Charles Barkley acknowledged he owes a $400,000 gambling debt to a Las Vegas Strip casino and promised yesterday to repay it after a prosecutor said the retired NBA star faced criminal charges.
“My mistake,” Barkley said in an interview at a pro-am golf tournament in Hoover, Ala. “I'm not broke, and I'm going to take care of it.”
Barkley was responding to comments by Clark County District Attorney David Roger, who said prosecutors would file a criminal complaint if Barkley did not pay the debt cited by the Wynn Las Vegas resort.
The casino alleged in a civil complaint filed Wednesday in a Nevada state court and first reported by the Las Vegas Sun that Barkley failed to repay four $100,000 casino markers, or loans, received last Oct. 18 and 19.
MORE SPORTS AND COURTS
Brian Phelps, who won a bronze medal in diving at the 1960 Olympics, was sentenced in London to nine years in prison for sexually abusing three young girls. Phelps, 64, pleaded guilty to abusing girls ages 6 to 15 while instructing them at his fitness club during the 1970s and '80s.
The El Paso County district attorney said his office is declining to prosecute UTEP junior basketball guard Stefon Jackson, who was accused of lying to authorities about the whereabouts of a cousin from Philadelphia wanted on a felony warrant.
HORSE RACING
Eight Belles had no diseases or pre-existing bone abnormalities that caused the filly to break down after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby.
Autopsy results reviewed by The Associated Press confirm compound fractures of both front legs at the fetlock joints. They also describe lacerated skin on both legs, an absence of joint fluid in the damaged areas and congested lungs. The filly also experienced a bruised head and hemorrhaging in the left thyroid gland, which the report blamed on her fall after the initial injuries.
MORE HORSE RACING
Political Web overtook 11-10 favorite Brendolyn approaching the far turn and went to a 1¾-length victory in the $58,000 feature race for older fillies and mares at Hollywood Park.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Penn State coach Joe Paterno spent several hours at a hospital being treated for dehydration before returning home late yesterday.
The 81-year-old coach had been working at home late in the morning when he began feeling nauseated and was taken by ambulance to Mount Nittany Medical Center. Paterno had tests at the hospital but was not admitted.
TENNIS
Maria Sharapova rallied from a four-game deficit in the second set to beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), advancing to the Italian Open quarterfinals in Rome with sisters Serena and Venus Williams.
Seventh-seeded Venus Williams beat No. 10 Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-2 and Serena Williams eliminated wild-card entrant Sara Errani 6-4, 6-3.
Rafael Nadal defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 6-2 to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Hamburg Masters. Defending champion Federer breezed past Robin Soderling 6-3, 6-2 and Djokovic defeated Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Fifth-seeded David Ferrer was upset by Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten was given a wild-card entry into this year's tournament by the French tennis federation.
MOTORSPORTS
After rain the previous day washed out all but about an hour of the opening day of the second week of practice for the May 25 Indianapolis 500, 35 drivers took advantage of the cool, dry afternoon to get on track. Despite sometimes gusty wind, they turned a total of 2,628 incident-free laps on the 2½-mile oval, making it easily the busiest day since the track opened for practice May 7.
The Indy Racing League might add a second Canadian race next year after Andretti Green Promotions announced that it has purchased the assets of the Toronto Grand Prix.
Brian Vickers' team kicked off NASCAR's All-Star week activities in Charlotte, N.C., by winning the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge, beating Denny Hamlin's team in a battle of Toyotas in the final round.
SOCCER
The U.S. women's national team will play its final tune-up before the Beijing Olympics against Brazil on July 16 at USD's Torero Stadium. Brazil beat the Americans 4-0 in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup, the worst loss in the history of the U.S. women's program.
The Wednesday match will kick off at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $85 and go on sale Tuesday morning at Ticketmaster outlets. Torero Stadium holds about 7,000. It is the first appearance in San Diego by the U.S. women since a 0-0 tie against Japan at Torero Stadium in January 2003.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Former USC star O.J. Mayo has denied allegations that he received cash and gifts from events promoter Rodney Guillory and said he was confident an investigation will determine he did not violate NCAA rules.
“I know for a fact that I haven't accepted anything,” Mayo told the Los Angeles Times. “My family hasn't accepted anything, so I'm just waiting for the NCAA to do what they have to do to prove that I haven't done anything wrong.”
Mike Dunlap is leaving his job as a Denver Nuggets assistant coach to serve on Lute Olson's staff at the University of Arizona.
Rick Duckett, an assistant coach at South Carolina for the past six seasons, was hired as the men's head coach at Grambling State.
CYCLING
Matteo Priamo won the sixth and longest stage of the Giro d'Italia after pulling away from a 12-man breakaway group that built a lead of as much as 16 minutes and finished 9 minutes ahead of the main field. Fellow Italian Giovanni Visconti, highest placed among the 12-man group, took the overall lead. Priamo, who rides for CSF Group-Navigare, finished the 144-mile leg from Potenza to Peschici in 5 hours, 24 minutes, 49 seconds.
MISCELLANY
The California Senate rejected legislation that would require the state to sell the site of the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and adjoining Los Angeles Sports Arena . . . Reigning world champion Kate Ziegler had the fastest qualifying time in the women's 800-meter freestyle at the Santa Clara Grand Prix, easily winning her heat in 8 minutes, 30.29 seconds to advance to the finals . . . Brazilian swimmer Rebeca Gusmao received a two-year doping suspension after testing positive for testosterone before the Pan American Games.
– FROM NEWS SERVICES
