Off the wire
BASKETBALL Auburn fires Person
Auburn has fired associate head basketball coach Chuck Person, who has been indicted on federal bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. The university announced the move Wednesday, a day after Person and seven others were indicted by a federal grand jury in New York City. An Auburn statement said Person “is no longer an employee. As such, this is in the hands of the criminal justice system.” The school said he was fired Oct. 18. Person, 53, had been suspended without pay following his arrest in September. His attorney, Theresa Trzaskoma, said Tuesday that Person didn’t commit any crimes. Person allegedly received $91,500 in bribes to steer Auburn players to Pittsburgh financial adviser Marty Blazer when they turn pro. Person told Blazer he gave $18,500 of that to the families of two Auburn players, according to a federal complaint. Auburn is indefinitely holding out center Austin Wiley and forward Danjel Purifoy, citing “potential eligibility issues.”
3 players in limbo
The three UCLA basketball players questioned over shoplifting allegations in Hangzhou, China, could face a lengthy legal limbo depending on the actions of authorities handling their case, an expert in Chinese law said Wednesday. Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill have remained in a hotel in Hangzhou to await further developments in the legal process while their Bruins teammates traveled to Shanghai for the team’s season opener Friday against Georgia Tech, according to a person close to the situation who was not authorized to publicly disclose that information. The trio will not play against the Yellow Jackets and could miss additional games. Chinese authorities have up to 37 days before deciding whether to obtain official approval for an arrest, said Margaret K. Lewis, a Seton Hall professor of law specializing in the Chinese legal system. Lewis said an arrest would trigger an investigation that could last up to two additional months before prosecutors decide whether to bring formal charges. “If formal charges are brought against the basketball players … the conviction rate in China
is over 99 percent,” Lewis said. “What’s important in this early stage is what charges are brought because once they are brought it becomes an issue of what the sentence will be, not whether they will be found guilty or not.”
BASEBALL NTSB: Halladay too low
Roy Halladay, 40, the retired Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, was flying his tiny sport plane low over the Gulf of Mexico shortly before it slammed into the water and he died, witnesses told federal investigators. National Transportation Safety Board Investigator Noreen Price said
Wednesday that Halladay’s ICON A5 experienced a “high-energy impact” with the water. She said both flight data recorders were recovered and the plane did not have a voice recorder. She said Halladay had been a licensed pilot since 2013 and logged about 700 hours of flight time before Tuesday’s crash near Tampa. She said a preliminary report on the cause likely will be issued in seven to 10 days, but the full investigation could take up to two years. Price said it was too early to say whether Halladay’s crash was related to two earlier crashes this year of A5s, one of them that killed both the plane’s chief designer and test pilot.
Yost breaks pelvis
Kansas City Royals Manager
Ned Yost sustained a broken pelvis while working on his property in Meriwether County, Ga., the club confirmed Wednesday night. Yost, 62, was working on a tree stand, an elevated platform used for hunting, when he suffered a fall that caused the injury. The incident apparently occurred a few days ago, with one club official describing it as happening “over the weekend.” As of Wednesday evening, Yost was resting at a hospital near Atlanta and expected to make a full recovery. Yost is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He spends his offseasons on his Georgia farm, a piece of land located more than 60 miles southwest of Atlanta. It was unclear Wednesday when Yost might leave the hospital.
FOOTBALL Packers waive Bennett
The Green Bay Packers have waived Martellus Bennett, bringing the tight end’s short tenure at Lambeau Field to a surprising end. General Manager Ted Thompson announced the move on Wednesday after practice. No reason was given for the move, though the veteran was added to the injury report after the bye last week with a shoulder injury. He did not play in the 30-17 loss on Monday to the Detroit Lions. Bennett also posted on Instagram during the bye week a message that indicated he was thinking about retirement.
HOCKEY U.S. tops Canada
Kendall Coyne and Megan Bozek each had a goal and an assist and the United States women’s hockey team beat Canada 4-2 on Wednesday night in a physical game at the Four Nations Cup at Wesley Chapel, Fla. Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter scored to help the Americans win their second game as they try to win this event for a third consecutive time and eighth overall. Brianna Decker had two assists, and goalie Maddie Rooney made 20 saves for her second victory in two nights. Rebecca Johnston and Meghan Agosta scored for Canada, which went 1 of 9 on the power play. This was the third game between the two powers in women’s hockey as part of their pre-Olympic exhibition tour this fall.