NBA
Timberwolves flip Kahn for Saunders as president
MINNEAPOLIS David Kahn is out as president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Flip Saunders is in.
The Timberwolves announced Thursday that owner Glen Taylor has decided not to pick up the option for next season on Kahns contract. Three people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Taylor is putting the finishing touches on a deal to hire Saunders as Kahns replacement.
Saunders coached the Wolves from 1995 to 2005.
Kahn spent four seasons leading the Timberwolves.
College Athletics
SEC and ESPN reach a TV deal through 2034
ATLANTA The Southeastern Conference and ESPN on Thursday announced a 20-year agreement to operate an SEC network that is scheduled to debut in August, 2014.SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said the SEC network will produce 1,000 live events each year, including 450 televised on the network and 550 distributed digitally. Slive said the network will carry approximately 45 SEC football games each year and a depth of content across all sports.No financial terms were released for the deal, which will continue through 2034.
The SEC signed a 15-year deal with CBS in 2008. CBS still will have the first choice of SEC football games.
Manziel gets Manning Award on Thursday in the Big Easy
NEW ORLEANS Johnny Manziel decided hes not going to allow the pitfalls of fame stop him from having a good time, forging friendships with rival quarterbacks or even going back to class in person.
As for the pressure inherent in living up to the Heisman Trophy standard he set for himself in only his first season as quarterback at Texas A&M, he isnt concerned about that, either.
Manziel accepted the Manning Award on Thursday as the nations top college quarterback. Following a memorable, highlight-filled regular season in which he accounted for 4,600 total yards, Manziel became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy then racked up an additional 516 total yards in a 41-13 Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma.
Soccer
Monterrey Champions League champions 3 years running
MONTERREY, Mexico Monterrey won its third consecutive Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Champions League title Wednesday night, rallying from a two-goal deficit to beat Santos Laguna 4-2.
After a 0-0 road draw in the first leg, Monterrey fell behind 2-0 at home. But it scored four times in the final 30 minutes, with two goals by Aldo De Nigris, including the winner on a header off a long free kick by Alberto Suazo in the 86th minute.The last team to win the CONCACAF Champions League title three consecutive times was Mexicos Cruz Azul from 1969 to 1971.
Bahrain upsets Qatar to win Asian soccer persuasion
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia In a stunning double election defeat for Qatari interests, Bahrain royal family member Sheik Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa became the top figure in Asian soccer Thursday.Bahrain now has a key power broker within the worlds most popular sport just weeks after its hosting of a Formula One Group Prix again was the focus of pro-democracy protests after two years of turmoil in the island kingdom.Sheik Salman won a landslide victory to become president of the Asian Football Confederation, then beat Qatars 2022 World Cup organizing chief Hassan Al Thawadi to claim a vacant seat on FIFAs executive committee.
In both polls to formally replace old rival Mohamed bin Hammam, Sheik Salman defeated friends and former associates of the ousted Qatari official. FIFA expelled bin Hammam for alleged corruption.
Associated Press
