Ex-Trojan Lineman Claridge, 27, Dies

Travis Claridge, a former USC offensive lineman who played in the NFL and the Canadian Football League, died Tuesday near Las Vegas, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced. He was 27.

KVBC-TV in Las Vegas reported on its website that Claridge was found unconscious at a home near Las Vegas and died at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nev.

No cause of death has been determined, according to the report.

The Clark County coroner’s office did not return phone calls Tuesday night.

“Travis was a wonderful human being,” Tiger-Cat Coach Greg Marshall said in a statement on the team’s website. “His enthusiasm for life touched so many of us. He loved his teammates and his teammates loved him. We will all miss Travis tremendously.”

Claridge started all 48 games of his career at USC from 1996 to 1999.

He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2000 draft and played four seasons for the team.

He was cut by the Carolina Panthers in training camp in 2004 and played for the Tiger-Cats in 2005.

Claridge is the third player from USC’s 1996 team to die in less than three months. Mike Bastianelli and Darrell Russell died in an automobile accident on La Cienega Boulevard on Dec. 15.

Gary Klein

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PRO FOOTBALL

Labor Talks Break Off With No Agreement

NFL labor talks broke off in New York, three days before the start of free agency, leaving teams and players in a quandary about negotiating new contracts.

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Assn., spent the last three days meeting with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

“We’re deadlocked. There’s nowhere to go,” Upshaw said. “There’s no reason to continue meeting.”

The NFL acknowledged that talks had broken off and said no further discussions were scheduled.

The league said it would not extend Friday’s deadline for the start of free agency.

Although the collective bargaining agreement does not expire until after the 2007 season, this is a crucial period in the negotiations to extend it.

If the deal is not extended, this will be the last year with a salary cap, so agents and team officials want to know how to structure contracts.

For example, if there is no extension, the salary cap is expected to be about $95 million this season and annual raises after 2006 in a long-term deal would be limited to 30%.

If the deal is extended, the cap could be $10 million or more higher.

OLYMPICS

Worst Ratings Ever for Winter Games

NBC’s coverage of the Turin Games drew the worst Nielsen ratings for the Winter Olympics.

The network drew an average 12.2% of prime-time viewers in the 110.2 million U.S. households with televisions. The previous prime-time low was a 13.4 rating for the 1968 Winter Games at Grenoble, France.

The Olympic flag was raised at Vancouver, Canada, greeted by the cheers of thousands while four years of preparations await for the 2010 Winter Games. Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, a quadriplegic who broke his neck skiing when he was 19, and an honor guard raised the flag.

GOLF

Girl, 12, Is Cleared to Play in LPGA Event

A 12-year-old Florida girl received an exemption to play in an LPGA Tour event and fulfill the wish of her mother, who is being treated for cancer.

Dakoda Dowd will play in the inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open on April 24-30 at Orlando, Fla., the event organizers said.

TENNIS

Federer Wins at Dubai in Return From Hiatus

Top-ranked Roger Federer returned from a month’s vacation and began his bid for a fourth consecutive Dubai Open title, beating Stanislaus Wawrinka, 7-6 (3), 6-3, in a first-round match in the United Arab Emirates.... Unseeded Alessio Di Mauro defeated top-seeded Guillermo Coria, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the clay-court Mexican Open at Acapulco.... Fifth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova struggled in a first-round match of the Qatar Open at Doha, needing 2 hours 48 minutes to defeat Kveta Peschke, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-1.... Second-seeded Nicolas Kiefer defeated Sargis Sargsian, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the Tennis Channel Open at Las Vegas.

Pete Sampras, 34, is coming out of retirement to play in the World Team Tennis Pro League. He will be selected by a team in the March 28 draft.

Sampras also said that all those comparisons between him and Federer are right on the mark.

“They’re all very valid: Not only is he winning majors, but the way he’s winning them -- with pretty much ease,” Sampras said.

Sampras won a record 14 Grand Slam titles; Federer has won seven.

SOCCER

Spanish Team Zaragoza Fined for Fans’ Behavior

Zaragoza was fined $10,700 for racist taunts by fans at a Spanish League game last weekend that prompted Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o, from Cameroon, to try to leave the field.

U.S. Coach Bruce Arena called tonight’s World Cup warmup against Poland at Kaiserslautern, Germany, unimportant in terms of result but crucial for players hoping for a spot on the tournament roster.

The game against Poland represents Arena’s last chance to see most of his Europe-based players before he has to select his World Cup squad.

MISCELLANY

Sale of 2-Year-Old Colt Hits Record $16 Million

A 2-year-old colt that has yet to run a race drew a world-record sale price of $16 million at auction at the Fasig-Tipton sale at Calder Race Course in Miami.

An agent was the bidder and purchased the colt for a team headed by John Magnier and Michael Tabor. The sale broke the record of $13.1 million paid in the mid-1980s for Seattle Dancer, a half brother to Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.

NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller, 64, was charged with driving drunk Sunday at Golden Valley, Minn., and a prosecutor said the former Minnesota Viking probably would face probation and community service if convicted.

PASSINGS

Leonard, Was Olympic Champion at Berlin

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Frederick Leonard Jr., who set an Olympic pistol shooting record that stood for more than four decades, has died at 92.

Leonard died Feb. 18, several weeks after a heart attack. He won the silver medal in the pentathlon in 1936 at Berlin with the first perfect score in the modern history of the Olympics in the pistol portion of the competition.