It’s Official: Seau Joins Dolphins
Linebacker Junior Seau officially became a member of the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday after passing a physical, completing a long-anticipated trade with the San Diego Chargers.
The Dolphins sent a conditional 2004 draft choice to San Diego in return for Seau, 34, a 12-time Pro Bowl selection.
Seau flew to Miami on Tuesday after agreeing to a restructuring of his contract, which runs through the 2005 season. The contract maneuvering addressed a $2.7-million bonus Seau was due to receive from the Chargers.
The Chargers last month gave Seau permission to seek a trade. He has spent his entire 13-year career with the Chargers, his hometown team. He is expected to replace Derrick Rodgers at outside linebacker.
The Chargers will receive a fifth- or sixth-round draft choice next year, depending on how much Seau plays this season.
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Randy Moss is being sued by the traffic officer who says the Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver bumped her with his car.
The lawsuit filed in Minneapolis seeks more than $50,000 for emotional distress, assault and negligence. The officer, Amy Zaccardi, also wants an apology.
Moss pleaded guilty to careless driving and obstructing traffic last December and was fined $1,200 and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. He was arrested Sept. 24 in downtown Minneapolis and spent the night in jail, accused of using his car to bump Zaccardi, who was directing traffic.
Tennis
In her first match after a seven-week layoff because of a stress fracture in her left foot, Monica Seles struggled to defeat Anca Barna, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, at the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla.
Seles, who won the tournament in 1999 and 2000, will play a third-round match today against 10th-seeded Nathalie Dechy, who defeated Maria Vento-Kabchi, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
French Open champion Albert Costa was upset at the Monte Carlo Masters by 17-year-old Rafael Nadal-Parera, 7-5, 6-3. Nadal-Parera, playing in his first major tournament, will next face Guillermo Coria, who beat 15th-seeded James Blake, 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-3.
A U.S. squad led by the Williams sisters will compete in the Fed Cup April 26-27 in Lowell, Mass., against a Czech Republic team whose top player is ranked No. 44. No. 1 Serena Williams, No. 3 Venus Williams, Meghann Shaughnessy and Alexandra Stevenson comprise the U.S. team, captained by Billie Jean King. No. 44 Daja Bedanova heads the Czech Republic team. She is joined by No. 73 Klara Koukalova, No. 74 Iveta Benesova and No. 163 Eva Birnerova.... Dick Leach, former men’s coach at USC, will coach the Newport Beach Breakers in their first season in World Team Tennis. Leach coached the Trojans from 1980-2002, guiding them to four NCAA titles.
College Basketball
Cal State Fullerton Coach Donny Daniels has not made a decision on whether to leave his alma mater and join Ben Howland’s staff at UCLA.
Howland is trying to fill two positions on his staff and has spoken with Daniels, 48, who has coached the Titans the last three seasons and received a contract extension March 25 through the 2004-05 season.
Daniels, who met with Howland Tuesday night, is being considered for the lead assistant’s position.
Kansas has received permission to speak with Illinois Coach Bill Self about replacing Roy Williams, who resigned Monday to become coach at North Carolina.... Connecticut junior Diana Taurasi has won the Honda Award, given to the nation’s top women’s basketball player. Taurasi, who has led the Huskies to consecutive national championships, is one of 12 finalists for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which honors the top collegiate female athlete of the year.
Texas point guard T.J. Ford, the Wooden Award winner, was taken to a hospital by ambulance after being injured in a pickup basketball game at a campus gym in Austin. “It is not life-threatening,” Texas spokesman Scott McConnell said.... Point guard Quinton Day of Paseo Academy in Kansas City, Mo., has signed a letter of intent with USC. He averaged 20.2 points, 5.0 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.2 rebounds last season.... Coach Chris Gobrecht dismissed junior guard Aisha Hollans from the USC women’s team, citing various infractions of team rules during the last three years.
Passings
Alabama distance runner David Kimani, a six-time NCAA champion, died after collapsing at a university dining hall. He was 25. Team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson said Kimani collapsed while eating lunch. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later after being transported to DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.
Don Bunce, who quarterbacked Stanford to a 13-12 victory over Michigan in the 1972 Rose Bowl, died of a heart attack Monday in Palo Alto. He was 54. See story, B13.