In brief: Messier, Francis earn Hall of Fame spots
The Hockey Hall of Fame is set to welcome one of its finest classes.
Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens will go in as players this fall, while NHL executive Jim Gregory will enter as a builder.
“I’m very honored to go in with a class like this,” Francis said.
All four players elected Thursday were on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Nov. 12.
“Nashville Predators forward Paul Kariya plans to enter free agency, the latest loss for a team “fighting for its life,” general manager David Poile said.
Soccer
Argentina routs U.S.
Missing most of its top players, the United States got spanked in its Copa America opener.
Hernan Crespo scored twice, Pablo Aimar and Carlos Tevez added late goals and Argentina routed a youthful United States team 4-1 in South America’s championship at Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Eddie Johnson put the U.S. ahead with a penalty kick in the ninth minute, but Crespo scored in the 11th and 64th minutes for fifth-ranked Argentina.
The loss was the first for the United States since a 2-1 defeat to Ghana on June 22 last year in Germany.
Basketball
Mavs hire Westphal
The Dallas Mavericks hired former NBA head coach Paul Westphal to be an assistant under Avery Johnson. Westphal, out of the league since being fired as Seattle’s coach 15 games into the 2000-01 season, went 267-159 with Phoenix (1992-95) and Seattle (1998-2000).
The Suns won at least 55 games in each of Westphal’s three seasons, and he led Phoenix to the NBA finals in his first full season in 1993 – a feat not matched by another first-year coach until Johnson did it with the Mavericks last year.
“Louisville assistant men’s coach Marvin Menzies will take over as head coach at New Mexico State.
Miscellany
Suit filed against ESPN
A woman who worked on the set of the ESPN talk show “Cold Pizza” is suing the sports network, saying she was fired after complaining about sexual harassment by the show’s host and a regular panelist. In the suit, makeup artist Rita Ragone said she was pinched and fondled by sports commentator Woody Paige and subjected to crude sexual comments by ESPN host Jay Crawford at the show’s studio in Manhattan.
“Rick Hendrick won’t appeal the penalties NASCAR handed Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, and their crew chiefs will immediately begin their six-race suspensions. Gordon and Johnson were each docked 100 points.
“Investigators are looking into who altered pro wrestler Chris Benoit’s Wikipedia entry to mention his wife’s death hours before authorities discovered the bodies of the couple and their 7-year-old son. Benoit’s Wikipedia entry was altered early Monday to say that the wrestler had missed a match two days earlier because of his wife’s death.