Wisconsin’s Bennett Arrested in Dispute With Woman

Michael Bennett, one of the nation’s best running backs last football season, was arrested at his apartment building Monday in Madison, Wis., after kicking in a woman’s door, police said.

The former Wisconsin player, who is skipping his senior season to turn pro, was released later in the day after his arrest on three charges, one a felony count of criminal intimidation of a victim.

Police also were recommending charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

Formal charges have not been filed.

Police still were trying to determine what started the dispute between Bennett, 22, and a 19-year-old female student.

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Robert Person of the Philadelphia Phillies was hogtied by police in Tampa, Fla., who said the enraged pitcher tried to kick out the windows of a police car after his arrest in the city’s nightclub district.

Person, who on Friday signed a contract for nearly $3 million, was arrested when he refused an order to walk away from a fight after brawling with a man, police said. He was released Monday after posting $1,000 bail.

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Former Minnesota Viking running back Chuck Foreman was ordered to pay $7,200 in restitution but avoided jail for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme.

U.S. District Court Judge David Doty also sentenced Foreman to three years’ probation for the scam, known as real estate “flipping,” which involves the purchase and rapid resale of property at inflated prices.

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Three Leeds United soccer players chased a group of Asian students after a heavy night of drinking and beat two of them, leaving one seriously injured, according to court testimony in Hull, England.

After two weeks of legal arguments, the prosecution opened its case against Leeds stars Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate along with reserve Tony Hackworth, who are accused in the alleged assault outside a Leeds nightclub in January 2000.

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The NFL was awarded $2.6 million in damages by a federal court that agreed a company illegally transmitted the league’s television broadcasts into Canada. PrimeTime24 violated the NFL’s rights 180 times from 1997 through last August, the court found.

Miscellany

Mike Tyson said he’s ready to fight heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis this summer, telling his manager to start negotiations as soon as possible for a fight that could be the richest ever.

Lewis’ business manager, Adrian Ogun, said Sunday he was ready to begin talks for the fight, but said he wasn’t sure if Tyson’s camp wanted the fight.

The fight still faces huge hurdles before it could be made, but Tyson and Lewis now are both on the record as saying they want to fight sometime this year.

The Oakland Raiders signed veteran kick returner and wide receiver Eric Metcalf, who last played in the NFL in 1999. . . . The Cincinnati Bengals, taking a step they hope will keep running back Corey Dillon with the team for another season, designated him as their transition player. . . . The Detroit Lions signed running back Lamont Warren to a two-year, $1.5-million contract, agent Peter Schaffer said.

Right-hander Steve Parris, whose 17 losses were tied for second-most in the major leagues, agreed to a $6.05 million, two-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. . . . Just before the scheduled start of his arbitration hearing, St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Mike James agreed to a one-year contract worth $1,525,000.

The Royal Liverpool Club at Hoylake was cleared to hold the British Open golf tournament for the first time since 1967, and could hold the tournament in 2006.

Scott Goodyear, twice a runner-up in the Indianapolis 500 and last year’s Indy Racing League series runner-up, will drive for Team Cheever in the Indy 500 in May.

The International Basketball League has absorbed three Continental Basketball Assn. teams and more CBA teams may join the IBL. The Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce, the Gary (Ind.) Steelheads and the Rockford (Ill.) Lightning joined the IBL over the weekend.

Fourth-seeded Andreas Vinciguerra of Sweden opened defense of his Copenhagen Open tennis title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Daniel Nestor of Canada. . . . In the first WTA Tour event in the Middle East, fifth-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand defeated Pavlina Nola of Bulgaria, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round of the Qatar Open at Doha. . . . Meilen Tu sprang the first upset of the inaugural Terazura tournament, defeating sixth-seeded Amy Frazier, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, in the first round at Nice, France.

A car carrying five high school athletes slammed into trees after speeding through an intersection in Shaker Heights, Ohio, killing three members of the hockey team, authorities said.

The car was going more than 60 mph in a 35-mph zone, police said.

Passings

Tiberio Mitri of Italy, a former European middleweight boxing champion who unsuccessfully challenged Jake La Motta for the world title, died Monday when he was struck by a train in Rome. He was 74. (See Page B7)