Cycling
Evans wins Stage 3 and now leads the Tour Down Under
ADELAIDE, Australia – Former Tour de France champion Cadel Evans seized the overall lead in the Tour Down Under by winning Thursday’s third stage with a daring break on a corkscrew climb and descent.
Evans broke away near the end of the 90-mile stage from Norwood to Campbelltown, winning by 14 seconds from a group of 11 riders, which included overall runner-up and Australian compatriot Simon Gerrans and Italy’s Diego Ulissi, who is third overall.
UCI may cut Armstrong’s ban in return for information
ADELAIDE, Australia – The new president of cycling’s world body said Lance Armstrong’s lifetime ban for doping cold be reduced if he provides information which assists other doping investigations.
UCI President Brian Cookson said the Cycling Independent Reform Commission’s terms of reference might include an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the United States Anti-Doping Agency to reduce sanctions on cyclists who cooperate with the inquiry into the history of doping in professional cycling.
NFL
Browns hire Buffalo’s Pettine as their new head coach
CLEVELAND – After nearly a month of talk, turns and twists, the Browns found their man: Mike Pettine is Cleveland’s new head coach.
Buffalo’s defensive coordinator, who met with team officials for the first time just a week ago, finalized a contract Thursday to become the Browns’ seventh full-time head coach since 1999. The team fired Rob Chudzinski on Dec. 29 after one season and embarked on a winding search that ended with Pettine.
The 47-year-old Pettine, the son of a legendary Pennsylvania high school coach, spent one year with the Bills after four as Rex Ryan’s defensive coordinator with the New York Jets.
Man gets 57 years in prison for Sean Taylor’s death
MIAMI – The man who prosecutors said fired the shot that killed Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor during a botched 2007 burglary was sentenced Thursday to more than 57 years in state prison.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy imposed the sentence on Eric Rivera, 23, one of five Fort Myers-area men charged with Taylor’s death after they broke into his house looking to steal cash. One has pleaded guilty, and three others still are awaiting trial.
Rivera confessed to police on videotape that he shot Taylor after the NFL player confronted them at his bedroom door with a machete. In the confession, Rivera also said the group didn’t realize Taylor would be home with a knee injury instead of playing a Redskins game against Tampa Bay.
WNBA
Shock hire Dream’s Williams as their new head coach
TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa Shock hired Fred Williams as head coach Thursday, bringing in the former Atlanta Dream coach to turn around Tulsa’s fortunes.
Williams replaced Gary Kloppenburg, who was dismissed after compiling a 20-47 record the last two years. Nolan Richardson was the Shock’s first coach after the team moved from Detroit to Tulsa.
Last year, the Dream were 17-17 in the regular season and reached the WNBA Finals before falling to the Minnesota Lynx.
Williams is 58-55 as head coach and 5-6 in the postseason.
World Cup Ski Racing
Goergl wins the super-G at Olympia delle Tofane
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Elisabeth Goergl of Austria took advantage of an early start number to win a World Cup super-G on Thursday.
Goergl timed 1 minute, 24.23 seconds down the Olympia delle Tofane course.
Overall World Cup leader Maria Hoefl-Riesch finished second, 0.04 seconds behind, and Nicole Hosp of Austria, another early starter, was third, 0.34 back.
Associated Press
