N.L.playoffs resume
By united Press International
The Atlanta Braves sought to complete a sweep and the St. Louis Cardinals tried to take control of their series when the National League playoffs resumed Friday.
The Braves won the first two games on the road against the Houston Astros in their best-of-five Division Series and needed one more to advance. The Cardinals meanwhile faced two of the league's best pitchers but managed to split their first two games with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Game Three of the NLDS is Friday night at St. Louis where the Cardinals won a league-best 54 games.
In American League action Thursday night, Oakland pushed the three-time world champion NewYork Yankees to the brink of elimination with a 2-0 victory and Seattle pulled even with Cleveland by beating the Indians 5-1.
Leaf signs 3-year Dallas pact
IRVING, Texas, Oct. 12 (UPI) Embattled quarterback Ryan Leaf signed a three-year contract with Dallas Friday, a little more than a month after failing a Cowboy physical. He was expected to be in uniform for Dallas' Monday night game against the Washington Redskins.
Holding no leverage in negotiations since he was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September, following a disastrous three-year stay with the San Diego Chargers, Leaf will receive the fourth-year veteran minimum of $418,000 with no signing bonus. He will get the minimum again next season before his salary jumps to $1 million in 2003.
"This is what we wanted," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We were able to do this because of the opportunity we have at quarterback."
With rookie quarterback Quincy Carter sidelined four to six weeks with a torn hamstring, Dallas contacted Leaf, who was expected to sign with the Cowboys on Sept. 5 but failed his physical due to an injured right wrist.
Leaf will serve as third quarterback behind Anthony Wright, who replaces Carter as the starter, and backup Clint Stoerner. A major disappointment in his brief NFL career, Leaf has been hampered by wrist and shoulder problems and was waived by the Chargers after the 2000 season.
Miami renews FSU feud
By United Press International
Top-ranked Miami invades No. 14 Florida State's lair Saturday in another renewal of a hot traditional football rivalry made hotter when the Seminoles were picked over the Hurricanes for last season's national championship game.
Miami handed FSU its only loss last season, 27-24, but was passed over in the final BCS standings because of an earlier loss to Washington, finishing third as Florida State took on Oklahoma for the title. This time around, Miami is 4-0 and virtually untested while FSU, unaccustomed to being so far back in the rankings, is 3-1.
"There was a lot of frustration (last season)," admitted Miami coach Larry Coker, who was the offensive coordinator last season under Butch Davis. "We felt like we could have played with Oklahoma."
Coker is one of two long-time assistants who face difficult road tests in their new roles this weekend. One already passed his. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen made a successful return to his former home Thursday night with a 20-17 overtime victory over No. 15 Georgia Tech in a key Atlantic Coast Conference contest that made his No. 20 Terrapins a lusty 6-0.
Another coach returning to a place where he found past success is Washington's Rick Neuheisel, who takes his eighth-ranked Huskies (4-0) south to play No. 7 UCLA (4-0). Neuheisel was a quarterback at UCLA and led the Bruins to the Rose Bowl in 1983.
Second-ranked Florida (5-0) is at Auburn, third-ranked Oklahoma (5-0), which knocked off Texas last week, tries to extend its winning streak to 19 games when it visits Kansas and fourth ranked Nebraska (6-0), which plays Oklahoma on Oct. 27, is at Baylor. Fifth-ranked Virginia Tech (5-0) hosts Boston College.
With its offense finally in high gear, sixth-ranked Oregon (5-0) completes a three-game road trip with a visit to winless California (0-4). No. 22 Stanford, off to its first 3-0 start since 1986,hosts surprising Washington State (5-0). The only other game between ranked teams this weekend has No. 12 Michigan (4-1) hosting No. 16 Purdue (4-0). The Boilermakers have not opened with five straight wins since 1945.
Tyson meets Nielsen in Denmark
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Mike Tyson continues his quest for another shot at a world title Saturday night when he takes on local favorite Brian Nielsen in a 10-round heavyweight bout at Parken Stadium inCopenhagen.
Tyson (48-3, 42 KOs, 2 no-contests) will be fighting for the third time in Europe since returning to the ring in January, 1999. He was banished from boxing in August, 1998 after his license was suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission. The action followed his disqualification in a title fight with Evander Holyfield for twice biting Holyfield's ear.
He has fought five times since with mixed results.
In his first fight, Tyson struggled before posting a one-punch knockout of South African Francois Botha in January 1999. Nine months later, Tyson fought to a bizarre no-contest when he accidentally hit Orlin Norris after the bell in the opening round. Norris injured his knee as a result of the punch and was unable to continue.
Tyson made his European debut with a second-round blitzing of Julius Francis in England on Jan. 20, 2000 and followed up with another fight overseas when he beat Lou Savarese in one round in Ireland five months later.
Soccer star Akers retires
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Michelle Akers, one of the stars of the United States women's national soccer team which captured the 1999 World Cup, announced her retirement on Friday.
Named FIFA Player of the Century, Akers endured her fourth and fifth shoulder surgeries this year. That prompted the midfielder's decision not to return to the Carolina Courage of the Women's United Soccer Association, the league which stands as one of the legacies of the success the U.S. national squad enjoyed.
"After (stepping down from the U.S. national team), I figured I'd get my body patched up and set my sights towards the WUSA," Akers said. "But that fifth shoulder surgery pretty much helped me decide that it was time to move on and pursue some things that are near and dear to me."
Scoring 136 goals in 153 appearances for her country, Akers is one of just four women to record 100 international tallies. The leading goal scorer in World Cup history, Akers was also part of the U.S. team which won the 1991 championship, where she received the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.
Akers collected a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and picked up the inaugural Hermann Trophy in 1988 as the women's college player of the year.
Bulls extend Artest contract
CHICAGO, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- The Chicago Bulls picked up the fourth year option on the contract of Ron Artest Friday, keeping the 6-7 forward at least through the 2002-03 season. The action came only two days after the former St. John's star underwent finger surgery.
Artest will collect more than $1.178 million in 2002-03 under the contract he signed as the 16th overall pick in the 1999 draft. On Wednesday, Artest had surgery to repair his injured right ring finger and is expected to be sidelined approximately 10 weeks.
He suffered the injury in mid-August when he slammed his finger into a box during a jumping drill.
