Newsmakers
Separated Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds’ wife has filed for legal separation. Bonds and Liz Watson were married in 1998 and have a 10-year-old daughter, Aisha. Watson cited irreconcilable differences in papers filed by her lawyer Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. She is seeking spousal support and joint legal and physical custody. Bonds, Major League Baseball’s home run leader, is awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to lying to a federal grand jury in December 2003 when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs. The trial has been delayed because of a dispute over admissible evidence. Bonds’ first marriage to Susann Margreth Branco ended in a highly publicized divorce in 1994.
Returns Louisiana State forward Tasmin Mitchell has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to the Tigers as a fifth-year senior next season. LSU coach Trent Johnson said he met with Mitchell and they faxed the appropriate paperwork to the NBA. Mitchell averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds last season. He said returning to school and finishing his degree were in his best interest.
Signed Real Madrid has announced the signing of Brazilian soccer star Kaka from AC Milan. Madrid gave no financial details, but reports said the Spanish club will pay Milan 65 million euros ($92 million) for the attacking midfielder, making it one of the richest deals in soccer history. The largest previous transfer was set by Zinedine Zidane when he joined Madrid from Juventus for $65 million in 2001.
Honored NCAA tennis champion Mallory Cecil of Duke has been honored as the nation’s top female college player in her sport. The freshman from Spartanburg, S.C., won the Honda Sports Award on Monday. It is given annually to women in 12 NCAA sports.
Died Former owner Roy Boe, who owned both the Julius Erving-led New York Nets of the ABA and the fledgling New York Islanders of the NHL in the 1970s, has died. He was 79. Boe of Fairfield, Conn., died Sunday at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. After purchasing the Nets from Arthur Brown in May 1969, Boe moved the team from Commack to West Hempstead – closer to New York City – and named St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca as his general manager and coach. Carnesecca could not take the job for a year, but the team improved quickly, adding guard Bill Melchionni, center Billy Paultz and high-scoring forward Rick Barry. The Nets obtained Erving for the 1973-74 season and “The Doctor” immediately led the then-Kevin Loughery coached team to titles in 1974 and ’76, the second in the final ABA season.