Newsmakers
Extended Florida International’s Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 49 games Wednesday in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with a leadoff double in the ninth inning of a 7-1 loss to South Alabama. The infielder is within nine games of tying the record set 23 seasons ago by Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura. Wittels has the second-longest streak in Division I history. Wittels’ chance for a 50-game streak comes today, when FIU plays in an elimination game in the Sun Belt tournament.
Admitted Washington Redskins receiver Santana Moss has told teammates he received three treatments from the Canadian doctor who was charged last week with smuggling and supplying human growth hormone. Defensive lineman Phillip Daniels says Moss told a small group of players last week that he was treated by Dr. Anthony Galea. Daniels indicated that Moss portrayed the treatments as routine and did not involve any banned substances. Daniels says he believes Moss is “telling us the truth.”
Awarded A former Oklahoma State assistant basketball coach who sued Minnesota coach Tubby Smith over an aborted hiring was awarded nearly $1.25 million by a Minneapolis jury. The jury found that Smith falsely represented that he had the authority to hire Jimmy Williams when he called Williams in 2007 to talk about an assistant coach position in Minnesota. Williams claimed Smith offered him the job, whereby Williams resigned from his $200,000-a-year post at Oklahoma State. But Minnesota officials backed away from Williams after A.D. Joel Maturi pointed out that Williams had NCAA recruiting violations in his past.
Skipping U.S. skier TJ Lanning will skip the 2011 World Cup season to focus on recovering from a downhill crash last November in Lake Louise, Alberta, that fractured his neck and dislocated his left knee. Lanning, 25, plans on skiing again.
Chosen Actor Jack Nicholson will wave the green flag at the start of this year’s Indianapolis 500. Nicholson has won three Academy Awards. Previous celebrities who have waved the green flag include four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi.
Resigned Former USA Swimming national team director Everett Uchiyama no longer works for a Colorado club after his named turned up on a list of those under a lifetime ban from the national governing body. Uchiyama landed a job at the Country Club of Colorado near Colorado Springs after resigning from USA Swimming over allegations that he had a sexual relationship with an underage swimmer. The club said that Uchiyama had “resigned” effective immediately.