BASEBALL

EXPOS’ MOVE TO D.C. ‘CLOSE TO DYING’

The deal to bring baseball back to Washington, D.C, was described by Mayor Anthony Williams as close to dead yesterday after the City Council changed the plan to require private financing.

“I believe the deal is broken. The dream is now close to dying,” he said.” We’re in great jeopardy here, and I think I’m being optimistic”

The District of Columbia Council voted 7-6 Tuesday night to approve legislation that would finance construction of a ballpark. But it was amended to require private financing for at least half the stadium construction costs, a provision not contained in the September agreement between Major League Baseball and Mayor Williams.

City Administrator Robert Bobb said city negotiators were talking with baseball officials, but he didn’t expect the owners to accept the change. If the law stands, Baseball’s most likely response would be to have the team play the 2005 season at Washington’s RFK Stadium while a search committee resumes negotiations with cities that want the team.

MARINERS INK SEXSON TO FOUR-YEAR DEAL

The Seattle Mariners added power to one of the weakest lineups in baseball yesterday, agreeing to a four-year, $50 million contract with free agent first baseman Richie Sexson.

Sexson, who turns 30 this month, hit 45 homers for Milwaukee in 2001 and 2003, and has four career 100-RBI seasons.

TRACK AND FIELD

JONES SUES BALCO FOUNDER CONTE

Olympic track star Marion Jones filed a defamation lawsuit yesterday against Balco head Victor Conte, who told a national TV audience that he gave her steroids and watched her inject herself with them. Jones is seeking $25 million in the suit, alleging Conte tarnished her reputation when he made the statement December 3 on ABC’s “20/20.”

Conte and three others connected to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative were indicted in February by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offenses, including illegally distributing steroids.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said Jones passed a lie detector test and includes a statement from her doctor saying she never used steroids. Jones won three gold medals and two bronzes during the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. The suit also says that Jones has passed 160 drug tests, including five at the 2000 Olympics, and “has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs.”

CYCLING PHONAK APPEALS LICENSE REFUSAL

The Phonak cycling team wants to overturn a decision in which its racing license was denied because of a doping scandal.

The International Cycling Union ruled November 30 that granting a license would “harm the image of cycling as a sport.” Phonak said yesterday it has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, which could take several months to rule.

Phonak’s stable of riders included Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton, who was fired by the team shortly be fore the governing body’s license hearing. Phonak and Hamilton have denied claims of doping, which emerged after the initial sample of the rider’s drug test at the Athens Games showed evidence of a blood transfusion. Hamilton tested positive again at the Spanish Vuelta in September. Phonak has been hit by drug accusations involving two other riders, Spain’s Santi Perez and Switzerland’s Oscar Camenzind.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

OHIO HIRES FORMER NEBRASKA COACH SOLICH

Former Nebraska coach Frank Solich has been hired as head coach at Ohio University, the Associated Press learned last night. Solich was fired by Nebraska after the 2003 season despite a 58-19 record as the successor to Tom Osborne, who retired in 1997.

LSU’S SABAN TALKS WITH DOLPHINS

Louisiana State coach Nick Saban has talked to the Miami Dolphins about their vacant head coaching position. In a statement issued by LSU yesterday, Saban described the talks as “a preliminary conversation with the Dolphins to exchange ideas about their head coaching position.” Saban is 48-15 in five seasons at LSU.

USC’S ORGERON TO TAKE OLE MISS JOB

Mississippi has hired USC assistant Ed Orgeron to coach the Rebels, Orgeron’s father told the Associated Press yesterday. Orgeron, 43, a Louisiana native, has been the Trojans’ defensive line coach since 1998 and is considered a top-notch recruiter, but this will be his first head-coaching position.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL NO. 6 WAKE FOREST HOLDS OFF ELON

Chris Paul had 14 points and a careerhigh 11 assists, and Kyle Visser added 13 points as no. 6 Wake Forest held off Elon 85-67 last night. The Demon Deacons (8-1) led by only five points at halftime. But Elon (2-7), a North Carolina school that plays in the Southern Conference, ended five of its early second-half possessions with turnovers, and Wake pulled away.

HORSE RACING

WARRANTS SERVED FOR THREE NYRA TRACKS

Authorities are investigating whether bettors at New York’s premiere thoroughbred tracks were properly informed when jockeys came in overweight at races. Investigators looking into the jockey weigh-ins served search warrants Tuesday and yesterday at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga, said a source familiar with the probe.

The new warrants grew out of the long-standing state and federal investigation of practices at the tracks. Those investigations have uncovered tax evasion by pari-mutuel tellers and other misconduct, but NYRA officials have adamantly denied that the problems have extended to the races themselves.

SOCCER

U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION THREATENS STRIKE

The U.S. Soccer Federation is threatening to drop all experienced players from the roster for its next World Cup qualifier unless the union agrees to a new labor contract by February 1.

The USSF’s deal with the U.S. National Team Players Association expired in December 2002. If the USSF follows through and escalates the dispute, which centers on payments to players, it would severely damage the U.S. team’s chances to win at Trinidad and Tobago on February 9 and possibly to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

– Associated Press