Thursday, October 24, 2002

WINS LAWSUIT: Bruce Grobbelarr, Former Soccer LONDON -- Associated Press reports Bruce Grobbelaar won a libel case Thursday in England's appeals highest court over charges of taking money to fix soccer games. But in overturning an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords was unanimous in condemning the former Liverpool goalkeeper. Grobbelaar won his case against Britain's tabloid Sun newspaper five years ago, but an appeals court overturned the ruling. The Sun first published the bribery allegations in November, 1994. On Thursday, four of five law lords - judges who sit in the House of Lords - reinstated the original verdict but slashed Grobelaar's damage award from 85,000 pounds (US$ 131,750) to a symbolic 1 pound (US$1.55). The judges ruled that although Grobbelaar had accepted bribes, the newspaper had failed show he had intentionally allowed goals to be scored against him. 4:18:30 PM

ARRESTED: Bryan Robinson, Chicago Bears CHICAGO -- The Sports Network reports Chicago Bears defensive end Bryan Robinson has voluntarily entered himself into the NFL's substance-abuse program following his second DUI charge of the year, according to published reports. Robinson was arrested for drunken driving and released on his own recognizance early last Friday. He was pulled over by police in suburban Lincolnshire at 2:30 a.m. (ct) Friday for improper lane use. He was then arrested on charges of DUI, driving with a suspended license and improper lane use. Robinson was released on a $3,000 recognizance bond last week and has a court date set for November 15. "He used very poor judgment last week. He was out at 2:30 a.m. on a Friday morning before a Sunday game," Bears' Coach Dick Jauron said Wednesday. "Anything that causes us to be distracted from our goal is really not going to be tolerated on our football team." 4:10:04 PM

CONVICTED: Jonta Woodward, Louisville Football LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Associated Press reports Louisville offensive lineman Jonta Woodard was sentenced to two years in prison for receiving marijuana in the mail and possessing steroids, but will not serve time behind bars. Woodard will enter a supervised program that will remove the marijuana conviction from his record after five years, prosecutors said Tuesday. Woodard pleaded guilty to receiving 15.1 ounces of marijuana in the mail. The amount necessitated a mandatory trafficking charge. 4:00:28 PM

ARRESTED: Jermaine Brooks, Arkansas Football FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Associated Press reports Arkansas tackle Jermaine Brooks was kicked off the team Wednesday, a day after city police arrested Brooks on charges he sold and possessed 10 1/2 pounds of marijuana in his off-campus apartment. Brooks was charged late Tuesday with felonies alleging drug possession, drug distribution and simultaneous possession of several rifles and handguns. Officers found $16,841 in Brooks' apartment and also arrested a woman who was there with him. Police laid out cash, marijuana and a cache of weapons on a display table for reporters to view. Deputy prosecutor John Threet said that if convicted of simultaneous possession of drugs and a gun, Brooks could be punished by life in prison, though that would be rare in a marijuana case. 3:51:45 PM

SENTENCED: Boris Becker, Former Tennis MUNICH, Germany -- Associated Press reports former tennis star Boris Becker was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation for tax evasion.  Becker, accused of avoiding $1.7 million in taxes, also was fined $300,000 and ordered to pay court costs. He admitted in court Wednesday that he kept a residence in Germany 10 years ago while claiming to reside in the tax haven of Monaco. Prosecutor Matthias Musiol had asked for a 3 1/2-year jail sentence, arguing that the 34-year-old Becker deliberately gave false information to save money. 3:48:41 PM

CONVICTED: Marion Darnell Jones, Sports Agent COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Associated Press reports a former sports agent accused of mishandling the assets of Washington Redskins running back Stephen Davis and other professional athletes pleaded guilty Monday to bank fraud. Marion Darnell Jones, the 40-year-old former president of Summit Management, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of defrauding a bank of $248,000. The indictment said Jones and Summit vice president James Brown wrongly projected 1997 earnings at more than $5 million. Their projection was "grossly inflated," Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Ruschky said. The prosecution claimed Jones and Brown squandered their clients' money by living extravagant lifestyles, and by spending their earnings on nightclubs and drugs. 3:42:47 PM

ARRESTED: Cosey Coleman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers TAMPA, Fla. -- Associated Press reports Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Cosey Coleman was released from jail Tuesday after being charged with beating the mother of his 8-month-old son outside a day care center. The 6-foot-4, 322-pound Coleman is accused of slapping the woman as she leaned into his car Monday. He then followed her to her vehicle and slapped her again as he held the child in his arms, Tampa police spokeswoman Katie Hughes said. At one point the woman drove away, and when she returned, Coleman pushed, kicked and slapped her before pulling her out of the vehicle by her ankles, police said. 3:36:25 PM

INNOCENT PLEA: Pierre Pierce, Iowa Basketball IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Associated Press reports Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce pleaded innocent to one count of third-degree sexual assault, according to documents filed Wednesday in Johnson County District Court. Pierce, 19, is accused of performing unwanted sex acts on a female acquaintance at a party at his Iowa City apartment Sept. 7. The criminal complaint filed states Pierce held the woman's hands over her head and covered her mouth when she tried to scream. 3:29:00 PM

LITIGATION: Sprewell v. New York Post NEW YORK -- Associated Press reports Latrell Sprewell is suing the New York Post for $40 million over stories concerning how the eccentric forward broke his hand. Two weeks ago, the Knicks fined Sprewell $250,000 for failing to inform the team that he broke his right pinky on September 20, two weeks before the start of training camp. The Post, citing two anonymous sources, reported October 4 that Sprewell was injured when he hit a wall with his hand while throwing a punch. The newspaper said the punch was thrown at a man on Sprewell's yacht after the man's girlfriend vomited. 3:23:53 PM

LITIGATION: MJ Sues Woman for Alleged Extortion CHICAGO -- Associated Press reports Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a woman he contends is trying to extort $5 million from him to keep quiet about their relationship more than 10 years ago.  Jordan acknowledged in the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court that he paid the woman $250,000 "under threat of publicly exposing that relationship." Jordan, who plays for the Washington Wizards but spent most of his career with the Chicago Bulls, never agreed to pay any amount above the original $250,000, the lawsuit says. The woman attempted to extort the additional money from Jordan through her attorneys, according to the lawsuit. Her lawyers were not named in the paperwork. 3:12:26 PM

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