IN BRIEF

BOXING

Valero says he's victim of U.S. discrimination

Outspoken lightweight champion Edwin Valero accused the U.S. government of discrimination Friday and said he'll be unable to defend his title in November because his visa was not renewed in time.

Valero had never officially been added to the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's highly anticipated pay-per-view bout against Miguel Cotto, but Top Rank Inc. promoter Bob Arum had hoped Valero would be able to defend his WBC belt against junior lightweight champion Humberto Soto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden.

The 27-year-old Valero, who was born in Venezuela, said he completed all the required paperwork for the visa. Valero suggested that the application had been refused because of his sympathy for Venezuela President Hugo Chavez -- a fierce critic of U.S. policy in the region.

"I've been the subject of an act of discrimination, as well as my wife and my children, one of which was born in the United States," Valero said in a statement from Caracas, Venezuela.

Valero (25-0, 20 knockoutss) said he's now planning to organize a fight for Dec. 12 in Caracas, which would be backed by private businesses and Chavez's government.

Also: Two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux stopped Brazil's Giovanni Andrade in three rounds on a card in Miami Beach, Fla.

Rigondeaux (3-0, three KOs), who defected from Cuba earlier this year, was the superior fighter in the scheduled 10-round super bantamweight bout, frustrating Andrade with repeated rights and lefts to the head.

A solid Rigondeaux left to the body ended the fight late in the third round.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC's Carroll waiting to name starting QB

Southern California coach Pete Carroll still hasn't said if Matt Barkley or Aaron Corp will start at quarterback today against Washington.

Barkley threw during the third-ranked Trojans' short walk-through practice at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Carroll insisted his star freshman could play despite a bruised shoulder that sidelined him Monday through Thursday.

"He threw the best he has all week," Carroll said the night before the Trojans' Pacific-10 Conference opener against new Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian, a Trojans assistant until eight months ago.

Also: The NCAA cleared Texas cornerback Deon Beasley to play for the No. 2 Longhorns today against Texas Tech.

The senior missed the first two games while waiting to be declared academically eligible. School officials had said he was in good academic standing with the university.

Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton was suspended by the Big Ten Conference for today's game against Eastern Michigan for punching a Notre Dame player during last week's game.

Video of the incident during Saturday's 38-34 Wolverines victory in Ann Arbor, Mich., spread on the Internet. Mouton appears to punch lineman Eric Olsen under the chin as they get up from the turf following a play midway through the second quarter.

Big Ten commissioner James Delaney called the punch "unacceptable."

UNLV ATHLETICS

Rebels men's soccer ties Illinois-Chicago, 1-1

Zach Kupfer scored in the 85th minute as the Rebels men's soccer team managed a 1-1 tie with Illinois-Chicago in the UNLV Rebel Classic at Johann Memorial Field.

Goalkeeper Roland Swanson stopped four of five shots for UNLV (3-1-2).

Also: The women's soccer team played host San Francisco to a 0-0 tie. It was the third tie for UNLV in its past four matches.

Goalkeeper Alicia Lugo had two saves for her 21st career shutout with the Rebels (2-2-4).

The Rebels volleyball team dropped its Mountain West Conference opener against Colorado State 20-25, 19-25, 16-25 at Cox Pavilion.

UNLV (1-7) was led offensively by Erin Greenwood with nine kills.

MISCELLANEOUS

Haas opens with 62, leads Champions event

Jay Haas shot a 10-under-par 62 in the first round of the rain-delayed Greater Hickory Classic in Conover, N.C., taking a three-shot lead over Gil Morgan.

Haas is the 2005 tournament champion and tied for second two years ago. He played a bogey-free round at Rock Barn Golf and Spa's Robert Trent Jones course.

Also: Benn Barham of Britain equaled the lowest 36-hole score on the European Tour this season, a 13-under 129 at the Austrian Open in Oberwaltersdorf that has him two strokes ahead of 2007 champion Richard Green of Australia.

Barham had five birdies in a second-round 5-under 66.

NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief Pat Tryson would not discuss his reasons for leaving Penske Racing at the end of the season, saying only that the decision had nothing to do with driver Kurt Busch.

Tryson is moving to Michael Waltrip Racing next year to be crew chief for Martin Truex Jr. His impending departure was revealed last week, as the No. 2 team readied for the start to the Chase for the championship.

Italian police didn't want the shirt off Diego Maradona's back -- just his earrings.

Tax authorities visited the Argentina soccer coach at an Alpine resort and took away a pair of his earrings as partial payment of the former Napoli star's unpaid tax bill.

The command office of the Bolzano Provincial Tax Police said Maradona handed over the earrings, worth 4,000 euros ($5,900).

The Italian news agency ANSA said Maradona's tax bill now stands at about 37 million euros ($54 million).

Beijing Olympian Todd Rogers, defending women's champion Jen Kessy and up-and-coming men's player Casey Patterson all improved to 4-0 and advanced out of the first round of pool play in the AVP Crocs Tour Best of the Beach volleyball tournament at Mandalay Bay.

Also advancing in the three-day event were Olympians Phil Dalhausser, Elaine Youngs, Nicole Branagh, Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal.