Iran beats US in Grand Central exhibition

NEW YORK (AP) — Iran's wrestling team visited the United States for the first time in a decade and found a virtual home meet.

The fans waving Iranian flags and stomping on the temporary bleachers were treated to a show of dominance by the wrestling power Wednesday in the exhibition at Grand Central Terminal. Iran beat the Americans 6-1.

"It's typical Iranian. Wherever we go, they do the same thing," two-time world champion Mehdi Taghavi Kermani said through a translator after winning his match at 145½ pounds.

The fans' chanting and horn-blowing echoed off the intricate patterns on the ceiling high above and through the curtains separating Vanderbilt Hall from the commuters rushing home to the suburbs. The event dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails" marked the fourth straight year a New York City landmark was transformed into a wrestling meet to raise money for charity, with the last two in Times Square.

But this one took on added significance beyond supporting wrestling nonprofit Beat the Streets. In February, the International Olympic Committee recommended that the sport be dropped starting with the 2020 Games.

So there were the United States, Iran and Russia all together Wednesday, hoping the IOC takes to heart the symbolism of the three nations peacefully sharing a wrestling mat. The Americans swept five freestyle matches from the Russians later in the day.

Iran also will face the U.S. in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Wrestling is now one of eight sports seeking to fill one spot in the 2020 Olympics. The IOC board will meet May 29 in Russia to recommend a short list, with the final decision in September.

"This is what we're trying to do right now," said 22-year-old Kyle Dake, who could be an American star of the 2020 Olympics. "This is how we're going to save Olympic wrestling."

The youngster was the lone bright spot for the U.S. against Iran. At 163 pounds, he beat veteran Hassan Tahmasebi, who's almost 10 years older, in his first major senior-level international match.

In March, Dake became the first wrestler to win NCAA titles in four weight classes. College wrestling uses folkstyle, and Dake hadn't competed in freestyle in more than a year before Wednesday. Both his periods were scoreless and went to a leg clinch, and he won the first despite losing the ball draw.

"It was really loud in there. Feels like we were in Tehran," he joked. "What's going on? Where's our USA folks?"

They got going chanting "U-S-A U-S-A!!" during the Americans' second meet of the day. Some of the top U.S. wrestlers, including Olympic champ Jordan Burroughs, took the mat against Russia, which did not send its best lineup. Burroughs remained undefeated, though he needed three periods to beat Saba Khubetzhty at 163 pounds and cracked a molar in a headlock.

"I had a filling in this tooth, and it's somewhere out there on the mat," he said with a laugh.

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OJ Simpson testifies in bid for new Vegas trial

LAS VEGAS (AP) — More than four years after the world last heard from O.J. Simpson in court, one of the nation's most famous prisoners spoke again Wednesday in a bid to win freedom from a sentence that could keep him behind bars until he dies.

Simpson took the stand to testify about his legal representation by attorney Yale Galanter in the case involving a strange hotel room confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers that led to a robbery-kidnap conviction.

Under questioning by his co-counsel, Patricia Palm, Simpson began discussing his background with Galanter.

"Yale had a good relationship with the media," Simpson said.

"I was in the media a lot. He was able to refute many of the tabloid stories," Simpson said with a laugh. "He sort of liked doing it; he told me he did."

The 65-year-old former football star and actor, now with short graying hair, receding hairline and dressed in drab prison blue scrubs, spoke clearly and confidently as he also recounted events leading up to the confrontation in a hotel room where the dealers had Simpson footballs and family photos.

He became a bit emotional as he talked about the items.

In 2008, he was near tears as he told a judge: "I didn't mean to steal anything from anybody. ... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it."

There is no jury in the hearing and his fate will be determined by Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell.

Unlike previous days of the hearing, the courtroom was full, with Tracy Baker, daughter of Simpson sister Shirley Baker, Charles Durio, husband of Simpson's deceased sister, Carmelita, in the second row. Also on hand was Tom Scotto, a Simpson friend from Miami whose wedding brought Simpson to Las Vegas.

A marshal turned people away, sending more than 15 people to an overflow room where video was streamed live.

When he went to trial in 2008, Simpson did not testify — a decision that one of his lawyers said was pushed upon him by Galanter.

With 19 points raised to support reversal in the writ of habeas corpus, Simpson was expected to answer many questions from his lawyers and then undergo cross-examination by an attorney for the state who wants to keep him in prison.

Simpson is serving nine to 33 years in prison for his conviction on armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges. Simpson has said, and was likely to repeat, that he never saw any guns.

Earlier, attorney Gabriel Grasso was Simpson's star witness, the Las Vegas lawyer who joined the case when his old friend, Galanter, called and said, "Hey, Gabe, want to be famous?"

He said he soon realized he would be doing most of the behind-the-scenes work while Galanter made the decisions.

"I could advise O.J. all day long, and he was very respectful of me," Grasso told the court. "But if I advised him of something different from what Yale said, he would do what Yale said."

It was Galanter's decision not to have Simpson testify, Grasso said.

Under questioning from H. Leon Simon, attorney for the state, Grasso acknowledged the trial judge, Jackie Glass, specifically asked Simpson if he wanted to testify and he said no.

"Mr. Galanter told him, 'This is the way it's going to be,'" Grasso said, adding he would have put him on the stand.

He said Simpson's confidence in Galanter was born of the acquittal he gained for Simpson in a road rage case in Florida five years after his 1995 acquittal on murder charges in the stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Galanter is now the focus of Simpson's motion claiming ineffective assistance of counsel and conflict of interest. He has declined to comment until he takes the stand Friday.

There are questions of money, too. Grasso accused Galanter of lining his own pockets while telling him they were "operating on a shoestring" and couldn't afford to hire expert witnesses. Simpson's business attorney, Leroy "Skip" Taft, testified by phone Tuesday that he kept getting big bills from Galanter but no explanation of what costs were eating up hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Witness after witness spoke of a proposed plea bargain that Galanter turned down on Simpson's behalf but no one was sure the defendant knew about it.

There were rumors that Galanter gave his blessings to Simpson's plan to show up at the hotel room and reclaim his memorabilia, which two dealers were trying to peddle.

Retired Clark County District Attorney David Roger, who prosecuted Simpson, was asked whether investigators determined if Galanter helped Simpson plan the hotel room confrontation.

"He said he did not advise Mr. Simpson to commit armed robbery," Roger said.

"And he said he wasn't there?" asked Simpson attorney Ozzie Fumo.

"Yes," Roger replied.

Others have testified that Galanter was in Las Vegas and had dinner with Simpson the night before.

The other prosecutor, Chris Owens, testified about discovering phone calls between the two but hiding that fact from the judge. He identified at least 10 calls in the days preceding and on Sept. 13, 2007.

Both prosecutors described an agreement with the Simpson defense that was read to the jury saying there were no calls.

"So you stipulated to events that weren't true?" Fumo asked Owens.

"It was in the form of a legal construct," Owens replied and said the judge encouraged it because she didn't want to confuse the jury with another issue.

This is Simpson's last chance under state law to prove that he was wrongly convicted. A federal court appeal is still possible.

___

Find Ken Ritter on Twitter: http://twitter.com/krttr

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NBA play-offs 2nd round results

May 15 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from the NBA Play-offs 2nd Round games on Tuesday (home team in CAPS)

1 2 3 4 T

INDIANA 23 25 19 26 93

NY Knicks 16 18 22 26 82

(Indiana lead the best-of-seven series by 3-1)

1 2 3 4 T

SAN ANTONIO 37 17 29 26 109

Golden State 28 23 21 19 91

(San Antonio lead the best-of-seven series by 3-2)

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Scandal-hit Rutgers names first female athletic director

By David Jones

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Rutgers University picked a woman to head its athletic programs on Wednesday, as New Jersey's largest public college looks to move on from a scandal that saw several top sports officials resign.

Julie Hermann, 49, who was a senior executive atheletic director at the University of Louisville, will be the first woman to hold the post of athletic director at Rutgers.

Her predecessor, Tim Pernetti, resigned in early April after ESPN aired video showing the school's then-head men's basketball coach abusing players and berating them with homophobic slurs. The coach, Mike Rice, was fired.

Rutgers President Robert Barchi, who had faced down calls for his own resignation during the uproar after the videos were aired, called Hermann "simply a remarkable leader."

Hermann, who starts a five-year contract on June 17, acknowledged the school's sports programs will have a way to go to regain the trust of fans, alumni and students.

"I'm well aware that many people that support this institution were deeply hurt by what took place," she said.

The scandal put a spotlight on the high-pressure world of college sports, where millions of dollars of television revenue are at stake, coaches can command six-figure salaries but players are unpaid.

Rutgers will pay Hermann a $450,000 annual base salary, with a $50,000 bonus target.

At Louisville, Hermann oversaw a nationally ranked athletic program that won the NCAA men's basketball championship earlier this year.

(Editing by Scott Malone and Leslie Gevirtz)

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Boxer Floyd Mayweather tops highest-paid U.S. athletes' list

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the highest-paid professional athlete in the United States with expected earnings of at least $90 million this year from just two bouts, according to Sports Illustrated magazine.

The 36-year-old welterweight - considered the best defensive boxer of his generation - topped the magazine's Fortunate 50 list, issued on Wednesday. Mayweather also took the top spot last year, earning an estimated $85 million, again from just two fights, the magazine reported.

Miami Heat basketball star LeBron James, 28, a four-time National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player, came in this year in the number two slot, earning a total of $56.5 million.

The list is calculated by combining estimated salary, winnings and endorsements. Mayweather's total earnings are even more impressive considering he received no endorsement money either this year or last.

James' $56.5 million income combines a $17.5 million salary with an additional $39 million in endorsements.

Golfer Tiger Woods, the highest paid U.S. athlete from 2004, when the list was first published, through 2011, dropped to the No. 5 slot on this year's list, earning $40.8 million.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano came in as the 50th highest-paid U.S. athlete with an estimated $18.2 million.

Candidates for the list must be U.S. citizens and compete in a U.S.-based league.

Internationally, soccer great David Beckham is estimated to earn more than $48 million, landing him the top spot on the magazine's annual list of highest-paid athletes worldwide, The International 20. (Reporting by Chris Francescani; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Tim Dobbyn)

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NBA owners reject Sacramento Kings move to Seattle

DALLAS (AP) — NBA owners voted Wednesday to reject the Sacramento Kings' proposed move to Seattle, the latest in a long line of cities that have tried to land the franchise.

The vote followed a recommendation made last month by the NBA's relocation committee and may have finally brought an end to an emotional saga that has dragged on for nearly three years.

A group led by investor Chris Hansen has a deal to buy the team. Hansen hoped to move the franchise to Seattle and rename it the SuperSonics. The original Sonics were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 and were renamed the Thunder.

Commissioner David Stern said the league will spend the next 24 to 48 hours talking to the Maloofs, the team's owners, about working out a deal with a competing ownership group in Sacramento.

The Maloofs reached an agreement in January to sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the team to Hansen's group at a total franchise valuation of $525 million, topping the NBA-record $450 million for Joe Lacob and Peter Guber to buy the Warriors in 2010. Then Hansen increased his offer to $550 million, which implies buying the 65 percent stake for about $357 million.

Following the relocation committee's unanimous recommendation on April 29 to deny the move to Seattle, Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer dug deeper into their pockets in a final attempt to sway the NBA Board of Governors. They raised the valuation of the Kings to $625 million, or $406 million for the Maloofs' interest in the franchise, and offered a $115 million relocation fee, nearly four times what Clay Bennett paid to move the Sonics.

Hansen's group also guaranteed owners that the franchise would pay into the league's revenue-sharing system in Seattle and not collect money as it has in Sacramento.

They were aggressive and bold public statements that had been lacking from the Seattle group through much of the process while Sacramento openly made its case in the public eye.

As a backup, the Seattle group negotiated a plan to buy a minority stake in the Kings with the Maloofs retaining majority ownership and keeping the team in Sacramento.

It's the second time since 2011 that the Maloof brothers have made plans that would have ended in relocation for the Kings. The first target was Anaheim, Calif., but Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former All-Star guard, convinced the NBA to give the city another chance to finance a new arena.

Johnson delivered on a promise for a plan for a new downtown arena with help from Stern, but the Maloofs backed out, saying it didn't make financial sense.

The Maloofs had another surprise when they announced a deal with Hansen's group, which includes Ballmer and members of the Nordstrom department store family.

Johnson fought back again, this time lining up an ownership group led by TIBCO software chairman Vivek Ranadive and getting the Sacramento City Council to approve a non-binding financing plan for a $447 million arena with a $258 million public subsidy.

The potential Sacramento ownership group also includes 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former Facebook senior executive Chris Kelly and the Jacobs family that owns communications giant Qualcomm.

Seattle has been without an NBA franchise since the SuperSonics moved. Led by star Kevin Durant, the Thunder have made the playoffs four straight seasons, reached the Western Conference finals in 2011 and lost to Miami in last year's NBA finals.

The NBA's relocation committee, coincidentally headed by Bennett, voted unanimously last month to reject the bid to move the Kings.

In a letter sent to the relocation and finance committees during its April 17 meeting, the Maloofs said they preferred to sell to the Seattle group and expressed discontent with Sacramento's latest bid, saying it falls "significantly short."

Stern has said the offers are in "the same ballpark," and has reiterated his long-held stance that expansion is unlikely right now.

Hansen spent nearly two years working to get an arena plan approved by the city and county governments and spent more than $65 million buying land in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood where the arena would be built. Hansen has a five-year memorandum of understanding with the city and county on the arena plan.

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Baseball-Yankees setting pace with patchwork crew

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - The New York Yankees were aiming to stay close with a patchwork lineup assembled to buy them time until the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson returned from injury.

Instead, their collection of cast-offs and rookies have helped set the pace in the American League East with a 25-14 mark and with some of the celebrated veterans on the road to recovery, the Bronx Bombers may be on their way to a big season.

Making up for the loss of firepower from the missing quartet, who have 32 All Star Game appearances between them, outfielder Vernon Wells has nine home runs and first baseman Lyle Overbay has six homers and 24 runs batted in (RBI).

Rookies who have taken up some of the slack include pitchers Vidal Nuno and Adam Warren, and catcher Austin Romine.

"We don't even think about making excuses or saying let's just tread water until they get back," Overbay told Reuters in the locker room before Wednesday's home game against the Seattle Mariners.

"We're capable and still got some good guys in this clubhouse and when those guys get back we'll be clicking on all cylinders."

Granderson, who led the Yankees last year with 43 home runs, was the first of the big names to return, rejoining the team on Tuesday after breaking his forearm during spring training.

Teixeira has just begun batting practice at the team's Florida training headquarters after hurting his wrist, while Jeter, recovering from a broken ankle, and Rodriguez, rehabbing from hip surgery, are expected back after the All-Star break.

Overbay, a 13-year veteran who played on four other major league teams, was picked up by the Yankees during spring training and has proven to be a clutch bat in the lineup.

"We're just in a holding pattern until these guys get back," said Overbay. "We all came in knowing what each other could do and I think that's why we've gelled so well together. We're not trying to do too much."

CLUBHOUSE CHEMISTRY

The foundation of the Yankees' success this season has been their pitching with starters CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte leading the way, and a bullpen spearheaded by Mariano Rivera, a perfect 16-for-16 in save situations.

Overbay said he casually knew many of the Yankees from informal chats at first base during games in past Major League Baseball seasons, but had a newfound respect for the quality of the clubhouse chemistry.

"It's a great clubhouse," said Overbay. "When you're on the other side you kind of wonder how this is. Now you know why, because they have such good guys.

"You got Jeter running the show and Robbie (Cano), he's running it now while Jeter is gone, and Mariano taking care of the pitching staff, and CC and Andy, all those guys are great team mates.

"Now I know why these guys are so successful. Because they've got each other's back. When times go bad, that's all you have."

The Yankees, who have relied heavily on free agents over the decades, are getting solid help from rookies as well.

In a win in Cleveland on Monday, starting pitcher Nuno earned his first career win, Warren picked up his first career save, second baseman Corban Joseph registered his first major league hit and catcher Romine collected his first RBI.

Manager Joe Girardi said he enjoyed working with rookies.

"There were hurdles you know that young players have to overcome that you don't worry about with older players," he said. "One, believing that you do belong. Two, not always looking over your shoulder if I have a bad day today.

"The thing is that all players make mistakes. Older players learn how to turn the page usually fairly quickly. Younger players beat themselves up. And that's the one thing that I think as a manager you have to assist them in."

Girardi said giving young players a chance to succeed with the major league team, provided a trickle down benefit.

"It's a great thing that you see your buddy do it who has basically been running alongside you for three or four years and saying, 'I put up some of the same numbers that this guy did. I can go up and do it.'

"It gives them confidence." (Editing by Frank Pingue)

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NBA-Spurs whip Warriors, on brink of West final

May 14 (Reuters) - The San Antonio Spurs routed visiting Golden State 109-91 on Tuesday to grab a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference second round series.

The Spurs had squandered an eight-point advantage in the fourth quarter of Game Four to let the Warriors even the series, but they much more clinical back at home in the AT&T Center where they only briefly trailed in the first quarter.

Tony Parker recorded 25 points and 10 assists while Tim Duncan had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who will try to close out the series in Game Six on Thursday at Golden State.

Harrison Barnes led the Warriors with 25 points and Jarrett Jack had 20 but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who had erupted for huge games earlier in the Western Conference semi-final, combined for 13 points and made one three-pointer between them. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Verlander, Darvish set for showdown in Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Justin Verlander says it's May. Yu Darvish says it's not the great opposing pitcher he's faced, and won't be his last.

True on all counts. These showdowns don't come along every day, though. And this one — the AL's strikeout king against his potential heir — is an enticing as they come.

The hard-throwing right-handers from Detroit and Texas will meet Thursday night in a billing that really hasn't been matched in Arlington since Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens faced off at old Arlington Stadium in 1989 — five years before Rangers Ballpark opened.

"That's pretty good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I would say that would be pretty interesting, I would think."

You would think. But you wouldn't be Verlander, the staff ace for Detroit. Or Darvish, the Rangers' second-year star. Or Texas manager Ron Washington.

"In May, getting excited, I try not to," Washington said. "It's great for the fans. If it doesn't go in our favor, it doesn't end our season. If Verlander has his stuff, it will be a long night. If Darvish has his stuff, it will be a long night. By long night, I mean runs will be at a premium, and it will be the first one to make a mistake."

That's pretty much the way it was on April 30, 1989, when Ryan and the Rangers beat Clemens and the Boston Red Sox 2-1. Both went eight innings. Clemens gave up six hits with six strikeouts. Ryan limited the Red Sox to three hits and fanned 11.

Ryan is now the CEO in Texas, and figures to be watching from his usual seat in the first row near home plate.

"It's a nice matchup," Leyland said. "It's good for baseball."

Darvish is baseball's strikeout leader with 80 and on pace for 300, which hasn't been reached since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling did it as Arizona teammates in 2002. Verlander has been the AL's strikeout leader three of the past four seasons.

Verlander doesn't push 100 mph on the radar gun quite as much as he used to, but always seems to find the velocity he needs in big moments.

Darvish can hit 95 mph and beyond, but the Japanese star is known more for varying speeds on his fastball and an array of pitches that had him within an out of a perfect game in his first start of the season at Houston.

"I saw him pitch last year a couple times," Verlander said. "I know he's striking out the world this year, but other than that, I haven't seen too much."

By their standards, both starters are coming off subpar games.

Darvish gave up two home runs and fell behind 3-1 in a rematch with the light-hitting Astros, but improved to 6-1 when the Rangers rallied and won 8-7 despite a leaky Texas bullpen. He "only" had eight strikeouts in seven innings after getting 14 for the second time this season in his previous start. He's had at least 10 strikeouts four times.

Verlander had his worst outing of the year in a 7-6 loss to Cleveland, giving up six hits and four runs — three earned — in just five innings. He walked a season-high five and struck out seven.

Still, Verlander (4-3) has the edge over Darvish in ERA, 1.93 to 2.73.

"When I made the decision to come to the big leagues, I knew that I was going to be facing a lot of great pitchers," Darvish said through an interpreter. "I wasn't just thinking Verlander but there are many other great pitchers as well."

And Verlander isn't just thinking Darvish, or big matchup, especially this early.

"You don't need to get too amped up, especially for a game in May, and try to do too much," Verlander said. "That's the wrong way to approach it."

Washington sees the same approach from his prized ace-in-the-making.

"Because he's a competitor, he knows who's on the other side," Washington said. "But to stick your chest out and say, 'I relish that,' it's a game in May. He wants to win it as bad as Verlander wants to win it, but it's certainly not a championship or World Series matchup. It's just a ballgame that's on the schedule."

But it is at least a little special.

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NBA denies bid to move Sacramento Kings basketball team to Seattle

DALLAS (Reuters) - The NBA denied a proposal on Wednesday to move the Sacramento Kings basketball team to Seattle following months of bitter wrangling between investors from Washington state and a group fighting to keep the team in Sacramento.

The decision, announced by NBA Commissioner David Stern, appears to put the kibosh - at least, for now - on a deal to sell the team to the Seattle group that would have valued the Kings at $625 million, a huge amount for an NBA team.

"It's nice to see two great cities so interested in an NBA franchise, but the winner here is Sacramento," Stern told a news conference in Dallas, where team owners who make up the league's board of governors met to decide the team's fate.

The family of George Maloof, which owns a controlling interest in the team, had wanted to sell the franchise to Seattle investors, but faced opposition from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, himself a former NBA player, who quickly mounted a campaign to keep the team in the California state capital.

Stern, speaking for the league, urged the Maloof family to quickly reach a deal to sell the team to Johnson's group.

"It is my expectation that we will be able to reach a deal with the Maloofs," Stern said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, George Maloof said he was not opposed to working with the Sacramento group.

(Reporting By Marice Richter in Dallas and Sharon Bernstein in Los Angeles, editing by Cynthia Johnston)

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O.J. Simpson takes witness stand in bid for new robbery trial

By Timothy Pratt

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson, the former football star famously acquitted of murder in 1995, offered sometimes emotional testimony in a packed Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday as he sought a new trial in a robbery case that sent him to prison nearly five years ago.

Simpson, 65, was brought to court from a Nevada prison and took the witness stand on the third day of a week-long hearing into his claims that his lead defense attorney, Yale Galanter, mishandled his case in a Nevada trial in 2008.

Simpson is serving up to 33 years for his conviction on 12 charges including armed robbery and kidnapping. The charges stemmed from a September 13, 2007, incident in which Simpson and five other men stormed into a room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino and took thousands of dollars in memorabilia at gunpoint from a pair of sports collectors.

Simpson was found guilty in October, 2008. Defense lawyers had argued that he was merely trying to recover stolen property, unaware that one of his associates had brought a gun.

His current attorneys have asked a judge to throw out the conviction on the grounds that Galanter had a conflict of interest because he knew in advance that Simpson planned to confront the sports dealers at the hotel.

They also said Galanter never told Simpson that prosecutors had offered a plea deal that included a sentence of two to five years in prison.

A separate appeal by Simpson of his conviction in the case was rejected by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2010.

Appearing older, grayer and heavier after five years behind bars, Simpson told the court Galanter had advised him that his plans were legal the night before the incident.

'I DIDN'T BEAT UP ANYBODY'

The former star athlete said Galanter told him during a dinner discussion in Las Vegas: "you have the right to get your stuff" but cautioned he could not trespass on private property.

Simpson said he told Galanter that if the suit he wore during his sensational 1990s murder trial was included among the memorabilia he planned to burn it, and Galanter responded: "You're not going to burn it, you're going to bring it to me."

Asked by his current attorney, Patricia Palm, if he thought the hotel room scheme was legal, he responded: "Yes I did. It was my stuff. I followed what I thought the law was. My lawyer told me 'You can't break into a guy's room' and I didn't break into the room. I didn't beat up anybody."

He added: "And the guys acknowledged it was my stuff, even though they claimed they didn't steal it."

Simpson repeatedly and emphatically denied from the witness stand that the use of guns was discussed ahead of the hotel room confrontation and said he had not been aware that one of the men with him was carrying one.

He became emotional, pausing briefly in his testimony, when discussing the property he said he was told was to be found in addition to the memorabilia, which included pictures of his deceased daughter and parents.

"I thought this is stuff I should have, not some guy selling it in a hotel in Vegas," he said.

Simpson, a former star NFL running back turned TV pitch man and actor, was accused of the 1994 stabbing and slashing murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, waiter Ronald Goldman.

He was acquitted in 1995 after sensational proceedings carried live gavel-to-gavel on U.S. television, dubbed the "Trial of the Century" by various media outlets.

A civil jury later found him liable for the deaths of his former spouse and Goldman in a wrongful death lawsuit, awarding their families $33.5 million in damages.

(Writing and additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Chris Reese and David Gregorio)

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Baseball results

By Alasdair Fotheringham VAJONT, Italy, May 15 (Reuters) - A chest infection was the latest setback to hit Britain's pre-race favourite Bradley Wiggins on the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday. Tour de France champion Wiggins, finished the 11th stage in the main pack behind winner Ramunas Navardauskas to stay fourth overall, two minutes five seconds behind leader Vincenzo Nibali. "I'm not feeling very good at the moment, I've had a pretty rough 24 hours," Wiggins told reporters. "I've got a chest infection and a bog-standard head cold. ...

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Marshals dispute account of Woods-Garcia issue

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two marshals say Tiger Woods never said anything to them about whether Sergio Garcia had played his shot. Two other marshals disputed that account, one of them saying he told Woods that Garcia had already hit on the second hole at the TPC Sawgrass.

In the days since Woods won The Players Championship, the dispute has shifted from players to volunteer marshals.

It started Saturday in the third round when Woods was deep in the trees, some 50 yards to the left of Garcia in the fairway. Woods pulled a 5-wood from his bag to play a high-risk shot through a gap in the trees, and the crowd cheered his decision — right about the time Garcia was playing his shot.

Woods said marshals told him Garcia had already played his shot.

Asked about the poor shot he hit that led to bogey, Garcia said that Woods should have known the Spaniard was about to hit, and he suggested that Woods might have instigated the disruptive cheer. Woods said later Saturday that Garcia didn't have all the facts.

"The marshals, they told me already hit, so I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot," Woods said.

None of this had any bearing on the outcome, and there were no rules violation.

But it became testy when Sports Illustrated quoted two marshals as saying they told Woods no such thing. One of them was John North, the head marshal for that section of the golf course. He told the magazine, "Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him. I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We're there to help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying what was good for him. It lacked character."

The Florida Times-Union, however, quoted two marshals as saying there was communication between Woods and volunteers.

"It is not true and definitely unfair to Tiger," said Brian Nedrich, a marshal at the second hole. "That's because I was the one Tiger heard say that Sergio hit."

Nedrich said he was about 10 yards from Woods, and while he could barely see Garcia, he said he got a glimpse of him swinging and saw the ball in the air. He said when the crowd began to stir around Woods, another marshal, Lance Paczkowski, tried to quiet them by saying, "The other player hasn't hit yet."

"That's when I yelled back at Lance, 'No ... he's already hit," Nedrich told the newspaper. "Tiger had already taken his club, but we did tell him that Sergio had hit."

It became a particularly sensitive issue to the Woods camp because several websites had the word "lied" in its headlines.

Sports Illustrated posted an update on its website Wednesday that it had a follow-up interview with North, who said with an earpiece in one ear, it was possible that other officials had an exchange with Woods that he didn't hear. North said his statement about "lacking character" was based on his understanding that no marshal had said anything to Woods.

Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said in a statement that the comments from the marshals in the Florida Times-Union story "definitively show that Tiger was telling the truth about being told Sergio had hit. I hope this demonstrates to some reporters the importance of accuracy and not jumping to misplaced conclusions."

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Franklin gets ready to walk down high school aisle

Missy Franklin is growing up.

The star of the London Olympics turned 18 last week. She graduates from high school Monday. She even went to the bank the other day, putting the accounts in her name to get ready for life as an adult.

She says, "It's crazy. I don't know where the time went."

After Franklin won four gold medals and five medals overall in London, she returned for her senior year at Regis Jesuit High School in suburban Denver.

Franklin says it's been an "amazing" year. She met everyone from Justin Bieber to Prince Harry, but also got a chance to relish many of the normal activities of a high school senior — from attending the prom to helping her school win the state swimming championship.

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Carlos Zambrano, Phils agree to minor league deal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In a need of a lift in the rotation, the Phillies are taking a chance on Carlos Zambrano.

The three-time All-Star agreed to a minor league contract with Philadelphia on Wednesday and will report this week to Clearwater, Fla., for extended spring training.

Zambrano is known as much for his volatile outbursts and dugout confrontations with teammates as he is for his 132 wins over 12 seasons and a no-hitter.

With Roy Halladay and John Lannan on the disabled list, the slumping Phillies turned to Zambrano, even though he hasn't pitched in the majors since last September with Miami.

"No promises are made. It's just an opportunity to add some starting pitching," Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said.

Zambrano, 31, is 132-91 with a 3.66 ERA, including 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. He was 16-17 with a 4.66 ERA the last two years.

Zambrano has the right to terminate the deal if he is not added to the major league roster by July 1.

Philadelphia was among the teams with representatives who watched Zambrano throw Monday in Miami. He pitched in winter ball and played for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

"It's low risk, hopefully, high reward," Proefrock said.

When healthy, Zambrano's talent has rarely been an issue.

It's his temper.

He's feuded with teammates, management and umpires in a number of high-profiles blowups.

Chicago placed Zambrano on the disqualified list with no pay and no part in team activities for 30 days in 2011. He then told team personnel he might retire.

Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management in 2010 after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.

In 2009, he was suspended following a tirade against an umpire in which he threw a baseball into the outfield and slammed his glove against the dugout fence.

"He has a competitive temper," Proefrock said. "He's not that way in social settings."

With Halladay and Lannan out, the Phillies have turned to Tyler Cloyd and Jonathan Pettibone to fill the void. Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have a combined seven wins this season.

Proefrock said Zambrano was sincere in wanting to prove he keep his emotions in check — and get batters out.

"We got positive feedback from everyone who has interacted with him recently," Proefrock said. "We're just looking to add some depth and some experience."

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O.J. Simpson testifies in bid for new robbery trial

By Timothy Pratt

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson, the former football star famously acquitted of murder in 1995, offered sometimes emotional testimony in a packed Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday as he sought a new trial in the robbery case that sent him to prison five years ago.

Simpson, brought to court from a Nevada prison, testified on the third day of a week-long hearing into his claims that his then-defense attorney, Yale Galanter, mishandled the Nevada trial in 2008.

During some five hours of testimony, Simpson portrayed Galanter as a forceful presence who would not listen to other lawyers, stubbornly refused to let him testify in his own defense and never hired the team of investigators and expert witnesses he promised.

He also repeated a key theme of his defense at the 2008 trial - that when he stormed into a room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino with five other men in September 2007, he was only hoping to recover his own stolen property being peddled by a pair of sports collectors.

"I thought this is stuff I should have, not some guy selling it in a hotel in Vegas," he said.

Simpson, 65, is serving up to 33 years for his conviction on 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, for taking thousands of dollars in memorabilia and other items from the sports dealers at gunpoint.

His current attorneys have asked a judge to throw out the conviction on the grounds that Galanter had a conflict of interest because he knew in advance that Simpson planned to confront the sports dealers at the hotel.

They also said Galanter never told Simpson that prosecutors had offered a plea deal that included a sentence of two to five years in prison. A separate appeal by Simpson of his conviction in the case was rejected by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2010.

Appearing older, grayer and heavier after five years behind bars, Simpson told the court that Galanter had advised him that his plans were legal the night before the incident.

'TRIAL OF THE CENTURY'

Simpson said Galanter told him during a dinner discussion in Las Vegas: "You have the right to get your stuff" but cautioned he could not trespass on private property.

Simpson said he told Galanter that if the suit he wore during his sensational 1990s murder trial was included among the memorabilia he planned to burn it, and Galanter responded: "You're not going to burn it, you're going to bring it to me."

Asked by his current attorney, Patricia Palm, if he thought the his plan was legal, he responded: "Yes I did. It was my stuff. I followed what I thought the law was. My lawyer told me 'You can't break into a guy's room' and I didn't break into the room. I didn't beat up anybody."

He added: "And the guys acknowledged it was my stuff, even though they claimed they didn't steal it."

Simpson repeatedly and emphatically denied from the witness stand that the use of guns was discussed ahead of the hotel room confrontation and became emotional when discussing personal property, including photos of his deceased daughter and parents, which he said were found with the collectibles.

During cross examination by prosecutor Leon Simon, Simpson conceded that the trial judge had advised him of his right to testify, regardless of Galanter's advice.

Simpson, a former star NFL running back turned TV pitch man and actor, was accused of the June 12, 1994, stabbing and slashing murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, waiter Ronald Goldman.

He was acquitted in 1995 after sensational proceedings carried live gavel-to-gavel on U.S. television, dubbed the "Trial of the Century" by various media outlets.

A civil jury later found him liable for the deaths of his former spouse and Goldman in a wrongful death lawsuit, awarding their families $33.5 million in damages.

Simpson did not testify in his own defense during the murder trial but took the witness stand in the civil case.

(Writing and additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Chris Reese, David Gregorio and Cynthia Osterman)

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Spurs whip Warriors, on brink of West final

May 15 (Reuters) - Post positions for the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, to be run at Pimlico on Saturday (Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds) 1. Orb, Joel Rosario, Shug McGaughey, even 2. Goldencents, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill, 8-1 3. Titletown Five, Julien Leparoux, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1 4. Departing, Brian Hernandez, Al Stall, 6-1 5. Mylute, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss, 5-1 6. Oxbow, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas, 15-1 7. Will Take Charge, Mike Smith, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1 8. Govenor Charlie, Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 12-1 9. ...

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Ravens LB McClain retires before playing with team

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Linebacker Rolando McClain has told the Baltimore Ravens that he's retiring from the NFL.

The 23-year-old McClain played three seasons with the Oakland Raiders before signing a one-year contract with Baltimore as a free agent on April 12.

"Rolando let me know that he plans to retire from the NFL," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said Wednesday. "We have placed him on the Reserve/Retired list."

Ten days after signing with the Ravens, McClain was arrested in Decatur, Alabama, and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

It was the third time McClain was arrested in Decatur since 2011. He was previously charged in a 2011 shooting, and police arrested him in January on charges of having his car windows tinted too darkly and trying to lie about his identity.

McClain was sentenced to jail on an assault charge after the shooting, but prosecutors later dismissed the case.

A city judge dismissed the January charge against McClain of trying to lie about his identity. He pleaded guilty to the window tint violation and paid a $182 fine.

Before joining the Ravens, McClain spent his first three NFL seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He was the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Alabama.

In 41 games with Oakland he had 274 tackles, 6½ sacks and one interception. In his final season, he was suspended for two games for conduct detrimental to the team.

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Verlander, Darvis set for showdown in Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Justin Verlander says it's May. Yu Darvish says it's not the great opposing pitcher he's faced, and won't be his last.

True on all counts. These showdowns don't come along every day, though. And this one — the AL's strikeout king against his potential heir — is an enticing as they come.

The hard-throwing right-handers from Detroit and Texas will meet Thursday night in a billing that really hasn't been matched in Arlington since Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens faced off at old Arlington Stadium in 1989 — five years before Rangers Ballpark opened.

"That's pretty good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I would say that would be pretty interesting, I would think."

You would think. But you wouldn't be Verlander, the staff ace for Detroit. Or Darvish, the Rangers' second-year star. Or Texas manager Ron Washington.

"In May, getting excited, I try not to," Washington said. "It's great for the fans. If it doesn't go in our favor, it doesn't end our season. If Verlander has his stuff, it will be a long night. If Darvish has his stuff, it will be a long night. By long night, I mean runs will be at a premium, and it will be the first one to make a mistake."

That's pretty much the way it was on April 30, 1989, when Ryan and the Rangers beat Clemens and the Boston Red Sox 2-1. Both went eight innings. Clemens gave up six hits with six strikeouts. Ryan limited the Red Sox to three hits and fanned 11.

Ryan is now the CEO in Texas, and figures to be watching from his usual seat in the first row near home plate.

"It's a nice matchup," Leyland said. "It's good for baseball."

Darvish is baseball's strikeout leader with 80 and on pace for 300, which hasn't been reached since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling did it as Arizona teammates in 2002. Verlander has been the AL's strikeout leader three of the past four seasons.

Verlander doesn't push 100 mph on the radar gun quite as much as he used to, but always seems to find the velocity he needs in big moments.

Darvish can hit 95 mph and beyond, but the Japanese star is known more for varying speeds on his fastball and an array of pitches that had him within an out of a perfect game in his first start of the season at Houston.

"I saw him pitch last year a couple times," Verlander said. "I know he's striking out the world this year, but other than that, I haven't seen too much."

By their standards, both starters are coming off subpar games.

Darvish gave up two home runs and fell behind 3-1 in a rematch with the light-hitting Astros, but improved to 6-1 when the Rangers rallied and won 8-7 despite a leaky Texas bullpen. He "only" had eight strikeouts in seven innings after getting 14 for the second time this season in his previous start. He's had at least 10 strikeouts four times.

Verlander had his worst outing of the year in a 7-6 loss to Cleveland, giving up six hits and four runs — three earned — in just five innings. He walked a season-high five and struck out seven.

Still, Verlander (4-3) has the edge over Darvish in ERA, 1.93 to 2.73.

"When I made the decision to come to the big leagues, I knew that I was going to be facing a lot of great pitchers," Darvish said through an interpreter. "I wasn't just thinking Verlander but there are many other great pitchers as well."

And Verlander isn't just thinking Darvish, or big matchup, especially this early.

"You don't need to get too amped up, especially for a game in May, and try to do too much," Verlander said. "That's the wrong way to approach it."

Washington sees the same approach from his prized ace-in-the-making.

"Because he's a competitor, he knows who's on the other side," Washington said. "But to stick your chest out and say, 'I relish that,' it's a game in May. He wants to win it as bad as Verlander wants to win it, but it's certainly not a championship or World Series matchup. It's just a ballgame that's on the schedule."

But it is at least a little special.

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Yankees setting pace with patchwork crew

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees were aiming to stay close with a patchwork lineup assembled to buy them time until the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson returned from injury.

Instead, their collection of cast-offs and rookies have helped set the pace in the American League East with a 25-14 mark and with some of the celebrated veterans on the road to recovery, the Bronx Bombers may be on their way to a big season.

Making up for the loss of firepower from the missing quartet, who have 32 All Star Game appearances between them, outfielder Vernon Wells has nine home runs and first baseman Lyle Overbay has six homers and 24 runs batted in (RBI).

Rookies who have taken up some of the slack include pitchers Vidal Nuno and Adam Warren, and catcher Austin Romine.

"We don't even think about making excuses or saying let's just tread water until they get back," Overbay told Reuters in the locker room before Wednesday's home game against the Seattle Mariners.

"We're capable and still got some good guys in this clubhouse and when those guys get back we'll be clicking on all cylinders."

Granderson, who led the Yankees last year with 43 home runs, was the first of the big names to return, rejoining the team on Tuesday after breaking his forearm during spring training.

Teixeira has just begun batting practice at the team's Florida training headquarters after hurting his wrist, while Jeter, recovering from a broken ankle, and Rodriguez, rehabbing from hip surgery, are expected back after the All-Star break.

Overbay, a 13-year veteran who played on four other major league teams, was picked up by the Yankees during spring training and has proven to be a clutch bat in the lineup.

"We're just in a holding pattern until these guys get back," said Overbay. "We all came in knowing what each other could do and I think that's why we've gelled so well together. We're not trying to do too much."

CLUBHOUSE CHEMISTRY

The foundation of the Yankees' success this season has been their pitching with starters CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte leading the way, and a bullpen spearheaded by Mariano Rivera, a perfect 16-for-16 in save situations.

Overbay said he casually knew many of the Yankees from informal chats at first base during games in past Major League Baseball seasons, but had a newfound respect for the quality of the clubhouse chemistry.

"It's a great clubhouse," said Overbay. "When you're on the other side you kind of wonder how this is. Now you know why, because they have such good guys.

"You got Jeter running the show and Robbie (Cano), he's running it now while Jeter is gone, and Mariano taking care of the pitching staff, and CC and Andy, all those guys are great team mates.

"Now I know why these guys are so successful. Because they've got each other's back. When times go bad, that's all you have."

The Yankees, who have relied heavily on free agents over the decades, are getting solid help from rookies as well.

In a win in Cleveland on Monday, starting pitcher Nuno earned his first career win, Warren picked up his first career save, second baseman Corban Joseph registered his first major league hit and catcher Romine collected his first RBI.

Manager Joe Girardi said he enjoyed working with rookies.

"There were hurdles you know that young players have to overcome that you don't worry about with older players," he said. "One, believing that you do belong. Two, not always looking over your shoulder if I have a bad day today.

"The thing is that all players make mistakes. Older players learn how to turn the page usually fairly quickly. Younger players beat themselves up. And that's the one thing that I think as a manager you have to assist them in."

Girardi said giving young players a chance to succeed with the major league team, provided a trickle down benefit.

"It's a great thing that you see your buddy do it who has basically been running alongside you for three or four years and saying, 'I put up some of the same numbers that this guy did. I can go up and do it.'

"It gives them confidence."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Orb draws rail as 1-1 favorite in Preakness

BALTIMORE (AP) — Kentucky Derby winner Orb has drawn the rail in Saturday's Preakness and has been installed an overwhelming even-money favorite in the nine-horse race.

Orb will seek to keep alive his bid to become horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Orb won the Derby by 2½ lengths as the betting favorite.

The brown colt is looking for his sixth straight victory as part of the smallest Preakness field since 2007. Govenor Charlie, trained by Bob Baffert, added his name to the list Wednesday for the 1 3/16th-mile race.

The field, from the rail, with odds in parenthesis: Orb, Goldencents (8-1), Titletown Five (30-1), Departing (6-1), Mylute (5-1), Oxbow (15-1), Will Take Charge (12-1), Govenor Charlie (12-1) and Itsmyluckyday (10-1).

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MLB improves diversity among senior administration

NEW YORK (AP) — While Major League Baseball teams improved racial diversity in hiring senior administrators, the employment of women is still lagging, according to the annual report by Richard Lapchick's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida.

Racial diversity among senior team administrators improved to 19.9 percent from 17 percent.

"The most notable trends are that a team level there was substantial improvement, and that hasn't been the case over the years," Lapchick said. "It's still significantly behind the major league offices in terms of percentage of people of color, but that we thought that was a really positive trend."

MLB's central offices have 30.8 percent people of color. The sport's overall score of 92.5 points equaled its top mark in 2010, and racial hiring received an A grade for the fifth straight year. Gender hiring remained a C+, with its points increasing from 75.2 to 76.6.

Gender hiring improved from a D to a C among senior team administration, but it remained an F among team vice presidents.

"What baseball tells me, and I'm sure there's probably some truth to it, is that there's such a small turnover at the team level in particular that you can't see a lot of change quickly," Lapchick said.

Lapchick has been conducting his study since 1988. He said changes among players were within yearly fluctuations. African-American players on opening-day rosters dropped to 8.3 percent this year from 8.9 percent last season, and the percentage of Latino players rose from 27.5 to 28.2.

Managers of color remained at five this year, down from 10 as recently as 2010. For coaches, 39.1 percent were people of color in 2012, up from 31.2 in 2011.

GMs increased by one to four, but Lapchick included San Francisco's David Martinez, whose title is general manager retail. There are no women or people of color who are controlling owners or CEOs.

"Major League Baseball has made important strides in instilling overall diversity throughout our industry, and today's findings illustrate the depth of those efforts," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "We recognize, however, that there is more to accomplish and improve upon."

MLB last month instituted an 18-member task force that will study ways to increase diversity in the game, especially among black players.

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Curtis Granderson activated by Yankees

May 13 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $5,849,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,388,064 3. Kevin Streelman $2,572,989 4. Billy Horschel $2,567,891 5. Matt Kuchar $2,493,387 6. Phil Mickelson $2,220,280 7. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,207,683 8. D.A. Points $2,019,702 9. Steve Stricker $1,977,140 10. Graeme McDowell $1,910,654 11. Jason Day $1,802,797 12. Webb Simpson $1,759,015 13. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 14. Hunter Mahan $1,682,939 15. Charles Howell III $1,561,988 16. Russell Henley $1,546,638 17. Martin Laird $1,531,950 18. ...

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Stars make expected move with firing of Gulutzan

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars fired coach Glen Gulutzan on Tuesday, an expected move by new general manager Jim Nill for a franchise that has missed the playoffs a record five straight seasons.

Gulutzan's dismissal came about two weeks after Nill replaced Joe Nieuwendyk, who was fired after four seasons.

The 41-year-old Gulutzan had the Stars in playoff contention both seasons, but Dallas faltered down the stretch each time. The Stars were 64-57-9 under Gulutzan, including 22-22-4 in the lockout-shortened 2013 season.

Assistant coach Paul Jerrard also was fired. The team planned an afternoon news conference.

"They are both quality coaches and men, but we have decided to go in a different direction with our coaching staff and we wish them well in their next endeavors," Nill said in a statement.

Assistant coach Curt Fraser and goaltending coach Mike Valley will stay with the club.

Nieuwendyk tried to get Dallas back to the playoffs by adding veterans Jaromir Jagr, Derek Roy and Ray Whitney, but ended up trading Jagr, Roy and longtime captain Brenden Morrow with the team languishing at the trading deadline.

The Stars made an improbable surge to stay alive with a much younger roster, and many of those players are likely to be part of the rebuilding under Nill, who spent 15 years as an assistant GM with Detroit. The Red Wings have the longest playoff streak in North American pro sports at 22 years.

Gulutzan was the second of two failed coaching hires for Nieuwendyk. The former Stars center who was playoff MVP when Dallas won the Stanley Cup in 1999 fired Dave Tippett when he arrived and hired Marc Crawford, who brought a tougher style but couldn't get the Stars back to the postseason in two seasons.

The Stars plucked Gulutzan from their top affiliate, the Texas Stars of the AHL, after he had spent eight years as a head coach in the minor leagues.

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America's Cup officials say race will continue

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The America's Cup will go on as planned after the death of a sailor during a training run last week on San Francisco Bay, officials said Tuesday.

America's Cup officials made the announcement at a news conference in San Francisco. Organizers met with the four entrants earlier in the day and said the decision to race was unanimous.

"There was no discussion to calling off the event," said Tom Ehman, vice commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the official host of the 34th America's Cup.

Ehman also said they expected all four entrants to compete, including Artemis Racing and the Italian entry Luna Rossa.

Patrizio Bertelli, Luna Rossa's owner, had cast doubts on his team's continued participation when he said he had safety concerns immediately after the death of Andrew "Bart" Simpson aboard Artemis' 72-foot catamaran. Bertelli said he would leave it up to his team's sailors to make the final decision.

Ehman and regatta chief Iain Murray said cup organizers spoke with the heads of all four teams early Tuesday and that the decision to go on with the races this summer was unanimous.

"We've every reason to believe that all four teams will be competing," Murray said.

Artemis has not returned phone calls or email since the death of Simpson last Thursday afternoon. One of Artemis' two boats was badly damaged when it capsized and broke into pieces, trapping Simpson under the wreckage for more than 10 minutes.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner has not yet determined a cause of death. The San Francisco Police Department is leading the official inquiry into the accident to determine if there was any criminal negligence.

Murray said at the news conference that they are unsure how badly damaged the Artemis boat was and whether it could be repaired in time for the start of racing in July.

Artemis issued a press release Monday from Nathan Outteridge, who was at the helm of the 72-foot catamaran when it capsized. Outteridge issued a brief statement calling inaccurate a report in a New Zealand newspaper quoting his father as discussing a conversation with his son about the accident. The paper quotes the father as saying crew members heard a crack before the boat "folded like a taco."

Outteridge said the article "is not correct and does not reflect the facts."

America's Cup officials also downplayed the announcement Monday that a German organization was pulling its sponsorship of a racing team in the America's Cup youth regatta, which is scheduled for the first week of September. Five teams of sailors between the ages of 19 and 24 are scheduled to race 45-foot catamarans.

Sailing Team Germany/Norddeutscher Regatta said the death of Simpson prompted it to pull out of the youth regatta.

Cup spokesman Peter Rusch said the sailors sponsored by the Germans still want to race. Rusch said if they can't find another sponsor, another team on a "wait list" will be added to the event in their place. The youth America's Cup and the German decision to pull out have no effect on the main event.

Ehman and Murray said a six-member panel of experts has been appointed to examine the accident and to possibly recommend safety changes to the boats or the course, depending on the probe's outcome. Both said it was still too early to discuss what caused the accident.

The Artemis boat was attempting to turn downwind when it capsized. Though difficult, the maneuver was considered normal.

One hull snapped. Investigators will have to determine whether a structural problem caused the catamaran to flip, or if the capsize broke the boat. Last fall, Artemis said the front beam of the catamaran was damaged during structural tests, delaying the boat's christening.

Oracle Racing won the last America's Cup in 2010 in Spain, and its owner, billionaire Larry Ellison, picked the San Francisco Bay to defend the cup. Three teams have signed up to challenge and are scheduled to begin racing one another in July to determine who will take on Oracle. The finals against Oracle begin in September.

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MLB improves diversity among senior administration

NEW YORK (AP) — While Major League Baseball teams improved racial diversity in hiring senior administrators, the employment of women is still lagging, according to the annual report by Richard Lapchick's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida.

Racial diversity among senior team administrators improved to 19.9 percent from 17 percent.

"The most notable trends are that a team level there was substantial improvement, and that hasn't been the case over the years," Lapchick said. "It's still significantly behind the major league offices in terms of percentage of people of color, but that we thought that was a really positive trend."

MLB's central offices have 30.8 percent people of color. The sport's overall score of 92.5 points equaled its top mark in 2010, and racial hiring received an A grade for the fifth straight year. Gender hiring remained a C+, with its points increasing from 75.2 to 76.6.

Gender hiring improved from a D to a C among senior team administration, but it remained an F among team vice presidents.

"What baseball tells me, and I'm sure there's probably some truth to it, is that there's such a small turnover at the team level in particular that you can't see a lot of change quickly," Lapchick said.

Lapchick has been conducting his study since 1988. He said changes among players were within yearly fluctuations. African-American players on opening-day rosters dropped to 8.3 percent this year from 8.9 percent last season, and the percentage of Latino players rose from 27.5 to 28.2.

Managers of color remained at five this year, down from 10 as recently as 2010. For coaches, 39.1 percent were people of color in 2012, up from 31.2 in 2011.

GMs increased by one to four, but Lapchick included San Francisco's David Martinez, whose title is general manager retail. There are no women or people of color who are controlling owners or CEOs.

"Major League Baseball has made important strides in instilling overall diversity throughout our industry, and today's findings illustrate the depth of those efforts," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "We recognize, however, that there is more to accomplish and improve upon."

MLB last month instituted an 18-member task force that will study ways to increase diversity in the game, especially among black players.

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Heat back home, chance to finish Bulls off

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade is limping around in obvious pain. LeBron James' shooting percentage is down. Shane Battier and Ray Allen have struggled to get anything going from 3-point range.

The Eastern Conference semifinals have been far from perfect for the Miami Heat.

And the reigning NBA champions are now in absolute control of this series nonetheless.

Barely a week ago, there was so much talk about how the Chicago Bulls had Miami's number like no other team. That seems long forgotten now, after three straight wins — by an average of 23.3 points — have the Heat one win away from returning to the East finals. Up 3-1 in the series, the Heat will try to close out the Bulls in Game 5 at Miami on Wednesday night.

"You have to have a high-character team," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday, a few hours after his team returned from Chicago after an 88-65 rout in Game 4 of the suddenly one-sided series. "You have to have a team that's built strong habits ... not to take games for granted. Our guys have built up habits. They also have built up perspective that boy, these close-out games have been the toughest ones."

When Miami gets a chance to finish off an opponent, it typically doesn't waste any time. Since James, Wade and Chris Bosh joined up, the Heat are 8-2 in games where they can clinch a series, winning each of their last five by double figures.

Given the way this series is going, it's not hard to envision Wednesday ending the same way.

"Got to take care of business," Bosh said.

The Bulls outscored the Heat in Game 1, tried to outmuscle them in Games 2 and 3, and then simply looked outmanned in Game 4. Derrick Rose has been gone all season, Kirk Hinrich hasn't played since logging 60 minutes in Chicago's triple-overtime Game 4 against Brooklyn in the opening round and Luol Deng is still dealing with the effects of a nasty bout of illness.

On Wednesday, the Bulls shot just under 26 percent, scored nine points in the third quarter and saw Nate Robinson — Chicago's best offensive weapon in these playoffs — take 12 shots and miss them all.

"Nobody said this was going to be easy," Robinson said. "We're professionals for a reason. We'll go back to the drawing board and figure it out."

They better figure it out in a hurry.

In a series where Wade — averaging just 11.3 points in the four games — has been limited by continued issues with the bone bruises in his right knee, where James' shooting is down more than 10 percent from his regular-season pace and Battier and Allen have combined to go 9 for 34 from beyond the 3-point arc,

Miami has been rolling along anyway.

"You analyze what happened in the game, make your corrections, get ready for the next one. We'll just keep our focus right there," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I don't what them looking backwards. I don't want them looking ahead. Just lock into the game that's in front of us and concentrate on winning that game. We know we're capable."

There are so many battles for the Bulls to face right now, all of them being of the uphill variety. No team has ever won four games at Miami in the same season, which Chicago would have to do to pull off this most improbable of comeback bids. There's the emotional toll that losing three straight games has taken, frustration over how injuries and illness depleted the roster, and it's a fair question to ask how much the Bulls might have left in their proverbial tank.

"I think we've got enough energy left," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. "We just need guys to come back and play. We've got some guys banged up. But we'll just keep playing. We'll just keep playing. There's no excuses out there."

Added center Joakim Noah: "We're still alive. There's still basketball to be played and we've got to fight."

Wade is doing plenty of fighting on his own.

He was briefly sent to the bench in the second quarter of Game 4 after an inadvertent knee-to-knee collision with Chicago's Jimmy Butler caught him in one of the particularly more tender spots on the bruised joint. He returned, was scoreless for just the seventh time in a first half in his career, and finished with only six points.

The Heat have outscored the Bulls by 49 points with Wade on the floor in this series, tied with Battier for the best plus-minus on the team.

"Dwyane has proven himself as a warrior," Spoelstra said. "He's helping us win."

Wade has just 31 points in the last three games. Miami has won those games by a combined 70 points, and if they win Game 5 on Wednesday, the Heat would get possibly another full week off to allow Wade time to rest that knee.

The East finals aren't scheduled to start until May 20 or May 22.

"It's just frustrating at times, but just try to do what you can," Wade said. "Sometimes it feels good, sometimes it doesn't. You can't predict it."

Regardless of Wade's health issues, Miami is anxious to clear the Chicago hurdle. The Bulls nearly wasted a 3-1 lead in the first round against Brooklyn, advancing by winning a Game 7 on the road. And Spoelstra is leery of giving Chicago any glimmer of hope.

"We have to go in with the mindset to really approach this with desperation and urgency," Spoelstra said. "You don't want to give this team second life. They're far too dangerous for that type of mentality because they just continue to grind and they compete and we know that. We respect that."

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Curtis Granderson activated by Yankees

May 13 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $5,849,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,388,064 3. Kevin Streelman $2,572,989 4. Billy Horschel $2,567,891 5. Matt Kuchar $2,493,387 6. Phil Mickelson $2,220,280 7. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,207,683 8. D.A. Points $2,019,702 9. Steve Stricker $1,977,140 10. Graeme McDowell $1,910,654 11. Jason Day $1,802,797 12. Webb Simpson $1,759,015 13. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 14. Hunter Mahan $1,682,939 15. Charles Howell III $1,561,988 16. Russell Henley $1,546,638 17. Martin Laird $1,531,950 18. ...

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Former Saints, Chargers RB Muncie dead at 60

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chuck Muncie, a Pro Bowl running back with both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, has died at age 60, the NFL clubs and a family spokesman said Tuesday.

Muncie family spokesman Vintage Foster of AMF Media Group in San Ramon, Calif., said Muncie died at his Los Angeles-area home on Monday from heart failure.

Muncie was the Saints' first-round pick, third overall, out of California in 1976. He played 4½ seasons in New Orleans before being traded in 1980 to San Diego, where he finished his nine-year NFL career.

In 1979, Muncie became the first Saint to rush for 1,000 yards, finishing with 1,198 yards and 11 touchdowns, and his 1,506 total yards from scrimmage earned him the first of his three Pro Bowl selections.

The 6-foot-3 Muncie, who played at 227 pounds, and fellow Saints running back Tony Galbreath formed what then-coach Hank Stram dubbed the "Thunder and Lightning" combination in the New Orleans backfield. Both running backs are now member of the Saints Hall of Fame.

Saints owner Tom Benson said in a written statement that the Saints were mourning Muncie's "untimely passing," adding, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and other loved ones at this difficult time."

Muncie was traded by the Saints at midseason in 1980 to the San Diego Chargers, where he played 51 games and was named to Pro Bowl rosters two more times, in 1981 and '82. In 2009, the club recognized him as one of the 50 greatest Chargers of all time.

His accomplishments on the field came despite cocaine use, and in 1989, five years after his retirement from pro football, Muncie was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a cocaine distribution conviction.

Thereafter, however, he began sharing his life story with at-risk youth, highlighting his struggles with drug abuse. He created the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation, the mission of which was to offer children mentoring, educational assistance and counseling.

"His work with at-risk youth, the Boys and Girls Clubs and his foundation were the things that really made him shine," Muncie's daughter, Danielle Ward, said in a written statement provided by Foster.

"He was star on the football field but his most impressive work was done in the second chapter of his life where he lived his life with great transparency," added Muncie's former wife, Robyn Hood. "He simply wanted others to learn from his mistakes. He carried that message with him everywhere he went. And as a result, he changed the lives of hundreds of kids. He made a difference."

Muncie's 43 touchdowns for San Diego, and 19 touchdowns in a single season, both rank second in Chargers history, eclipsed only by LaDainian Tomlinson.

"Everyone at the Chargers is deeply saddened by the passing of Chuck Muncie, one of the greatest running backs in Chargers history," the team said in a written statement. "We will remember him as a tremendous athlete with a larger-than-life personality. It's a sad day for all of us and all Chargers fans."

In nine seasons, Muncie finished with 6,702 yards rushing, 2,323 yards receiving and 74 total touchdowns.

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AP Sports Writer Bernie Wilson in San Diego contributed to this report.

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Former Saints, Chargers RB Chuck Muncie dead at 60

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chuck Muncie, a Pro Bowl running back with both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, has died at age 60, the NFL clubs and a family spokesman said Tuesday.

Muncie family spokesman Vintage Foster of AMF Media Group in San Ramon, Calif., said Muncie died at his Los Angeles-area home on Monday from heart failure.

Muncie was the Saints' first-round pick, third overall, out of California in 1976. He played 4½ seasons in New Orleans before being traded in 1980 to San Diego, where he finished his nine-year NFL career.

In 1979, Muncie became the first Saint to rush for 1,000 yards, finishing with 1,198 and 11 touchdowns, and his 1,506 total yards from scrimmage earned him the first of his three Pro Bowl selections.

The 6-foot-3 Muncie, who played at 227 pounds, and fellow Saints running back Tony Galbreath formed what then-coach Hank Stram dubbed the "Thunder and Lightning" combination in the New Orleans backfield. Muncie's photo is among those featured on the Saints' Hall of Honor inside the club's training facility.

Saints owner Tom Benson said in a written statement that the Saints were mourning Muncie's "untimely passing," adding, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and other loved ones at this difficult time."

Muncie was traded by the Saints at midseason in 1980 to San Diego, where he played 51 games and was named to Pro Bowl rosters two more times, in 1981 and '82. In 2009, the club recognized him as one of the 50 greatest Chargers of all time.

His accomplishments on the field came despite cocaine use, and in 1989, five years after his retirement from pro football, Muncie was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a cocaine distribution conviction.

Thereafter, however, he began sharing his life story with at-risk youth, highlighting his struggles with drug abuse. He created the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation, the mission of which was to offer children mentoring, educational assistance and counseling.

"His work with at-risk youth, the Boys and Girls Clubs and his foundation were the things that really made him shine," Muncie's daughter, Danielle Ward, said in a written statement provided by Foster.

"He was a star on the football field but his most impressive work was done in the second chapter of his life where he lived his life with great transparency," added Muncie's former wife, Robyn Hood. "He simply wanted others to learn from his mistakes. He carried that message with him everywhere he went. And as a result, he changed the lives of hundreds of kids. He made a difference."

Muncie also became an active alumnus for Cal, where he is a member of the university's athletic Hall of Fame. In 1975, he helped the Golden Bears win a share of the Pac-8 Trophy and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up.

"Although it's been nearly 40 years since Chuck suited up for the Cal football program, stories of his accomplishments on the field of play still resonate throughout Memorial Stadium," Cal Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said.

"After he hung up his cleats as a professional, he became an incredible advocate and positive influence on so many youth through his foundation, and he was a familiar face on campus and at Cal football games. All of us in the Cal family are saddened by his sudden and far-too-soon passing, and he will be deeply missed."

Muncie's 43 touchdowns for San Diego, and 19 touchdowns in a single season, both rank second in Chargers history, eclipsed only by LaDainian Tomlinson.

"Everyone at the Chargers is deeply saddened by the passing of Chuck Muncie, one of the greatest running backs in Chargers history," the team said in a written statement. "We will remember him as a tremendous athlete with a larger-than-life personality. It's a sad day for all of us and all Chargers fans."

In nine seasons, Muncie finished with 6,702 yards rushing, 2,323 yards receiving and 74 total touchdowns.

Ken Trahan, general manager of the Saints Hall of Fame, said Muncie was probably the most talented runner New Orleans ever had.

"Once he got the corner, to see that guy get north and south with that speed for his size was frightening," Trahan said. "Chuck could lower his shoulder and run over people, run through people as well as just run away from them."

Muncie has been nominated for the Saints Hall of Fame, which is run independently from the club, but has not been enshrined as Galbreath has. Part of the reason, Trahan said, is because members of the Hall's selection panel say the drug use that coincided with the Saints' decision to trade him also was detrimental to the club, which went 1-15 the season he left.

"Clearly he had some issues off the field and he ended up paying a price for that," Trahan said, alluding both to the damage to his reputation and his jail time. "The beauty of that is he really overcame that, grew up and became a much better person."

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AP Sports Writers Bernie Wilson in San Diego and Josh Dubow in Oakland, Calif., contributed to this report.

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Kevin Durant, Thunder at risk of elimination

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies are showing a knack for closing out tight games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

All that's left to prove is whether they can finish off a playoff series that's been nip and tuck throughout and move on to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

In each of the first three games of the series, the go-ahead bucket was scored in the final 2 minutes. Then Game 4 went to overtime, with Memphis winning 103-97 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and put the Thunder on the brink of elimination. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

"It's not like any of the games that it was handed to us. Every game has been right down to the last 2 minutes," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Tuesday as both teams took the day off. "That gives you hope."

For Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City, a once-promising season now comes down to desperation time. Without injured All-Star Russell Westbrook, the Thunder need to win three in a row if they hope to reach the West finals for a third straight season or make their second straight trip to the NBA Finals.

For his career, Durant is 1-3 when facing elimination. The only win came in Game 7 against Memphis two seasons ago in the West semifinals.

"One thing about Kevin, he's going to come back and give everything he has," Brooks said. "He's not an excuse guy. He's not going to blame anything on nobody, other than put the pressure on himself to perform every night. That's what makes us a good team, because of that attitude that he has."

Durant has had to do it all since Westbrook had knee surgery prior to Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs. He's averaging 30.8 points, 11 rebounds and 6.8 assists in this round, and also hit all the key shots down the stretch in the Thunder's Game 1 victory.

But over time, Memphis — the league's top defensive team in the regular season — has made it harder for Durant to excel with the game on the line. After going 10 for 16 from the field with 22 points in the fourth quarter of the first two games, Durant has gone 3 for 17 and scored seven points in the fourth quarter in Games 3 and 4 plus overtime on Monday night.

His shooting percentage in crunch time has gone down in each game.

"We've just got to find a way to make those plays. We're playing hard every day. It's just not going our way," Durant said. "We just have to get ready for Game 5. It's at home, so it should be exciting. I'm looking forward to it."

While Oklahoma City is at risk of bowing out, the Grizzlies are one win away from the next big step in their progression as a franchise. Before this season, they had won only one postseason series, against San Antonio in 2011.

"It's still a game. Still we have to play another game, and we have to win another game. There's no greater magnitude," coach Lionel Hollins said. "It's just a game that we have to go out and play well to win. It's just like when were down 0-1, just like when we were 1-1, just like when we were 2-1. It never changes. It's a game that has to be played to the best of your ability and the winning and losing takes care of itself."

With two teams that have been so closely matched, there don't figure to be any more major adjustments at this point. Brooks was happy with his decision to have power forward Serge Ibaka guard 7-footer Marc Gasol instead of counterpart Zach Randolph, given that Ibaka emerged from a shooting slump for 17 points and 14 rebounds.

"I think it loosened him up, just his mind, so he can focus on what he does well. We need his scoring, we need his shooting and I thought last game was good," Brooks said. "Hopefully we can get it again."

It still wasn't enough to change the final result — the third straight Memphis win by exactly six points.

"As hard as they came out on us (Monday) night, they're going to come out even harder when they get home. It's desperation for them," Hollins said. "And we can't anticipate or think that it's going to be an easy game. We have to go out and be ready for a heavyweight battle."

Brooks said the three straight losses haven't changed his team's mindset, which remains "we expect to win and if we don't, it'll be disappointing." And he doesn't want the win-or-else mentality to create mounting pressure on his players.

"The pressure is not to make every shot. The pressure is just to compete as hard as you can for your team, and wherever that takes you, you live with it," he said. "I think our guys are ready to commit to one more great effort game, and we're looking forward to it."

After the loss Monday night, Brooks had a light-hearted moment and mentioned knowing that there's a barbecue festival in Memphis on Friday, when Game 6 would be played.

"We want to be able to win in front of our home fans and have another game in Memphis and see what we can do there. I like our ability to come back in tough situations, within games and even to the next game. This is obviously not the greatest position to be in but we still have a chance to be a part of history," Brooks said.

"There's not a lot of teams that have come back from 3-1 but we have the talent, we have the teamwork, we have the effort and teamwork to do it."

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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report from Memphis, Tenn.

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