Boxing
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Muhammad Ali insisted tickets for his memorial be free. But some people are looking to turn a profit.
People started arriving outside the KFC Yum! Center late Tuesday in downtown Louisville, ahead of the Wednesday morning ticket distribution. The line stretched around the arena. All 15,000-plus tickets for Ali’s memorial service Friday were claimed within an hour.
Some ticket holders immediately went online offering to sell their tickets.
Others posted online pleas to buy tickets. One wrote that he and his mother were driving in from Chicago for the service for the boxing great and willing to pay $50 for two tickets.
Cycling
TOURNON-SUR-RHONE, France – Fabio Aru won the third stage of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere on Wednesday after a well-timed late breakaway.
The 25-year-old Italian climber pulled clear 13½ miles from the end to clinch his first stage win at the race.
Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador maintained the overall lead, six seconds ahead of Australian Richie Porte.
Horse Racing
NEW YORK – Preakness winner Exaggerator has been made the 9-5 favorite in a field of 13 for Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The 3-year-old colt trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, drew the No. 11 post position Wednesday.
Stradivari, who ran fourth in the Preakness in his stakes debut, is the surprising second choice at 5-1. Destin, sixth in Kentucky Derby, is third choice at 6-1. Both are trained by Todd Pletcher.
NFL
ENGLEWOOD – A person familiar with the matter tells The Associated Press that Super Bowl MVP Von Miller’s camp has rejected a contract proposal that would have made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of negotiations, said Miller’s representatives rejected a six-year, $114.5 million offer that included $39.8 million in guarantees in the first two years.
Although the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement gives teams until July 15 to work out long-term contract extensions with franchised players, Broncos general manager John Elway imposed a Tuesday night cutoff because he wanted Miller to attend this week’s mandatory minicamp.
Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY – Paige Parker pitched a complete game to help Oklahoma defeat Auburn 2-1 on Wednesday night for its third national softball title.
Parker put the Tigers down in order in the seventh to improve to 5-0 at the Women’s College World Series.
Auburn’s Emily Carosone, the star of Tuesday’s comeback win with a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth, couldn’t follow it up.
In the bottom of the first, she committed an error on a grounder by Shay Knighten, and Caleigh Clifton scored for the Sooners (57-8) when Carosone lost control of a throw to first. Knighten then scored on a slow-bouncing infield single by Fale Aviu to make it 2-0.
Auburn (58-12) loaded the bases with no outs in the third, but Parker struck out Carosone, then the Sooners turned a double play to get out of the inning unscathed.
Associated Press
