In brief: Gorton enlisted to help keep Sonics
Seattle’s mayor has enlisted former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton to help keep the SuperSonics and Storm in town.
Gorton, a Republican who represented Washington for 18 years, has experience with this sort of thing. He sued the American League to land the Mariners and later brokered an ownership change to keep them here.
It’s not clear exactly what role he’ll play, and he hasn’t been formally hired, Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis told the Seattle Times. Sonics and Storm owner Clay Bennett has set an Oct. 31 deadline for a new arena deal. If he doesn’t get it, Bennett has said his Oklahoma City-based ownership group will seek NBA permission to move the Sonics and Storm as early as next season.
“The Dallas Mavericks and Devin Harris have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth roughly $42 million.
“Prosecutors decided not to file marijuana possession charges against Pacers forward Shawne Williams following his arrest this week in Indianapolis, but the team suspended him for three games for poor judgment.
“Tony Parker missed a game-tying free throw with 7 seconds to play, and Russia went on to beat France 75-71 and reach the semifinals of the European Basketball Championship in Spain. It is Russia’s first trip to the Final Four in 10 years.
“An investigation into notes including racial slurs that were found in the Ball State’s men’s basketball office has yielded no results, school officials said.
Golf
Clark on course
Tim Clark tied the course record at East Lake in Atlanta with an 8-under-par 62 and hardly anyone was surprised at the Tour Championship, the final playoff event that felt more like preseason with such easy conditions.
The greens turned into sponges after a three-hour storm delay. Only 10 players finished the first round, and there was no guarantee Clark’s 62 would hold up.
Miscellany
Spying ups interest
An accusation of spying, with cameras behind a two-way mirror, has stirred up intrigue at the women’s World Cup in Wuhan, China.
The day before their match with China, Denmark team officials found two men with video cameras sitting behind a two-way mirror in the hotel conference room where the team was about to hold a strategy meeting.
Denmark coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller refused to shake hands with his China counterpart after his team’s 3-2 loss in Group D on Wednesday.
“The NHL is set to announce next week that the Sabres will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Year’s Day in an outdoor game to be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y..
It will be the NHL’s second outdoor game.
“Texas senior safety Tyrell Gatewood was suspended indefinitely after his arrest on drug charges, the fifth arrest of a Longhorns player since June.
“The All American Football League drew its biggest names at one of its biggest combines.
Eric Crouch, the 2001 Heisman Trophy winner at Nebraska, worked out at Ford Field in Detroit for scouts from the new league, which plans to begin its 10-week season in April.
More than 300 players – many of whom were in NFL training camps this summer – turned out for the league’s evaluation session.