The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
47°F
Current Conditions
Few clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Local zoo sacks Roethlisberger

Football: Disgraced Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been traded for NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux – at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

Roethlisberger’s name has been replaced with Lemieux’s on a display that compares the height of elephants with other creatures.

Zoo spokeswoman Tracy Gray said some zoo visitors had expressed concerns about Roethlisberger’s name on the display. She said Lemieux, the retired Pittsburgh Penguins star and team owner, is well-known and approximately the same height as Roethlisberger, about 6-foot-5.

The NFL has suspended Roethlisberger up to six games for his actions at a Georgia nightclub where a 20-year-old college student accused him of sexual assault last month.

Roethlisberger wasn’t charged with any crime in the incident.

Associated Press

Mandela may appear for Cup

Soccer: FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he is still hopeful that Nelson Mandela will be healthy enough to open the World Cup in South Africa.

The former South African president, who is 91, made his last public appearance to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his release from prison on Feb. 11.

The World Cup opens June 11 in Johannesburg.

“… We cross fingers that Nelson Mandela … can realize this dream,” Blatter said. “And his dream would be to be at the opening of the World Cup. For the time being, he is doing well and we hope that he can do it.”

Associated Press

Azzi takes over at San Francisco

Women’s basketball: Jennifer Azzi has considered herself a coach for years, going back to her days as an All-American point guard for Stanford, an Olympic gold medalist and a WNBA star.

On Friday, it became official at last. Azzi was introduced as coach of the struggling University of San Francisco basketball team in one of the school’s most high-profile coaching hires.

Azzi is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and has turned down plenty of chances to coach. She was finally ready to make the leap, considering USF a good fit right at home in the Bay Area.

Associated Press