FOOTBALL

LUNG AILMENT MAY HAVE CAUSED WHITE’S DEATH

NFL great Reggie White may have died because of a respiratory disease combined with other health problems, a preliminary autopsy report said yesterday.

White most likely had a condition that affected the amount of air his lungs could hold, resulting in “fatal cardiac arrhythmia,” said Dr. Mike Sullivan, the medical examiner for Mecklenburg County. The report issued by Sullivan’s office also said sleep apnea, a condition that causes people to stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, may have been a factor.

White had the disease, known as sarcoidosis, for several years, family spokesman Keith Johnson said Sunday. He described it as a respiratory ailment that affected his sleep.

VIKINGS GIVE TICE ONE-YEAR EXTENSION

Despite a second straight late-season slide, the Vikings picked up coach Mike Tice’s $1 million option for 2005 yesterday, ending much speculation about the coach’s future. Tice would have become a free agent January 31 if the club failed to exercise the option by Saturday.

The Vikings raced to a 6-0 start in 2003, Tice’s second full season, but finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. They are headed in a similar direction this year, having lost six of their past nine games, but at 8-7 still have a shot at a wild-card berth.

Despite a 33% raise from his reported $750,000 salary, Tice will remain one of the NFL’s lowest-paid head coaches.

BASEBALL

YANKS, RED SOX, ANGELS MUST PAY LUXURY TAX

Boston and Anaheim must pay baseball’s luxury tax along with the Yankees, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner’s office.

The Yankees are required to pay $25,026,352, according to a December 21 memorandum that was sent to all major league teams. Boston owes $3,155,234 for exceeding the payroll threshold of $120.5 million and Anaheim got a bill for $927,059. Checks for the competitive-balance tax, as it is formally known, are due at the commissioner’s office by January 31.

In 2003,the first year of the new luxury tax, the Yankees were the only team to pay, owing $11,798,357, according to the team’s latest revised bill. Because they exceeded the threshold a second time, the Yankees were taxed at a rate of 30% for the amount they were over. Boston and Anaheim were taxed at a 22.5% rate. If the Yankees go over the 2005 threshold of $128 million, which appears certain, they will be taxed at a 40% rate.

REDS GIVE MILTON THREE-YEAR DEAL

Free agent Eric Milton and Cincinnati agreed to a $25.5 million, three-year deal yesterday as the Reds kept revamping their pitching staff. Milton, 29, led Philadelphia in wins, starts, and strikeouts last season, going 14-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 34 starts with 171 strikeouts. His contract calls for a $4 million signing bonus, $4 million in 2005, $8.5 million in 2006, and $9 million in 2007.

CYCLING

ARMSTRONG IS AP MALE OF ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Lance Armstrong was honored yesterday as the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third straight year. Armstrong joined Michael Jordan (1991-93) as the only athletes selected by sports writers and broadcasters three straight times since the honor was first awarded in 1931.

Armstrong received 51 first-place votes and 312 total points. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was second with 17 first-place votes and 156 points. The voting reflected Armstrong’s return to dominating form in an event where he separated himself so far from the pack there was little question of the outcome. Already recognized as one of the truly inspiring athletes of his generation, Armstrong took his cycling legacy a step further when he won a record-breaking sixth consecutive Tour de France in July.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

FRESNO ST. EDGES VIRGINIA IN MPC COMPUTERS BOWL

Paul Pinegar threw five touchdown passes, including the game-winning 25-yard strike to Stephen Spach in overtime, as Fresno State came back to beat no. 18 Virginia 37-34 in the MPC Computers Bowl yesterday.

Pinegar completed 23 of 36 passes for 235 yards without an interception. He helped the Bulldogs (9-3) erase a 21-7 second quarter deficit and notch another win against a big-name team.

Virginia (8-4) got the first possession of overtime, taking a 34-31 lead on a 26-yard field goal by Connor Hughes. It didn’t take Pinegar long to end it. He zipped a pass inside the 5 to Spach, who fought off a pair of would-be tacklers and dropped into the end zone. The Bulldogs stormed off the sideline in celebration while the Cavaliers were left dazed.

UCONN ROLLS OVER TOLEDO IN MOTOR CITY BOWL

UConn cruised to a 39-10 win over Toledo yesterday in the Motor City Bowl, the Huskies’ first bowl appearance since becoming a full Division I-A team three years ago.

The Huskies (8-4) dominated in every phase of the game. Bowl MVP Dan Orlovsky threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns and Matt Nuzie kicked a career-best four field goals.

The UConn defense held the Rockets (9-4) to just 78 yards on the ground. Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who broke his throwing hand in the MAC championship on December 2, struggled in the first half. He scored the Rockets only TD on a one-yard run. Backup quarterback Marques Council played the second half, throwing for 160 yards with two interceptions.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ILLINOIS BLOWS PAST LONGWOOD

Deron Williams scored a season-high 23 points and had seven assists to lead top-ranked Illinois (12-0) to a 105-79 victory over Longwood last night.

One of Williams’s four 3-pointers ignited a 16-0 second-half run that finally put the pesky Lancers away. Longwood (1-14) had cut Illinois’ lead to 73-65 before Williams started the run with 9:13 to go.

PRO BASKETBALL

HORNETS TRADE WESLEY TO HOUSTON

The New Orleans Hornets, off to a 2-24 start, traded shooting guard David Wesley to the Houston Rockets for Jim Jackson and Bostjan Nachbar yesterday.

Wesley is the Hornets’ career-leader in games started and averaged 13.9 points and 4.2 assists in 26 games with New Orleans this season. Jackson has career averages of 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. The 6-foot-6 guard/forward has spent time with Dallas, the Nets, Philadelphia, Golden State, Portland, Atlanta, Cleveland, Miami, and Sacramento. Nachbar averaged 2.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in his first two seasons.

– Associated Press