IN BRIEF

BASKETBALL

Seattle to SuperSonics: Honor your contract

A deal is a deal, and the SuperSonics should stay.

That was the message from city of Seattle lawyers as a federal trial began Monday to determine whether the NBA franchise will be forced to stay at KeyArena until its lease expires in 2010.

SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett is trying to move the team -- Seattle's oldest professional sports franchise -- to his hometown of Oklahoma City, two years before the lease expires. Bennet is hoping to pay Seattle no more than $10 million in lost rent for the next two seasons.

In his opening statement, Seattle lawyer Paul Lawrence said the city only agreed in the mid-1990s to spend $84 million to renovate the old Seattle Coliseum -- now KeyArena -- because the team agreed to stay until 2010. He told U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman the city has every right to hold the Sonics to that bargain, and asked her to force them to stay.

Also: The prognosis for Yao Ming's left foot is "very good," but it remains uncertain whether the Houston Rockets' center will be cleared to play in time for a pre-Olympics tournament, his agent said.

Agent John Huizinga said Yao had a checkup that went well, but disputed reports that his client would play July 17-20 in the Stankovic Cup, a pre-Olympics tournament in Hangzhou, China.

Also: A Kansas judge has ruled in favor of a woman who filed a lawsuit against Kansas guard Sherron Collins concerning an assault she said took place in an elevator.

Douglas County District Court Judge Jack Murphy granted a judgment for damages in excess of $75,000 to Jessica J. Brown.

Murphy ruled in Brown's favor because Collins had failed to file a legal response to the lawsuit since it was filed May 14.

FOOTBALL

Vick court appearance on DUI rescheduled

Former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick's first court appearance to face a charge of driving under the influence has been rescheduled.

The 24-year-old brother of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was to appear in General District Court in Norfolk, Va., but a clerk said his appearance was rescheduled for Sept. 10. He posted a $1,000 bond last Friday.

Marcus Vick was arrested early Friday on charges of driving under the influence, eluding police, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.

Also: Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard will have a domestic violence charge erased from his record if he complies with a series of stipulations over the next two years.

A Seattle Municipal Court judge ordered a continuance in Bernard's case.

Bernard pleaded not guilty to a domestic violence assault charge after he was accused of hitting his girlfriend in the head at a Seattle nightclub in April.

Under the court order, the 300-pound lineman must have no contact with the woman for the next two years and must attend domestic violence treatment. He also must have no other violations.

Also: Atlanta Falcons safety Daren Stone has been arrested on a drunken-driving charge.

Police said the second-year player was taken into custody early Sunday morning. No other information was immediately available.

MISCELLANEOUS

Germany tops Austria, reaches Euro quarters

Germany captain Michael Ballack scored on a second-half free kick for a 1-0 win over Austria in Vienna and a place in the quarterfinals of the European Championship.

In a game marked by the ejection of both coaches before halftime, Ballack sent in a 25-yard shot in the 49th minute to advance Germany and end the hopes of its smaller neighbor.

In the day's other match, Ivan Klasnic, the first kidney transplant recipient to play at the European Championship, scored as Croatia beat Poland 1-0 in Klagenfurt, Austria. The 28-year-old striker connected in the 53rd minute when he swept in a left-footed shot from a cross by stand-in captain Danijel Pranjic.

Also: Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia led the first round of qualifying in the PBA Senior U.S. Open at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

Petraglia had a six-game pinfall of 1,477 to top a 321-player field of pros and amateurs. Ron Mohr was 35 pins back in second place.

Qualifying continues today and Wednesday.

The Olympic torch started its relay route today through China's restive western region of Xinjiang amid cheering crowds and heavy security.

Torchbearers high-fived each other as they passed the flame on the streets of the capital Urumqi, guarded by a phalanx of security agents who jogged along on either side. Carefully controlled crowds waving the national flag and shouting "Go China!" stood behind metal barriers and were closely watched by police and troops.

Ray Getliffe, the hard-hitting forward credited with giving Montreal Canadiens teammate Maurice Richard the nickname "The Rocket," has died. He was 94 and the second-oldest living former NHL player.

Getliffe played 10 seasons with the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens from 1935-45. He died Sunday in London, Ontario.

Racing officials in Kentucky fined Churchill Downs Inc. for a rules violation at the starting gate of last month's Kentucky Derby.

The $15,000 penalty levied against the track by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority involves a worker Churchill hired to load Pyro into the starting gate.

Pyro finished eighth in the race.

Greg Norman made a 15-foot putt on the second-to-last hole to earn $100,000 during the opening day of the Telus Skins Game in Vernon, British Columbia.

Fred Couples was the only other golfer to collect a skin. He sank a 40-foot putt on the second hole to earn $30,000.

The best amatuer golfers in the state will square off today at Paiute Resort's Wolf Course in the 54-hole 2008 Nevada State Amateur tournament.

The 112-player field, which will be divided in net and gross divisions, tee off at 8 a.m. daily. Admission is free.

Dustin Hall, of Reno, is the defending gross division champion, while Reno's Terry Reason is the defending net division champion.

Tickets go on sale July 1 for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend includes Cup pole day on Friday of that weekend, followed the next day by the Sam's Town 300 Nationwide race and 11th annual Cup race on Sunday.

For the first time, the speedway will require ticket buyers using a credit card to only pay half the purchase price over the next four months, with the balance due by Nov. 1.

Neon Garage, driver introduction and preferred parking passes also go on sale July 1.

Tickets can be purchased at the speedway, by phone (644-4444) or on the Internet (LVMS.com).

The Indy Racing League will hold its annual championship banquet for the IndyCar and Indy Lights series on Nov. 5 in the 2,500-seat The Pearl theater at the Palms.

Las Vegas will be the seventh city in eight years to host the Indy Racing League Championship Celebration.

Robbie McEwen won a sprint finish to take the rain-soaked third stage of the Tour de Suisse in Gossau, Switzerlan.