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NCAA dishes out punishment to Miami

August 31, 2011

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College Football
Quarterback Jacory Harris and 11 other University of Miami players who accepted extra benefits from former booster Nevin Shapiro will be allowed by the NCAA to play again, some as soon as the second game of the season. The harshest penalties handed down yesterday were reserved for those who took gifts from Shapiro while being recruited. Defensive lineman Olivier Vernon will sit out six games, while Ray Ray Armstrong - considered among the nation’s top safeties - and tight end Dyron Dye will miss four games apiece. They are three of eight players, including Harris, who must sit out games and repay benefits before they can be reinstated. The Hurricanes, who open the season at Maryland Monday night, still might face more sanctions as the NCAA’s investigation into Miami’s compliance practices continues. Harris, Sean Spence, Travis Benjamin, Marcus Forston, and Adewale Ojomo all must sit out one game and make restitution for accepting benefits after enrolling at the school. Four other players must repay small amounts, all under $100, but will not miss any games. A 13th player, Marcus Robinson, was vindicated of wrongdoing . . . UConn’s season opener against Fordham tomorrow at Rentschler Field in East Hartford was postponed because the stadium is being used as a distribution center for storm relief supplies. No makeup date was announced, though school officials were hoping to reschedule the game Saturday at the same site . . . Former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand, paralyzed when he suffered a spinal cord injury making a tackle on a kick return against Army last season, will work on the school’s radio network as an analyst.

Baseball
Strasburg scheduled to start on Sept. 6 Nationals manager Davey Johnson confirmed plans for Stephen Strasburg to make his first 2011 start against the Dodgers Sept. 6. Strasburg will start for Double A Harrisburg tomorrow, his final rehab appearance in his comeback from Tommy John surgery. The righthander, who was 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings as a rookie in 2010, was clocked at 98 miles per hour during a rehab start Saturday for Triple A Syracuse . . . Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he hopes righthander Tommy Hanson can return this season. An MRI Friday showed a small tear in Hanson’s right rotator cuff that won’t require surgery . . . The Rangers called up Cuban outfielder Leonys Martin from Triple A Round Rock one year and two days after he defected from his home country . . . White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he’d like to return to the club in 2012 and that he’d do so only if given a contract extension. Guillen has one year left on his contract beyond this season.

Concussion symptoms shelve Morneau Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has mild concussion symptoms and will miss at least the next several games. Morneau hurt his left shoulder Sunday diving for a ball against Detroit. He had headaches Monday and took a concussion test. Morneau missed the second half of 2010 with a concussion . . . Former Giants star Barry Bonds will be back in federal court in San Francisco Dec. 16 to be sentenced for his felony obstruction of justice conviction. . . . Ex-Giants payroll manager Robin O’Connor was arrested in San Francisco on federal charges associated with embezzling more than $1.5 million from team employees, including players.

Boxing
De La Hoya admits being an addict Former champion Oscar De La Hoya said he thought about suicide and has been going to rehab because he has become dependent on drugs and alcohol in an interview with Spanish-language network Univision. De La Hoya says he has been sober for three months after undergoing treatment and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. He said he was unfaithful to his wife and that they were separated for a while. De La Hoya retired in 2009 after a 16-year career in which he won 10 world titles in six divisions.

WNBA
Hammon carries Silver Stars over Sun Becky Hammon scored 16 points and became the seventh player in league history to score 5,000 points, leading the San Antonio Silver Stars past the visiting Connecticut Sun, 78-66. Tina Charles had 16 points for Connecticut, which still earned its first playoff berth since 2008 . . . Cappie Pondexter scored 19 points as the host New York Liberty beat the Chicago Sky, 71-67. Sylvia Fowles scored 22 points for Chicago . . . Lindsay Whalen scored 21 points as the Western Conference champion Minnesota Lynx beat the visiting Washington Mystics, 73-56 . . . Sancho Lyttle hit a short jumper with 0.9 seconds left to give the host Atlanta Dream a 92-90 win over Indiana, but the Fever clinched a playoff berth. Angel McCoughtry had 28 points for Atlanta. Erin Phillips scored 21 points and Tamika Catchings had 20 for Indiana . . . DeWanna Bonner scored 25 points and Diana Taurasi added 23 to lead the Phoenix Mercury to a 96-74 win over the host Tulsa Shock.

Miscellany
Flyers give van Riemsdyk an extension The Philadelphia Flyers signed left winger James van Riemsdyk to a six-year contract extension. Van Riemsdyk, 22, had 21 goals and 40 points last year, and scored seven goals in 11 playoff games . . . NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski will return to the Nationwide Series this week at Atlanta after missing the last five races with a broken ankle. Keselowski, the defending Nationwide champion, did not miss any Sprint Cup Series events during the stretch . . . NBC plans to show every event at the 2012 London Olympics live in some form - even if it’s just raw video streaming online. But the prime-time broadcasts will still use the traditional formula of human-interest features and taped competition . . . Suffolk Downs announced it will resume live racing today.