Vikings receiver Moss arrested
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Minnesota Vikings star receiver Randy Moss was arrested on assault charges Tuesday after allegedly trying to run down a female traffic officer with his car.
According to an arrest report from the Minneapolis Police Department, Moss allegedly tried to make a left turn from the wrong lane from Sixth Street onto Marquette Avenue. The 27-year-old traffic officer stepped in front of Moss' 2002 Lexus sedan and ordered him to stop.
The arrest report said Moss continued to drive forward, pushing the officer a half-block down Marquette Avenue until she was forced down. The traffic officer called for police, who arrived on the scene and arrested Moss, also impounding his car.
Moss, 25, was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He was booked and detained.
The Vikings released a statement that said they were "aware of the situation concerning an incident between Randy Moss and a Minneapolis traffic officer. We are gathering information and will comment after we have more facts."
This is the latest incident involving Moss, who scared off college football powers Notre Dame and Florida State with his problems with the law during high school and has been fined by the NFL for squirting water on a referee.
Last year, the Vikings gave Moss a six-year, $75 million contract extension that included an $18 million signing bonus - a record at the time. Late in the season, Moss raised questions about his commitment to football by saying, "I play when I want to play."
Moss has had several run-ins with teammates, most notably Cris Carter, who once was considered his mentor. As recently as Sunday, Moss was seen arguing on the sidelines with quarterback Daunte Culpepper during a 21-14 home loss to Carolina that dropped Minnesota to 0-3.
Moss set an NFL record with 5,396 receiving yards through his first four seasons. He is the only receiver in league history to amass 1,000 yards in each of his first four years.
Notre Dame great Leon Hart dies at 73
SOUTH BEND, Ind., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Notre Dame football legend Leon Hart, one of only two linemen ever to win the Heisman Trophy, died Tuesday morning of complications from a lengthy illness. He was 73.
Hart had been hospitalized at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend since Sept. 15, one day after attending Notre Dame's 25-23 victory over Michigan.
A member of four undefeated teams and three national title winners from 1946-49, Hart became the only lineman other than Yale's Larry Kelley in 1936 to capture the Heisman, earning the honor in 1949.
Hart, who played on both sides of the line for Notre Dame, was selected first overall in the 1950 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, for whom he played eight seasons. He earned All-Pro honors in 1951 and helped the Lions to NFL titles in 1952, 1953 and 1957.
Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973, Hart is survived by six children and 14 grandchildren, including current Notre Dame tight end Brendan Hart.
Gonzalez out for rest of season
PHOENIX, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The Aeizona Diamondbacks announced Tuesday that Luis Gonzalez will not play again this season due to a separation in his left shoulder.
Losing their left fielder and biggest power threat is a devastating blow for the Diamondbacks, who are trying to repeat as World Series champions.
Gonzalez was injured in Monday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals while chasing a fly ball off the bat of former high school teammate Tino Martinez in the fourth inning when he collided with shortstop Tony Womack. He was struck on the shoulder by Womack's right knee and went down in obvious pain.
An MRI in Phoenix on Tuesday revealed the injury that will shelve Gonzalez for the remainder of the year.
The 35-year-old Gonzalez hit .288 with 28 home runs and a team-leading 103 RBI. He enjoyed an outstanding season in 2001, batting .325 with 57 homers and 142 RBI and singling in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh game of the World Series.
Gonzalez's is the latest injury to the Diamondbacks, whose magic number for clinching a second straight National League West is three. They need one more win to secure a postseason spot.
Kentucky center has broken hand
LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Kentucky center Jules Camara will be sidelined up to six weeks after breaking his right hand during individual workouts Monday afternoon at Memorial Coliseum, the school announced Tuesday.
A 6-11 senior, Camara fractured the third metacarpal bone and was placed in a cast. Coach Tubby Smith hopes to have him back by early November.
"The good news is that he'll still be able to continue his preseason conditioning," Smith said. "Once he returns, he'll have time to get a few practices in before we open the season in Maui."
Kentucky begins its 100th season of basketball on Nov. 25 at the Maui Invitational. Exhibition play starts Nov. 11.
Hall of Fame Center Webster dies
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Hall of Fame center Mike Webster, the anchor of an offensive line that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls, died Tuesday morning of a heart attack. He was 50.
Webster, regarded by many as the best center of his time, is the Steelers' all-time leader in games played with 220 from 1974-88, and appeared in nine Pro Bowls.
Webster, a native of the small town of Tomahawk, Wis., was originally a fifth-round draft pick in 1974. He joined the Steelers as a part of a draft that included future Steelers standouts Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert and John Stallworth, Hall of Famers all. He went on to be the player that set the standard for centers in the NFL and is still respected and admired by players today.
Webster was the rock that held the Steelers offensive line together during his career. He played in every game for 10 consecutive years from 1976-85. He played in those four Super Bowls and six AFC Championship games.
Webster had serious financial and health problems since retiring from the NFL in 1990 and was homeless for a time in the early '90s.
After 15 glorious seasons with the Steelers, Webster signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989 as an offensive line coach, but within a few weeks was at center and started all 16 games. He completed his 17-year career in 1990 with the Chiefs, even playing his last four games with a severe knee injury.
Gonzalez, Acasuso advance before rain
PALERMO, Italy, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Fernando Gonzalez and Jose Acasuso each advanced Tuesday in the first round of the claycourt International Championships of Sicily before rain forced the postponement of several matches.
Gonzalez, the second seed from Chile, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Croatian Zeljko Krajan. Gonzalez reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and is seeking his second title of the year. The 22-year-old won his first career title in February at the Vina del Mar in his native country.
Acasuso, the third seed from Argentina, eliminated Sweden's Andreas Vinciguerra, 6-3, 6-4. The 19-year-old Acasuso broke into the top 100 for the first time last year and won his first title at Sopot two months ago. He also reached the finals on the clay at Bucharest and has a career-high No. 46 ranking.
Austrian Jurgen Melzer won his first career meeting with Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-2, 6-2, and seventh seed Alberto Martin avenged a loss from last week.
Martin held a 6-4, 4-2 lead when Russian Nikolay Davydenko retired. Davydenko defeated Martin in the semifinals at Szczecin last weekend.
Luis Horna of Peru and German qualifier Marcello Craca each won a 6-4 set before the rains came. Hungarian Attila Savolt and German qualifier Oliver Gross also will play a third set Wednesday.
Chargers Center done for season
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- San Diego Chargers center Cory Raymer will miss the balance of the 2002 NFL season after undergoing surgery Monday to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon. Raymer is expected to be placed on injured reserve this week.
Jason Ball, an undrafted rookie free agent from New Hampshire, replaced Raymer at center against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Raymer, who was in his ninth season out of Wisconsin, came south for this season after playing for the Washington Redskins in 2001. He should be able to do physical work again in six months.
Meanwhile, the news on two Pro bowl defenders from last season was a bit better. Linebacker Junior Seau (ankle) and strong safety Rodney Harrison (groin) both said they are "day-to-day." Harrison is hoping to practice some on Wednesday, while Seau should be okay, Schottenheimer said, "as long as he gets in one practice by Friday."
Seau suffered his injury near the end of the game, while Harrison has missed the last two-and-a-half games after straining his groin on the last play of the first half of the season opener at Cincinnati.
Bucs lose two linemen in Rams game
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The morning after their decisive win over the NFC defending champion St. Louis Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tuesday found out that it was a costly victory as they learned that two members of their restructured offensive line will be sidelined for some time.
Head coach Jon Gruden said Tuesday at his weekly news conference that starting offensive linemen Kerry Jenkins and Kenyatta Walker will be lost at least for the next month, a serious jolt at a time that the front line was just starting to gel.
Both Jenkins, the starting left guard, and Walker, the starting right tackle, were hurt in the third quarter of Monday night's game against the Rams.
Gruden also revealed that cornerback Brian Kelly and linebacker Derrick Brooks, the two players who made key fourth-quarter interceptions Monday night, may be unable to play in Cincinnati next Sunday. Kelly has a right shoulder sprain and Brooks is dealing with a left hamstring strain. Both players are likely to start the week as questionable on the injury report.
The injury to Brooks could lead to some movement among the team's other four linebackers. Before he was hurt, the team had just two linebacker reserves--Nate Webster, who is in his third year, and rookie Ryan Nece.
showdown with Arizona. Last season, the Cardinals lost in five games to the Diamondbacks in the Division Series.
Olowokandi accepts Clippers' offer
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Clippers center Michael Olowokandi has accepted the team's one-year qualifying offer, paving the way for him to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2002-03 NBA season.
The announcement came after talks on a long-term deal broke down recently.
Olowokandi, the top overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, had the best season of his four-year career in 2001-02, averaging 11.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per contest in 80 games.
"I'm looking forward to getting to work," the 7-footer from Nigeria said in a statement released by the team. "We have a very good team and I'm excited to get the season under way."
Olowokandi, who was a restricted free agent this summer, will be paid approximately $6.2 million in 2002-03, according to the Orange County Register. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.-
Pistons trade White to Denver
DETROIT, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The Detroit Pistons are expected to complete a deal this week that will send young forward Rodney White to the Denver Nuggets for a player and a first-round pick.
The Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday that White will be traded to the Nuggets just over a year after the Pistons used the ninth pick of the draft on the 6-9 forward. The report cited an unidentified source close to the team that said the Pistons would receive from the Nuggets a 2003 first-round pick belonging to Milwaukee and a player, perhaps swingman James Posey or big man Mengke Bateer.
White, 22, spent just one season at North Carolina-Charlotte. He did the same at Detroit, playing just 16 games and averaging 3.5 points and 1.1 rebounds as he was buried behind Michael Curry and Sixth Man Award winner Corliss Williamson.
The trade would be the second for Detroit this month. They sent star guard Jerry Stackhouse, forward Brian Cardinal and center Ratko Varda to the Washington Wizards for guards Richard Hamilton and Hubert Davis and swingman Bobby
