Swine flu concerns end soccer event
Concerns about swine flu prompted CONCACAF to cancel the rest of its under-17 soccer championship in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the U.S. had clinched spots in the semifinals of the tournament in Tijuana. All advanced to the U-17 World Cup, Oct. 24-Nov. 15 in Nigeria.
The U.S. team, which had won its three group games, was headed to Bradenton, Fla., where the players and coaches are based.
CONCACAF, soccer’s governing body for the North and Central American and Caribbean regions, postponed until May 12 the second leg of its Champions League finals between Cruz Azul and Atlante.
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JURISPRUDENCE
Randolph to face lesser charge
Clippers forward Zach Randolph, arrested this month on suspicion of drunk driving, will face a lesser charge of reckless driving, a misdemeanor, his lawyer Blair Berk said. Randolph was pulled over in the early-morning hours April 6 on the 405 Freeway near Washington Boulevard. Randolph was suspended for two games by the Clippers.
-- Lisa Dillman
Former NBA star Jayson Williams, who was reportedly suicidal, was zapped with a stun gun by police in a Manhattan hotel suite after resisting efforts to take him to a hospital. Williams was convicted in 2004 of trying to cover up the shooting death of his hired driver at his New Jersey mansion in February 2002. He was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter, but the jury deadlocked on a reckless-manslaughter count. A retrial is pending.
A federal judge in Las Vegas entered a default judgment and ordered former NBA star Dennis Rodman to pay a former casino employee $225,000 for grabbing and humiliating her at work in March 2006.
San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips was cited for misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking a security guard in the face at a downtown hotel early Sunday.
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HOCKEY
Capitals’ Brashear is suspended
Washington Capitals forward Donald Brashear was suspended by the NHL for six games -- five for what the league called a “blind-side hit” on New York Rangers center Blair Betts in Sunday’s game -- and will sit out tonight’s Game 7 of the teams’ first-round series. Betts suffered a broken bone in an eye socket.
Brashear also made contact with Colton Orr during warmups and was barred from one game for that.
Dustin Brown of the Kings had a goal and two assists and the U.S. beat Austria, 6-1, to reach the second round of the world championships at Bern, Switzerland.
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HORSE RACING
Del Mar shortens racing program
Del Mar will drop most Monday programs when it opens its 70th season in July. . . . Quality Road, expected to be among the Kentucky Derby favorites, is out of the race because of a quarter crack on his right hind foot.
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MOTOR RACING
NASCAR: No changes to track
NASCAR officials said they are not considering changing the racing surface at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway even after a crash Sunday that sent debris into the grandstands, injuring several spectators. . . . Mike Skinner won the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 trucks race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
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BASEBALL
Armada signs pitcher Irabu
Hideki Irabu, 39, the high-priced right-hander from Japan who was 34-35 with a 5.15 earned-run average in six major league seasons, has signed with the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League.
-- Dylan Hernandez
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PASSINGS
Longtime football coach Gansz, 70
Southern Methodist assistant football coach Frank Gansz Sr. died Monday at age 70. Gansz coached 24 seasons in the NFL and 14 in the collegiate ranks. He was the father of UCLA assistant coach Frank Gansz Jr. and served as a Bruins assistant in 1976 and 1977.
