- Publish date:
For The Record
Retired
From international soccer, Brian McBride, the only U.S. player to score in morethan one World Cup. The striker-whose 30 goals for the U.S. is second alltimeto Eric Wynalda's 34-scored the Yanks' lone goal in 1998 and added two more in2002, including a diving header in a 3-2 upset of heavily favored Portugal(above). The 6-foot McBride, 34, was at his best in the air, in part becausethere were few places he was afraid to stick his nose to win a ball. He had hischeekbone broken three times, and his cheek was split open by a Daniele DeRossi elbow against Italy in the '06 World Cup. "His legacy will be that ofa true ironman on the field and a gentleman off of it," said U.S. Soccerpresident Sunil Gulati.
Won
By former WBC and IBO light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr., the NABO lightheavyweight belt, with a unanimous decision over Prince Badi Ajamu in Boise,Idaho, last Saturday. By the standards Jones, 37, set in his prime, it was anunimpressive win. The NABO is a lightly regarded sanctioning body; the34-year-old Ajamu (25-3-2) looked tired and winded throughout the fight; andJones (50-4) himself graded his performance a C. But it was his first victorysince 2003-he had lost three straight bouts and hadn't fought in 10 months-andlikely prolonged his career by at least one fight. "I'm close," saidJones, who's eyeing a matchup with undisputed super middleweight champ JoeCalzaghe. "In two or three months I'll be all the way back."
Retired
After 13 NFL seasons, Chiefs tackle Willie Roaf. An 11-time Pro Bowler whoplayed nine seasons with the Saints before joining Kansas City in 2002, Roaf,36, played only 10 games last year because of knee and hamstring injuries. Withhis body still not fully healed as the Chiefs opened training camp last week,he decided to hang it up. "If I felt I could play like I used to play, I'dplay again," he told The Kansas City Star. Roaf plans to enroll at UCIrvine to finish work on the sociology degree he began when he played atLouisiana Tech.
Named
By the NFL, five finalists for the vacant commissioner's post. Roger Goodell,the NFL's COO and the overwhelming favorite, is the only finalist from theleague office. Two are lawyers: Gregg Levy is the NFL's outside council, andFrederick Nance practices in Cleveland. The other two are businessmen: RobertL. Reynolds (Fidelity Investments COO) and Mayo A. Shattuck III (ConstellationEnergy CEO), who helped broker the Browns' move to Baltimore and whose39-year-old wife, Molly, is the oldest cheerleader in the NFL (Life of Reilly,Sept. 26, 2005).
Played
Leftfield for the Nashua (N.H.) Pride of the independent Can-Am league, Olympicskier Bode Miller. The New Hampshire native, who last played organized baseballwhen he was 14, signed a one-game contract to raise money for charity. Miller,28, started in leftfield last Saturday. He hit second and struck out in his twoat bats, but he made a spectacular diving catch (above), backpedaling to thewarning track before leaping to make the grab. "That catch was prettyspecial," said Nashua manager Butch Hobson, whose team beat Brockton 12-2in front of its third sellout crowd of the season. "Maybe him being herebrought us some luck. The guys seemed to enjoy being around him."
Ended
A brief holdout, running back Reggie Bush, who signed a six-year contract withthe Saints last Saturday. The deal, which includes $26.3 million in guaranteedmoney, could be worth as much as $62 million. New Orleans opened camp lastThursday, but Bush was absent because his agents demanded a deal on par withthe six-year, $54 million contract top pick Mario Williams signed with theTexans.
Switched
Political parties, Charles Barkley, a longtime Republican who now says he'sconsidering a run for governor of Alabama as a Democrat in 2010. The TNTanalyst, who grew up in Leeds, Ala., said he changed his political allegiancebecause Republicans have "lost their minds." Barkley (right) willdecide whether to run after his 17-year-old daughter, Christiana, finishes highschool. "I really believe I was put on earth to do more than playbasketball and stockpile money," he said.
Proposed
By Division I-AA schools, that the names of the NCAA's top two footballdivisions be changed. In 1978 the NCAA split Division I schools into I-A andI-AA tiers for football. But some I-AA members have felt stigmatized when fansand media use the label to refer to their entire athletics programs; theysuggest Division I-A should be known as the Football Bowl Division and I-AA(which has a postseason playoff) the NCAA Football Championship Division. Theproposal will be voted on by the Division I board on Thursday.
Pleaded
Guilty to stalking an ex-girlfriend, former Indians, White Sox and Oriolesslugger Albert Belle. In February the five-time All-Star, who retired in 2000,was charged in Phoenix with stalking the unidentified woman-he had attached aglobal positioning device to her car-and he was arrested again in May aftermaking threatening phone calls. Belle, who has been in jail since the secondarrest, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24; he faces up to nine years injail and probation.
Died
Of pancreatic cancer at age 44, former Olympic rower Andrew Sudduth, who won asilver medal with the U.S.'s eight-man team at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.One of the best rowers the U.S. has produced, Sudduth won four World RowingChampionship medals and singles sculling events at five Head of the Charlesregattas in Boston. After retiring from rowing, he worked as a computerprogrammer at Cisco Systems, at which he helped develop servers that became thefoundation of the Internet.
Unveiled
By the Milwaukee Brewers, a new contestant in the Miller Park Sausage Race: theMexican chorizo. The Latino link (decked out in a sombrero and bandanna andnamed El Picante) made his debut last Saturday night, finishing third in hismaiden race against the four pork products that compete at every Brewers homegame: a bratwurst, a Polish sausage, an Italian sausage and a hot dog. ElPicante will join the races full time in 2007. "I am very humbled to be inthe presence of so many world-class wieners, but hopefully I can bring a littlesomething new to the table," the spicy Mexican tube steak said in astatement that was read in both English and Spanish.
Yankee Clippees
NEW YANKEE Sal Fasano has played for seven teams innine seasons, so he understands the realities of baseball. "You're ananimal," the catcher, 34, said after being traded by the Phillies lastweek. "Sometimes you go from zoo to zoo." And in the Bronx Zoo you gofrom wild to at least tame-looking, as per the orders of a certain Mr. GeorgeSteinbrenner. Fasano is the latest newcomer to comply with team policies,trimming his locks and shaving his Fu Manchu upon arriving in New York.
Driven Mad
THINGS HAVE been especially chippy of late in NASCAR,but the stock car boys took Sunday off, which allowed Indy Car and Champ Carstars to show that when it comes to histrionics, they are backseat drivers tono one. In Brooklyn, Mich., Danica Patrick (left) blew up after her car ran outof gas with two laps left, relegating her to 17th place. She beat her steeringwheel, slammed her helmet to the ground and stomped up pit road, a trail ofnot-so-ladylike verbiage in her wake.
While Patrick reserved her wrath for her equipment,Champ Car drivers Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracy (far right) took their anger outon each other. After Tracy caused both drivers to wreck, Tagliani got in hisface on pit road. Disregarding one of the cardinal rules of brawling("never punch a guy in a helmet"), Tracy traded blows with his fellowCanadian. "I said I was sorry," said Tracy, "but he kept grabbingme, and I told him to stop grabbing me. I had to defend myself."
Go Figure
3 Grand slams by the Mets' Carlos Beltran in July,tying a major league record for slams in a month held by eight otherplayers.
4 Times in his career that the Cardinals' AlbertPujols has swung at and missed three pitches in the same at bat, according toSTATS Inc.; Pujols did it for the first time this season against the Cubs lastFriday.
0 NFL tight ends who make more than 49ers rookieVernon Davis, who became the highest paid before playing a down when he signedfor five years and $23 million last week.
8 Birdies by Corey Pavin in the first nine holes ofthe first round of the U.S. Bank Championship; Pavin set a PGA nine-hole recordby shooting a 26 on the front nine last Thursday.
TWO PHOTOS
PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (MCBRIDE DIVING); HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES (MCBRIDE)
TWO PHOTOS
CHUCK SOLOMON (FASANO AFTER); RICK SCUTERI/US PRESSWIRE (FASANO BEFORE)
 Fasano
Beatle to Borat
TWO PHOTOS
KATHY WILLENS/AP (GIAMBI AFTER); V.J. LOVERO (GIAMBI BEFORE)
 JasonGiambi
Monster to Munster
TWO PHOTOS
RON LEBLANC/WIREIMAGE.COM (DAMON AFTER); JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY IMAGES (DAMON BEFORE)
 JohnnyDamon
Neanderthal to Nerd
TWO PHOTOS
JOHN IACONO (JOHNSON AFTER); JEFF TOPPING/REUTERS (JOHNSON BEFORE)
 RandyJohnson
Mullett to Milquetoast
FIVE PHOTOS
MORRY GASH/AP (CHORIZO); LAT PHOTO (TRACY AND TAGLIANI); JEREMY WADSWORTH/THE BLADE (PATRICK); DON EMMERT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (BARKLEY); MARK BOLTON/NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER (MILLER)
