Tyson arrested for drug possession

Mike Tyson was released from jail without bond on a felony drug possession charge yesterday after an early-morning arrest in Phoenix in which police said they found two bags of white powder in his back pocket. "He admitted to using today and stated he is an addict and has a problem," according to a police probable cause statement filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. "Mike admitted to possessing bags of cocaine and said he uses [it] any time he can get his hands on it." Sergeant Larry Hall said the boxer was arrested, after nearly ramming a police SUV, on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of cocaine when police stopped him shortly after he left a Scottsdale nightclub alone. The former heavyweight champ did not enter a plea and had no lawyer. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 16.

Tiger Woods decided not to play next week in the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii, taking some of the sizzle out of the tour's launch of its new FedExCup competition. Woods also sat out the season-ending Tour Championship in November for the top 30 players on the money list. Woods said he did not have time to get his game ready. Woods will return Jan. 25 at the Buick Invitational in San Diego, where he is the two-time defending champion.

The Florida Marlins signed infielder Aaron Boone to a $925,000, one-year contract. Boone, who turns 34 next March, hit .251 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs in 104 games last season for Cleveland . . . NL championship series MVP Jeff Suppan and the Milwaukee Brewers finalized their $42 million, four-year contract after the pitcher passed a physical . . . Hanley Ramírez, this year's top rookie in the NL, will miss the rest of the Dominican winter league season because of a left shoulder strain, but the Marlins' shortstop is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

Defenseman Kris Russell scored two goals to lead two-time defending champion Canada past Germany, 3-1, securing a semifinal berth in the world junior hockey championships in Leksand, Sweden. The Canadians clinched first place in Group A with their 15th consecutive win in the under-20 championships. In Group B, Russia routed Belarus, 6-1, to clinch at least second place . . . The Worcester Sharks of the AHL signed center Sean Collins, a Reading native and former UNH star, to a professional tryout agreement. In 24 games for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, Collins has 12 goals and 29 assists .

An ankle injury will keep New Orleans guard Chris Paul sidelined for at least a month. Paul, the Hornets' leading scorer with an 18.4 average, stepped on the foot of Seattle's Johan Petro late in the first quarter of a game in Seattle Tuesday . . . Miami Heat forward James Posey was suspended one game without pay by the NBA for a flagrant foul against Chicago forward Luol Deng. Posey was ejected for taking down Deng from behind in the Heat's 109-103 loss to the Bulls Wednesday in Chicago . . . Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan and his wife, Juanita, divorced after 17 years of marriage.

Michael Walchhofer skied down the 1.8-mile Stelvio course in 1 minute 51.82 seconds to become the first skier to win back-to-back downhills in Bormio, Italy. Bode Miller took fourth . . . Sweden's Therese Borssen, 22, captured her first World Cup victory in a slalom event in Semmering, Austria, in 1:55.15 . . . Duquesne basketball coach Ron Everhart was released from a five-day hospital stay in Pittsburgh for a gastrointestinal problem in time to welcome his players back from a 98-93 upset win at Boston College . . . Notre Dame basketball player Kyle McAlarney was arrested on a marijuana possession charge, police in South Bend, Ind., said, after a state trooper reported finding marijuana in McAlarney's car during a traffic stop a few blocks from the Notre Dame campus about 1:30 a.m. . . . Scotty Glacken, Georgetown football coach for 23 seasons and a standout quarterback for Duke in the 1960s, died Wednesday at 62. He lived in Bethesda, Md.