THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2007
SPORTS
NFL
7B
New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick refuses to answer questions on accusations the Patriots illegally filmed New York Jets defensive signals. He is accused of stealing signals from coaches on the sideline during the Patriots' season-opening victory. ASSOCIATED PRES
Patriots coach punished for spying
BY DAVE GOLDBERG ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - Bill Belichick should be able to read this signal clearly:
Spy on your opponents, and it will cost you.
Commissioner Roger Goodell ordered the team to give up next year's first-round draft choice if it reaches the playoffs and second- and third-round picks if it doesn't.
The videotaping came to light
after a camera was confiscated from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella while he was on the New York Jets' sideline during New England's 38-14 win last Sunday at Giants Stadium. The NFL said the camera was seized before the end of the first quarter and had no impact on the game.
"This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field." Goodell said in a letter to the Patriots.
He said he considered suspending Belichick but didn't "largely because I believe that the discipline I am imposing of a maximum fine and forfeiture of a first-round draft
choice, or multiple draft choices, is in fact more significant and longlasting, and therefore more effective than a suspension."
Instead, Goodell imposed the biggest fine ever on a coach and took away a first-round draft pick as a penalty for the first time in NFL history.
Reached at his home, Patriots owner Robert Kraft declined to comment.
Belichick, however, accepted full responsibility "for the actions that led to tonight's ruling. Once again, I apologize to the Kraft family and every person directly or indirectly associated with the New England Patriots for the embarrassment, distraction and penalty my mistake
caused."
"I also apologize to Patriots fans and would like to thank them for their support during the past few days and throughout my career," Belichick said in a statement issued by the team. "As the Commissioner acknowledged, our use of sideline video had no impact on the outcome of last week's game. We have never used sideline video to obtain a competitive advantage while the game was in progress."
WNBA
Mercury win, force game five in finals Phoenix pulls out 77-76 victory
BY ANDREW BAGNATO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pondexter scored a game-high 26 points, including a driving bank shot with 21 seconds to play, and the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Detroit Shock 77-76 on Thursday night to force a deciding fifth game in the WNBA finals.
PHOENIX—Cappie Pondexter picked a big moment to hit a big shot.
The finale is Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
Plenette Pierson scored 23 points in a role reserve for Detroit.
Diana Taurasi added 20 points for the Mercury, who have not lost consecutive games since the two games before the All-Star break in July.
Detroit led 74-73 when Pierson turned the ball over with 51 seconds to go.
On the next possession, Pondexter hit a 5-footer from the left baseline to put the Mercury up 75-74.
After Detroit's Deanna Nolan answered with a 16-footer, Pondexter barreled into the lane and scored to give Phoenix a 77-76 lead.
Detroit's Shannon Johnson missed a 12-footer at the buzzer to spark a wild celebration by the Mercury.
The Mercury finished fast, but they didn't start that way.
Phoenix shot 34.7 percent from the floor in an 88-83 loss in Game 3 — matching the worst shooting percentage in Paul Westhead's two seasons as head coach.
The Mercury came out just as cold this time, hitting 2 of their first 11 shots and finishing the first period 5-for-18 (27.8 percent).
But Detroit was even more out of sync, and the Mercury went on a 14-4 run late in the first quarter and early in the second to take a 22-14 lead.
The Shock found their rhythm in the second quarter, hitting 9-of-19 shots to take a 35-33 halftime lead.
NFL
NFL Broncos' Bailey adds kickoff coverage
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Champ Bailey has a message for all the Denver Broncos fans and fantasy football geeks who cringed at the sight of him playing special teams.
Relax.
The seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback, who led the league in takeaways last season, wonders why anybody would fret over his new, expanded role. He, for one, isn't going to worry about getting hurt covering kickoffs.
"Football is football. I'm out there 60 plays on defense; I can't
worry about it on two or three on special teams,"Bailey said Thursday.
The Broncos found themselves a couple of players short Sunday at Buffalo with Karl Paymah recovering from a concussion and Domonique Foxworth going down with a high ankle sprain.
So, Bailey played safety on kickoff coverage, serving as the last line of defense, and one of his two tackles saved a touchdown in Denver's 15-14 win over the Bills.
"I'll do whatever it takes," Bailey said. "I'll even kick if they want me to."
Associated Press
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