Informant claims Vick was at dogfight

Football
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is a "heavyweight" in dogfighting, a police informant considered extremely reliable by a dog fighting investigator told ESPN. On "Outside the Lines" yesterday, the informant said his dog beat Vick's dog in 2000, the year before Vick was chosen by the Falcons with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Investigator David Hunt said information from the informant has "resulted in the arrest of several individuals over the past few years, numerous search warrants, as well as convictions." Surry County (Va.) Commonwealth attorney Gerald Poindexter said Friday he is confident charges will be brought in the investigation of a possible dog fighting operation at a house then owned by Vick. Dogfighting is a felony in Virginia. Police raided the rural home April 25 as part of a drug investigation. They seized 66 dogs, 55 of them pit bulls, and equipment that could be associated with dogfighting. Vick has said he let a cousin, Davon Boddie, live at the house, and he didn't know a large kennel on the property could be involved in criminal activity. "[Vick is] one of the ones they call the big boys because he bets a large dollar and he has the money to bet large money," the informant said.

Basketball

Howard Porter, a three-time All-American who led Villanova to the 1971 NCAA championship game, died Saturday at 58, a week after he was found severely beaten in an alley in Minneapolis. Porter's 1971 tournament outstanding player honor was later vacated because he had been dealing with an agent before the season ended. Villanova's runner-up finish also was vacated. Drafted by the Bulls, Porter's career never blossomed in the NBA, and he began using drugs. He went to a rehab center in 1989, then moved to a halfway house and began turning his life around. Porter, who worked as a probation officer, had been hospitalized since he was found in the alley May 19. Obituary, Page B5 . . . Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams sat out practice with a stomach illness and is considered probable for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio tonight.

Baseball

Anthony Reyes, who won the World Series opener for the St. Louis Cardinals last fall but has lost 10 straight regular-season decisions, was optioned to Triple A Memphis. This season, Reyes is 0-8 with a 6.08 ERA in nine starts and allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Nationals Friday . . . Detroit Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco was held out of the starting lineup against Cleveland because of a strained oblique . . . Righthander Kevin Millwood, recovering from a strained left hamstring, threw five scoreless innings for Double A Frisco in a rehab assignment and expects to start for the Texas Rangers Friday in Seattle . . . Maine native Michael MacDonald earned his first Triple A victory, holding host Pawtucket scoreless on four hits over seven innings as the Syracuse Chiefs beat the PawSox, 9-2 . . . Chris Smith tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief and Zach Borowiak drove in two runs as the host Portland Sea Dogs rallied for a 6-4 win over the Reading Phillies.

Hockey

Bruins draft pick Milan Lucic (2 goals, 5 assists in 5 games) was selected the most valuable player of the Memorial Cup tournament, won by his Vancouver Giants with a 3-1 victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. Michal Repik scored the go-ahead goal with 4:55 left for Vancouver, which avenged a double-overtime loss to the Tigers in Game 7 of the Western Hockey League championship series.

Colleges

The University of Vermont hopes to build a $50 million to $60 million athletic arena for basketball and hockey games. Preliminary blueprints have been drawn up, feasibility tests have been conducted, and the board of trustees created a task force to study the proposal. The proposed arena would nestle between the existing Patrick Gym and Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington. For hockey, it would hold 6,500 fans and, depending on the configuration, 2,500 to 7,200 for basketball. The existing gym and fieldhouse would remain intact.

Miscellany

David Beckham, recalled to the England team last week by coach Steve McClaren after being overlooked for nine matches since last year's World Cup, could start against Brazil in a friendly at Wembley Friday and in a European Championship qualifier at Estonia June 6 after Aaron Lennon withdrew from the games because of a knee injury. Beckham, who has played 94 games for his country, will join MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy next month . . . The Chicago Fire and visiting Real Salt Lake played to a scoreless draw . . . Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso won the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing 4.095 seconds ahead of McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton . . . Riccardo Ricco won the grueling 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia, but Danilo Di Luca, who finished sixth, retained the overall lead. Eddy Mazzoleni, who finished fifth, is second overall, 1:51 behind Di Luca.