In brief: Agency denies claims involving Mayo
The head of the sports agency representing O.J. Mayo denied any illegal activity involving the Southern California star on Monday, a day after ESPN reported Bill Duffy Associates gave cash to an event promoter who provided gifts.
“We are in contact with the NCAA and the Pac-10 and are working with both in a cooperative investigation to review these new allegations,” USC said in a statement.
Louis Johnson, a former associate of Mayo’s, told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that BDA Sports provided Rodney Guillory with about $200,000 before Mayo arrived at USC. Johnson said a portion of that money was given to Mayo.
“Indiana University told the NCAA that its own self-imposed penalties should be enough keep the organization from having to punish the school for improper phone calls made by Kelvin Sampson before he resigned as basketball coach.
The Hoosiers still face a hearing in front of the NCAA’s infractions committee. Sampson resigned late last season, and new coach Tom Crean inherited a one-year extension of recruiting restrictions on phone calls and the loss of one scholarship for the 2008-09 season.
Indiana also limited Crean to 10 off-campus recruiting days before July 31.
“Bill Rankin, a basketball star at UCLA during World War II and after, has died after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease. He was 84.
Rankin’s daughter, Cindy Elliott, told the Associated Press he died Sunday night at his home on Balboa Island.
Football
Walsh meetings set
Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh will meet separately with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter today to discuss New England’s videotaping of opposing coaches’ playcalling signals in violation of league rules.
Walsh is scheduled to meet with Goodell at the NFL offices in New York at 7:30 a.m. EDT. Afterward, he will travel to Washington to meet with Specter.
“Prosecutors in Miami said they will not seek the death penalty against four people charged with murdering Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor because the accused shooter was a minor when the crime was committed.
“The Chicago Bears have signed kicker Robbie Gould to a five-year contract extension through 2013.
Miscellany
USA locks third place
New York Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky scored three goals and the Americans scored three times in each period to wrap up their qualifying round at the world hockey championships with a 9-1 win over Norway in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
With the win, the U.S. (3-2) locked up third place in Pool F.
The Americans, who already had clinched a quarterfinal berth before the game, next play Finland, which lost to Canada 6-3.
“The Cuban national judo team returned home without one of its stars, whose weekend disappearance fueled speculation that she is defecting.
Yurisel Laborde, a two-time world champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, was not with the team when its flight left Miami International Airport.
Laborde has not been seen since disappearing Sunday after competing in the Pan American Judo Championships in Miami.
“World-record holder Asafa Powell resumed training after missing time with a chest injury, and should be in good health in time to run in the Olympics, his manager said.
“Cycling’s Daniele Bennati won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia in Milazzo, Sicily, in a massive sprint finish, and Liquigas teammate Franco Pellizotti held onto the overall lead.