August 20, 2008
Toney stops Rahman after three rounds
James Toney stopped Baltimore native Hasim Rahman last night in Temecula, Calif., mostly because of a big cut over Rahman's left eye. Toney (71-6-3) and Rahman (45-7-2) butted heads in the third round, and the collision opened a cut over Rahman's left eye. The fight was stopped just before the fourth round was set to begin. With the win, Toney claimed the North American Boxing Organization heavyweight title.
• NBA James Posey, a 6-foot-8 forward who last season helped the Celtics win their first title since 1986, agreed to a four-year, $25million contract with the Hornets, agent Mark Bartelstein said. His record of playing a prominent reserve role on title-winning teams made him a top free-agent target for the Hornets, who are coming off their best season (56-26) in franchise history and trying to contend for their first championship. Posey averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds last season, his 10th in the NBA. ... The Cavaliers brought back sharpshooter Daniel Gibson, signing the restricted free-agent guard to a five-year contract. Gibson averaged a career-high 10.4 points and shot 44percent from three-point range last season. ... The Clippers acquired center Marcus Camby from the Nuggets on Tuesday for the option to exchange second-round picks with Los Angeles in 2010. Camby led the NBA in blocked shots with 3.61 per game last season.
•OlympicsDouble-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius fell short of the 400-meter qualifying time for the Beijing Olympics despite running a personal best in Lucerne, Switzerland. The South African, 21, finished third in 46.25 seconds. That is .11 of a second faster than he ever ran before but still outside the Olympic qualifying standard of 45.55. It was the final chance for Pistorius to impress the South African selectors, but they can still choose to invite him as part of a six-man roster for the 1,600-meter relay. The South African team for the Aug.8-24 Beijing Games will be picked today or tomorrow.
• NHLTerry Murray, who coached the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals 11 years ago, has been hired as the new coach of the Kings. He had been an assistant coach with the Flyers since the 2003-04 season. ... Wrigley Field is going to be the frozen confines on New Year's Day 2009 when the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings meet the Blackhawks outdoors in the home park of the Chicago Cubs. It will be the NHL's second Winter Classic. ... The Thrashers have agreed to terms with goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who was a restricted free agent. •Soccer Leading scorer Abby Wambach was carted off the field on a stretcher with an apparent left leg injury in the first half of the U.S. women's match against Brazil. There was no immediate word on Wambach's injury, but team spokesman Aaron Heifetz said Wambach was being taken to a hospital for X-rays.
•Tennis Four-time defending champion Roger Federer and Wimbledon winner Rafael Nadal lead the men's field for the U.S. Open. Former U.S. Open champions Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin will also be in the field for the Aug.25-Sept.7 tournament in New York.
•CollegesJack Swarbrick, a lawyer who helped draw numerous sporting events to Indianapolis, including the 2012 Super Bowl, is the new athletic director at Notre Dame. ... Temple men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the school through the 2013-14 season.
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
