Newsmakers
Signed The Atlanta Hawks signed free-agent forward Joe Smith on Tuesday to address the team’s lack of inside depth. Terms of the deal were not released.
Named Former Broncos running back Floyd Little and Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The hall’s seniors committee chose the 67-year-old Little, who gained more than 12,000 total yards in the NFL, and the 71-year-old LeBeau, a star defensive back before becoming a coach.
Decided Buffalo running back James Starks decided to undergo shoulder surgery and will miss his senior season. Tests revealed Starks has a labral tear in his left shoulder. He should make a full recovery after four to six months of rehabilitation.
Suing Two Dallas Cowboys employees, scouting assistant Rich Behm and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who were seriously injured in the collapse of the team’s indoor practice facility filed lawsuits against Summit Structures LLC and others involved in building and repairing the steel and fabric facility. The 88,000-square-foot structure collapsed in a wind storm May 2.
Retired Olympic cross-country ski champions Julia Chepalova and Yevgeny Dementiev retired after it was announced they tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO.
Jailed Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was back behind bars, accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work. Donaghy, 42, was being held without bond at a halfway house in Tampa, Fla., where he was finishing his 15-month sentence for gambling charges.
Died Former Portland State basketball coach Loyal “Sharkey” Nelson has died at 96. He died Saturday in Seal Beach, Calif., following hip replacement surgery. Nelson coached the Vikings from 1953-65, compiling a 162-156 record.
•Former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman T.J. Turner has died of complications from a stroke. He was 46. Turner played seven seasons for the Dolphins from 1986-92, compiling 16 sacks in 101 career games.
•Austrian skiing great Toni Sailer, who in 1956 became the first skier to win all three Alpine gold medals at a Winter Olympics, died at the age of 73 after a long illness.