Bird says he feels 'betrayed' by Artest
Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird, who stood by forward Ron Artest in the aftermath of the infamous brawl at Auburn Hills, Mich., last season, told the Indianapolis Star that he is hurt by Artest's recent demand for a trade. ''I don't know if this is the right wording, but I felt betrayed," Bird said in Monday's editions. ''We're disappointed. Things happen, maybe it's a good thing. He's a very talented player. I always liked working with him and how he went about things on the basketball court. He's a top 12 player in the league, but we're in a situation where we have to move on. I think enough is enough. I think Ronnie will do fine but not here." Indiana is trying to accommodate Artest's request and has made him inactive for the last eight games. Bird said he would prefer to send him to a Western Conference team . . . Steve Nash, the Phoenix Suns guard and reigning NBA MVP, was honored as Canada's male athlete of the year by Canadian Press, winning in a landslide. Nash, who also won the award in 2002, finished with 366 points and 102 first-place votes in balloting of sports editors and broadcasters across the hockey-mad country. Pittsburgh Penguins phenom Sidney Crosby collected 163 points and 14 first-place votes while the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jason Bay was third with 92 points and five first-place votes
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Harbaugh signs on to stay at San Diego
Jim Harbaugh agreed yesterday to a four-year contract to remain as coach at the University of San Diego, a nonscholarship Division 1-AA school. Harbaugh was courted by three Division 1-A schools in recent weeks but chose to stay at the small Catholic university. In his second season as coach, Harbaugh led the Toreros to a school-best 11-1 record and their first Pioneer Football League title . . . Northern Colorado hired Nebraska assistant Scott Downing as its head coach. Downing coached tight ends and kickers at Nebraska since 2002 after arriving from Purdue . . . Wisconsin receiver Marcus Randle El was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly hitting a former teammate in the face with a cellphone. He is the brother of Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El.
HOCKEY
Report: Gretzky to return tonight
According to a report on the Arizona Republic website, Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky will be back behind the bench for tonight's game at San Jose. Gretzky left the team Dec. 17 to be with his ailing mother. Phyllis Gretzky died last Monday. The Coyotes have gone 2-3 in Gretzky's absence . . . Chris Bourque, the son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, scored five goals, and Phil Kessel added five assists to power the US past Norway, 11-2, in an opening game at the world junior championship in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Americans, the gold-medal favorite, scored five power-play goals and one shorthanded goal late Monday night while outshooting Norway, 56-19. The 19-year-old Bourque, a second-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals who played for Boston University as a freshman, scored twice on the power play and once shorthanded . . . Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker was fined $2,500 by the NHL for pulling off the helmet of New Jersey's Cam Janssen during a wild fight and twice hitting the winger on the head with it.
OLYMPICS
Italy admits to increasing surveillance
Fearing possible terrorism at the Turin Olympics, Italian authorities are conducting surveillance on ''numerous" people through telephone wiretaps and other intelligence operations, an Italian security official said yesterday. Luigi Rinella, the Italian police's liaison with the United States government, said those under surveillance included suspected Islamic militants, but he stressed that anti-globalization protesters and anarchists could also make trouble during the Feb. 10-26 Games. ''Clearly at this moment, the sensibility is to groups that we call Islamic terrorist that are connected to Al Qaeda," he told the Associated Press. Rinella said the surveillance involved telephone wiretaps and other forms of interceptions. He did not confirm a statement attributed to him by USA Today that at least 700 people were being monitored.
MISCELLANY
White Sox title is AP story of the year
The Chicago White Sox' run to their first World Series title since 1917 was voted sports story of the year in balloting by newspaper and broadcast members of the Associated Press. Chicago's victory received 552 points. Hurricane Katrina displacing the NFL's New Orleans Saints, the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, and college teams was second with 465 points, followed by Lance Armstrong's record seventh straight Tour de France title (455), the furor over steroids in baseball (448), the Patriots' Super Bowl victory (259), Southern Cal's attempt to win its third straight college football title (243), and Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro getting his 3,000th hit and then getting suspended for steroids . . . French Open champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of next week's Chennai Open tennis tournament in India because of a foot injury. Nadal, ranked No. 2, will be replaced by No. 9 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia . . . Two MLS players, Kansas City midfielder Chris Klein and MetroStars goalkeeper Zach Wells, were added to the roster for the US national soccer team training camp that starts Jan. 4.
