MIAMI (AP) - Chicago Bulls center Joakim (JOH'-keem) Noah has
been fined $50,000 by the NBA for directing an anti-gay slur at a
fan during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami on
Sunday. The fine is only half of what Los Angeles Lakers' star Kobe
Bryant was assessed for shouting the same slur toward a referee
last month. Meanwhile, two major advocacy groups quickly called
upon the league to both sanction Noah and help further educate
players on the topic.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase
Utley is making his season debut tonight against the Cincinnati
Reds. The five-time All-Star is hitting second after missing the
first 46 games with a knee injury. Utley is a career .293 hitter
with 177 homers and 650 RBIs.
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche
is headed to the 15-day disabled list because of a torn labrum in
his sore left shoulder. Manager Jim Riggleman says the team plans
to let LaRoche rest for several weeks to try to get rid of the
soreness and weakness he's felt. LaRoche is hitting .172 with three
homers and 15 RBIs with a current 1-for-29 slump.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis is
leaving Penn State to take over Navy's program. DeChellis just led
the Nittany Lions to the NCAA tournament after reaching the Big Ten
tourney title game, one year after guiding the school to an NIT
championship. He was 114-138 at Penn State and takes over a team
that had consecutive losing seasons under Billy Lange.
PARIS (AP) - Second seed Novak Djokovic (JOH'-koh-vihch) and No.
3 Roger Federer were straight-sets winners in the first round of
the French Open yesterday. Djokovic improved his 2011 record to
38-0 and stretched his winning streak to 40 on the second day of
the tournament at Roland Garros. Today's other winners include top
seed Carolina Wozniacki (wohz-nee-AK'-ee), third seed Vera
Zvonareva (zvah-nah-RAY'-vah) and No. 5 Francesca Schiavone
(skee-uh-VOH'-nee).
