Basketballer accused of terrorism
MURRAY, Ky., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Murray State forward Jamar Avant has been arrested on felony charges of making terroristic threats after allegedly e-mailing bomb threats, the school announced Wednesday.
Avant was arrested Tuesday and placed in Calloway County Jail following an investigation by Murray State University Public Safety. Avant, a sophomore from Murphysboro, Il., allegedly sent bomb threats to two individuals on campus via e-mail Monday and was subsequently suspended from the team.
"The university has a zero-tolerance policy regarding this type of action, and we regard this as a serious offense, particularly after the events of Sept.11," athletic director E.W. Dennison said.
Dennison added that Avant will be suspended "from all team activities" until the matter is resolved in court.
Avant, whose middle name is Abdul-Jabbar, has yet to play for Murray State, sitting out last season as an academic non-qualifier. He was the runner-up for Mr. Basketball in Illinois as a senior at Cairo High School.
Jet fined for"violent" hit
NEW YORK, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- New York Jets safety Damien Robinson was fined $20,000 Wednesday for "violently and unnecessarily" grabbing the facemask of New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks last Sunday.
The hit provoked a tantrum from Saints tackle Kyle Turley, who responded by grabbing Robinson's facemask. After a scrum at the Superdome, Turley jumped to his feet, tossed Robinson's helmet and used an obscene gesture before being ejected.
The NFL chose not to punish Turley, who was fined $25,000 by his team on Tuesday, but said it would have taken action if the Saints had not.
The incident occurred with the Saints driving for the game-tying touchdown in the final two minutes when Brooks scrambled for a short gain and was on the ground when he met Robinson. Robinson proceeded to drive Brooks backward by grabbing and twisting his facemask.
Heat's Gill breaks finger
MIAMI, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Miami Heat forward Kendall Gill broke his left pinky Tuesday night in a victory over the Seattle SuperSonics and is out indefinitely, it was announced Wednesday.
Gill, who shoots righthanded, told the Sun Sentinel he injured himself reaching for a ball in overtime. He finished with just four points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes. Gill told the newspaper he will be out a month. Heat spokesman Tim Donovan said Gill will be re-evaluated "in a day or so" when the swelling goes down.
Gill has averaged 4.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game since signing with the Heat in the off-season.
Zeile has elbow surgery
FLUSHING, N.Y., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- New York Mets first baseman Todd Zeile had bone spurs removed from his right elbow Tuesday but is expected to be ready for spring training, the club announced Wednesday.
The surgery was expected to keep the 36-year-old Zeile from performing any baseball-related activities for two months. According to the Mets, Zeile was unable the straighten his arm for most of the season's second half. The team said if it were not for New York's late-season run, Zeile would have opted for surgery in September. Despite the injury, he played in a team-high 151 games.
Zeile, who is slated to make $6 million in 2002 to complete a three-year deal, hit .266 with 10 homers and 62 RBI this past season.
Pendleton rejoins Braves as coach
ATLANTA, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Terry Pendleton, a key figure in Atlanta's rapid rise to National League prominence in the 1990s, is rejoining the Braves as their hitting coach.
Pendleton. 41, was the league MVP and won the batting crown in three-plus years with the Braves beginning in 1991 when the team went from worst to first and landed in Atlanta's first World Series.
He was one of the first and most popular of the free agents brought in by John Schuerholz when Schuerholz became Braves general manager. He replaces Merv Rettenmund who was fired after the Braves were eliminated in the playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Defending champ in quarterfinals
PATTAYA CITY, Thailand, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Defending champion Anne Kremer of Luxembourg earned her third straight quarterfinals berth Wednesday at the $110,000 Volvo Women's Open tennis event. Kremer, the fourth seed, posted a 6-2, 7-5 win over Martina Sucha of Slovakia.
She won her second career WTA title a year ago with a straight-set victory over Russian Tatiana Panova. Panova, the fifth seed, also advanced Wednesday. The 25-year-old Moscow resident was leading her second-round encounter with Sandra Kleinova, 7-5, 1-1, when the Czech was forced to retire.
Kremer faces a tricky quarterfinal matchup on Friday against No. 7 Patty Schnyder of Austria, who recorded a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Eva Dyrberg of Denmark.
In the other half of the draw, Panova meets Belarus' Tatiana Poutchek in the quarterfinals. The 22-year-old edged Japan's Saori Obata, 7-5, 7-5.
