Chargers Will Say So Long to Seau
Junior Seau said goodbye to San Diego’s pro football fans on Friday during a news conference at his restaurant.
The Chargers have told him he’s free to pursue a trade and the star linebacker, a 13-year veteran, said he’s not through playing in the NFL. .
“San Diego has always been my home and always will be,” Seau said. “I just have to leave for six months as a professional athlete and entertain another community.”
Seau’s comments were carried on a speaker system at the restaurant and were carried live on San Diego television stations.
Seau said he held no grudge against the Chargers, but he had a few pointed comments.
“I never saw myself wearing another jersey,” he said. “Because I’m forced to, I hope and I know the city of San Diego understands that I love this game.”
Seau, 34, grew up in suburban Oceanside and was San Diego’s first-round draft pick in 1990, the fifth pick overall, from USC.
Coach Marty Schottenheimer would not say whether the Chargers’ decision was motivated by money or an unhappiness with Seau’s play.
“We approached it on middle ground, where we’d involve Junior in the process of exploring a trade,” Schottenheimer said. “We sought to try to address what was in the best interests of both parties, to keep our options open. It’s a difficult situation.”
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The NFL is investigating the Washington Redskins’ offer sheet to New York Jet wide receiver Laveranues Coles to see if the Redskins broke rules by failing to promptly notify the league after reaching an agreement with Coles.
On Wednesday, he signed an offer sheet that would pay him $35 million over seven years, including a $13-million signing bonus.
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Quarterback Shane Matthews signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Matthews will back up Brad Johnson with the Super Bowl champions, replacing Rob Johnson, who signed on to take Matthews’ job as Washington’s backup.... Linebacker Nate Wayne signed a four-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles worth slightly more than $13 million.
The Cleveland Browns signed free-agent linebacker Barry Gardner to a two-year, $1.6 million contract.... Charlie Batch has agreed to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the backup quarterback to Tommy Maddox.... The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free-agent linebacker Keith Mitchell to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Auto Racing
Elliott Sadler put up a fast lap early, 170.147 mph in his Ford Taurus, then waited as driver after driver came up short in qualifying for Sunday’s Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington, S.C. The result was Sadler’s first pole in 146 Winston Cup races.
Ryan Newman, who won the pole last week at Atlanta, was second fastest at 169.374 in a Dodge, and Jerry Nadeau was third in a Pontiac at 169.170.
Track and Field
Justin Gatlin, competing overseas for the first time, underlined his reputation as track and field’s latest sensation by winning the 60 meters at the World Indoor Championships at Birmingham, England.
Gatlin, 21, followed up his victory at the U.S. championships by outracing an international field in 6.46 seconds, although both Maurice Greene and Tim Montgomery sat out the race.
Kim Collins of St. Kitts was second in 6.53, with Jason Gardener of Britain third in 6.55.
In the women’s 60, world outdoor 100 champion Zhanna Block of Ukraine led from the start and won in 7.04 seconds, the fastest time in the world in two years.
Americans Angela Williams (7.16) and Torri Edwards (7.17) were next.
In another final on the first day of the three-day meet, Manuel Martinez of Spain won the shotput, beating defending champion John Godina with a final throw of 69 feet, 8 1/4 inches.
Muna Lee of Louisiana State broke Merlene Ottey’s collegiate record by finishing the women’s 200-meter preliminaries in 22.49 seconds at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Fayetteville, Ark.
Lee ran the fastest time in the world this year. The old record of 22.79 was set by Ottey for Nebraska in 1982.
Another LSU runner, freshman Kelly Willie, ran the second-fastest time in the world this year in the preliminaries of the men’s 400 meters at 45.79 seconds.
Winter Sports
Canada’s Jeremy Wotherspoon overcame back problems to win the 500-meter men’s race at the speedskating world distance championships at Berlin.
Germany’s Anni Friesinger won the women’s 1,500 for the third time, finishing in 1:57.43, two seconds ahead of Japan’s Maik Tabata.
Tabata finished just ahead of American Jennifer Rodriguez (1:59.31).
Germany’s Ronny Ackermann, having already clinched his second consecutive Nordic combined title, won his fourth World Cup event of the season at Lahti, Finland.
Ackermann, who started the cross-country ski race in third place after the opening ski jumping portion, completed the 15-kilometer event in 41 minutes 20.1 seconds, wiping out his disadvantage.
College Baseball
Cal State Fullerton junior right-hander Wes Littleton has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.
Littleton is 4-0 with a 3.05 earned-rim average for the Titans, who lost to USC, 3-2, on Friday night at Dedeaux Field.