Off the wire

— BASKETBALL

Clarke sprain ‘significant’

Butler guard Rotnei Clarke went through a light workout Sunday at Hinkle Fieldhouse, one day after hecrashed into a basket support and injured his neck, the school said. Team trainer Ryan Galloy said Clarke is sore and stiff but no longer needs a protective collar. Galloy calls it a “significant” neck sprain and an MRI showed no fractures.The 14th-ranked Bulldogs have not yet said when their leading scorer can resume contact. Clarke, the former Arkansas Razorbacks guard, was hurt when he was fouled on a layup during Saturday’s 79-73 victory at Dayton. Clarke said he initially lost feeling below his neck. Eight minutes later, he was taken away on a stretcher and sent to a local hospital. After being released, Clarke returned to Indianapolis with his teammates. He’s averaging 16.3 points this season.

FOOTBALL

Source: Eagles, Billick talk

The Philadelphia Eagles have interviewed former Ravens coach and current Fox analyst Brian Billick for their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the meeting told The Associated Press on Sunday. Billick, who led Baltimore to a Super Bowl title in the 2000 season, met with the Eagles last Monday, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it. The Eagles are known to have interviewed eight other candidates, including three high-profile college coaches who decided to stay at their schools. They were Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, Oregon’s Chip Kelly and Penn State’s Bill O’Brien. Philadelphia fired Andy Reid on Dec. 31, a day after finishing 4-12 in his 14th season. Billick hasn’t coached since 2007. He was 80-64 in nine seasons with the Ravens, leading them to two division titles and a 5-3 record in four playoff appearances. The Eagles have an interview scheduled with Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden today and are expected to interview Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians this week. They met with Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley on Saturday, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Owner Jeffrey Lurie, General Manager Howie Roseman and President Don Smolenski interviewed former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith on Thursday. They previously met with Atlanta assistants Nolan and Keith Armstrong and Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.

CYCLING Armstrong to be ‘candid’

Lance Armstrong is “ready to speak candidly” as he prepares to discuss doping allegations against him in his upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey. Armstrong was out for a morning run Sunday when he spoke briefly with The Associated Press. The man who once ruled cycling was wearing a red jersey with black shorts, sunglasses and a white hat pulled low. He would not divulge what he will say in Monday’s interview from his home that is to be broadcast Thursday on the Oprah Winfrey Network. “I’m calm, I’m at ease and ready to speak candidly,” he said from the side of the road. “I hope we’ll talk for a couple of hours.” The prospect of such a talk has brought international TV crews to Armstrong’s hilly neighborhood in West Austin. A person with knowledge of the situation has told the AP that Armstrong will give a limited confession and apologize. That would be his first public response to a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report accusing him of using banned drugs to win the Tour de France. The interview is not expected to go into great detail about specific allegations in the more than 1,000-page USADA report. In a text to the AP on Saturday, Armstrong said: “I told her [Winfrey] to go wherever she wants and I’ll answer the questions directly, honestly and candidly. That’s all I can say.”

HORSE RACING

Jeranimo wins San Gabriel

Jeranimo won the $150,000 San Gabriel Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Sunday in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Jeranimo ran 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:46.50 and paid $6, $3.80 and $2.60. He was last early in the seven-horse field and moved into contention around the far turn before getting caught three wide turning for home. Temple’s Door returned $12.40 and $6.20,while Chosen Miracle was another length back in third and paid $3.20 to show. Slim Shadey, the 3-2 favorite, finished sixth. The victory, worth $90,000, increased 7-year-old Jeranimo’s career earnings to $1,197,400, with nine wins in 32 starts.

HOCKEY Gomez sent home

The Montreal Canadiens have sent Scott Gomez home for the season. General Manager Marc Bergevin said at the opening of training camp that he will buy out the center’s contract next summer to remove his team-high $7.3 million salary cap hit from the books. Under the new collective bargaining agreement signed Saturday, the cap is to plunge by about $10 million next season, but teams will be allowed two “amnesty” buyouts to help reach the cap. However, if a player is injured, he cannot be bought out. Bergevin said it was safest for the team that Gomez not play this season. “I have nothing against Scott Gomez,” he said. “It was the best thing for the future of the team.” Gomez, 33, has been a disappointment on the ice the last two seasons. Last season, he was limited to 38 games by injuries and had two goals and nine assists.

MARATHON

Ethiopians sweep Houston

Ethiopian runners withstood heavy rain Sunday to dominate the Houston Marathon and half marathon. Bazu Worku and Merima Mohammed gave the nation a sweep of the men’s and women’s divisions of the marathon. This was Worku’s first marathon title. He finished in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 17 seconds and won by more than two minutes. Mohammed was timed in 2:23:37 on a day when temperatures were in the 40s. Teferi Balcha finished second among the men in 2:12:50. Andrew Carlson was the top American, seventh in 2:17:16. Buzunesh Deba was the women’s runner-up in 2:24:36. Tera Moody was the top American finisher at 2:39:10, finishing sixth. In the men’s half marathon, Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa successfully defended his half marathon title, winning in 1:01:54, beating countryman Deriba Merga by seven seconds. The women’s winner was Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska in 1:09:53. She won the Houston Marathon in 2011.

TENNIS Sharapova opens with victory in Australia

Maria Sharapova finished her first match of the year in 55 minutes today in Sydney, cruising to a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Olga Puchkova to start proceedings at the Australian Open without showing any signs of trouble with her sore right shoulder.

The No. 2-ranked Sharapova, who lost the final to Victoria Azarenka here last year before going on to win the French Open, faced only two break points in the match and she saved both of those in the first game.

Sharapova withdrew from the Brisbane International earlier this month with an injured right collarbone.

Against Puchkova, she said, “I didn’t want to focus on the fact I hadn’t played a lot of matches.”

Sharapova has a potential third-round match against Venus Williams, who needed an hour for her opening 6-1, 6-0 victory over Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan.

Williams played with power and determination and took command of the match early with a steady stream of winners and powerful serves.

She skipped last year’s Australian Open due to illness and was warmly welcomed with applause as she entered the court. Venus Williams had the biggest jump of any of the top players in 2012, moving from outside the top 100 to finish the year at No. 24.

No. 3-ranked Serena Williams is in the top half of the draw with defending champion Victoria Azarenka, and the pair won’t start until Tuesday.

Later, Novak Djokovic got his men’s title defense off to a worry free start, breaking Paul-Henri Mathieu’s serve in the opening game and going on to beat the veteran Frenchman 6-2, 6-4, 7-5.

Sports, Pages 14 on 01/14/2013

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