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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Fast Break

BASEBALL

Lester to get $30M over 5 years

Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester finalized a $30 million, five-year contract Sunday, a deal that could be worth $42.75 million over six seasons if Boston exercises a club option for 2014.

“We’re extremely happy to have gotten this done,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2006, Lester came back to go 4-0 in 2007 and then 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA last year. He threw 210 1/3 innings and made 33 starts – both team highs – in his first full season in the majors. He ranked among the A.L. leaders in shutouts, ERA, starts, innings and wins.

BASKETBALL

Utah State’s mascot benched

Utah State benched its mascot for Saturday night’s championship game between the Aggies and Nevada a day after “Big Blue” the bull and New Mexico State’s “Pistol Pete” got physical with each other near the end of a semifinal matchup in the Western Athletic Conference basketball tourney at Reno, Nev.

During a timeout with 7 seconds left and NMSU leading Utah State 70-69, Big Blue confronted the cowboy mascot and ripped off his fake mustache after a man wearing a Nevada shirt at the game offered $100 to the student in the costume modeled after Paul Bunyan’s Blue Ox if he would do so.

The cowboy then chased the bull to half court, jumped on his back and tried unsuccessfully to pull him to the floor. He then started to try to choke his rival before retreating to his end of the court. Moments later, Utah State’s Tyler Newbold hit a 15-foot shot with 3.1 seconds remaining to defeat NMSU 71-70.

Utah State said in a statement Saturday that the university apologized to NMSU officials following the incident. The school said the $100 Big Blue accepted for the evil deed will be donated to Kids Kottage, a shelter for abused and neglected children in Reno.

HOCKEY

Chiefs’ players getting well

The Spokane Chiefs have announced that all the players who came down with an apparent case of food poisoning are improving and that the two postponed games from this weekend will be played as scheduled tonight and Tuesday night.

With the cooperation of the WHL, Tri-City Americans and Kelowna Rockets, the Chiefs were forced to reschedule their road game in Tri-City from Saturday to Tuesday and home game versus the Kelowna Rockets from Sunday to tonight.

A majority of the Chiefs roster was affected by a serious bout of illness following Friday night’s home game against Tri-City.

The Chiefs will host the Kelowna Rockets at 7 tonight. Fans that had tickets for Sunday’s game will have them honored tonight, or they can be exchanged at the Chiefs ticket office for any playoff game.

Associated Press Associated Press