Agent: No new Real deal for Beckham

June 11, 2007

Soccer
David Beckham appears set for a Hollywood ending to his stay with Real Madrid, even though Madrid's president doesn't want Beckham's stay to end. According to Beckham's agent, the 32-year-old midfielder, whose recent return to form has sparked his club and England's national team, is bound for the Los Angeles Galaxy next month. "There is no intention of getting out of the Galaxy deal or reneging on the Galaxy deal," Simon Oliveira said yesterday. "David is looking forward to going to the States." Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon was quoted in the Spanish media as saying that he would try to persuade Beckham to stay and would use an escape clause in his Galaxy contract, although there is no evidence such a clause exists. Spanish media have reported that Beckham could back out of the deal with the Galaxy if he paid compensation of $13.42 million. Beckham signed a five-year contract with LA in January that will pay him an MLS-record base salary of $5.5 million annually and might be worth as much as $250 million with his cut from jersey sales, endorsements, and sponsorships. Beckham's contract with Real Madrid ends June 30 and he is set to move to MLS around mid-July. Real will clinch its first major trophy since Beckham joined from Manchester United in 2003 if it beats Real Mallorca at home in the final league match of the season Sunday. Beckham returned to action from a knee injury at the end of April and has been one of red-hot Real's most influential players . . . FC Dallas's leading scorer Kenny Cooper is expected to be out two months after breaking his right shin during a 3-1 win over the Galaxy Saturday.

NBA

Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas said he plans to opt out of the six-year, $65 million contract he signed in 2003 after next season. Arenas, who will act as his own agent, said he is not seeking to leave the Wizards but will gauge other teams' interest. "I'm going to opt out and consider some other teams next year," Arenas told The Washington Times. "I want to test the market and test my value." . . . Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith remained hospitalized after being thrown from his vehicle during a crash in Newark Saturday night, but his injuries aren't believed to be as serious as first thought. "J.R. is fine. There is nothing career- or life-threatening," Nuggets spokesman Eric Sebastian said . . . Nuggets reserve forward DerMarr Johnson was charged with resisting arrest and interfering with police during a disturbance outside a nightclub in Greenwood Village, Colo.

Baseball

The Mets' Shawn Green, who broke his right foot May 25 and landed on the disabled list for the first time in his 15-year major league career, is expected to be activated today. Fellow outfielder Moises Alou left the team in Detroit to fly back to New York for an examination on his strained left quadriceps . . . Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski dropped his appeal and served a one-game suspension for his conduct during a game against the Yankees last week . . . Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers, who has been on the disabled list all season and had surgery in March to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and repair arteries, threw three innings plus in his first rehabilitation start for Triple A Toledo in its 2-1 win over visiting Norfolk . . . Brandon Moss hit a three-run homer and Michael Tucker added a solo blast as the host Pawtucket Red Sox beat the Ottawa Lynx, 6-3 . . . Asdrubal Cabrera singled home the winning run in the 10th inning to lift the host Akron Aeros over the Portland Sea Dogs, 2-1. Portland's Jed Lowrie failed to reach base, ending his streak at 38 games . . . Bryan Peterson's double in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted California-Irvine over host Wichita State, 3-2, and sent the Anteaters to the College World Series for the first time in school history . . . Isaiah Howes hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as host Louisville routed Oklahoma State, 20-2, to earn its first trip to the College World Series . . . Chad Flack's tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning sparked North Carolina to a 9-4 win over South Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., in the deciding game of a best-of-three super regional series . . . In Tempe, Ariz., Arizona State advanced to the College World Series for the second time in three years with a 7-1 victory over Mississippi.

Cycling

Cycling's world governing body has called a special meeting of all 20 ProTour teams in Geneva next week before the Tour de France to discuss the sport's growing image problem. German teams Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile believe documents from the Spanish blood-doping scandal could be analyzed . . . Bradley Wiggins edged defending champ Levi Leipheimer of the United States to win the Dauphine Libere race prologue in Grenoble, France. The eight-day race began with riders facing heavy rains. Wiggins finished in 4 minutes 50.42 seconds for the 2.6-mile ride. Leipheimer (4:51.87) was second.

Miscellany

Former Patriots great Andre Tippett is getting into a Hall of Fame this year, albeit not the one in Canton, Ohio. The linebacker, who led the University of Iowa to the Big Ten title in 1981, will be inducted into the National Iowa Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame in September. Tippett was denied entry into the NFL Hall of Fame in February despite reaching the final round of 17 for the first time . . . With contract talks progressing slowly, veteran defensive tackle Darwin Walker is prepared to face a fine for missing the start of the Buffalo Bills' mandatory minicamp today . . . Abbie Sims singled home the game's only run as the Rockford (Ill.) Thunder edged the visiting New England Riptide, 1-0, in National Pro Fastpitch action . . . Roberto Duran, a world champion in four weight divisions over a career that spanned five decades, and Olympic gold medalist Pernell Whitaker, another four-division champion, were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. . . . Sealy Hill took the lead on the final turn and won the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks in Toronto.