Sports in brief: M’s catcher hurt in celebration
Those postgame celebrations at home plate can be dangerous. Just ask Seattle Mariners catcher Rob Johnson.
Johnson was unavailable for Sunday’s series finale against the New York Yankees after spraining his left ankle during the postgame celebration following Ichiro Suzuki’s game-winning homer Friday night. Johnson was apparently jumping up and down in the right-handed batter’s box and twisted his ankle in the hole where hitters dig in.
Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said Johnson is getting some good-natured ribbing from his teammates and would only be used in an emergency Sunday. Rookie Adam Moore started behind the plate.
Associated Press
Sharpe drops in on Broncos
Shannon Sharpe made a splashy entrance for his induction into the Denver Broncos’ Ring of Fame, skydiving into the stadium in tandem with a professional parachuter.
Sharpe landed near the 10-yard line by the south end zone at Invesco Field before unhooking his harness and waving to the cheering crowd shortly before kickoff of the Broncos’ game against Cleveland.
Sharpe was honored at halftime.
The tight end played 12 seasons in Denver, helping the Broncos win back-to-back titles in the late 1990s. He retired as the career leader among tight ends in receptions, yards and touchdowns, marks that were later eclipsed by Tony Gonzalez.
Associated Press
Vito dances with stars
Louie Vito knows all about double corks, mistyflips, ollies and swiffers. The rumba, salsa and tango? May as well have been a foreign language until a few weeks ago.
The snowboarder is the latest – and perhaps most unlikely – athlete to take a turn on “Dancing With The Stars.” The new season begins tonight, with Vito paired with professional dancer Chelsie Hightower.
“It’s pretty crazy. Who would have thought that ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ a show all about ballroom dancing and the big-time celebrities they’ve had on, would want a snowboarder?” he said. “I think that’s really cool to see snowboarding is actually heading to mainstream and getting recognition.”
The show will give snowboarding extra time in the spotlight before Vancouver and, Vito hopes, win the sport some new fans.
“I’m interested to see what (the judges) think about me,” Vito said. “They’re probably going to be harsh because, let’s be honest, I’m not really a ballroom dancing kind of guy. But I’m going to try my hardest.”
Associated Press