Artist paints over Paterno’s halo on mural
Artist paints over Paterno’s halo on mural
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — An artist has removed a halo from a mural of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno amid the school’s child sex-abuse scandal.
Michael Pilato had put a halo over Paterno’s image after the beloved coach’s death in January, but said he felt he had to remove it Saturday after a report that Paterno, former university president Graham Spanier and others buried allegations of child sex-abuse against ex-assistant Jerry Sandusky. Paterno’s family denies the claim.
Pilato added a large blue ribbon, instead, on Paterno’s lapel symbolizing support for child abuse victims, a cause the artist said Paterno had endorsed.
Pilato earlier removed Sandusky from the downtown mural. He said he hasn’t made a decision on Spanier’s image. Spanier has not been charged. Sandusky has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Bobcats awarded Haywood off waivers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Bobcats have been awarded center Brendan Haywood off waivers from Dallas.
Haywood, who grew up in Greensboro and played collegiately at North Carolina — the same alma mater as owner Michael Jordan — was cut loose by the Mavericks using the amnesty clause.
An 11-year NBA veteran, the 7-foot Haywood helps fills a void at center.
Haywood has played in 733 career games for the Wizards and Mavericks with 531 starts, averaging 7.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23.7 minutes. His career field-goal percentage of .534 ranks seventh among active players and 28th in NBA history.
Haywood was a member of Dallas’ 2011 NBA championship team, and he has appeared in 53 career playoff games. Charlotte announced the move Saturday.
Keselowski wins Nationwide race
with late charge
LOUDON, N.H. — Brad Keselowski won the Nationwide race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The pole-sitter passed Kevin Harvick with about 21 laps left in the 200-lap race on the one-mile oval when Harvick got caught in traffic with Amber Cope, who was 30 laps down.
Keselowski, also entered in today’s Sprint Cup race, stretched it from there and won by just over seven-tenths of a second. He also won the pole the last two years in Nationwide races in New Hampshire, but Kyle Busch won both times.
Busch had trouble with his fuel cell Saturday and was never in contention.
Austin Dillon finished third, followed by Sam Hornish Jr. and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rounding out the top 10 were Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Truex.
Top seed Isner
reaches Newport final
NEWPORT, R.I. — John Isner feels comfortable being back in the United States.
He’s showing it by dominating his opponents.
Top seed and defending champ Isner advanced to the final at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships by beating fellow American Ryan Harrison 7-6 (4), 6-3 on Saturday afternoon.
Isner, ranked 11th, will face Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in the title match Sunday. Hewitt, a former world No. 1, defeated American Rajeev Ram 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Isner is looking to become the first repeat champion on Newport’s grass courts since France’s Fabrice Santoro in 2008.
Capriati headlines
2012 Tennis Hall class
NEWPORT, R.I. — Jennifer Capriati’s tennis career — and her teenage life — took a number of twists and turns.
She started as a teenage prodigy, was later sidetracked with off-court troubles, rebounded to become a three-time Grand Slam champion and, now, her journey is complete with her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Joining Capriati were recently retired player Gustavo Kuerten, master player Manuel Orantes, tennis industry executive Mike Davies and wheelchair champion Randy Snow, who was honored posthumously.
In a tear-filled acceptance speech, the 36-year old Capriati remembered her great moments in the game and touched on some of her troubles off the court.
Serena, Vandeweghe advance to Bank
of West final
STANFORD, Calif. — Serena Williams overpowered Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-2 in the Bank of the West Classic on Saturday night to set up the first All-American WTA final on home soil in eight years.
Exactly a week after winning her fifth Wimbledon title, Williams cruised to another victory in 60 minutes. The quick work came despite Williams converting only 38 percent of her first serves.
She will go for her second straight title at Stanford on Sunday against Coco Vandeweghe, who reached her first WTA Tour final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory against Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer.
The last All-American final at home on the WTA Tour came in 2004, when Lindsay Davenport topped Williams in Los Angeles.
Cilic to face Granollers in Croatia Open final
UMAG, Croatia —Marin Cilic will try to become the first home winner of the Croatia Open in 22 years when he takes on Marcel Granollers of Spain in the tournament final Sunday.
The second-seeded Cilic beat defending champion Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals Saturday, while Granollers upset top-seeded countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-7 (5).
With a win in the final, Cilic will become the first Croat since 1990 to win his home tournament. He has a 4-1 record against Granollers, who won their last clash in Valencia last year and is seeking his first career title.
Cilic started slowly as Dolgopolov broke twice for a 5-4 lead, but the Croat broke back amid a six-game winning streak which put him up a set with a 3-0 lead in the second.
Last year, Cilic lost to Dolgopolov in the Umag final.
Errani to face Strycova in Palermo final
PALERMO, Sicily — French Open runner-up Sara Errani beat Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-4, 6-1 on Saturday to reach the Italiacom Open final and a chance for her fourth title of the year.
The top-seeded Errani has dropped just 16 games in four matches. She also won in Palermo in 2008.
Her other victories this year were in Budapest, Barcelona and Acapulco.
British teenager Laura Robson’s impressive run ended with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 loss to eighth-seeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the other semifinal.
Robson, a Junior Wimbledon champion four years ago at 14, appeared in her first WTA semis.
Zahlavova Strycova, a Czech, won her only WTA title in Quebec City last year.
Haye KOs Chisora in 5th round of fight
LONDON — David Haye knocked out Dereck Chisora in the fifth round of their all-British heavyweight grudge fight at Upton Park on Saturday.
Five months after they brawled in Munich at a news conference, Haye put Chisora down for good with a left hook, but Haye (26-2, 24 KOs) was coming under severe pressure until the knockout in an exciting fight before 30,000 spectators.
The fight panned out as expected. Former world cruiserweight and heavyweight champ Haye had speed and a harder punch, while Chisora (15-4, 9 KOs) used his extra 37 pounds to crowd Haye and land threatening blows.
They continued hitting after the bell in the second and third rounds, and Chisora avoided trouble in the fourth when Haye let up. In the decisive round, Chisora survived an eight count, but another Haye left hook dropped him and referee Luis Pabon waved it all over.
No world titles were at stake in the scheduled 10-rounder, which was sanctioned by the Luxembourg federation because the British Boxing Board of Control wouldn’t license either fighter after their shameful antics in Munich.
The mutual dislike between them helped to attract a large crowd — more than attended the Lennox Lewis-Frank Bruno heavyweight title bout in 1993.
Hornets match Suns’ offer and retain Gordon
The Hornets have matched the Phoenix Suns’ four-year, $58 million offer to Eric Gordon, keeping the restricted free agent guard in New Orleans.
The move to retain Gordon on Saturday was expected, as Hornets general manager Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams had indicated they hoped the 23-year-old former Indiana standout could be the centerpiece of a rebuilding effort that will also include first overall draft choice Anthony Davis and No. 10 pick Austin Rivers.
Whether the decision will be palatable to fans remains to be seen. Last week, in the days before signing the Suns’ offer sheet, Gordon said he hoped to play for Phoenix, but that did not deter New Orleans from retaining his rights.
Gordon was limited to nine games last season because of a bruised right knee that required minor surgery. However, he averaged a team-high 20.6 points, and New Orleans was 6-3 when he played.
Chelsea’s Terry found not guilty of racial abuse charge
LONDON — Chelsea and England defender John Terry was found not guilty on Friday by a London court of racially abusing an opponent during a Premier League match.
The former England captain was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea’s clash with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road last season.
After a week-long trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, chief magistrate Howard Riddle ruled that the evidence was not strong enough to convict Terry.
Terry’s defense had been that he was simply repeating the words Ferdinand claimed he had said, out of incredulity.
In his judgment, Riddle said it was “highly unlikely” that Terry “abused Ferdinand in the manner he was accused of.”
“The prosecution evidence as to what was said by Mr. Ferdinand at this point is not strong,” Riddle said.
“It is therefore possible that what he (Terry) said was not intended as an insult, but rather as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him.”
By wire sources