Briefs | Former track coach Trevor Graham must stay home for one year

Track

Graham placed in home confinement: A federal judge in San Francisco sentenced disgraced track coach Trevor Graham to a year of home confinement Tuesday for lying to federal investigators.

Graham once coached Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin. All were later banned for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Jones was released from prison Sept. 5 after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about her steroid use.

It's the second time this month that U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston turned down federal prosecutors' calls for prison time for a sports figure caught lying about their involvement with performance-enhancing drugs. Former elite cyclist Tammy Thomas was sentenced to six months of home confinement for lying to a grand jury about her performance-enhancing drug use.

Major League Baseball home-run king Barry Bonds has pleaded not guilty to similar charges and faces trial in March.

Prosecutors had urged the judge to sentence Graham to 10 months in prison for lying to agents about his extensive connection to an admitted steroids dealer. They argued that Graham lied even though he was promised protection from drug prosecution if he told the truth.

Cycling

Armstrong still may race in France: Lance Armstrong still could race in the 2009 Tour de France, as long as race organizers make him feel welcome, Astana team director Johan Bruyneel said.

"For the moment, we are going to determine his program based on where he is really welcome and invited ... and we will see about the rest," Bruyneel told The Associated Press. "So the main thing is that he is definitely not excluding riding in the Tour, but it would have to be in an atmosphere that is serene and respectful."

The seven-time Tour champion, who is scheduled to race the Giro d'Italia for the first time in 2009, expressed doubts last week over whether he would try for another Tour title because of the problems he might encounter with "the organizers, journalists and fans."

NBA

Bryant leaves game with injury: Kobe Bryant hyperextended his right knee in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' exhibition game Tuesday night.

Bryant, who scored four points in 14 minutes against the Charlotte Bobcats, did not come out with the team for the second half. The Lakers announced Bryant will be re-examined today.

MMA

EliteXC MMA group going out of business: The mixed martial arts organization that put former street brawler Kimbo Slice and female fighter Gina Carano on national television is going out of business.

EliteXC canceled a show scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno with an e-mail Tuesday to Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission. J.T. Steele, EliteXC's manager of fight operations, also informed Kizer that the organization was ceasing operations.

"Unfortunately, it's not a surprise, but you still hoped for the fighters' sake and for the community up there that they would find something," Kizer told The Associated Press.

EliteXC existed for just two tumultuous years, making history in its fast-growing sport by putting three recent shows on CBS in prime time. The venture made minor stars out of Slice, the former Miami bodyguard whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, and Carano, who became the sport's best-known female athlete.

Boxing

WBC will provide financial support to dead boxer's family: The World Boxing Council will provide financial support for the family of a Mexican fighter who died Monday after a five-day coma induced by a knockout punch.

Daniel Aguillon, 24, died in a Mexico City hospital.

Tennis

Roddick wins in Lyon: Top-seeded Andy Roddick had 18 aces in beating Nicolas Mahut of France 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the first round of the Lyon Grand Prix.

Second-seeded Richard Gasquet and third-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also advanced.

Federer advances in Swiss Indoors: Roger Federer capitalized on his strong serve to beat 86th-ranked Bobby Reynolds of the United States 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3 in the first round of the Swiss Indoors.

Dementieva wins in Luxembourg: Top-seeded Elena Dementieva beat Tatjana Malek of Germany 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to reach the second round of the Fortis Championships in Luxembourg.

Bull riding

McBride will retire in November: Reigning champion bull rider Justin McBride, 29, says he plans to retire after the PBR World Finals next month in Las Vegas.

McBride said that he has been thinking about retiring since last year but wanted to make sure he wouldn't miss the competition.

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