SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —Barry Bonds admits using steroids during his baseball career, his lawyer told a jury Tuesday. The catch is that Bonds’ personal trainer misled him into believing he was taking flax seed oil and arthritis cream.
“I know that doesn’t make a great story,” Allen Ruby said during his opening statement at the home run leader’s perjury trial. “But that’s what happened.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Parrella called such claims “ridiculous and unbelievable” and portrayed Bonds as a liar during his first chance to present the government’s position.
And so the crux of the criminal case against Bonds was laid before an eight-woman, four-man jury as the testimony phase of the trial got under way. Bonds has pleaded not guilty to four charges of lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he denied knowingly taking steroids and one count of obstruction.
PRO FOOTBALL=
NEW CITY, N.Y. (AP) - The teenage girl at the center of the sex-crimes case against football great Lawrence Taylor made a surprise appearance at his sentencing Tuesday, eager to declare that he should be behind bars.
She was denied the chance to speak in court, and Taylor was sentenced to six years’ probation, as agreed when he pleaded guilty in January to sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute.
The former New York Giants linebacker must register as a sex offender, but a hearing on exactly how that will affect him was postponed to April 12.
The girl arrived with celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, who described her as “a sex-trafficking victim.” The girl, now 17, has been identified in court and by Allred only by the initials C.F.
Allred stood beside the girl at a news conference but later refused to reveal her name. She would not say whether the girl plans a lawsuit against Taylor but said, “We look forward to representing her as she continues her fight for justice.”
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The NFL will move kickoffs up 5 yards to the 35-yard line, keep touchbacks coming out to the 20 and allow the number of players in a blocking wedge to remain at two.
Kick coverage players will be limited to lining up 5 yards or fewer from the spot of the kickoff.
Team owners also voted to make all scoring plays reviewable by the replay official and referee. But they tabled a proposal to ban players launching themselves to make a tackle, and will reconsider it in May.
Also, owners haven’t talked about using replacement players if the NFL’s first work stoppage since 1987 stretches on, Commissioner Roger Goodell said, and the league might not keep its last contract offer on the table if bargaining doesn’t resume soon.
DALLAS (AP) - Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was ejected from an upscale Dallas shopping mall after a dispute over the sagging pants worn by him and some companions.
A Tuesday police statement says officers working off-duty Saturday as security at NorthPark Center encountered Bryant and three companions wearing the drooping pants.
According to the statement, when the officers asked the four to pull up their trousers, Bryant launched into a profanity-laced tirade that prompted the officers to escort the four from the mall.
Police say Bryant refused to leave, however, until his “representative” could arrive and he parked in a fire lane until a friend arrived and persuaded him to leave.
FIGURE SKATING=
ROME (AP) - Six countries have put in bids to replace Japan as host of the world figure skating championships following the earthquake and tsunami that killed an estimated 18,000 people.
International Skating Union president Ottavio Cinquanta told The Associated Press that the bids are from Russia (Moscow), Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia), the United States (Colorado Springs, Colo., or Lake Placid, N.Y.), Finland (Turku), Croatia and Austria.
The Croatia offer is likely Zagreb, while Cinquanta believes Graz is Austria’s offer.
Russia appears to be the leading candidate, with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin having spoken in favor of the bid, saying “this is not a very expensive event and we are capable of taking care of all the expenses.”
The ISU council will vote Wednesday or Thursday on the site and determine the dates in late April or early May.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL=
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Providence has hired former Fairfield coach Ed Cooley to replace the fired Keno Davis.
Cooley, who led the Stags to a school-record 25 wins and a MAAC regular-season championship this year, coached his final game at Fairfield on Sunday, a 72-68 loss to Kent State in the second round of the NIT.
Cooley was the coach of the year in the MAAC this season, and the Stags (25-8) were on their way to the NCAA tournament automatic bid, when they were upset by St. Peter’s 62-48 in the league tournament semifinals.
TENNIS=
MIAMI (AP) - Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will lead a group of top tennis players in a charity soccer match to benefit the relief effort in Japan.
Nadal and Djokovic are in South Florida to compete in the Sony Ericsson Open, which began Tuesday.
Andy Murray and David Ferrer are among others planning to play in the soccer match against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers professional team at a Miami high school Wednesday night. A fundraising dinner is planned after the game and proceeds will go to the American Red Cross Japan disaster relief effort.
DOPING=
NEW YORK (AP) - Track coach and agent Mark Block is preparing an appeal of his 10-year, doping-related suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last week, an arbitration panel suspended Block for 10 years after finding he trafficked in drugs supplied by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative and provided them to his wife, sprinter Zhanna Block.
A statement issued by Block’s attorney says the panel was incorrect in finding Block engaged in drug trafficking.
