Sports briefs

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 22, 2006

Cycling

ULLRICH DROPPED: Former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich has been fired by his T-Mobile team, several weeks after he was linked to a Spanish doctor charged with doping.

Ullrich was forced out of this year's Tour on the eve of the race. He had been considered a leading contender.

Ullrich, who won the Tour in 1997 and was runner-up five times to Lance Armstrong, was pulled out of the race after Spanish media reports said his name turned up on a list of 56 cyclists who had contact with the doctor.

T-Mobile said it also immediately terminated the contract of Spanish rider Oscar Sevilla, who also was pulled from the Tour and suspended by the team.

Basketball

KEMP CHARGED: Shawn Kemp was arrested and charged Friday with possession of marijuana, the latest drug-related trouble for the former NBA All-Star.

Kemp, 36, was arrested following a traffic stop for driving without a license plate shortly after midnight Friday. An officer with the Harris County Sheriff's Department pulled Kemp over and said he noticed the smell of burning marijuana coming from Kemp's vehicle. The officer later found less than 2 ounces of the illegal drug in Kemp's possession.

Lacrosse

DUKE HIRES NEW COACH: Duke University has hired John Danowski from Hofstra to coach its embattled men's lacrosse team.

Danowski, whose son Matt is a Duke senior and All-America attackman for the Blue Devils, told The Associated Press that he will replace Mike Pressler, who resigned soon after a woman told police she was raped by three men at a March team party where she was hired to perform as a stripper.

Hockey

NHL SIGNINGS: The Nashville Predators re-signed forward Jordin Tootoo to a two-year contract and signed forward Ramzi Abid and defenseman Sheldon Brookbank to one-year deals Friday. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Coyotes re-signed goaltender David LeNeveu to a one- year contract Friday.

Racing

HAMLIN WINS POLE: Denny Hamlin is the new driver to beat at Pocono Raceway, proving that Friday by winning the pole at the track where he scored his first career victory.

Hamlin, who won here last month, made his qualifying lap very late in the session with Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne sitting on top of the chart. But he posted a lap at 169.827 mph to grab the pole.

Tennis

RODDICK ADVANCES: Second-seeded Andy Roddick and No. 4 Robby Ginepri advanced in the RCA Championships with straight-set victories Friday. Roddick defeated 12th-seeded Gilles Muller 6-2, 6- 3. Ginepri cruised past No. 8 Paradon Srichaphan 6-4, 6-1 as he seeks to defend his 2005 title.

Jurisprudence

NAVY QB ACQUITTED: A former U.S. Naval Academy quarterback acquitted of raping a female midshipman but convicted of two lesser charges should not face any punishment, a military jury recommended Friday. Lamar S. Owens Jr. could have received anything from a written reprimand to dismissal on the two charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and disobeying a lawful order. Prosecutors recommended a two-year sentence.