Fast Break
College football
Fast apology for picking on JoePa
Texas A&M apologized to Penn State after a student leader mocked Joe Paterno by telling a crowd that the 81-year-old coach needs “a casket.”
Paterno and his Penn State team face A&M tonight in the Alamo Bowl. (Story, Page C3.)
One A&M yell leader, during a pep rally Thursday night, told the crowd that Paterno was “on his death bed” and “someone needs to find him a casket.” The remarks drew boos from the crowd.
A&M team spokesman Alan Cannon said Friday he did not know the name of the yell leader, though the student has been sent home.
“I think everybody has to take things with a grain of salt,” Paterno said. “Some young guy went up there, trying to be funny. Maybe he’s accurate, I don’t know.”
Men’s basketball
Eastern Eagles face Santa Barbara
Eastern Washington will wrap up the non-conference portion of its schedule tonight at Reese Court with a 7:05 matchup against UC Santa Barbara.
The Eagles (6-8 overall, 1-0 in the Big Sky Conference) have won three straight to open their current six-game homestand but face a difficult challenge against the Gauchos (10-2), whose only two losses have come on road against Stanford and No. 1-ranked North Carolina.
UCSB, out of the Big West Conference, is off to its best start in 19 seasons and boasts one of the nation’s top scorers in Alex Harris, a 6-foot-6 senior guard who is averaging 22.8 points a game and shooting 54.4 percent from 3-point range. Harris scored a season-high 29 points in the Guachos’ 76-61 win over Montana State on Nov. 24.
EWU is led by senior forward Kellen Williams, who is averaging 15.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Baseball
Leyritz arrested for DUI manslaughter
Former major leaguer Jim Leyritz was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and killing a driver after his car crashed into hers.
Leyritz was charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage, said Detective Kathy Collins, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., police spokeswoman. He posted the $11,000 bond and was released.
Leyritz, who lives in Davie, turned 44 Thursday.
Fort Lauderdale authorities got a call at 3:20 a.m. that a crash occurred in the city’s entertainment district, Collins said. She said Leyritz was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition when he collided at an intersection with 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch of Plantation, who was driving a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero.
Leyritz, mostly a catcher, played for six major league teams, starred in the 1996 World Series with the New York Yankees and was last in the majors in 2000. He also played for the Angels, Rangers, Red Sox, Padres and Dodgers.