Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. ó Newly hired Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has decided to stay with top-ranked Florida through the national championship game.
Gators coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday that Mullen will call plays in the Bowl Championship Series national title game Jan. 8 in Miami.
Meyer said he recognizes that Mullen still has work to do with the Bulldogs ó Mullen is assembling his staff and recruiting ó but he’s confident the rest of Florida’s offensive assistants can pick up the slack.
VICK
NORFOLK, Va. ó Former NFL star Michael Vick could be out of federal prison and in a Virginia halfway house by Jan. 20, one of his attorneys told a federal bankruptcy judge.
Vick is serving a 23-month prison term in Leavenworth, Kan., for bankrolling a dogfighting operation and is scheduled to be released around July 20.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK ó General Motors Corp. won’t be the automotive sponsor for the New York Yankees when the team’s new stadium opens next year.
– SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. ó Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg will manage the Chicago Cubs’ Double-A Tennessee Smokies in 2009.
The Southern League team announced Wednesday that Sandberg is moving up from the Cubs’ Class-A Peoria Chiefs, which Sanberg has managed the past two seasons.
Sandberg, a star second baseman with the Cubs inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, will be joined by pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn, hitting coach Tom Beyers and trainer Nick Frangella.
– SAN DIEGO ó Padres outfielder Brian Giles is being sued by his former girlfriend for more than $10 million, alleging he battered her while she was pregnant and caused her to have a miscarriage.
FINED
NEW YORKó Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson was fined $25,000 by the NBA for making inappropriate comments toward a fan in a win at Charlotte.
Iverson made the remarks to the fan with 6.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter during the Pistons’ 90-86 victory over the Bobcats on Saturday.
AVERY OUT
EDMONTON, Alberta ó NHL commissioner Gary Bettman harshly criticized Sean Avery, calling the combative forward’s crude remark about ex-girlfriends dating other hockey players offensive and disgusting.
Avery was only 23 games into a $15.5 million, four-year deal with Dallas when Bettman suspended him for the Dec. 2 remark. He was eligible to return from his six-game ban Sunday, but the Stars instead announced Avery will not rejoin the team ó ever.