Football

Ex-Viking arrested

MADISON, Wis. -- Former Vikings first-round pick Erasmus James was arrested early Thursday after punching a friend in the face at a bar in Madison.

Authorities say the 27-year-old James began fighting with a friend after James tried to order a drink at a popular bar near Wisconsin's campus after closing time.

The Wisconsin State Journal first reported the arrest.

James was released from the Dane County Jail. A prosecutor will decide if a battery charge is warranted.

A former Wisconsin standout at defensive end, James played three injury-plagued seasons for the Vikings after being picked 18th overall in 2005. He was traded to Washington last year and played in five games before being cut in December.

A call by the Associated Press to the agent who represented James wasn't immediately returned.

Man convicted for shooting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A jury convicted an ex-con Thursday of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier in 2008.

The six-person jury deliberated two hours and 45 minutes before returning its verdict against Tyrone Hartsfield, 33, at the end of a nine-day trial.

Hartsfield faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced in December. He still faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but it's not clear if prosecutors will pursue it.

Hartsfield was visibly shaken by the verdict and his sister went into hysterics and had to be led from the courtroom.

Collier watched much of the closing arguments while seated in his wheelchair in the courtroom gallery. He was shot six times as he waited in his car outside a Jacksonville apartment building. Collier was paralyzed from the waist down and his left leg was amputated.

Baseball

Lincecum cited for pot

SEATTLE -- San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Steve Schatzel said Thursday that the 2008 Cy Young Award winner and former University of Washington star was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 5 in the town of Hazel Dell, about four miles north of the Oregon border, on Oct. 30.

An officer approached Lincecum's 2006 Mercedes and smelled marijuana as the pitcher rolled down his window. Schatzel said Lincecum immediately complied with a request to hand over the drug and a marijuana pipe from the car's center console.

The amount measured was 3.3 grams. Schatzel said police consider that a small amount for personal use, well below the maximum of 40 grams before possession is classified differently and carries a more severe penalty.

Girardi aids motorist

EASTCHESTER, N.Y. -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi capped off a victorious evening by helping a car crash victim in suburban New York.

Police said Girardi pulled over to help after a woman lost control on a Westchester County parkway and crashed into a wall around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

That was just hours after Girardi's team claimed a World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Girardi told WFAN-AM that he was "really concerned" because of damage to her car. He said he had his wife call 911, then approached the mangled vehicle.

The woman had only cuts and Girardi talked to her until the police arrived minutes later.

Marlins, Red Sox make deal

MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins are big on players who outperform their contract, which is why outfielder Jeremy Hermida is bound for Boston.

The Red Sox acquired the former first-round draft choice Thursday for left-handers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Hermida was the 11th overall pick in 2002 but has yet to fulfill his projected potential. He was among Florida's best-paid players this year at $2.25 million but hit only .259 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs in 129 games.

The trade was the sort the Marlins often make, paring payroll while adding pitching.

Jones is expected to compete for a bullpen spot in spring training. He had a 9.24 ERA in 11 relief appearances for the Red Sox.

Alvarez, 20, went 9-4 in Class A this year with a 2.26 ERA in 12 starts and 14 relief appearances.

Angels sign Abreu

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Bobby Abreu had no interest in spending another winter -- or even another week -- without an employer. The Los Angeles Angels were only too happy to oblige the slugger who transformed their lineup this year.

The veteran outfielder agreed Thursday to a $19 million, two-year contract to stay with the Angels rather than test the free-agent market again.

After earning $16 million with the New York Yankees in 2008 under the final year of a contract he originally signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, Abreu became a free agent. He didn't find a new home until Feb. 12, just before spring training, when the Angels gave him a one-year contract that guaranteed $5 million. He earned an additional $1 million based on plate appearances, but the Venezuelan still was one of the majors' biggest bargains.

Mostly playing right field, Abreu hit .293 with 15 homers, 103 RBIs, 30 steals and 94 walks as a durable contributor to one of the majors' top offenses.

Series ratings rebound

NEW YORK -- World Series television ratings bounced back from last year's record lows.

The Yankees' six-game victory over the Phillies on Fox averaged an 11.7 rating and 19 share. That's the highest since a 15.8/26 in 2004, when the Red Sox swept the Cardinals to end an 86-year championship drought.

It's up 39 percent from the record-low 8.4/14 for the 2008 Phillies-Rays series. Fox said Thursday that was the biggest one-year increase ever.

Game 6 on Wednesday night earned a 13.4/22.

The rating is the percentage of households with televisions tuned to a program. The share is the percentage of homes watching among those with TVs in use at the time.

Golf

Watney opens with 64

SHANGHAI -- Making the first of two trips to China this month, Nick Watney made an immediate impression Thursday in the HSBC Champions by tying the course record with an 8-under 64 to build a two-shot lead.

As hundreds of cameras inside and outside the ropes tagged along to see Tiger Woods open with a 67, Watney quietly went about his business on a sunny afternoon at Sheshan International Golf Club with an accidental eagle and four straight birdies.

He was 9 under through 13 holes until settling into a string of pars and ending his round with a three-putt bogey from the fringe.

Ryan Moore, who signed a new equipment deal Thursday, was in a group at 66 that included Shane Lowry of Ireland and Martin Kaymer of Germany, who is second in the Race to Dubai and facing a big week at this $7 million World Golf Championship.

Lin Wen-tang of Taiwan stirred the Chinese crowd with a 67, which left him tied with Woods, Anthony Kim and Paul Casey.

Hockey

Columbus needs financial fix

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus may have trouble holding on to the NHL's Blue Jackets because the club has been losing $12 million a year in central Ohio, according to a report released Thursday by a business group.

The report commissioned by the Columbus Chamber offers a variety of options for strengthening the hockey team's financial position, such as new taxes or fees or selling shares to other investors or the general public.

Other suggestions include allowing the team to renegotiate its lease for Nationwide Arena or trying to attract a second major tenant, such as a basketball team.

There are 0 comments - Display All Comments