Fast Break

Figure skating

Tonya & Nancy: a wack(y) opera

A musical version of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal is set to open Feb. 21 in Portland, Harding’s hometown.

“Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera” features 20 freshly crafted rock ‘n’ roll songs bearing such titles as “Whip Her Butt,” “Watch Your Back” and “When You Wake Up Sleeping in Your Car in Estacada.”

On Jan. 6, 1994, a man clubbed Kerrigan, Harding’s Olympic figure skating rival, on the right knee as she left a practice session for the national skating championship. Six days later, Harding’s bodyguard confessed to the attack and implicated Harding, her ex-husband and a couple of friends in a conspiracy to knock Kerrigan out of the competition. Two months later, Harding pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution in the case and was banned for life by the U.S. Figure Skating Association.

“The whack is only part of their wacky, wacky world,” said Don Horn, producer and director of the new show.

Arena Football

Savage signs AFL contract

Former Spokane Shock wide receiver Antwone Savage signed a contract with the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League.

Savage was named to the arenafootball2 all-league first team in 2007. He collected 40 touchdowns and 2,260 all-purpose yards (1,482 receiving yards and 692 return yards).

In the Shock’s 2006 arenafootball2 championship season, Savage led the team with 1,851 all-purpose yards with 21 touchdowns and 85 receptions.

Savage is the fifth player from the 2007 team to sign an AFL contract.

College football

Nichols earns national honor

College Sporting News has named Eastern Washington University quarterback Matt Nichols as one of its four national NCAA Football Championship Subdivision players of the week.

Nichols, a sophomore from Cottonwood, Calif., threw for 317 yards and five touchdowns in last Saturday’s 52-24 rout of Big Sky Conference rival Northern Arizona and posted an efficiency rating of 273.3 – the fourth-best effort this season among FCS quarterbacks.