.

Dooley, Preki voted in soccer hall of fame

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Thomas Dooley and Predrag "Preki" Radosavljevic have been elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame, officials said Friday.

Dooley was listed on a 71 percent of ballots submitted by the hall's selection committee while Preki was listed on 68 percent. A nominee needed to be on 66.7 percent of the ballots to win induction. Both narrowly missed being inducted last year.

Preki and Dooley were members of the 1998 U.S. World Cup team and started back-to-back MLS All-Star games in 1998-99. Dooley also played in the 1994 World Cup.

Preki is the only two-time selection -- 1997 and 2003 -- as most valuable player of Major League Soccer. He had 79 goals and 112 assists over 10 MLS season, all but one with the Kansas City Wizards.

Dooley, who played for more than a decade in Europe, earned 81 caps and seven goals over his international playing career. He was captain of the U.S. team in the 1998 World Cup.

Ex-boxing champ Tubbs sentenced to prison

CINCINNATI, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, said former heavyweight boxing champion Tony "TNT" Tubbs will spend six months in prison for cocaine possession.

The Cincinnati Enquirer said Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Melba Marsh ordered the prison sentence Thursday after Tubbs, 51, chose prison over an offered stay in a locked-down drug rehabilitation facility.

Marsh initially offered Tubbs a six-month prison sentence for his Nov. 30 conviction or a four to six-month stay at the rehab facility. The second option also included at least a year of aftercare in a residential facility.

Marsh questioned Tubbs' determination to fight his cocaine addiction, challenging the former boxing champion to match his mother's dedication to his future.

"Mr. Tubbs, you're in the fight of your life," Marsh said. "How come you're not fighting? How come your momma's doing all the fighting for you?"

"I know I'm a winner," Tubbs responded.

The Enquirer said Tubbs previously served prison terms for cocaine possession and failure to provide child support.