Fast Break
Auto racing
Earnhardt faces uphill battle
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one last chance to race his way into the chase for the Nextel Cup, but knows the odds are stacked against him.
Even if he wins tonight’s race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Kevin Harvick would have to finish worse than 33rd for Earnhardt to make the Chase for the championship.
“It’s obvious what our chances are,” Earnhardt said Friday. “I am just going to run hard and leave the rest up to chance.”
Earnhardt enters the race 128 points behind Harvick for the 12th and final qualifying spot. A handful of scenarios can get Earnhardt into the Chase, but none is easy and most require him finishing inside the top five with Harvick coming in last
In 13 Cup races here, Harvick has one win, six top-10 finishes.
College basketball
Tickets on sale for Zags-Vols
This year’s exclusive Spokane presale for the 2007 Comcast Battle in Seattle featuring Gonzaga University and the University of Tennessee begins today at 10 a.m. and ends Thursday.
The Bulldogs and the Volunteers will meet at 1 p.m. Dec. 29 at Seattle’s KeyArena in the fourth annual event.
Tickets are available to Spokane-area residents and those who register for the Battle in Seattle mailing list. Interested fans can also log on to the official Battle in Seattle Web site at www.battleinseattle.com to register for the mailing list and receive a special internet code allowing tickets to be purchased online during the presale.
Tickets for the 2007 Battle in Seattle will go on sale to the general public next Saturday.
NFL
Jury finds Stevens guilty
A jury found Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Stevens was arrested in March after police stopped his car in downtown Scottsdale, Ariz. Police said Stevens smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.
Stevens, 27, went to trial on three DUI charges, all stemming from the March incident.
Stevens faces a jail sentence of at least 30 days under an Arizona law for “extreme” intoxication, where a driver has a blood alcohol content of .15 percent or higher. The legal limit in Arizona is .08 percent. Stevens’ measured .20 percent when he was arrested.
Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said earlier this week he expects Stevens to play Sunday.