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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 PAGE 5B
BASEBALL
Clemens’ lawyers: Mistrial was intentional
Clemens argued that a new The defense team alleges that trial would violate his constituprosecutors purposely sought tional right against the double a new, more favorable trial. jeopardy of facing the same By NEDRA PICKLER The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — With his trial abruptly cut short, former baseball star Roger Clemens argued Friday that prosecutors intentionally goaded him into asking for a mistrial and asked a judge to throw out his indictment on charges of lying to Congress.
charge twice. His lawyers said prosecutors’ revelation that a teammate told his wife that Clemens confessed to using a drug “was no accident.” They said the prosecutors chose to ignore U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton’s order against using her testimony so they could provoke a mistrial because their case was going badly. The mistrial came on the second
day of testimony in a trial that was expected to last four to six weeks. Most legal experts who reviewed copies Clemens of the Clemens transcripts for The Associated Press say he probably will face a second trial under rules established by the Supreme Court. They said that when a mistrial is requested by the accused, the general rule is that the guarantee
against double jeopardy does not prevent another trial unless the judge finds prosecutors provoked a mistrial. But the experts point out there’s no indication prosecutors would have wanted to start their case over so soon. But the Clemens team argued “this is the rare case” that meets the standard. “By the time the government provoked the mistrial, its highly experienced counsel had suffered a series of setbacks that cast doubt on the case against Mr. Clemens,” defense attorneys
wrote. They pointed out that prosecutors have not said they made a mistake and argued that the violations “were critical, hotly contested pretrial issues that no experienced prosecutor could simply have missed when it came time to finalize exhibits and prepare witnesses.” Prosecutors have three weeks to respond. Walton has set a Sept. 2 hearing on the retrial issue. Clemens’ attorneys argued that the record-setting pitcher has lived in a continuing state of anxiety and insecurity over the
possibility that even though innocent he may be found guilty. They argued a second trial would reward government misconduct by giving prosecutors a chance to improve jury selection, hone its trial strategy and address issues raised early in the first trial. “The government had its day in court and squandered it with misconduct that irretrievably wasted time, money and the opportunity for a one-time, fair resolution of these charges for all involved,” Clemens’ attorneys wrote in their filing.
NBA
SOCCER
U.S. names Klinsmann new coach FIBA clears players for games overseas
The former Germany manager the field.” Klinsmann will be formally inreplaces Bob Bradley as head troduced Monday at a news conof the national team. ference in New York.
Juergen Klinsmann was appointed as the U.S. national team coach on Friday, a day after Bob Bradley was fired. The former Germany coach will be a familiar face to American fans, given that he nearly got the job after the 2006 World Cup and then again last year before Bradley was given what turned out to be a short-lived contract extension to 2014. The former Germany striker’s first game in charge will be a friendly against archrival Mexico in Philadelphia on Aug. 10. Qualifying for the next 2014 World Cup in Brazil begins next year. “We are excited to have Juergen as the head coach of our Men’s National Team,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program. Juergen has had success in many different areas of the game, and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off
Playing overseas has emerged Agreement allows those under as an option during a work stopcontract to play in other page that threatens to last leagues during the lockout. months and could even wipe out By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
AP FILE PHOTO
Juergen Klinsmann, shown here coaching for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, is the new head coach for the U.S. national team, a job he nearly landed in 2006 ahead of Bob Bradley.
expects big changes. “I am happy for Juergen, that he has found a new challenge and I wish him a lot of success,” Loew
said. “The way we know Juergen, he’ll go into the job with power and shake up a lot of things.”
LITTLE LEAGUE
Africa’s first World Series entrant denied U.S. visas By GENARO C. ARMAS The Associated Press
STATE COLLEGE — A youth baseball team from Uganda that would have been the first squad from Africa to play at the Little League World Series has been denied visas to enter the United States. The U.S. Department of State declined to give a reason for the decision, other than to say that the team’s documentation “contained discrepancies,” officials at Little League headquarters in South Williamsport said Friday in a statement. “It is unfortunate, as we were very much looking forward to welcoming the first African team to the Little League Baseball World Series,” league president Stephen Keener said. “However, we have worked very closely
SHERIDAN Continued from Page 1B
with the lockout. The Eagles couldn’t complete their customary extension because of the vagaries of the uncapped 2010 season. So Jackson played out the third season of his four-year rookie contract, and it was a case study in the complexity of placing a value on him. The market has been set. Santonio Holmes agreed to terms with the Jets this week for five years at a reported $50 million. That deal reportedly has $24 million in guaranteed money. Seattle wrapped up free agent Sidney Rice this week for five years at a reported $41 million, with $18.5 million guaranteed. Jackson is at least as valuable as either of them in the Eagles’
with our State Department in recent years, and we very much appreciate their diligence in this matter.” Little League vice president Patrick Wilson said the State Department cited privacy concerns in declining to release details. “We knew their documents were under review ... but it’s been a couple days of back and forth” before the decision was confirmed Friday, Wilson told The Associated Press in a phone interview. Wilson said the decision was considered final. The Rev. John Foundation Little League team from Kampala won the Middle East and Africa region tournament, which was played in Poland, with a 6-4 win July 16 over the Arabian American Little League team from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
It was the first time in the 65year history of the World Series that a team from Africa had advanced that far. The World Series is for children ages11to13. The Saudi Arabian team had been a mainstay, qualifying 17 times since 1991. That squad was comprised primarily of children of U.S. citizens who worked overseas. In contrast, the Ugandan team was made up of children who lived in villages outside Kampala and attended the foundation-based school. The first local Little League in Uganda was chartered in 2005, while the Rev. John Foundation team played its first regional tournament in 2008. Little League now must now decide how to proceed with the World Series, which begins Aug.
18 in South Williamsport and ends Aug. 28. Wilson said tournament organizers would meet in the next few days in hopes of making a decision within a week. Sixteen teams qualify for the World Series, eight in the U.S. bracket and eight from the international bracket. “Ideally, we’d like to have a 16team field,” Wilson said. According to Little League officials, the last time a team that qualified could not make the trip was 1959, when a squad from then-West Germany composed of dependents of U.S. Army personnel didn’t have enough money to travel. At the time, just eight teams qualified for the tournament, and the 1959 series was played with just seven squads.
big-play offense. His 2010 numbers (47 catches, 1,056 yards, 6 TDs) don’t tell the whole story. His average of 22.5 yards per reception, the strain he puts on defenses, and his return skills all add value. A fair deal would average about $10 million to $12 million a year over six or seven seasons — the length actually benefits the Eagles because it is more capfriendly. Jackson is only 24. He’d turn 32 near the end of the final season of a seven-year deal. So it’s simple, right? Well, there are a few qualifiers. Jackson isn’t the most mature guy to come along. Then again, as wide receivers go, his diva qualities aren’t out of proportion. The bigger concerns are physical: Jackson, listed at 5foot-10 and 175 pounds, has been knocked out of games with concussions in each of the last two
seasons. Last year’s injury, which came against Atlanta in October, was especially severe. Because of that, because of his size, and because speed is his entire game, Jackson’s career longevity is a more pressing issue than, say, that of the 6-4, 200-pound Rice or the 6-5, 230-pound Vincent Jackson. That is exactly the reason that
DeSean Jackson wants and deserves a new deal before he places himself at risk for another game, let alone a season. He is right to want that deal. He shouldn’t hold out to get it, but then, he really shouldn’t have to. Phil Sheridan is a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
If NBA stars are serious about playing overseas, basketball’s governing body says they will be welcomed. Just as long as they promise to leave once the lockout ends. FIBA announced Friday it would clear NBA players under contract to play in its leagues during the work stoppage, provided the deals they sign come with opt-out clauses. In a ruling that paves the way for players to earn a paycheck, FIBA agreed with NBA and players’ association officials that players are free to sign anywhere but do so at their own risk of injury. “As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labor dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled,” secretary general Patrick Baumann said. “In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever. We do so while obviously taking the interests, rights and obligations of all parties into account.”
the entire season. Nets All-Star Deron Williams has a deal with Turkish club Besiktas — which is also courting Kobe Bryant — and most top players said they would consider playing overseas. Union executive director Billy Hunter has endorsed the idea, with players believing it will pressure owners at the bargaining table if they see their players have options elsewhere, and FIBA may have been faced with a legal challenge had it denied the players. “Our players are gratified by today’s announcement by FIBA, although it comes as no surprise,” Hunter said in a statement. “We have consistently advised our members that in the event of a lockout they would have the right to be compensated for playing basketball irrespective of whether they were under contract to an NBA team or not. We have encouraged all of our players to pursue such opportunities and will continue to do so.” If a player under NBA contract agrees to a deal in a FIBA-affiliated league, he first must be cleared to go by the NBA. The league will allow partial clearance, meaning it must be guaranteed the player returns to his NBA team once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.
Source: Pistons agree to terms with Frank as new head coach By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Detroit Pistons are giving Lawrence Frank another chance to lead an NBA team. A person with knowledge of the situation said Friday that the Pistons have agreed to a threeyear deal with Frank to be their new head coach. The agreement includes a team option for a fourth year, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the move. Frank, an assistant coach with Boston last season and a former head coach in New Jersey, will be Detroit’s sixth coach in 11 seasons when the NBA lockout ends. The Pistons fired John Kuester in June after they missed the playoffs in both of his two seasons. A deliberate coaching search,
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which included Mike Woodson, Kelvin Sampson, Bill Laimbeer and Patrick Ewing, ended with the franchise choosing to give Frank another shot at the head job. Frank was 225-241 as coach of the Nets, who advanced to the conference semifinals three times with him at the helm. Frank replaced Byron Scott as New Jersey’s coach in January 2004 and began his career with a 13-game winning streak. He ended his stint with the Nets with a losing streak that was even longer. He was fired in November 2009 after the team started that season 0-16. The 40-year-old from Teaneck, N.J., spent four seasons as a student manager for Bob Knight at Indiana. He was an assistant at Marquette and Tennessee before becoming an NBA assistant in Vancouver and New Jersey.
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By CHRIS JENKINS AP Sports Writer
“I am proud and honored to be named the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team,” Klinsmann said. “I would like to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for the opportunity, and I’m excited about the challenge ahead. I am looking forward to bringing the team together for our upcoming match against Mexico and starting on the road toward qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.” Klinsmann, who turns 47 on Saturday, has a considerable World Cup pedigree. As a player, he scored 11 goals in three World Cups, 1990, 1994 and 1998. That ties him for sixth on the all-time scoring list, just behind Pele. Klinsmann was a key cog for West Germany’s 1990 World Cup-winning team and the German team’s captain from 1994 to 1998. He retired in 1998 and moved to the United States shortly afterward. Klinsmann and his wife, Debbie, reside in California with their two children, Jonathan and Laila. Germany coach Joachim Loew, who was Klinsmann’s assistant before becoming his successor, wished him well — and
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