Bob Hayes Hospitalized in Critical Condition

Olympic champion and former NFL star Bob Hayes was in critical condition Thursday, hospitalized in Jacksonville, Fla., with flu-like symptoms.

The only man to win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl, Hayes was treated earlier this year for heart, liver and kidney ailments, as well as prostate cancer.

He underwent surgery to remove his prostate on Feb. 27 and spent a month at a rehabilitation clinic before returning home April 20.

Hayes’ family requested no further information be released, although his sister, Lena Mae Johnson, did say the hospitalization had nothing to do with Hayes’ most recent operations. Hayes was admitted to the hospital Tuesday after visiting the doctor, complaining of fever and nausea.

In September, the Dallas Cowboys inducted Hayes into their Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium, fulfilling one of his longtime wishes.

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Former Cowboy defensive end Harvey Martin reportedly has pancreatic cancer.

Several unidentified sources told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its Thursday editions that the 51-year-old former all-pro and Super Bowl co-MVP is near death.

The newspaper reported Martin has told relatives to keep quiet about his illness.

He underwent major surgery about a year ago, but his condition worsened recently, the sources said.

Cowboy officials have had contact with Martin about the illness and, in compliance with his wishes, are not confirming nor commenting on his condition, team spokesman Brett Daniels told The Associated Press.

Jurisprudence

Former Cowboy lineman Nate Newton was not in a car where police found 175 pounds of marijuana, his lawyer said.

“Nate maintains his innocence,” attorney Howard Shapiro said after Newton’s initial appearance before a federal magistrate on the drug charge.

“He’s made mistakes in the past, but this was not one of them.”

Newton and two others were arrested Wednesday while driving in two cars south of Dallas. Police said they found 175 pounds of marijuana in one of the cars.

It was Newton’s second drug arrest in two months.

Motor Sports

NASCAR set an age requirement of 18 for participants in its major series, another move in its push for stronger safety measures.

“It was in the best interests of safety, competition and professional development that we institute these new age requirements,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said.

“Younger competitors need as much experience as they can accumulate before competing at NASCAR’s professional levels.”

Beginning in 2002, all drivers, crew members and other participants in the Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series and all NASCAR Touring Series’ must be 18 or older to compete.

The age requirement matches the existing standard for the Winston Cup Series.

The age requirement will immediately affect drivers like 16-year-old Kyle Busch, younger brother of Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch.

Kyle was scheduled to run the full truck schedule next year for Roush Racing, but will not be allowed to compete under the new rule.

Miscellany

Gregg Popovich of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, Mike Montgomery of Stanford and Kelvin Sampson of Oklahoma were selected as assistant coaches for USA Basketball’s 2002 team at the FIBA World Championships.

Milwaukee Buck Coach George Karl will serve as head coach for the team that will play in the tournament in Indianapolis from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8.

The Chicago White Sox rejected the Chicago Fire’s request to play in Comiskey Park, forcing the Major League Soccer club to look outside the city for a field, Fire General Manager Peter Wilt said.

The Fire has been forced to find another site because of renovations being done to Soldier Field.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford will stage the Champions Cup final in 2003, the first time since 1992 that an English stadium has played host to Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

European soccer authority UEFA also announced that the 2003 UEFA Cup final will be at Seville’s Olympico Stadium.

UEFA also decided that the Champions League will keep its 32-club format for at least another three years.

Germany twice broke the world record in the men’s 200-meter medley relay to win the gold medal in the European Short Course Swimming Championships at Antwerp, Belgium.

The German quartet of Sven Theloke, Mark Warnecke, Thomas Rupprath and Carsten Dehmlow won the medley in 1 minute 34.78. In the heats, they swam 1:35.14, shaving .37 seconds off the record Germany had shared with Sweden.

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Jenny Potter had three goals and an assist as the United States women’s hockey team beat Sweden, 9-1, in an exhibition game at Pittsburgh.

Cammi Granato, Kate King, Julie Chu, Natalie Darwitz, Tara Mounsey and Shelley Looney also scored for the U.S., which is 19-0 this season as it prepares for the Salt Lake City Olympics.

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George Hackl of Germany won the World Cup singles luge race at Igls, Austria, with a combined time of 1 minute 40.067 seconds for two runs.

Hackl’s 26th World Cup career victory put him in first place in the overall standings through four of this season’s seven races.

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Australian cyclist Graham Sharman will be banned from the sport for two years after testing positive for a muscle-boosting anabolic drug.