Briefs | College Football: NCAA plans to take away Florida State wins

College football

Bowden could lose 14 victories: The NCAA infractions committee intends to uphold sanctions against Florida State that would take away wins in 10 sports, including as many as 14 by football coach Bobby Bowden.

After a public records lawsuit and intervention by Florida's attorney general, the NCAA allowed Florida State to release the committee's June 2 response to FSU's appeal of the NCAA punishment that would strip the school of the victories.

Though university officials had said earlier Thursday that there would be no comment from Florida State, president T.K. Wetherell denounced the NCAA's response.

"This committee is just wrong," Wetherell said. "The rationale for doing that isn't accurate."

Wetherell, a former Seminole football player, said the school would exhaust all appeal opportunities with the NCAA "before going anywhere else."

If the penalty sticks, Bowden would have little chance to stay abreast of Penn State's Joe Paterno in their competition to finish as major-college football's winningest coach. Paterno begins the 2009 season with 383 wins, one more than Bowden has entering his 34th season at Florida State.

Soccer

Brazil shuts out U.S.: The U.S. was beaten soundly for the second time in a four-day span at the Confederations Cup, getting outplayed throughout a 3-0 loss to Brazil in Pretoria, South Africa.

Felipe Melo scored off Maicon's free kick in the seventh minute and Robinho made it 2-0 in the 20th, completing a counterattack that began when DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan failed to combine on a short corner kick. Maicon added the third goal in the 62nd.

"They're always going to be the better team, right?" U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "It's just for us about going out and trying to give a good showing of ourselves because the best team doesn't always win. Today it did. We were overpowered, and sometimes you just come up against Goliath and David doesn't win."

NHL

Ovechkin wins Hart Trophy as MVP: Washington Capitals star forward Alex Ovechkin snagged the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for the second straight year.

Ovechkin also walked off with the NHL Players' Association's Lester B. Pearson Award, given to the most outstanding player in voting by fellow players.

"What a life," Ovechkin said after winning the Pearson for his first jackpot at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Ovechkin led the league with 56 goals and was second with 110 points. Voters for the Hart Trophy overwhelmingly picked Ovechkin over Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, awarding him 115 of 131 first-place votes to make him the first back-to-back Hart winner since Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek (1997, '98).

Datsyuk, the Red Wings' outstanding two-way center, claimed the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward and the Lady Byng for gentlemanly play and skill.

Coyotes ask bankruptcy judge for Sept. 15 deadline: In a renewed effort to sell to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes have asked a bankruptcy judge to set a Sept. 15 deadline for the sale of the financially troubled hockey team.

Auto racing

F-1 teams plan breakaway series: Formula One's biggest teams began preparations for a breakaway series early today after failing to resolve their dispute with the motor sport's governing body over financial constraints.

The Formula One Teams' Association announced it would not compromise on the quality of the series by signing up unconditionally for the 2010 F1 season under the FIA's radical new plans for cost-cutting.

FOTA also criticized the FIA's "uncompromising" stance and attempts, along with the commercial rights holder, to divide its member teams.

NBA

Odom wants to return to Lakers: Lamar Odom wants to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he hopes the team will keep both him and starter Trevor Ariza. They become unrestricted free agents July 1.

College basketball

Arizona's Miller gets five-year deal: The state Board of Regents has approved a five-year contract for new Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller that will pay him $1.6 million annually.

Cycling

Armstrong gets spot on Astana team: Lance Armstrong will be on Astana Cycling's final nine-rider roster for the Tour de France next month.

Armstrong, a seven-time Tour winner, will be joined by three-time Grand Tour winner Alberto Contador, Andreas Kloden, Levi Leipheimer, Yaroslav Popovych and Haimar Zubeldia.

High-school football

Trainers recommend end of two-a-days for first week: High-school football teams should eliminate two-a-day practices during the first week of August drills when heat stroke has proven particularly deadly, a leading trainers' group said Thursday in a report issued less than two months before the sweltering rite of passage begins at thousands of schools.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association said its recommendations, which include longer breaks between practice and more time for players to ease into contact drills, are not radical changes and closely mirror policies already in place at the Division I college level.

Seattle Times news services