Associated Press
For his golf, Tiger Woods is about to fall out of the top 10 in the world for the first time in 14 years. For his star power, he still ranks ahead of any other athlete.
Woods, whose last win came 18 months ago at the Australian Masters, will drop to at least No. 11 in the next world ranking. It will be the first time he is out of the top 10 since he was No. 13 on April 6, 1997, the week before he won the Masters for the first of his 14 majors.
Forbes, meanwhile, says heís still the No. 1 celebrity in the sports world. Woods checks in at No. 6 on Forbesí annual ěCelebrity 100.î
BASEBALL
SAN FRANCISCO ó A Giants fan who was brutally beaten on opening day at Dodger Stadium is opening his eyes but remains in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital.
Bryan Stow has been weaned off one of five anti-seizure medications since arriving Monday from a Los Angeles hospital where he had been in a medically induced coma after being attacked in March, Dr. Geoff Manley said. Stowís brain also did not show any seizure activity during 30 hours of continuous monitoring in the hospitalís intensive care unit.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
WASHINGTON ó NCAA President Mark Emmert told the Justice Department that its questions about the lack of a playoff system for college football are best directed to another group ó the Bowl Championship Series.
Other than licensing the postseason bowls, ěthe NCAA has no role to play in the BCS or the BCS system,î Emmert wrote in a letter to the departmentís antitrust chief, Christine Varney. He added that short of member colleges and universities discontinuing the BCS and proposing an NCAA championship, ěthere is no directive for the (NCAA) to establish a playoff.î
Critics contend the BCS unfairly gives some schools preferential access to top-tier bowls.
NBA
MINNEAPOLIS ó Timberwolves president David Kahn says his comments about the NBA draft lottery were intended as a joke, simply a tongue-in-cheek resignation that fate gave Cleveland the first pick ahead of luck-lacking Minnesota.
After the Cavaliers beat out the Wolves for the top spot Tuesday, Kahn said with a smirk to a group of reporters, ěThis league has a habit ó and I am just going to say habit ó of producing some pretty incredible story lines.î
Minnesota has never secured the first pick in 14 entries in the lottery. The Wolves went a league-worst 17-65 last season. The Cavaliers were 19-63.
SOCCER
CARY ó Heather OíReilly had a goal and an assist to lead the United States to a 2-0 win over Japan in the Americansí next-to-last exhibition before the Womenís World Cup.
Amy Rodriguez also scored and Hope Solo made three saves in her second straight shutout to help the U.S. claim its second win over Japan in a five-day span and its third of the year.
The Americans wrap up their pre-World Cup exhibition schedule June 5 against Mexico. Three weeks later, they play their World Cup opener against Korea in Dresden, Germany.
The U.S. was playing its first game after midfielder Lindsay Tarpley suffered a torn knee ligament that will keep her out of the World Cup.
1:TENNIS
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) ó Mardy Fish and John Isner gave the United States a 2-1 win over Kazakhstan at the World Team Cup by defeating Andrey Golubev and Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6 (10) in doubles.
The United States will play Argentina, which defeated Sweden 2-1, to decide the winner of the Red Group and the right to play in Saturdayís final against the Blue Group winner.
The U.S. victory came after the singles matches were split Tuesday, with Fish beating Golubev and Kukushkin outlasting Sam Querrey.
1:SPORTS AGENTS
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ó Texas lawmakers gave final approval to a crackdown on unethical sports agents that could lead to long prison terms.
Texas is one of about 40 states that already have laws regulating sports agents, but supporters say the new Texas measure would be the toughest in the country.
If Gov. Rick Perry signs it into law, agents who lure college athletes into contracts with improper benefits and gifts that cost an athlete their NCAA eligibility could face felony charges and up to 10 years in prison.
The Associated Press
05/19/11 04:05