Pac-10 Reveals Changes in Football and Basketball

As expected, the Pacific 10 Conference announced Monday that it had adopted a nine-game, round-robin schedule for football beginning in 2006. The conference also expanded the men’s postseason basketball tournament to include all conference teams.

Since 1978, when Arizona and Arizona State became members, football teams have played eight or fewer conference opponents and “missed” at least one each season. USC, for example, did not play Oregon last season and will not play Oregon State this season.

The basketball tournament at Staples Center will expand from eight to 10 teams and will be extended from three to four days. The winner receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

In other business at the Pac-10 meetings in Portland, Ore., over the weekend, the conference formally approved the use of instant replay in football and put Arizona State on probation for two years for extra-benefits violations. Because it took corrective action, the school will not lose scholarships and is eligible for postseason play.

Gary Klein

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Pro Football

The Miami Dolphins hired former New Orleans general manager Randy Mueller as their GM to help first-year Coach Nick Saban rebuild the franchise that slid to 4-12 last season.

Mueller replaces Rick Spielman, who left the Dolphins last week after five seasons. Mueller was the Saints’ general manager in 2000 and ’01.

Sean Taylor’s latest legal trouble, a felony charge of aggravated assault with a firearm in Miami, prompted the Washington Redskins to issue a statement excusing the safety from the rest of the team’s off-season meetings and practices.

“As an organization, the Redskins believe that it is in Sean’s best interest to focus on his personal and legal issues at this time,” the statement said.

Wide receiver Kevin Dyson signed with the Redskins in hopes of returning to the NFL after playing in only one regular-season game since the end of the 2002 season.

Defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt didn’t show up at Green Bay Packer minicamp after sitting out the first three days of workouts last week. Center Mike Flanagan said he spoke to Hunt last week, and he expected Hunt would skip the entire minicamp, which ends Thursday, because of a dispute with management.

The New England Patriots signed free-agent safety Antaun Edwards, a six-year veteran who split time between the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams last season.... Free-agent fullback Harold Morrow signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

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Jurisprudence

A trial between former NFL teammates over a jersey number was averted when running back Clinton Portis agreed to pay $18,000 to former Washington teammate Ifeanyi Ohalete.

Ohalete will receive all but $2,000 of the $20,000 he was seeking as the balance due on a $40,000 agreement that gave Portis the Redskins’ jersey No. 26 last year.

When Portis signed a new contract with the Redskins in 2004 after being traded from Denver, he said he wanted to wear the same jersey number he’d worn for two seasons with the Broncos. However, No. 26 already belonged to Ohalete, and he wanted to keep it. Protracted negotiations led to the $40,000 deal.

Portis paid the $20,000 up front and got the number, Ohalete switching to No. 30.

But Ohalete then was cut by the Redskins during training camp in August and was claimed on waivers by Arizona. Portis apparently figured Ohalete’s departure voided the rest of the contract and paid no more.

Indianapolis safety Mike Doss was sentenced to community service in Akron, Ohio, after pleading no contest to gun charges.

Doss pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon and firing a weapon within city limits. He was sentenced to 40 hours community service, fined $1,000 and ordered to destroy the gun.

Indianapolis cornerback Nick Harper was released from jail after spending two days behind bars after being charged with hitting his wife.

He was arrested Saturday and was held at the Hamilton County Jail in Noblesville until Monday morning, when he posted $2,500 bond. His initial court date is June 22.

A district judge in Coraopolis, Pa., has withdrawn an arrest warrant for former Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Plaxico Burress after officials determined he never owed $90,000 in back local wage taxes.

The arrest warrant was rescinded Friday, a day after it was issued, Burress’ tax attorney, Chuck Potter, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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Tennis

Marat Safin played through a knee injury at the Gerry Weber Open at Halle, Germany, to beat wildcard Alexander Popp, 6-3, 6-2, but could miss Wimbledon because of it.

The Australian Open champion won his first match on grass in three years, but his left knee was hurting after the first-round victory. “It hurt out there. If it feels the same before Wimbledon, I will withdraw,” Safin said.

Sania Mirza routed Claudine Schaul, 6-2, 6-0, in the first round of the DFS Classic at Birmingham, England, a grass-court warmup for Wimbledon.

Eleventh-seeded Virginie Razzano and 12th-seeded Evgenia Linetskaya also won.

Xavier Malisse, a 2003 Wimbledon semifinalist, routed Hyung-taik Lee, 6-2, 6-0, in the first round at the Queen’s tournament in London.

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Miscellany

Sophomore point guard Gary Ervin has left Mississippi State and transferred to Arkansas, Razorback Coach Stan Heath said.

Natalie Golda of UCLA was selected the winner of the Cutino Award, given annually to the best player in women’s college water polo.