Briefs | Golf: Drunk Daly detained in North Carolina

Golf

Drunk Daly taken into custody outside Hooters: Golfer John Daly was taken into custody Sunday morning by police in Winston-Salem, N.C., after he was found drunk outside a Hooters restaurant.

Police said officers went to the restaurant on a medical call. When they arrived, Daly was being treated by emergency workers after losing consciousness.

While at the restaurant, police said Daly "appeared extremely intoxicated and uncooperative," refused repeatedly to be taken to the hospital and was asked to leave the restaurant by several workers.

Daly was taken to the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center for a 24-hour stay until he was sober.

Ballesteros improving: Seve Ballesteros is improving after last week's surgery on his cancerous brain tumor. La Paz hospital in Madrid said the 51-year-old golfing great remains in intensive care and has also undergone a tracheotomy, a procedure it called common in cases like his.

The hospital said Ballesteros' condition was "evolving favorably."

Kim to play European tour: Anthony Kim has joined the European tour, the latest of a half-dozen U.S. tour players who have decided to take up joint membership in Europe for the 2009 season. Kim, a 23-year-old American, had two PGA Tour victories this season that propelled him to No. 8 in the world rankings.

Olympics

Marion Jones believes she would have won without doping: Disgraced track star Marion Jones said she often thinks she would have won gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics even if she hadn't taken a designer steroid known as "the clear."

"I'll ask myself, 'Well, if you hadn't been given 'the clear' do you think you would've won?' " Jones said on an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" broadcast Wednesday, her first post-prison interview.

"I usually answer, 'Yes.' "

Jones, 33, apologized to her relay teammates and tearfully read a letter she wrote in prison, in which she told her children she lied to federal prosecutors because she didn't love herself enough to tell the truth.

Soccer

Maradona to get Argentina coaching job: Diego Maradona will become Argentina's coach next week, leaving the team in the hands of a national icon whose achievements on the field have been undercut by a long history of erratic behavior and drug abuse.

Maradona is to replace Alfio Basile, who resigned after poor performances in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Revolution midfielder suspended: New England midfielder Khano Smith was suspended two additional games by Major League Soccer for a dangerous tackle against the Kansas City Wizards last weekend.

No Beckham, no deal: The proposed loan of David Beckham to AC Milan prompted the Los Angeles Galaxy to postpone its Dec. 11 game in Brisbane against an Australian team.

Galindo undergoes hernia surgery: Chivas USA forward Maykel Galindo underwent surgery in Philadelphia for a bilateral sports hernia that's kept him on the sideline for all but 10 games this season.

U.S. women fall to Japan: The United States under-17 women's national team opened the under-17 Women's World Cup with a 3-2 loss to Japan in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Sailing

Team New Zealand drops lawsuit: The resumption of America's Cup hostilities on the water — rather than in the courtroom — may be one step closer after Team New Zealand agreed to drop its lawsuit against Alinghi of Switzerland, the holder of the trophy.

Tennis

Federer, Nadal advance in Paris: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and defending champion David Nalbandian reached the third round of the Paris Masters without dropping a set.

Nadal topped Florent Serra of France 6-2, 6-4, and eighth-seeded Nalbandian downed Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Federer saved two set points in the tiebreaker to beat Robin Soderling 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).

Colleges

Alaska Anchorage faces probe: The Alaska Anchorage athletic department is being investigated by the federal Office for Civil Rights for a complaint that it discriminates against women athletes.

The complaint claims the school treats women unfairly by the quality of coaching, access to the university's two trainers and locker-room assignments for the six women's teams.

NHL

Maple Leafs most valuable team: For the third straight year, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the NHL's most valuable team, worth $448 million, according to Forbes. The Vancouver Canucks are worth $236 million.

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