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For the Record
Applied
To buy the Cubs, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Potential buyers mustsubmit an application to Major League Baseball before they can examine theteam's finances; Cuban said he put his in last week. The Cubs—who are beingsold at the end of the season as part of Chicago real estate developer SamZell's $8.2 billion deal to buy the Tribune Company, which owns the team—areexpected to go for at least $600 million. "I think [Cuban] would bringwhatever it takes to win the World Series," said Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano,whose negotiations for a long-term contract extension stalled when thefranchise was put on the block. "Plus, I can be signed by him. I know hehas the money for me. Hopefully he can buy the Cubs."
Erased
By the NCAA, the Oklahoma football team's eight victories from the 2005 season,one of the penalties handed down for violations of NCAA rules. Last Augustquarterback Rhett Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn were kicked off theteam for holding no-show jobs at a Norman car dealership. Last week the NCAAsaid the Sooners were guilty of a "failure to monitor" players'employment; in addition to the vacated wins, Oklahoma will lose twoscholarships for the 2008-09 and 2009--10 academic years. Coach Bob Stoops'scareer record was adjusted from 86--19 to 78--19, and all of Bomar's stats fromthat season were also erased. Oklahoma said it will appeal.
Retired
After a loss to former Contender star Alfonso Gomez last Saturday, formerwelterweight, junior welterweight and super featherweight champion ArturoGatti. The 35-year-old Gatti (40--9) became a boxing cult hero after his brutaltrilogy with Micky Ward, who served as Gatti's trainer for his final fight.(Gatti won two of the three epic fights, which took place in 2002 and '03.) ButGatti (above) was knocked out in three of his last four fights, including aseventh-round dropping at the hands of the lightly regarded Gomez. "Hastala vista, baby," said Gatti. "I can't be taking this abuseanymore."
Suspended
By the NBA for the first seven games of next season, Kings forward Ron Artestand Warriors forward Stephen Jackson, for their recent off-the-court legalproblems. In May, Artest (below) pleaded no contest to a domestic violencecharge stemming from an argument with his wife, Kimsha; he was sentenced tocommunity service and fined $600. Last month Jackson pleaded guilty to criminalrecklessness for firing a gun outside an Indiana strip club last fall and wassentenced to community service and a $5,000 fine. Said NBA spokesman Tim Frank,"Both were serious offenses and each are repeat violators of NBArules."
Hired
As the Mets' first base coach, Rickey Henderson, the major league alltimeleader in steals (1,406). Earlier this season the 48-year-old Henderson, wholast played in the majors in 2003, said he could still play and was consideringa comeback, but last week he said his new gig with the Mets—one of the nineteams he played for in his 25-year career—means he's "officiallyretired." (He replaces Howard Johnson, who was promoted to hitting coachwhen Rick Down was fired last week.) "I wanted to be a coach," saidHenderson, who has worked as a Mets spring training base-running instructor forthe last two years. "It's my dream—outside of playing baseball."
Fractured
The neck of a fan at Yankee Stadium, in a collision with another patron whofell in the stands on July 8. Paul Robinson, 53, of Kirkland, Wash., wassitting in the upper deck with his wife and 13-year-old son when anunidentified fan tumbled down several rows of seats and crashed into Robinson'shead, breaking several vertebrae below his skull. Robinson, who underwentsurgery in New York last week, is not paralyzed. "This is a miracle," aspokesman for Montefiore Medical Center said. "That vertebra, if you go afraction of an inch, you're paralyzed." As of Monday the Yankees were stillsearching for the unidentified fan, who is believed to have been drunk when hefell.
Died
Of prostate cancer at age 68, former NHL tough guy, coach and G.M. JohnFerguson. A five-time Stanley Cup winner as a Canadiens forward from 1963through '71, the gritty Ferguson (below) served as bodyguard for Jean Beliveauand Montreal's other flashy stars: He finished his career with 1,214 penaltyminutes in 500 games and was the most feared fighter in the league. Despite hispugilistic reputation—he got into a brawl 12 seconds into his first NHL gameand considered fighting Canadian heavyweight champ George Chuvalo—Ferguson wasalso a talented scorer. He averaged 18 goals in eight seasons and added 20 morein 85 postseason games. After retiring, Ferguson, the father of current MapleLeafs G.M. John Ferguson Jr., was coach and G.M. of the Rangers and WinnipegJets and was a scout for the Sharks from '95 until his death.
They Said It
BILL BAVASI
Mariners' G.M., after Marlins president David Samson criticized the $90 millionextension Seattle gave Ichiro Suzuki:
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is'Screw Dave Samson,' then don't say anything at all. So I'm not going to sayanything at all."
Go Figure
5 Times Se Ri Pak has won the Jamie Farr Owens CorningClassic, tying the LPGA record for most wins at one event.
0 Times in their 46-year history that the Mets hadopened a game with consecutive home runs before Jose Reyes and Ruben Gotayconnected in the first inning against the Reds last Thursday.
$54 Amount earned by a homeless man in S√£o Paulo whoconfessed to sawing off the arms of a 36-year-old bronze statue of Pelé andselling them for scrap metal; he was arrested and faces four years inprison.
36,048 Attendance at Tropicana Field for the DevilRays' games against the Yankees last Saturday and Sunday, the first consecutivehome sellouts in Tampa Bay history.
.371 Bobby Abreu's batting average in the 45 games theYankees had won this season.
.158 Abreu's average in 43 Yankees losses.
SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE
Researchers at UCLA spent four years on a study thatconcluded that women prefer muscular men to flabby ones.
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TIM LARSEN/AP PHOTO (GATTI)
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RICH PEDRONCELLI/AP PHOTO (ARTEST)
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VASILY FEDOSENKO/REUTERS (PICTURE THIS)
PICTURE THIS JULY 13 Belarussian strongmen at the national airport in Minsk.
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AP (FERGUSON)
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TED S. WARREN/AP (BAVASI)
