In Brief

BASKETBALL

Son of Cuban immigrants set
to take over Hawks' ownership

An emotional Alex Meruelo had to fight back tears as he talked about what it means to be the NBA's first Hispanic team owner.

His voice cracked as he talked about having dreamed of this day.

"I think we all do as boys -- that I would one day play in the NBA," said Meruelo, a California developer and pizza chain owner.

Meruelo, the son of Cuban immigrants, vowed to do everything he can to bring a championship to Atlanta if his deal to become the majority owner of the Hawks is approved by the NBA.

He became emotional again when he slipped on a red Hawks cap.

"I wasn't quite fast enough, tall enough or quick enough, so those dreams didn't quite get me that far," he said. "But those dreams brought me the burning desire to be involved in the NBA. It's something I've always wanted my entire life to somehow be a part of the NBA."

Meruelo, 48, will have controlling interest of more than 50 percent of the Hawks, who will remain in Atlanta. The deal includes operating rights to Philips Arena.

Citing the NBA lockout, Meruelo would not discuss details of the agreement, including the purchase price.

Also: Forward Matt Derenbecker, who started 16 games as a freshman last season for Louisiana State, has withdrawn from school for reasons related to his performance in the classroom.

His father, John Derenbecker, said his son is academically eligible to continue playing for the Tigers, but has struggled to meet "personal standards" as it relates to his course work.

The 6-foot-7-inch Matt Derenbecker averaged 6.5 points in 32 games in his freshman season at LSU, with a season-high 19 points against Mississippi.

SOCCER

League Cup matches derailed
by spreading riots in London

Police ordered football clubs in London to postpone matches as violence and looting spread across the British capital for a third night with buildings being set ablaze.

As police struggled to contain the spiraling disorder, League Cup matches due to take place at West Ham and Charlton today were postponed due to security resources being stretched.

England's friendly against the Netherlands on Wednesday at Wembley Stadium in north London is also under threat, although officials will meet with police 24 hours before the match to discuss the situation.

West Ham, though, said police told it to postpone the League Cup match against Aldershot today because "all major public events in London were to be rearranged."

The east London club said it was "because of the need to focus police resources elsewhere."

"Whilst neither the club or police anticipate any issues around the game itself, the club has to comply with the police request," West Ham said.

South London side Charlton said its cup match against Reading was being called off "on safety grounds" on advice from the police.

The violence, which is unrelated to any football issues, began late Saturday near Tottenham's ground in north London when a peaceful protest against the fatal police shooting of a man in disputed circumstances degenerated into a rampage.

MISCELLANEOUS

Silverado beats Arizona team
at Little League West Regional

Kyle Fuentes snapped a 5-5 tie with a run-scoring double in the bottom of the fifth inning and Jayzen Ramirez followed with a two-run home run as Silverado improved to 2-1 in pool play at the Little League Baseball West Regional in San Bernardino, Calif., with an 8-6 victory over Rio Rico, Ariz.

Buddie Pindel picked up the win for Silverado with two innings of one-hit relief.

Omar Ortiz Jr. had three singles for Silverado, and Ramirez and Brock Hershberger had two hits each.

Also: Two competitors died after experiencing problems during the swim portion of the Nautica New York City Triathlon over the weekend, leading race organizers to consider demanding more documentation of athletes' training and experience.

The deaths were the second and third ones at the popular triathlon in the last three years.

A New York City lawmaker has called for a top-to-bottom review, questioning whether rain the night before -- which could have led to choppy water and strong currents -- or 90 degree temperatures with high humidity were factors.

Coach Randy Carlyle agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks.

The deal keeps Carlyle under contract through the 2013-14 season. His old contract expired after the upcoming season, but that deal was reworked.