FOOTBALL Revis expected at workouts
Darrelle Revis needs to participate in the New York Jets’ voluntary workouts beginning next week, according to a clause in his contract, to collect $3 million in bonuses he’s scheduled to earn. The star cornerback, the subject of trade rumors, has been rehabilitating his surgically repaired left knee in Arizona, but is expected to report to the team’s facility in Florham Park, N.J., for the start of the Jets’ off season conditioning program next week. ESPN New York first reported on Sunday, according to sources, that the Jets planned to enforce the language in Revis’ contract that requires him to participate in the workouts to get the bonus money. It also reported that Revis would prefer to stay in Arizona to continue his rehab, but will join his teammates next Monday.
University of Texas wide receiver Kendall Sanders has been arrested on a drunken-driving charge. A Texas A&M University police spokesman said Sanders was arrested after being stopped for an unspecified traffic violation about 2:40 a.m. Saturday. The College Station street runs through campus but isn’t on A&M property. Brazos County records show that Sanders was booked into the county jail just after 5 a.m. and released on $3,000 bond before 8 a.m. In a statement Sunday, Longhorns Coach Mack Brown said the university would monitor the situation and “do what’s best for the university, Kendall and the team.”
BASKETBALL
Drury takes Division II title
Alex Hall sank two free throws with 22.8 seconds remaining to help Drury rally from a 17-point deficit to beat Metro State 74-73 for the Division II national championship Sunday at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. Metro State’s Mitch McCarron and Brandon Jefferson missed shots in the final seconds. Drury (31-4), from Springfield, Mo., closed the season with 23 consecutive victories. Hall led the Panthers with 21 points. Brandon Lockhart had 14 and Drake Patterson had 12. Metro State (32-3) had 17 steals but appeared to tire in the closing minutes as it relied on its starters for all its points. Jefferson led the Roadrunners with 19 points. McCarron added 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 steals.
Longtime NBA scouting director Marty Blake died Sunday. He was 86. Blake worked in the NBA for more than 50 years and is considered the “Godfather of scouting.” Blake helped bring attention to many players from smaller colleges and universities like former NBA great Scottie Pippen (Hamburg) when he was a senior at Central Arkansas in 1987. The NBA said Blake died in Alpharetta, Ga., but didn’t provide a cause of death. Blake was general manager of the Hawks franchise before spending more than 35 years as the league’s director of scouting. Commissioner David Stern said the NBA would “forever be indebted to him.”
AUTO RACING Hunter-Reay holds off Dixon
Ryan Hunter-Reay ended Penske Racing’s domination at Barber Motorsports Park by holding off Scott Dixon in the IndyCar Series race on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala. Penske drivers Helio Castroneves and Will Power had won IndyCar’s three previous races at Barber, but Hunter-Reay beat both for the pole. The defending IndyCar champion ran a steady race, holding strong in one intense battle for position with both Penske drivers, to claim his first win of the season. Dixon finished second for the fourth consecutive year on the Alabama road course. Castroneves was third and Charlie Kimball was a career-best fourth. Power was fifth. AJ Allmendinger ran seventh for most of his IndyCar debut but finished 19th after stalling his car during his final pit stop.
HORSE RACING Saddler horses go 1-2-3
I Dazzle overtook 1-2 favorite In the Stars approaching the five-sixteenths pole and held on at the $75,000 American Beauty Stakes by a neck at Santa Anita on Sunday. Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, I Dazzle ran a mile on the turf in 1:33.42 and paid $11.40, $5 and $9.20 in her first start for trainer John Sadler. His horses finished 1-2-3 in the five-horse field. Britain-bred Moone’s My Name returned $4.20 and $6.80 in her U.S. debut, while Ireland-bred Byrony was another 3 ½ lengths back in third and paid $10 to show. In the Stars faded to fourth. The victory, worth $45,900, increased I Dazzle’s career earnings to $178,837, with four victories in 16 starts.
TENNIS Djokovic leads Serbia
Novak Djokovic wasn’t optimistic about his right ankle injury after lifting Serbia to an insurmountable 3-1 lead over the U.S. with a 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-0 victory over Sam Querrey in a Davis Cup quarterfinal in Boise, Idaho. The world No. 1 twisted the ankle while hitting a forehand at 1-1, 30-40 on Querrey’s serve in the third game of the match at the Taco Bell Arena on Sunday. “Injuries are part of the sport and you try to avoid them as an athlete as much as you can,” Djokovic said. “The nature of the injury is still to be determined. “One hour, one hour and a half after the end of the match, all I can say is it doesn’t look good.” Djokovic had the ankle tightly wrapped and had taken anti-inflammatory pills. He plans to travel home to Monte Carlo to have an MRI. He was hoping to be ready to play the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, which he considers his home event, but didn’t sound convinced he’d be ready to play when it gets underway April 14. “It’s swollen, and when it’s swollen it’s definitely not a good first sign,” Djokovic said. “I’m going to do everything I can in my power to recover till that tournament. How realistic that is, I don’t know what to tell you.” Djokovic indicated that the consequences of playing on the ankle didn’t enter his decision in continuing with the match. “I was just thinking of just winning this match and bringing the tie win to Serbia and I’m glad I did,” he said. “On the other-hand, I’m a bit concerned it’s not comfortable feeling what I feel with the ankle.”
ATHLETICS Rutgers whistleblower in FBI probe
The FBI is investigating whether a former Rutgers basketball employee tried to extort the university before he made videos that showed ex-Coach Mike Rice shoving and kicking players and berating them with gay slurs.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday that investigators are interested in Eric Murdock, who left his job as the men’s basketball program’s player development director last year and later provided the video to university officials and ESPN.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the inquiry has not been announced. The investigation was first reported by The New York Times.
A spokesman for the FBI’s Newark office said the agency would not say whether there is an investigation. Murdock’s lawyer did not return a call to the AP on Sunday. A Rutgers spokesman referred questions to the FBI.
A December letter from Murdock’s lawyer to a lawyer representing Rutgers requested $950,000 to settle employment issues and said that if the university did not agree by Jan. 4, Murdock was prepared to file a lawsuit. The letter was obtained last week by the AP and other media outlets.
No settlement has been made. The video became public last week, and Murdock on Friday filed a lawsuit against the university, contending he was fired because he was a whistleblower trying to bring to light Rice’s behavior.
The video’s release last week set off a chain reaction that led to Rice’s firing and the resignations of Athletic Director Tim Pernetti, the university’s top in-house lawyer and an assistant basketball coach. Some critics want the university’s president, Robert Barchi, to resign.
Sports, Pages 14 on 04/08/2013