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Staff ReporterSteelers' Hines Ward in plea deal as DUI charge dropped
ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a drunken driving charge against Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who instead pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was sentenced to probation. A Georgia judge ordered the National Football League star to serve 12 months of probation and perform 80 hours of community service, said Emily Gest, spokeswoman for the DeKalb County solicitor-general.
Super subs spark Heat to seventh straight win
(Reuters) - Miami's reserves starred in a critical late-game stretch that delivered the Heat their seventh straight victory with a 120-108 home win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. Following three tight quarters, the red-hot Heat rode their reserves during a 13-2 run early in the fourth that gave them a 106-92 advantage and a clear path to their latest triumph.
Top seed Donald exits, Tiger scrapes through
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Top seed and defending champion Luke Donald crashed out of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday, losing 5&4 to late-entry Ernie Els in the opening round. Donald won last year's title with an imperious display, never trailing in any of his six matches, but he struggled against South African Els on a sun-splashed day at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
Blazers crush undermanned Spurs by 40
(Reuters) - The Portland Trail Blazers made San Antonio pay dearly for resting two of their leading players on Tuesday, mauling the Spurs by 40 points in their worst defeat for nearly 15 years. With San Antonio (23-10) playing their third game in four nights, coach Gregg Popovich decided to rest his veteran duo and the Blazers took full advantage, hammering the visitors 137-97 to snap the Spurs' 11-game win streak.
NBA stars, celebs help fans learn English on website
(Reuters) - Rising New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin has not only sparked NBA basketball interest in Taiwan, he may also inspire fans to learn English, according to people at the website "English, baby!" With 1.6 million registered members and about a million hits a month, the educational website (www.englishbaby.com) has been using National Basketball Association players and celebrities to draw visitors to their English lessons, taught by guest stars who explain idioms associated with their work.
PGA Tour's playoffs extended for five more years
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - The FedExCup playoffs, the PGA Tour's lucrative four-event season finale, have been extended for a further five years, commissioner Tim Finchem said Wednesday. Launched in 2007, the playoffs will continue to offer $35 million in total bonus money to players based on their finish in the points standings, including a $10 million jackpot for the overall winner.
Dawson eager to finish business in Hopkins rematch
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Evergreen boxing champion Bernard Hopkins will return to the ring in April for a rematch against Chad "Bad" Dawson, who vowed on Wednesday to finish the job he started in their controversial title fight last year. The 47-year-old Hopkins (52-5-2), the oldest boxer to win a world title, will put his World Boxing Council light heavyweight belt on the line against fellow American Dawson (30-1) on April 28 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
McDowell singing Match Play blues despite six birdies
MARANA, Arizona (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell once again found himself on the wrong side of the vagaries of golf at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship when he lost to Yang Yong-eun 2&1 on Wednesday. Northern Irishman McDowell recorded six birdies in dazzling sunshine at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club but he ran into a human buzz-saw as he was trumped by a red-hot Yang in the opening round.
Hurricanes sign Ruutu to 4-year, $19 million deal
(Reuters) - The Carolina Hurricanes and Finnish forward Tuomo Ruutu have agreed to terms on a four-year $19 million contract, the National Hockey League team (NHL) said on Wednesday. The deal will pay Ruutu $4 million for the 2012-13 NHL season and $5 million in each of the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns, the Hurricanes said in a statement.
Beaten fan's lawyer says Dodgers should face suit
WILMINGTON, Del (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Dodgers fired 300 security staff before a fan was badly beaten at a game last year and the baseball team and its owner should face a lawsuit over the incident, the fan's attorney said on Wednesday. Documents will be filed on Wednesday that will show that a lack of security contributed to the attack on Bryan Stow, according to Stow's attorney, Thomas Girardi of Girardi & Keese.