Briefly

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Sebastian Telfair said Thursday he was offered money during recruiting by someone who claimed to represent Georgia Tech, but wonders now if it just a hoax.

Telfair issued a statement through his agent, Andy Miller, which elaborated on the allegations made in a book that a Georgia Tech supporter offered the point guard $250,000.

Yellow Jackets coach Paul Hewitt and Telfair denied the claims on Wednesday. On Thursday, the player put a slightly different spin on the alleged incident.

“I was approached by a man who claimed to be associated with the Georgia Tech program and offered money. I dismissed the offer,” Telfair said in the statement. “I’ve never had contact with coach Hewitt or anyone with the Georgia Tech program regarding this incident, nor was I ever approached by anyone or offered anything at any other time. To this day, I’m not sure if it was a joke.”

Ian O’Connor’s book, “The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball,” says Telfair claimed he was offered the money to attend a specific school.

Telfair committed to Louisville but wound up skipping college. He was drafted 13th overall by Portland.

Olympics

IOC urges expulsion of delegate

IOC leaders recommended from Turin, Italy, that Kim Un-yong be expelled permanently from the organization because of corruption charges in South Korea. He would be the highest-ranking delegate kicked out of the IOC.

Kim, an IOC vice president under suspension since last year, violated ethical principles and “seriously tarnished the reputation of the Olympic movement,” according to the International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission.

A final decision goes to the full IOC general assembly, which meets in July in Singapore. A two-thirds vote of the 100-plus members is required for expulsion.

Soccer

Referee suspended in scandal

The referee who took bribes to fix games was suspended by the German Soccer Federation in Frankfurt, Germany, in the country’s worst corruption scandal in the sport in more than 30 years.

The federation said Robert Hoyzer’s suspension was for “unsportsmanlike conduct.” He has admitted rigging four games in return for $85,000 from a gambling syndicate led by three Croatian brothers, who have been arrested. He tried to manipulate two other games without success, and in one game his help wasn’t needed.

Sports people

LSU hires Bears’ Dunbar

Oklahoma assistant Bo Pelini, Chicago Bears defensive line coach Karl Dunbar and Middle Tennessee defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto have joined the staff of LSU’s new football coach, Les Miles. Pelini will be the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, while Dunbar will be an assistant head coach and defensive line coach. Peveto will oversee LSU’s special teams. … USC coach Pete Carroll named Steve Sarkisian assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach and gave the offensive coordinator duties to Lane Kiffin, who also will coach the wide receivers and serve as recruiting coordinator. … Dany Heatley signed with AK Bars Kazan – a central Russian hockey team based in Kazan, about 450 miles east of Moscow – less than a week after pleading guilty to charges in the 2003 death of Atlanta Thrashers teammate Dan Snyder and being sentenced to three years’ probation. … Frank Mathers, who won eight American Hockey League Calder Cup titles as a player, coach and executive, died at 80 in a hospice Wednesday night a month after a severe stroke, the Hershey (Pa.) Bears said. … Apolo Anton Ohno of United States won the 1,500 meters at a short track speedskating World Cup event in Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia. Ohno finished in 2 minutes, and 15.353 seconds. … Gretchen Bleiler of the United States won the half-pipe at a snowboard World Cup event in Bardonecchia, Italy.