Briefly
Boxer Leavander Johnson died in Las Vegas Thursday from injuries sustained five days earlier in a lightweight title fight with Jesus Chavez.
The 35-year-old died at University Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since being injured in the fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand hotel-casino.
Johnson was put in a medically induced coma after undergoing brain surgery less than an hour after his fight with Chavez.
He was defending the IBF title he won in June against Chavez but took a beating in the fight before finally being stopped by a flurry of punches in the 11th round.
College football
Hurricane Rita delays LSU home opener
LSU’s home opener has been delayed by a hurricane once again, and this time it was Rita that forced the Tigers’ game against Tennessee scheduled for Saturday to be moved to Monday night.
The Southeastern Conference made the announcement after a conference call with school officials. The game will start at 4:30 p.m. and be televised by ESPN2.
“The safety of our student-athletes, coaches and fans is our priority,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said.
The University of Houston’s team was scrambling to arrange bus travel 500 miles to Tulsa, Okla., where it plays next Saturday. Houston’s crosstown rival, Rice, postponed its game against Navy on Saturday.
•The NCAA has approved the use of video replay review of on-field officials’ calls during all 28 Division I-A bowl games.
Basketball
Deal reunites Payton with O’Neal in Miami
Gary Payton signed a $1.1 million, one-year contract with the Miami Heat – a move that begins a reunion with Shaquille O’Neal, who lured him to the Los Angeles Lakers two seasons ago for what was a failed title run.
“We want to win basketball games, and not let our egos get in the way,” said Payton.
Community service and probation will be recommended for four Indiana Pacers players charged in a brawl with fans that broke out during a game last season, a prosecutor said, provided the players “take responsibility” by pleading guilty or no contest at pretrial hearings.
Hearings for Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson are scheduled for Friday in district court. David Harrison faces an Oct. 3 hearing.
At Belgrade, Serbia- Montenegro, France beat defending champion Lithuania 63-47 to reach the European Championship semifinals.
The French will next play Greece, which defeated Russia 66-61 on 23 points by Theodoros Papaloukas.
Motorsports
NASCAR warns drivers on track behavior
If NASCAR has its way, the road rage that has erupted in recent Nextel Cup races is over.
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said that Mike Helton, the sanctioning organization’s president, will tell the drivers prior to Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway that such behavior will no longer be tolerated and that they will risk being suspended if there is more on-track retaliation.
NHRA announced that because of Hurricane Rita it had postponed its event at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, and rescheduled it for Oct. 6-9.
Golf
International team leads Presidents Cup
The International team grabbed a 3 1/2 -2 1/2 lead at the Presidents Cup in Gainesville, Va.
Retief Goosen and Adam Scott turned in a tag-team performance that buried Tiger Woods and Fred Couples in the opening match.
Bringing up the rear were Mike Weir and Trevor Immelman, who birdied four of their first five holes in alternate shot for a dominant victory over David Toms and Stewart Cink.
Robert Gamez shot an 8-under-par 62 to take a one-stroke lead over Jeff Maggert, Woody Austin and Ted Purdy after the first round of the Texas Open in San Antonio.
Mike Rice, 65, of Houston, rallied to win the 17th and 18th holes for a 1-up victory over defending champion Mark Bemowski in the finals of the USGA Senior Amateur Championship at Rocky Face, Ga.
Diane Lang, a 50-year-old from Weston, Fla., won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, beating four-time champion Carol Semple Thompson 1-up at Rye, N.Y.
Hockey
NHL works on new agreement with CHL
The NHL and the Canadian Hockey League are close to a new agreement, which means major junior hockey clubs will soon receive developmental money they weren’t paid during the NHL lockout.
The WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League are under the umbrella of the CHL, which bills itself as the top development league.
Adam Deadmarsh retired from the NHL because of post-concussion syndrome, ending a 10-year career that included a Stanley Cup title with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and two appearances for the U.S. Olympic team.
Miscellany
Rogers wins world cycling time trial
In Madrid, Spain, Australia’s Michael Rogers won the individual time-trial gold medal for the third straight year at the road cycling world championships.
P-Forty-Seven took the lead in the stretch of both his heats, including the final of the 60th Little Brown Jug, to win the second leg of the Triple Crown for 3-year-old pacers in Delaware, Ohio.
After the race, last-place finisher Dreamfair Kogel collapsed and died on the track.