NFL Fines Millen for Coach Search
The NFL fined Detroit Lion President Matt Millen $200,000 on Friday for not interviewing any minority candidates before hiring Coach Steve Mariucci.
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue sent a letter to Millen informing him of the fine, the first levied under the league’s diversity program.
After Coach Marty Mornhinweg was fired by the Lions in January, Mariucci was the only person interviewed for the job.
The team said five minority candidates turned down interviews because it appeared inevitable Mariucci would be hired.
“While certain of the difficulties that you encountered in seeking to schedule interviews with minority candidates were beyond your control, you did not take sufficient steps to satisfy the commitment that you had made,” Tagliabue wrote.
The commissioner told NFL teams in May that future failures to interview minority candidates for a head coaching opening could lead to fines of $500,000 or higher as “conduct detrimental” to the NFL.
Team spokesman Bill Keenist said the Lions “respectfully disagree” with the ruling but support initiatives to promote diversity on coaching staffs and in front offices. He said Millen would have no comment.
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First-round draft pick Kwame Harris signed with the San Francisco 49ers moments after the opening practice of training camp at Santa Clara.
The offensive tackle from Stanford agreed to a seven-year contract worth $8.939 million. The deal has two voidable years and includes a $3.6-million signing bonus.
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The Chargers begin full contact drills today at the Home Depot Center in Carson. After this morning’s practice, players and coaches will be available for autographs.
Tickets to all 10 Chargers’ home games, including two exhibition games, will go on sale today at 10 a.m. They will be available at the Home Depot Center, the Chargers’ ticket office at Qualcomm Stadium and all Ticketmaster outlets.
They also may be purchased online at Chargers.com and www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (619) 220-TIXS.
Tennis
Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia was upset at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford by qualifier Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela, 6-4, 6-3. Dokic, seeded fifth, is the sixth seeded player to lose in the tournament, which began without a top-seeded player when Serena Williams withdrew after the draw and was not replaced.
French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain will regain the lead in the ATP Champions standings despite losing to Mariano Zabaleta, 6-1, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Generali Open at Kitzbuhel, Austria. Ferrero was eliminated a few hours after he beat Flavio Saretta, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in a rain-delayed third-round match. That victory means Ferrero will have enough points to pass Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in the calendar-year Champions Race, which is based on how players do at the four Grand Slams, the nine-tournament Tennis Masters Series and top results in other international events.
Motor Racing
Bruno Junqueira wound up on the provisional pole for Sunday’s Vancouver Molson Indy at Vancouver, Canada, when CART series points leader Paul Tracy lost his fast lap for blocking Junqueira and other drivers during qualifying.
CART issued a statement saying Tracy violated the rule barring drivers from “not running at full qualifying pace” and not letting faster cars pass.
That gave Junqueira the top qualifying spot heading into today’s final time trials as well as earning one point for winning the provisional pole and guaranteeing the Brazilian driver a front row starting spot in Sunday’s street race.
Tracy lost his fast lap of 1 minute 1.706 seconds and reverted to his second-best lap of 1:01.845, which placed him second on the provisional grid and cut his series lead over Junqueira to 14 points. After the decision, Tracy and his team had no comment. Before the decision, Tracy said: “I got blocked on my laps, but I’m not throwing protests around.... What can I say? What goes around comes around. I’ve been blocked hundreds of times over my career.”
Said Junqueira: “The guy that’s slow has to let the other guys pass.”
Ryan Newman left no doubt about the car to catch at Pocono Raceway when he followed his fastest-practice performance with his fifth pole of the season in qualifying for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Pennsylvania 500 at Long Pond.
Newman drove his Dodge around the 2 1/2-mile triangular track at 170.358 mph to claim the top spot for Sunday’s race.
Jason Leffler won the 10th pole of his career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series when he turned in the best qualifying time for today’s Sears 200 at Brooklyn, Mich.
Leffler broke the Michigan International Speedway record for trucks when he turned a lap at 178.037 mph in his Dodge. Chad Chaffin will start second in his Dodge after turning a lap at 177.559, which broke the record before Leffler’s run.
During a practice session, Michael Dokken crashed and was taken to a hospital by helicopter. He was later transferred to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor for further evaluation. Dokken was awake and alert after hitting the wall in Turn 3 and was still awake and alert later in the day, according to Michigan International Speedway spokesman Bill Janitz. The extent of Dokken’s injuries was not immediately known, Janitz said.
Miscellany
Baylor appointed a panel to investigate whether coaches made improper payments to Patrick Dennehy, the basketball player who disappeared last month and is presumed dead. The committee, composed of three Baylor Law School professors, hired Kirk Watson, former mayor of Austin, Texas, as a counsel to help determine if NCAA rules were broken.
In the WNBA, Katie Smith scored 23 points and Janelle Burse added 21 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx (12-10) over the San Antonio Silver Stars (6-16), 81-54, before 7,656 at Minneapolis. Burse replaced starting center Michele Van Gorp, whose left knee is injured.... Lauren Jackson’s 26 points and 10 rebounds led the host Storm (13-9) over the Phoenix Mercury (3-18), 82-53, before 6,753 at Seattle.
Jockey Jose Santos, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness aboard Funny Cide, will be allowed to continue riding at the Saratoga meet in the wake of his appeal of a 10-day suspension being rescheduled for September. New York Racing Assn. stewards postponed the appeal until racing returns to Belmont Park.