Associated Press
TORONTO ó The NHL called it “stupid and ignorant.”
A banana was thrown from the stands in London, Ontario as Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds was skating toward Detroit goalie Jordan Pearce in a shootout during an exhibition game. Simmonds is black.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the act “obviously stupid and ignorant” and in no way represents “our fans or the people of London, Ontario.”
Simmonds scored in the shootout of the Red Wings’ 4-3 victory. He also scored with less than a minute left in the third period to make the score 3-3.
Simmonds, who is black, said, “It was unfortunate that this incident happened, but I am above this sort of stuff. This is something that is obviously out of my control.î
FAVRE ON AIR
ATTIESBURG, Miss ó Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre will be a color analyst for the Southern Miss-Rice football game on Oct. 1 at Roberts Stadium.
The three-time MVP said that he is not committing to a career in broadcasting, but wants to “check out the view from the press box.” The game will be televised on CSS.
Favre played at Southern Miss from 1987 to 1990 before beginning a 20-year NFL career that included a Super Bowl title.
He has kept a low profile during retirement, choosing to stay around his home in Hattiesburg and occasionally working with high school players at nearby Oak Grove.
NBA
ROME ó Kobe Bryant was offered $6.7 million to play basketball for an Italian team, appealing to his childhood memories of growing up in the country.
Virtus Bologna general manager Massimo Faraoni told the AP he’s been on conference calls between Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, Bologna president Claudio Sabatini and main sponsor Canadian Solar, which would provide the cash for such a deal.
The Lakers star spent part of his childhood in Italy while his father played in the country.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó South Carolina President Harris Pastides would like to see the Southeastern Conference cap expansion at 14 teams.
OLYMPICS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ó The leader of the U.S. Olympic Committee said he isn’t buying predictions that the United States will finish behind Russia and China in the medal count at next year’s Olympics in London.
Addressing the USOC annual assembly, chairman Larry Probst said, “I’d be willing to bet we don’t finish third.” One recent projection had Russia winning the medal count, followed by China with the U.S. in third.
SOCCER
NEW YORK ó The referee involved in Italy’s contentious elimination from the 2002 World Cup was sentenced to 21/2 years in prison in his New York drug-smuggling case.
Byron Moreno was sentenced in Brooklyn. He was arrested last year at Kennedy Airport after arriving on a commercial flight from his native Ecuador. Authorities say they discovered bags of heroin attached to his body during a routine search.
COLLEGE HOOPS
NEW YORK ó St. John’s basketball coach Steve Lavin needs to take a different method in treating his prostate cancer, but doesn’t expect it to interfere with the upcoming season.
The 47-year-old Lavin, diagnosed with the disease last September, waited until April to announce his illness. He said then he was told he could delay treatment until after last basketball season, his first at St. John’s.
Lavin said he doesn’t expect to miss any practices, which begin on Oct. 14.
“I don’t think this will affect my coaching at all,” he said.