Off the wire

— BASKETBALL

Jackson: Health an issue

Phil Jackson said seeing Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl sidelined last season with throat cancer will influence his coming decisionon whether to return as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson was the headline speaker Sunday at a meeting of Western governors in Whitefish, Mont. The legendary coach has a lakeside home near Glacier National Park.

Jackson told reporters after his speech that he’s waiting to hear from doctors on whether he’s healthy enough to make it through another 82-game regular season. He says he wouldn’t want to leave his squad without a coach in the middle of the season, as Karl was forced to do earlier this year. The 64-year-old Jackson has two replaced hips, a sore knee requiring a brace under his suit during the season and a previous heart problem.

The New York Knicks plan to meet with Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Joe Johnson (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) on Wednesday in Los Angeles, according to reports. The Knicks hope to meet with Johnson, and possibly Phoenix Suns All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire, according to ESPN and Newsday, sometime after 9 p.m. Pacific time, which is when the league’s free-agency period officially begins. Johnson still has to decide whether he plans to opt out of his current contract with Atlanta.

Another son of Michael Jordan appears headed to play for Central Florida. Jeffrey Jordan posted on his Twitter account that he was off to UCF, his “new school.” The school had not made an official announcement. The 6-1 point guard left Illinois in May after playing two seasons. He would have to sit out the 2010-11 season under NCAA transfer rules. Jeffrey Jordan would join his younger brother, Marcus Jordan, a freshman for UCF last season. Marcus Jordan also tweeted Friday that his brother was “officially here.”

MOTOR SPORTS

Vettel wins European GP

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettelwon the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain, dominating from the pole in a race marked by teammate Mark Webber’s spectacular crash. Vettel won his second grand prix of the season, completing 57 laps of the Valencia street circuit ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Webber emerged unhurt after his car went airborne early in the race following a collision with Heikki Kovalainen. The crash led to the appearance of the safety car and a controversy involving Hamilton. Hamilton finished second in Valencia for the third time, after overcoming a drive-through penalty for overtaking the safety car, a move that angered local favorite Fernando Alonso.

Greg Anderson raced to his first Pro Stock victory of the season at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. The three-time champion pocketed more than $125,000 for the weekend by sweeping eliminations Sunday and Saturday’s K&N Horsepower Challenge all-star event, which includes a $25,000 bonus. Anderson outran Allen Johnson in the final round for his 61st career victory. Anderson’s Pontiac GXP posted a winning performance of 6.722 seconds at a top speed of 204.54 mph to hold off Johnson’s Dodge Avenger, which slowed at midtrack and finished in 6.982 at 159.38. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

The 10-minute barrier at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is safe for another year. Japan’s Nobuhiro Tajima topped Unlimited Class challengers Paul Dallenbach and Rhys Millen to win his fifth consecutive Race to the Clouds in 10:11.490 in Colorado Springs, Colo. It was short of the record 10:01.408 he set in 2007. Dallenbach, a three-time overall Hill Climb champion, finished second in 10:39.534, and Millen was third. It was the 88th running of the hill climb, the nation’s secondoldest race behind the Indianapolis 500, with 107 drivers competing in 21 classes. The 12.42-mile course ascends 4,721 feet through 146 turns to the 14,110-foot summit on both paved and gravel surfaces.

HORSE RACING

Super Saver to run in Haskell

Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver will make his next start in the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 1at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., trainer Todd Pletcher said. Pletcher made the decision after Super Saver worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.82 Sunday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Pletcher and WinStar Farm, owner of Super Saver, teamed to win back-to-back runnings of the $1 million Haskell in 2006 with Bluegrass Cat and 2007 with Any Given Saturday.

Concord Point, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia, scored an 8 1 /2-length victory over five rivals in the Grade III, $250,000 Iowa Derby on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.Concord Point ($6.80) completed the 1 1 /16 miles in 1:40.37. In the Grade III $200,000 Iowa Oaks, Calvin Borel guided Dallas Stewart trained Seeking the Title to her first graded stakes victory when she outfinished Harissa by a halflength. In the Grade II Cornhusker Handicap, jockey Eddie Razo rode Chicago-based Shadowbdancing to a 1-length victory over Oaklawn Park’s 2010 Essex Handicap winner Racing Bran.

Cape Blanco won the Irish Derby by a half length, giving trainer Aidan O’Brien his fifth consecutive victory in the race at The Curragh in Newbridge, Ireland. Cape Blanco was ridden by Johnny Murtagh and sent off at 7-2 odds in the 11-horse field. Cape Blanco stablemates Midas Touch and Jan Vermeer were second and third inthe 1 1 /2-mile race.

BASEBALL

Cubs await league feedback

The Chicago Cubs are awaiting feedback from Major League Baseball to determine the length of Carlos Zambrano’s suspension for his outburst Friday. The Cubs filed a report on the incident, and General Manager Jim Hendry said he hopes to get a response “in the next day or so” after the league and players union look into it. Zambrano, who has a history of outbursts, unleashed a tirade against his teammates and had to be separated from Derrek Lee in the dugout after allowing four runs in the first inning of a 6-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He was sent home by Manager Lou Piniella, suspended indefinitely by the team and won’t have a spot in the rotation when he comes back. Hendry, speaking before Sunday’s game, said he’s been in contact with Zambrano’s agent Barry Praver butnot the pitcher. Nor has Piniella. “I think until something gets rectified, the less conversation the better,” Piniella said.

The Seattle Mariners have placed designated hitter Mike Sweeney on the 15-day disabled list with back spasms and brought up righthander David Pauley. The Mariners opened up a spot for first baseman Russell Branyan, who was acquired in a trade with the Indians late Saturday, by sending first baseman Mike Carp to Class AAA Tacoma. Sweeney has a history of back problems and had just come off the DL on June 17 with lower back inflammation.

Cincinnati reliever Bill Bray’s long recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery is finally complete. The Reds called up the left-hander from Class AAA Louisville before the final game of an interleague series against Cleveland. Bray had his left elbow rebuilt on May 19, 2009. Rookie starter Sam LeCure was optioned to Louisville to open a roster spot.

The Chicago White Sox said former play-by-play announcer Lorn Brown died Thursday in Las Cruces, N.M. He was 71. The White Sox did not provide a cause of death. Brown called games on television and radio from 1976-79 and 1983-88. He also did games for DePaul, Notre Dame, Bradley, the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference before moving in 2005 to Las Cruces, where he worked for New Mexico State.

FOOTBALL

Lions president arrested

Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand is apologizing after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving while at a charity golf tournament in northern Michigan. Lewand said in a statement that he is “deeply sorry” for his actions and takes full responsibility. Team spokesman Matt Barnhart confirmed Sunday that Lewand was arrested and released Friday night. Roscommon County sheriff’s officials would neither confirm nor deny the incident. Lewand was attending a charity golf event in Houghton Lake, about 150 miles northwest of Detroit. Without providing details, Lewand says he’s “a person in active recovery” and “committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Sports, Pages 14 on 06/28/2010

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