tool name

Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Sports briefs: Nov. 4

NFL

Mangini, Browns stay vagueon details of GM's ouster

Browns Coach Eric Mangini offered no details about Monday's convoluted ouster of George Kokinis, his longtime friend and hand-picked general manager.

"Anytime a decision like this is made it is difficult personally and professionally," Mangini said. "George is a friend of mine, and I respect him, and I wish his family well. I can tell you that for a variety of reasons, things didn't work out. You never go into a situation like this with the intention of it not working out."

That was about as deep as Mangini would venture into the Kokinis matter. Mangini spent most of his news conference politely deflecting questions about why the decision was made. He was asked whether there were legal reasons why he couldn't address Kokinis' exit.

"There's really a variety of reasons," he said, "and I'll just leave it at that."

Browns owner Randy Lerner, who said following Sunday's loss in Chicago that he planned to hire a "serious, credible" football authority to help run his fumbling franchise, was not available for comment. Lerner did spend two hours meeting with two disgruntled season-ticket holders, who have been urging Cleveland fans to stay out of their seats for the Nov. 16 kickoff against Baltimore in protest of the team's futility. "Dawg Pound Mike" Randall said Lerner was open to their ideas and gave them a few of his own.

"He's trying to get the Browns on the right track," Randall said. "He wants it to happen now. He cares deeply."

It's still not known whether Kokinis was fired or forced out by the Browns, who are 1-7 and have been overmatched in most of their games. The Browns denied reports that Kokinis was escorted from team headquarters on Monday. As for a possible replacement for Kokinis, Mangini would not comment when asked whether former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar might handle some of the GM's responsibilities. Kosar recently was brought in by Lerner in an unspecified consulting role that could expand.

■ New Orleans overcame four turnovers for a second straight week to stay perfect with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, matching the best start in franchise history. Drew Brees, responsible for two turnovers, passed for 308 yards and two scores. Pierre Thomas, who fumbled, also scored two touchdowns. Jabari Greer, who got burned for a deep touchdown, also returned an interception for a 48-yard score, helping the Saints improve to 7-0. Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many wins.

■ The Edgerrin James experiment in Seattle is over. The struggling Seahawks cut ties with James on Tuesday, releasing the backup running back who never provided the pop Seattle hoped to get when it signed the 31-year-old in late August.

■ The Chiefs have announced they were awarded wide receiver Chris Chambers, who was waived by San Diego, via a waiver claim. The Chargers waived Chambers on Monday. Originally a second-round pick by Miami in 2001, Chambers has made 111 starts with the Dolphins and Chargers and caught 482 passes for 6,827 yards and 53 touchdowns.

Baseball

Bush throws first pitch at Japan Series

Former President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the Japan Series between the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters. Bush, wearing a Yomiuri warmup jacket, took the mound Tuesday at Tokyo Dome and threw a pitch to Giants catcher Shinnosuke Abe that bounced once in the dirt before being caught. Bush chatted briefly with several players after walking off the field and watched the game in a private box with former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Also in the box were Japanese home-run king Sadaharu Oh and U.S. Ambassador John Roos. The Giants won the game 7-4 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, Japan's version of the World Series.

Sports in the courts

Nantz owes nearly $1M a year in alimony

CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz must pay $916,000 yearly in alimony and child support to his ex-wife and give up their Connecticut home under terms of a newly issued divorce decree. The ruling, made Monday in Bridgeport Superior Court (Conn.), dissolves the 26-year marriage of Nantz and Ann-Lorraine "Lorrie" Carlsen Nantz. It comes after both testified about the breakdown of their marriage; Judge Howard Owens concluded that neither was at fault.