Associated Press
WASHINGTON ó At the cost of a $1 million fine, the Fiesta Bowl will keep its place in the Bowl Championship Series.
The BCS presidential oversight committee imposed the penalty in the wake of a scandal at the Arizona-based game that included apparently illegal campaign contributions from staff and lavish spending by the former CEO on parties and a night at a strip club.
Under the ruling, the Fiesta Bowl must also meet certain BCS demands such as strengthening the Fiesta Bowlís board and imposing greater supervision over bowl executives.
SOCCER
GENEVA ó Facing a deepening corruption scandal, FIFA demanded evidence to back up English claims that six executive committee members were involved in bribery during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter, meanwhile, promised to resolve the crisis before he comes up for re-election on June 1. Blatter is seeking a fourth and final four-year term against Qatari challenger Mohamed bin Hammam, who was a central figure in his countryís victorious ó and controversial ó bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
NCAA HOOPS
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ó Texas coach Rick Barnes has received a $200,000 raise that boosts his pay to $2.4 million each season.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the pay hike in a motion that recognized Barnes for his ěcommitment, motivation and performanceî and the desire to keep him coaching the Longhorns.
Barnes will be entering his 14th season at Texas. He has taken the Longhorns to the NCAA tournament each season but hasnít advanced past the second round in four of the last five years.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ó Robert Traylor, the former NBA and University of Michigan big man nicknamed ěTractorî because of his hulking frame, has died. He was 34.
Described as a ěgentle giantî with a generous smile, Traylor played seven years in the NBA. He is perhaps most remembered, however, for his career at Michigan, where he was a standout for three seasons but became embroiled in a major scandal involving a booster.
Police in San Juan said Traylor was found dead on the bedroom floor of his oceanfront apartment. Police and Traylorís team, the Bayamon Cowboys, said he had been missing for a few days and apparently died from a heart attack.
1:BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) ó Phillies second baseman Kevin Frandsen was suspended for 50 games following a positive test under baseballís minor league drug program.
A veteran of five seasons with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels, Frandsen signed a minor league contract with the Phillies on April 1. The commissionerís office said he tested positive for Ritalinic Acid, which essentially is the same as Ritalin, which is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Baseball players can obtain therapeutic use exemptions for drugs to treat ADHD, and Frandsen would not have been suspended if he had a TUE for Ritalin.
In addition, free agent outfielder Joe Dickerson was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for an amphetamine. The penalty will start after he signs with a major league organization.
1:GOLF
PEDRENA, Spain (AP) ó To the mournful wail of a lone bagpipe, some of Europeís greatest golfers joined family, friends and local residents at the funeral of Seve Ballesteros, paying an emotional final tribute to the dynamic Spaniard who revived the European game.
Ryder Cup captains Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance and Jose Maria Olazabal and players including Miguel Angel Jimenez marched together in silence as part of the procession from Ballesterosí family home to the church of San Pedro de Pedrena.
Ballesteros, a five-time major winner and Ryder Cup stalwart, died Saturday at age 54 from complications of a cancerous brain tumor.
1:AUTO RACING
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) ó Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will miss his third straight race this weekend when Kevin Swindell fills in for him at Dover International Speedway.
Bayne spent a week at the Mayo Clinic undergoing treatment for what doctors have called an inflammatory condition. He was released last Thursday.
Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark said the team is encouraged by Bayneís progress, but is being cautious in holding him out an additional week.
1:HOCKEY
DENVER (AP) ó The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Milan Hejduk, one of the top scorers in franchise history, to a one-year contract.
Hejduk, 35, scored 22 goals and had 56 points last season, his 12th with the Avalanche. He tied Joe Sakicís franchise record by scoring 20 or more goals for the 11th straight season.
The Czech Republic native entertained thoughts of possibly calling it a career after the 2010-11 season. But now heís eager to return for another go-round following a frustrating year in which the Avalanche won their fewest games (30) and tallied their fewest points in the standings (68) since relocating from Quebec to Denver in 1995.
The Associated Press
05/12/11 06:15