Newsmakers
Welcomed When the United Football League debuts in October, Michael Vick could be one of its players. Michael Huyghue, the commissioner of the new four-team league, says the UFL is willing to give Vick a place to play – provided there are no pending legal issues. His rights belong to the Orlando, Fla., franchise. The UFL will have teams in Orlando, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, playing games mostly on Thursday nights in October and November. The championship game is scheduled for Nov. 27. Orlando acquired UFL rights to Vick in an allocation draft of players not under contract in the NFL.
Returning Last season’s WNBA MVP and rookie of the year Candace Parker is returning to action for the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday when they host the Phoenix Mercury. The team said that Parker will be in the lineup for the first time since giving birth to her daughter on May 13. She has not played at all this season.
Arrested Former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang, one of the most prolific passers in college football history, has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and released without charges pending further investigation in Honolulu. The 27-year-old Chang was arrested at his Mililani home Thursday after a woman alleged her camera was taken away from her while she was filming a brawl last month in the Pearlridge area.
Playing Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol will play for Spain in September in the European Basketball Championship. Gasol said that it was an easy decision after winning the NBA Finals. “The season went really well for me and now I want to defend our country,” Gasol said.
Cited Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi was cited for drunken driving a few hours after she helped lead her team to victory over the Seattle Storm at Phoenix. An officer stopped Taurasi early Thursday for speeding, police spokesman Luis Samudio said. The officer smelled alcohol and gave the player several field sobriety tests, according to a police statement.
Banned Olympic speedskating great Claudia Pechstein of Germany was banned for two years because of blood doping and will miss the 2010 Vancouver Games. The 37-year-old skater is a five-time Olympic gold medalist.