Braves, Disney in dispute over movie title
ATLANTA, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Braves say the title of an upcoming Walt Disney film, "Brave," could damage the team's brand.
The movie, a Pix production about a Scottish princess who uses archery to save her kingdom from a curse, won't be released until June 2012, but Disney has already begun promoting it, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The team does not have a trademark on the singular form "Brave" but lawyers argue it's been used for team merchandising and to refer to players individually, including former Brave Tom Glavine.
Disney has been registering different uses of "Brave" for the past year, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office records show.
The blog Stitch Kingdom, which covers Disney-related news, said the team's lawyers have until Jan. 18 to file opposition papers with the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board, but Disney and the team are negotiating.
The Journal-Constitution said the Braves press office had not responded to requests for comment.
Olympic runner Lee Evans has brain tumor
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Olympic gold medal sprinter Lee Evans is being treated for a brain tumor in California, a former teammate says.
Evans, who now lives in Nigeria, was visiting a sister in the San Francisco area when the tumor on his pituitary gland was discovered, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
In 1968, Evans, now 63, was one of the "Speed City" runners from San Jose State University. He and his teammates made history with the medals they picked up in Mexico City and with their open political activism. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who won gold and bronze in the 200 meters, gave Black Power salutes from the podium.
Evans won gold medals in the 400 meters and the 1,600-meter relay in 1968. He and his relay teammates wore black berets like those worn by the Black Panthers during the medal ceremony.
Carlos announced Evans' illness in an e-mail to other Olympic athletes.
"All of our teammates want to go out and say some prayers," Carlos said. "There's not too much we can do but pray."
Evans, who is married to a Liberian refugee, is trying to raise money for a school outside Monrovia. He moved to Africa to work for the United Nations after leaving his job as a coach at the University of Alabama in 2008.
Va. Tech place kicker Journell arrested
BLACKSBURG, Va., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Virginia Tech place kicker Cody Journell was suspended after he and two others were charged with breaking and entering, The Roanoke (Va.) Times reported.
The newspaper said Blacksburg police were called to a residence just outside the downtown area before 10 p.m. Wednesday because of a physical altercation.
A Thursday morning police statement said the investigation into an alleged home invasion began shortly after and resulted in the arrests of Journell, 20, Matthew D. Dunton, 23, and Matthew I. Brady, 21.
Police said each was charged with breaking and entering, a class 2 felony because of the alleged use of an unspecified dangerous weapon.
All three men were being held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail.
"Virginia Tech redshirt sophomore placekicker Cody Journell is immediately suspended indefinitely from the football team" under university policy, Athletics Director Jim Weaver said.
Journell is an All-ACC 2011 honorable mention winner after making 14 of 17 field goals.
The former Giles High kicker from Ripplemead, Va., was the first true place-kicker to be signed to a scholarship with Virginia Tech since 1996, the Times said.
Kostelic wins tight World Cup slalom
FLACHAU, Austria, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Croatia's Ivica Kostelic scored his second World Cup slalom of the season Wednesday night with a narrow in over Andre Myhrer at Flachau, Austria.
Kostelic edged the second-place Swede by 0.06 seconds with Christian Deville of Italy right behind in third place.
"I don't remember when was the last time that the three guys at the top were separated by nine hundreds of a second," Kostelic said. "It was an amazing race, especially for the spectators."
Kostelic turned in a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 48.90 seconds. His second run of 53.83 was more than 1 second faster than his first, but Myhrer made it interesting with a second run of 53.55.
Myhrer finished in fourth place in Monday's slalom in Italy, 0.08 seconds ahead of fifth-place Kostelic.
"I like the way Myhrer is skiing this year," Kostelic said. "He doesn't make mistakes and is very solid."
Kaspar Nolan was the top U.S. finisher in 26th place with a 1:52.37.
