Sports Log

Basketball

Ref sues AP, writer over Twitter blast

Veteran NBA referee William Spooner sued the Associated Press andAP sportswriter Jon Krawczynski over a Twitter message suggesting heintentionally made a bad call to make up for a previous bad callthat went against the Timberwolves. In the second period of the Jan.24 Rockets-Timberwolves game, Spooner called a foul against aTimberwolves player. According to Spooner's lawsuit, Wolves coachKurt Rambis argued the call and Spooner told him he would review itat halftime. Rambis said that was fine, but asked how he wassupposed to get the points back, according to the federal lawsuitfiled in Minneapolis. Krawczynski, seated courtside, posted a tweetthat said, "Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he'd `get it back' after abad call. Then he made an even worse call on Rockets. That's NBAofficiating folks." The Rockets won, 129-125. Spooner, who claimsthe tweet led to a disciplinary investigation by the NBA, is askingfor damages of more than $75,000 plus a court order to remove thestatement from Krawczynski's Internet postings. Tim Frank, the NBA'ssenior vice president for basketball communications, said the leagueinvestigated the tweet and "found it to be without substance, andinformed Mr. Spooner that we considered the matter closed." . . .Rockets guard Terrence Williams is expected to miss a week afterundergoing minor surgery yesterday to relieve lower abdominaldistress.

NHL

Fans protest in Montreal for Pacioretty

Hockey fans gathered outside Montreal's Bell Centre before lastnight's game against Washington to protest the NHL's decision not tosuspend Boston's Zdeno Chara for his hit on Canadiens forward MaxPacioretty last week. Fans chanted, waved placards denouncing NHLcommissioner Gary Bettman, and signed petitions against hockeyviolence at a rally in the wake of a hit that sidelined one of theirplayers. Organizers said about 1,000 people signed a petitionagainst hockey violence that will be sent to Bettman. Chara has saidhe didn't intend to injure Pacioretty . . . Flyers defenseman ChrisPronger had successful surgery to repair a small fracture on hisright hand. He is expected to miss 3-4r weeks. Pronger first injuredthe hand on Feb.24 against the Islanders when he blocked a shot . .. Blackhawks defenseman Jordan Hendry had surgery to repair a tornanterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out sixmonths.

Soccer

Galaxy top Sounders in MLS opener

Los Angeles midfielder Juninho beat Seattle goalkeeper KaseyKeller on a 25-yard shot inside the near post in the 58th minute,and the Galaxy opened the Major League Soccer season with a 1-0 winover the Sounders at Seattle. . . Swiss striker Blaise Nkufo cutties with the Sounders just hours before their season opener withthe Galaxy . . . Star forward Abby Wambach and top goalkeeper HopeSolo are on the US roster for the national women's team's firstmatch in England, part of a 20-day training camp in the UnitedKingdom for the Americans as they prepare for this summer's Women'sWorld Cup in Germany.

Olympics

Leaders at USOC offer to help Japan

Leaders at the US Olympic Committee have reached out to theircounterparts in Japan to offer assistance in the wake of theearthquake that has killed thousands there. CEO Scott Blackmun saidfrom Atlanta he had sent letters to the leader of Japan's Olympicorganizing committee offering help but has not yet received aresponse. The disaster has forced the postponement, and possibly thecancellation, of the figure skating world championships that werescheduled to begin next Monday in Tokyo . . . North Korea'sgymnasts are still barred from the 2012 London Olympics aspunishment for age falsification, despite the country's reformefforts. North Korea asked the International Gymnastics Federationfor leniency last month after firing the president of its GymnasticsAssociation, its international director and her secretary, andbanning them from gymnastics.

Miscellany

Cuche quashes retirement rumors

Swiss skier Didier Cuche ended rumors he's ready to retire,pledging to return next season. The three-time World Cup downhillchampion said he had "great motivation" to keep skiing on the eve ofthe season's final meet. Cuche can win his fourth World Cup downhilltitle - second only to Austrian great Franz Klammer's five - witha victory today. Swiss media speculated the 36-year-old Cuche wouldquit after a dispute with World Cup race director Guenter Hujaralast week . . . Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic rolled on at theBNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., easily winning third-round matches while Kim Clijsters retired with a painful shoulder.Women's top seed Caroline Wozniacki beat Alisa Kleybanova, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 ensuring the Dane will retain her No. 1 world ranking . . .New research conducted for the US Anti-Doping Agency finds thatAmericans rank the use of performance-enhancing drugs as the mostserious problem facing sports today . . . Runners for the TD BankBeach to Beacon 10k in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, will have untilmidnight next Tuesday to register for one of 1,750 bibs availablethrough the lottery, which will be drawn next Wednesday. Runners cansign up at www.beach2beacon.org.

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