Hawaii’s Shutter, Dunnachie reinstated
Hawaii’s Shutter, Dunnachie reinstated
HONOLULU — University of Hawaii head football coach Norm Chow is reinstating two players who were suspended after pleading no contest to drunk driving.
Chow said Thursday he has decided to reinstate quarterback Cayman Shutter and punter Alex Dunnachie for the fourth game of the season — an away game against Brigham Young.
He says he’s confident they have learned from their mistakes.
Dunnachie was ordered to pay $200 and take alcohol assessment and driver’s education classes as part of his sentence. He was suspended for an indefinite number of games.
Shutter was arrested in June and pleaded no contest to DUI. He was suspended for the first four games of the season.
Chow says they have missed a lot and will have to work hard to compete for playing time.
Seattle investor can now shop for NBA team
SEATTLE — Chris Hansen has a ticket to shop.
His list is short: Find an NBA franchise willing to sell and bring professional basketball back to Seattle.
Hansen, the investor trying to build a new arena, said Thursday that the league has been closely watching what’s taking place in the Pacific Northwest and a renegotiated memorandum of understanding between Hansen and the city council on the proposed arena goes a long way to easing the league’s concerns about Hansen’s plan.
“It means a lot to the NBA,” Hansen said. “They’ve been watching very close to what we’re doing. I think going in they were very skeptical we would get to this point given our history in Seattle.
“It’s a great win for the city with the league.”
UConn coach Calhoun retiring
HARTFORD, Conn. — Jim Calhoun is officially retiring as men’s basketball coach at Connecticut after a 40-year college career and three national championships.
The 70-year-old Hall of Famer and the school released a statement shortly before a news conference at center court in Storrs, where Calhoun led the Huskies for the past 26 seasons, racking up 625 of his 873 wins.
Calhoun has been slowed by health problems in recent years including a fractured hip last month.
Assistant coach Kevin Ollie, who played point guard for Calhoun from 1991-95, will be the Huskies’ new coach. His contract runs through next April 4, and he will be paid $625,000.
Bettman: Another NHL lockout looming
NEW YORK — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman maintains the league will lock out players Sunday if a new labor deal isn’t reached.
With both sides far apart and little time before the current deal expires at midnight EDT Saturday, the league’s board of governors met in New York on Thursday as a group of more than 280 players gathered at a hotel a short distance away.
Following lockouts last year by basketball and football owners, Bettman says hockey management is determined to come away with economic gains, even if it forces the NHL’s fourth work stoppage since 1992.
The last labor stoppage caused the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season, a lockout that ended only when players accepted a salary cap.
Training camps are scheduled to open Sept. 21 and the season is slated to start Oct. 11.
Source: Goodell to meet Monday with Vilma
NEW YORK — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will meet Monday with Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma to discuss Vilma’s suspension that was temporarily lifted last week.
A person familiar with the plans tells The Associated Press that Vilma will be in New York to present his case in the Saints’ bounties scandal for which he was suspended for the 2012 season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been announced.
Vilma and three other players were suspended, but an appeals panel ruled last Friday that Goodell must clarify his earlier rulings to ensure no part of his decisions was based on salary cap violations. Goodell still could reinstate the suspensions to Vilma, New Orleans defensive end Will Smith, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita and free agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove for participating in a pay-for-injure program that violates the league’s detrimental conduct policy.
Chargers’ Mathews cleared for contact
SAN DIEGO — Running back Ryan Mathews has been cleared for contact but was limited in practice as the San Diego Chargers continued preparing for their home opener Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Mathews has been out since breaking his collarbone on his first carry in the exhibition opener on Aug. 9.
Coach Norv Turner says Mathews looked good in practice Thursday. The Chargers don’t have to list his status for the game until Friday.
Tight end Antonio Gates sat out his second straight practice with sore ribs.
Oswalt experiences discomfort while throwing
ARLINGTON, Texas — Rangers pitcher Roy Oswalt has experienced discomfort while throwing for the first time since his last start was cut short because of a strained forearm.
Oswalt made his first start since Aug. 23 on Sunday, and the right-hander left after two innings because of flexor soreness near his elbow.
Texas said Thursday that the three-time All-Star will be evaluated in the next couple of days.
Oswalt joined the Rangers in late June. The 35-year-old is 4-3 with a 6.29 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances.
Whisenhunt closer to naming Kolb starter
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is inching closer to acknowledging that Kevin Kolb will be the starting quarterback Sunday at New England.
Starter John Skelton, who sprained his right ankle Sunday in the season opener against Seattle, hasn’t practiced this week, although “he did a little bit of work in the rehab stuff” on Thursday, Whisenhunt said.
Rockets’ Brockman injures eye during workout
HOUSTON — Houston Rockets forward Jon Brockman is expected to make a full recovery after he was hospitalized for a right eye injury sustained during a workout at the Toyota Center.
The 6-foot-7 Brockman, Washington’s career leader in rebounds (1,283), was a second-round pick by Portland (38th overall) in 2009.
Brockman was hurt Monday while working with an elastic band used for stretching muscles. The band apparently slipped off his foot and the recoil hit Brockman’s right eye.
Radwanska into Tashkent Open semis
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Urszula Radwanska rallied past Alexandra Panova of Russia 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in just over three hours to reach the semifinals of the Tashkent Open on Tuesday.
Radwanska, the younger sister of third-ranked Agnieszka, broke serve six times in the match but dropped her own serve five times.
The 40th-ranked Pole will play Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania, who upset eighth-seeded Galina Voeskoboeva of Kazakhstan 3-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5.
Wozniak hurts shoulder, withdraws
QUEBEC CITY — Canadian star Aleksandra Wozniak injured her right shoulder during a warm-up session and withdrew from Bell Challenge on Thursday before her scheduled second-round match against Melanie Oudin
Wozniak, ranked 48th and seeded fourth, said she will have an MRI on Friday morning.
From wire sources