Sports in brief: Stallworth suspended for season

Football: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell decided Donte’ Stallworth’s football punishment should last much longer than his 24 days in jail.

The Cleveland Browns receiver, who pleaded guilty to killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, was suspended without pay Thursday for the entire season. He is barred from team activities until he is reinstated after the Super Bowl.

“Your conduct endangered yourself and others, leading to the death of an innocent man,” Goodell wrote in a letter to Stallworth released by the league. “The NFL and NFL players must live with the stain that you have placed on their reputations.”

Stallworth struck 59-year-old crane operator Mario Reyes the morning of March 14 in Miami. He pleaded guilty June 16 to DUI manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and was suspended indefinitely by Goodell two days later.

“Regardless of the length of my suspension, I will carry the burden of Mr. Reyes’ death for the rest of my life,” Stallworth said in a statement.

“I urge NFL fans not to judge NFL players or me based on my tragic lapse in judgment. I am a good person who did a bad thing. I will use the period of my suspension to reflect, fulfill my obligations, and use this experience to make a positive impact on the lives of those who look up to NFL players.”

Stallworth drew a 30-day jail sentence and reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the family of Reyes, who was leaving his job when killed.

The receiver signed a seven-year, $35 million contract in 2008 and received a $4.5 million roster-signing bonus the night before the crash. He will lose the remaining $745,000 on his deal for 2009.

•Owens out against Chicago: Terrell Owens will miss the Buffalo Bills’ preseason game against Chicago this weekend because of a sprained toe.

Pitino support continues

Men’s basketball: University of Louisville president James Ramsey says it’s time to move on after Rick Pitino’s public apology for sex with a woman outside his marriage.

Ramsey said that the basketball coach is “our guy” and that he believes the school will become stronger following Pitino’s expression of remorse on Wednesday.

The coach’s apology came after police documents became public showing Pitino admitted sex six years ago with a woman who is now charged in federal court with trying to extort money from the coach.

•European player shot: Lavelle Felton, a 29-year-old European league basketball player, was in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head after he was attacked leaving a gas station in his hometown of Milwaukee, officials said.

Milwaukee police would not confirm the victim’s identity but said a 29-year-old was shot in the head driving away from a gas station around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Police say a passenger reported that his cousin had been shot.

Whalen helps Sun outshine Storm

Women’s basketball: Sandrine Gruda had 14 points and Lindsay Whalen had 11 and seven assists as the Connecticut Sun defeated the Seattle Storm 64-53 in Uncasville, Conn.

Whalen became the 12th player in the WNBA history to each 900 career assists.

Lauren Jackson, who shot 3 for 16 from the field, is one point shy of 5,000 in her career.

•NCAA punishes Fresno women: Fresno State’s women’s basketball team has been stripped of its 2007-08 Western Athletic Conference championships because a point guard played 32 minutes with an Australian professional team four years ago.

The NCAA said Emma Andrews’ appearances with a pro team when she was 16 violated collegiate athletics rules, and the conference removed the California State University, Fresno’s regular-season and tournament championships Wednesday.

Liukin back on beam at nationals

Miscellany: Nastia Liukin scored a 14.45 in a solid, but less-than-perfect beam routine at the U.S. championships in Dallas, then exited stage right. Earlier, she skipped the uneven bars, which previously she had said she would perform.

With Liukin out of the mix for the all-around and defending national champion Shawn Johnson taking a break, 2007 junior national champion Rebecca Bross jumped into the lead after the first day, with 58.55 points, 0.35 points ahead of Ivana Hong. Bridget Sloan is in third.

•Phelps involved in collision: Baltimore police say Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps was in a two-car collision but not injured.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says Phelps was driving a late-model Cadillac Escalade when it and a Honda Accord collided at an intersection near downtown Baltimore.

Guglielmi says Phelps has been interviewed by police and alcohol was not a factor.

•Suspected Forrest killer denied bond: The 30-year-old man suspected of shooting and killing ex-boxing champion Vernon Forrest was denied bond Thursday, a day after Atlanta officers pursued him on an interstate and arrested him.

Charmon Sinkfield had his first appearance before a magistrate at the Fulton County jail on charges including murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault.

Police say he was arrested the previous night driving a black sedan on Interstate 20 in Atlanta, wearing a wig that gave the appearance of dreadlocks.

•Golf, rugby in mix for 2016 Olympics: The International Olympic Committee executive board selected golf and rugby from a list of seven proposed sports, which also included squash, karate and roller sports for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Games.

The board also approved women’s boxing for the 2012 London Games, bringing gender parity to the only summer Olympic sport that had been for men only.