Briefly
As the broad scope of devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina became clearer Tuesday, colleges in Louisiana and Mississippi began postponing season-opening football games and the New Orleans Saints considered moving their home opener, slated for Sept. 18 in the damaged Louisiana Superdome.
The Houston Texans’ stadium could be used for the Saints’ home opener if the Superdome isn’t available, stadium president and general manager Shea Guinn said.
Postponements begin with Thursday’s Jacksonville at Southeastern Louisiana game. The Conference USA match up of Tulane at Southern Mississippi on Saturday has been rescheduled for Nov. 26. Saturday’s North Texas at LSU game has been postponed and a rescheduled date has not been set yet. Southern at McNeese State and Nicholls State at Utah State have been canceled, according to Southland Conference spokesman Bruce Ludlow.
“The NBA players’ association said it is launching an immediate effort to assist in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
“We are in the process of contacting every player in the league to solicit their support and ideas on how we can make a difference as quickly as possible,” said union president Antonio Davis of the Chicago Bulls.
The union will help deliver supplies to the hardest hit areas.
“We want to mobilize immediately and provide as much assistance as possible to the tens of thousands of people who find themselves in life threatening situations as a result of this natural disaster,” executive director Bill Hunter said. “Our goal is to collectively raise and contribute at least $1 million in aid to the victims.”
Basketball
Giddens charged with battery
New Mexico basketball player J.R. Giddens was charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct in Lawrence, Kan., stemming from a fight outside a bar in May during which he was stabbed in the leg.
Another man, Jeremiah Creswell, was charged with misdemeanor battery.
Giddens, who needed 30 stitches for the knife wound to his right calf, was playing for Kansas at the time of the fight. He has since transferred to New Mexico.
“Connecticut point guard A.J. Price pleaded not guilty to larceny charges stemming from the theft of laptop computers from an athletic dormitory in Vernon, Conn.
Price, 19, and teammate Marcus Williams are accused of trying to sell four stolen laptops.
Both have been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team.
“Charlie Bell scored 20 points and Tyus Edney added 15 to pace the United States to a 111-86 victory over host Dominican Republic in the World Championships qualifying tournament at Santo Domingo.
“The Los Angeles Clippers signed second-round draft pick Daniel Ewing and free agent James Singleton.
“The Atlanta Hawks re-signed Tyronn Lue and signed second-round pick Salim Stoudamire.
“Free-agent forward Robert Traylor failed a physical and will not join the New Jersey Nets.
NCAA
UND to fight ruling
The University of North Dakota has formally appealed the NCAA’s decision to restrict the use of its Fighting Sioux nickname and said it has no intention of covering up arena logos at a spring hockey tournament.
North Dakota is among 17 schools with nicknames that are considered “hostile or abusive,” under a new NCAA policy. Those schools are barred from hosting NCAA tournaments and from using the names or imagery in the postseason.
Miscellany
Singh pulls out of Deutsche Bank
Vijay Singh withdrew from the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Mass., because of back spasms, giving up a chance to defend his title where he rose to the world’s No. 1 last year.
“Tiger Woods, Singh and Phil Mickelson all declined invitations to play in the World Match Play Championship in Wentworth, England.
Along with losing the top three players in the world rankings, the 16-man field will also be without defending champion Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Chris DiMarco, Fred Couples and Davis Love III.
“Todd Shell, coach of the Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers, was arrested and admitted he had been snorting cocaine, police said.
The 43-year-old Shell was spotted about 1 a.m. by an officer doing a routine check behind a strip of businesses in Mesa, Ariz.
“Busch Series driver Reed Sorenson’s crew chief was suspended for six races for soaking tires at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“Chevalier Nusuyev, a former president of the Russian youth sports federation linked to the fixing of figure skating results at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, has been shot and killed in Moscow.