IN BRIEF

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Emotional Rodriguez denies rule violations

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday that his football program has abided by NCAA rules, despite allegations from anonymous players and former players who say the team has practiced far beyond the time allowed.

"We know the rules," he said, "and we follow the rules."

Rodriguez became emotional and had to gather himself several times with glassy eyes as he denied any wrongdoing.

"I guess I'm here to tell you that whatever you've heard or want to believe, the truth is that this coaching staff cares very deeply about the young men in our program," he said.

SPORTS BETTING

Delaware must limit wagers to NFL parlays

A federal appeals court dealt another body blow to Delaware's plans for a new sports betting lottery, saying it must be limited to parlay bets on pro football games.

A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared last week that Delaware's sports betting plan, which included single-game bets and wagering on a variety of professional and collegiate sports, violated federal law but it did not say why.

MISCELLANEOUS

Rubio staying in Spain for next two years

Ricky Rubio's Spanish pro team has agreed to trade his rights to Regal FC Barcelona in a deal that will prevent the 18-year-old point guard from joining the Minnesota Timberwolves for two years.

Yahoosports.com and ESPN.com said DKV Joventut informed Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations David Kahn on Monday night of the agreement, dashing the team's hopes that Rubio would be in the United States this fall.

The Timberwolves selected Rubio with the fifth pick in the June draft.

Also: Retired NBA player Jayson Williams was the victim of racial bias and prosecutorial misconduct in the aftermath of a fatal shooting at his New Jersey mansion eight years ago, his attorneys argued in court.

The defense team is seeking to have Williams' four cover-up convictions overturned, partly because an investigator involved in the case used a racial slur in 2002 to describe the former NBA All-Star.

Olympic champion Nastia Liukin withdrew her name from consideration for the world gymnastics championships, saying she hasn't had enough time to train. Liukin, the third U.S. woman to win the Olympic title, has been in high demand since she left Beijing, but the schedule wreaked havoc on her training regimen.

University of Alabama defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick was shot during an apparent robbery attempt in Tuscaloosa on Monday night.

The incident occurred at an apartment complex. Tuscaloosa police said. Deaderick suffered a gunshot wound to the forearm and was listed in good condition.

Deaderick is expected to have a major role on defense during the upcoming season for the Crimson Tide. Last year, the defensive end had four sacks in 14 starts.

Former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte won't race this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his best track, because of sponsorship issues at Yates Racing.

ESPN reporter Erin Andrews told talk-show host Oprah Winfrey that having secretly videotaped nude footage of her distributed on the Internet was a "nightmare." The interview will air on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Sept. 11.

The American women's hockey team stumbled in its first steps toward the 2010 Winter Olympics next spring losing to Finland 3-2 on Monday.