In Brief

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Prosecutors in Sandusky case
request outside jurors for trial

Prosecutors in the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse case asked Tuesday to have jurors brought in from another Pennsylvania county, a day after disclosing in court records they would tell the former Penn State assistant coach the names of his 10 alleged victims.

The attorney general's office argued in a court motion that pretrial publicity and Penn State's prominent role in its local community mean Sandusky's criminal trial warrant the use of jurors from outside the State College area. Sandusky's lawyer said he would fight the proposal.

In the other court filing, made late Monday, prosecutors said the alleged victims' names will be delivered to Sandusky's lawyer by the close of business Friday, a process that would apparently avoid disclosure through public court records. The men are identified as Victim Nos. 1-10 in court records.

Prosecutors said media coverage of Sandusky's arrest on charges he sexually abused boys over a 15-year period has been "spectacular in its breadth and intensity."

Also: Southern California authorities are investigating the theft of sports memorabilia and jewelry from the home of former football star John Cappelletti, the 1973 Heisman Trophy winner from Penn State.

Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said the burglary occurred on or around Jan. 20 at Cappelletti's home in Laguna Niguel.

Amormino said he cannot say specifically what items were taken but they do relate to Cappelletti's playing days at Penn State and NFL years with the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers.

An affidavit filed in a slander suit against Syracuse and basketball coach Jim Boeheim said the wife of fired assistant Bernie Fine had sex with players, and several people associated with the program knew about it, including Fine.

In the affidavit, Bobby Davis, a former ball boy with the men's team, said he was present on several occasions with basketball players when he heard them speaking of having sex with Laurie Fine. Davis said players joked about it, and it seemed to be an openly known fact that Laurie Fine had sex with basketball players. A lawyer for Laurie Fine said the accusations were "disgusting."

After Davis and his stepbrother, Mike Lang, accused Bernie Fine of molesting them when they were boys, Boeheim vehemently defended his longtime friend and assistant coach. He said Davis was lying to cash in on the publicity generated by a sexual-abuse scandal unfolding at Penn State. The Hall of Fame coach later backed off, saying he based his defense on loyalty and two previous claims of abuse against Fine that authorities could not substantiate.

Boeheim apologized after a third accuser came forward at the end of November and a years-old audiotape surfaced of a phone conversation between Davis and Laurie Fine that some have interpreted as Fine acknowledging Davis was abused by her husband.

The NCAA granted Boise State running back D.J. Harper a sixth year of eligibility. Harper, whose 2009 and 2010 seasons were cut short by ACL injuries to the same knee, has rushed for 1,642 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career and heads into the 2012 season as the projected starter at tailback.

UNLV's Amanda Bingson was named Mountain West Conference Co-Women's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week after breaking the school record in the weight throw with a toss of 66 feet, 6½ inches at Northern Arizona's Mountain T Invitational in Flagstaff on Saturday.

BASEBALL

Indians get versatile prospect
Canzler in deal with Tampa Bay

The Cleveland Indians added a Most Valuable Player to their roster -- and a possible replacement at first base.

Cleveland acquired versatile Russ Canzler, the top player in the International League last season, from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.

Canzler, 25, played four positions -- right and left field, third and first base -- last season for Triple-A Durham, where he batted .314 with 18 home runs and 83 RBIs in 131 games for the Bulls. Canzler made his major league debut for the Rays on Sept. 11 and had one hit in three games.

He was expected to be on Tampa Bay's roster this season, but the club re-signed first baseman Carlos Pena and free-agent infielder Jeff Keppinger, making Canzler the odd man out. The Rays designated him for assignment last week after signing Keppinger.

Canzler led the International League in doubles (40) and slugging percentage (.530), finished second in runs (78) and third in hits (149).

Also: The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to two one-year contracts that settled arbitration cases, giving catcher Miguel Montero $5.9 million and infielder Ryan Roberts $2,012,500.

Montero hit .282 with 18 homers and 86 RBIs last season, when he made $3.2 million. Roberts batted .249 with 19 homers, 65 RBIs and 18 steals, making $423,500.

Right-hander Dustin Moseley agreed to a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres, avoiding arbitration.

Moseley, 30, will make $2,012,500 this season. He went 3-10 with a 3.30 ERA in 20 starts with San Diego last season.

The Houston Astros agreed to a minor league contract with former World Series Most Valuable Player Livan Hernandez.

The two-time All-Star, who led the Florida Marlins to the 1997 championship, was invited to major league spring training. Hernandez, 36, was the Opening Day starter for Washington last season and started 29 games for the Nationals, going 8-13 with a 4.47 ERA.

Former Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was hired to be a special assignment scout for the New York Yankees.

Hendry spent 17 seasons with the Cubs and was GM from July 2002 until he was fired Aug. 18, unable to help the team win the World Series for the first time since 1908.

MISCELLANEOUS

Four NFL concussion-related
lawsuits to be consolidated

At least four lawsuits blaming the NFL for concussion-related dementia and brain disease will be consolidated in Philadelphia, and more could follow.

A U.S. judicial panel approved requests by the NFL and plaintiffs lawyers to try similar cases before Senior U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia.

The lawsuits represent more than 300 retired players or spouses, including two-time Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon.

"(This) allows Judge Brody to now bring everybody together and put this in an organized environment where all the legal issues and the medical issues and the scientific issues can all be decided in one place," said Philadelphia lawyer Larry Coben, who filed the first lawsuit in August on behalf of McMahon and six others.

Also: Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid said he offered Steve Spagnuolo a coaching position before the former St. Louis Rams coach chose to be the defensive coordinator in New Orleans.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the season finale Jan. 1, Reid said he didn't specify a job title in his conversations with Spagnuolo, who was fired after going 10-38 in three seasons with the Rams. Spagnuolo previously worked under defensive coordinator Jim Johnson in Philadelphia and was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants when they beat the New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl. He joined the Saints two weeks ago.

Reid also said he planned to retain defensive coordinator Juan Castillo all along. Castillo was heavily criticized in his first season at a new position after coaching the offensive line for 13 years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers interviewed former Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley for the team's offensive coordinator position.

Haley, fired by the Chiefs in December, met with Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin about replacing Bruce Arians, who was not retained after the season.

Danica Patrick will be guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 via a partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing.

TBR will officially field Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet in all 10 of her Sprint Cup Series races this season. It will begin the season with the points Dave Blaney earned last season for the No. 36 car.

Because Blaney finished 33rd in points last season, his car is guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races of the season. Teams can transfer or sell the points to another team, and Stewart-Haas Racing acquired them so Patrick is guaranteed to race in the Feb. 26 season opener.

The Wranglers' Joe Fallon was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week after going 3-0-0 in Las Vegas' road sweep of the Colorado Eagles.

The 27-year-old native of Bemidji, Minn., had a 1.30 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.

The Wranglers return to the ice Thursday when they host the Alaska Aces at 7:05 p.m. at Orleans Arena.