BASKETBALL
Fisher out, low blow saves Bryant
Lakers guard Derek Fisher yesterday was suspended for one game bythe NBA for striking Rockets forward Luis Scola with his shoulderand head in Game 2. But Kobe Bryant will be in the lineup fortonight's Game 3 because the elbow he threw at Ron Artest landedbelow the shoulders even though Artest said he got hit in the neck .. . Byron Scott will return next season as coach of the New OrleansHornets, the team said. He has one year and $5.5 million remainingon his contract . . . The Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki offered noexplanation about the arrest of a woman at his home, saying onlythat he is having personal troubles. Asked about his relationshipwith Cristal Taylor, 37, who was arrested on a probation violationand theft of services warrants Wednesday, Nowitzki declined tocomment.
BASEBALL
Diamondbacks dump manager Melvin
The Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Melvin after a disappointingstart by Arizona, which is 8 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in theNational League West. He had one year left on his contract. Hittingcoach Rick Schu also was fired, and pitching coach Bryan Priceresigned. The team is expected to name farm director A.J. Hinch, whohas no prior managerial experience, as Melvin's replacement . . .Former manager Danny Ozark, 85, who led the Phillies to threeconsecutive NL East titles but fell short of the World Series eachtime, died at his Vero Beach, Fla., home . . . Former Oakland firstbaseman Troy Neel pleaded guilty to fleeing the country to avoidmore than $700,000 in unpaid child support, which stacked up whilehe lived on a million-dollar resort on the South Pacific island ofVanuatu bought after his brief major league career.
FOOTBALL
Report: Favre to stay retired
Brett Favre told Vikings coach Brad Childress he will remainretired, a source close to the team told Yahoo Sports yesterday. TheYahoo report said Favre told Childress of his decision by phone andthat he could 'publicly explain his decision soon' . . . MattMillen, the architect of the NFL's first 0-16 team, is joining ESPNas an analyst. He was a commentator at CBS and Fox before takingover the Detroit Lions in 2001 . . . The Miami Dolphins are renamingtheir home Landshark Stadium as part of a partnership with singerJimmy Buffett. Buffett's Margaritaville enterprise includesLandshark Lager.
HOCKEY
NHL says it runs Phoenix franchise
The National Hockey League says it has been in control of thePhoenix Coyotes franchise since November and is asking a federaljudge to throw out the team's bankruptcy filing. NHL deputycommissioner Bill Daly says Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes signeddocuments ceding control of the team. Daly says the documentsspecifically prohibit Moyes from taking the franchise intobankruptcy . . . Pittsburgh police said they've traced an Internetdeath threat made against Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin toa 17-year-old boy. Pennsylvania state police have talked to the boy,but no charges were immediately filed.
AUTO RACING
Suspended NASCAR driver found dead
Nationwide Series driver Kevin Grubb, 31, was found dead in aRichmond area hotel. Henrico County (Va.) police said Grubb wasdiscovered at 11:30 a.m. and an autopsy showed he died of anapparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Grubb wasindefinitely suspended by NASCAR on Sept. 11, 2006, after his secondviolation of its substance abuse policy . . . Formula One driversrebuked FIA president Max Mosley over his comments that the sportcould survive without Ferrari, saying they are worried internalpolitics are damaging the sport. Ferrari has criticized a proposedbudget cap.
Miscellany
Big TV ratings for Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby's TV ratings were the highest in 17 years. NBCsaid last Saturday's coverage drew a 9.8 national rating and a 23share. That's up 11 percent from last year. The rating is thepercentage of all homes with TVs tuned to a program, while share isthe percentage of all TVs in use at the time . . . Venus Williamsbreezed past Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals ofthe Italian Open. She will play world No. 1 Dinara Safina in thesemifinals . . . Sam Keller, Nebraska's quarterback in 2007, issuing EA Sports and the NCAA, saying the video game maker wronglyuses the names and likenesses of athletes, and the NCAA sanctionsit. Keller's lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco asa class-action on behalf of all college athletes depicted in theNCAA Football and NCAA Basketball video games made by EA Sports.
