IN BRIEF
BASKETBALL
Sonics owner admits errors in city dealings
SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett testified Wednesday he made mistakes in dealing with the city of Seattle after he bought the team in 2006.
"We bought this team with grand visions for success," Bennett said. "Did we do everything right, and did we understand everything there was to understand? Certainly not."
Bennett began his second day on the witness stand in a federal trial over the Sonics' lease at KeyArena under friendly questioning from team attorney Brad Keller, and didn't specify his mistakes.
Bennett suggested only that he misunderstood the region's political climate.
Also: Concerns are growing among top San Antonio Spurs officials over guard Manu Ginobili's plans to play for Argentina in the Olympics.
Ginobili is nursing a badly sprained ankle and told Argentine media that doctors have informed him the ankle injury was worse than he thought. He said he must immobilize the ankle for three to four weeks, but that he still hopes to play for Argentina.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he hopes his star sixth man gives serious consideration to sitting out the Beijing Games.
Toronto bought out the contract of Jorge Garbajosa, the Spanish forward whose career with the Raptors was cut short by a broken leg.
He had one year and $4.25 million left on his contract.
Indianapolis and New Orleans are among 10 cities that submitted bids to host the 2012 to 2016 NCAA men's Final Fours.
San Antonio, which hosted this year's final won by Kansas; Detroit, the 2009 host; Houston (2011); and Indianapolis (2010); which has held more Final Fours than any other city -- five -- are in the running again.
Phoenix is the only city looking to hold its first Final Four. Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Arlington-Dallas-Fort Worth, are the other prospective hosts.
Finalists will be announced in August, with the five winning cities to be revealed in November.
Air Force agreed to a five-year contract with coach Jeff Reynolds that will keep him at the school through the 2012-13 season.
Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh said details of the contract are still being worked out.
The Falcons were 16-14 in Reynolds' first season.
Lawyers for a former women's basketball coach at Fresno State who sued the university claiming sex discrimination say they've reached a $9 million settlement deal with the university.
In December, a jury awarded Stacy Johnson-Klein $19.1 million for unlawful termination. She says she was fired for threatening to expose the school's unequal treatment of women athletes and coaches.
HOCKEY
NHL board OKs sales of Oilers, Lightning
The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the sale of the Edmonton Oilers to Canadian billionaire Daryl Katz, and the purchase of the Tampa Bay Lightning by a group of investors led by Hollywood producer Oren Koules and former player Len Barrie.
Both deals were approved at the board of governors meeting in New York in advance of this weekend's NHL Draft in Ottawa.
Also: Scott Niedermayer is ready to announce whether he will play one more season, and this time the Anaheim Ducks hope the star defenseman sticks with his decision one way or the other.
Niedermayer's agent, Kevin Epp, said his client plans to inform the Ducks whether he will come back before this weekend's draft.
The Philadelphia Flyers traded the rights to left wing Vaclav Prospal to Tampa Bay for a seventh-round pick.
The Flyers acquired Prospal, 33, from the Lightning in February for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a 2009 second-round pick.
MISCELLANEOUS
Russia wins, advances to Euro 2008 quarters
Russia dominated in a 2-0 victory over Sweden in a Group D elimination game in Innsbruck, Austria, sending the Russians to the European Championship quarterfinals.
Roman Pavlyuchenko scored in the first half, and Andrei Arshavin, coming off a two-match suspension, made the score 2-0 right after the break.
In the day's other match, Spain finished the first round with a perfect record, beating Greece 2-1 and sending the defending champions home with no points.
Dani Guiza and Ruben de la Red scored second-half goals to rally Spain, which has won nine straight games and is unbeaten in 19 contests.
Also: Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia maintained his lead after the third round of qualifying in the PBA Senior U.S. Open at the Suncoast Bowling Center.
Petraglia finished with an 18-game pinfall of 4,270 as the field was cut from 321 to 80. Bob Handley was 150 pins back in second place.
A fourth round of qualifying this morning will narrow the field to 24 for match play, which begins this afternoon.
Brady Exber shot a second-round 2-over-par 74 for a 5-over 149 total and a one-shot lead over Joseph Harrison (76) in the gross division of the Nevada State Amateur at Paiute Golf Club.
In the net division, first-round leader Rob Zoine (2-under 142) had a one-stroke lead over John Shank.
The final round of the 54-hole tournament is today.
Ryan Tetrault of Orange, Calif., fired a 2-under-par 69 to hold the second-day lead of the AJGA Las Vegas Junior at Angel Park Golf Club.
Tetrault supplanted Las Vegas' Max Marsico with a two-day total of 4-under 138.
Lindsey Weaver of Scottsdale, Ariz., maintained her three-shot lead in the girls division with a 4-under 138 after carding a second straight 69.
The final round of the 54-hole tournament is today.
Big Brown's trainer appears to be a late scratch for today's House hearing on the safety of thoroughbred racing, removing the most anticipated witness from Congress' latest look at sports and steroids.
Rick Dutrow said he has had a virus for several days and did not feel well enough to travel.
"I would go in a minute, but I just don't feel well," Dutrow said in a telephone interview.
The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection had been looking forward to hearing from the trainer known for his candor and for methods that were brought into question after his star horse's stunning last-place finish at this month's Belmont Stakes.
Six-time gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps is entered in nine events at next week's U.S. Olympic Trials.
Phelps plans an ambitious schedule for the eight-day trials, which begin June 29.
Phelps is entered in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle, the 200 and 400 individual medley, the 100 and 200 backstroke, the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 400 free.
A veteran and a youngster were 1-2 after the women's 10-meter preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic diving trials in Indianapolis.
Laura Wilkinson, the 2000 Olympic platform champion seeking a third Olympic berth at age 30, totaled 362.00 points after the five-dive opening round. Haley Ishimatsu, a 15-year-old from Seal Beach, Calif., had 360.70 points.
In the men's platform prelims, David Boudia led all the way and totaled 572.65 points. His friend and synchronized partner, Thomas Finchum, was second at 523.95.
Jimmy Jackson, a former Olympic wrestler and three-time NCAA heavyweight champion at Oklahoma State, has died. He was 51.
Jackson had been suffering from diabetes and congestive heart failure before his death Tuesday in East Lansing, Mich.
Germany's Markus Fothen won the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse cycling race, a 118-mile ride from Domat-Ems to Caslano, Switzerland.
Igor Anton of Spain retained the overall lead in the Tour de France tuneup.
