SPORTS WIRE: Donaghy book canceled, NBA to probe allegations
The NBA will review accusations by former referee Tim Donaghy that were posted online -- even though the publisher is blowing the whistle on the book they were to appear in.
Random House said Thursday that after a close legal review of the manuscript, it won't go forward with Blowing the Whistle, the tell-all that Donaghy wrote while in prison.
Donaghy was convicted of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce. The excerpts include accusations of wagering between officials working games, favoritism toward star players and desires by the league to extend playoff series.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:Kansas is No. 1, and six Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25 in the Associated Press' preseason poll. The Jayhawks were a runaway choice, receiving 55 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel to easily outdistance Michigan State, which was No. 1 on five ballots.
Joining the second-ranked Spartans from the Big Ten were No. 6 Purdue, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Minnesota.
NHL:Alex Ovechkin scored twice to add to his NHL-leading total, Semyon Varlamov stopped a penalty shot and the Washington Capitals held on to hand the visiting Atlanta Thrashers their fourth straight loss, 4-3. Ovechkin now has 13 goals in 12 games.
• Ilja Bryzgalov made 32 saves for his NHL-leading third shutout, and Daniel Winnik and Taylor Pyatt scored in the Phoenix Coyotes' 2-0 victory over the host St. Louis Blues.
• Patrick O'Sullivan beat Jimmy Howard with a wrist shot in the third round of a shootout, and Nikolai Khabibulin stopped Henrik Zetterberg on Detroit's final attempt to give the host Edmonton Oilers a 6-5 victory.
NBA:Carmelo Anthony scored 41 points, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 97-94 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers. The Nuggets came back from a 67-62 deficit through three quarters.
NASCAR:NASCAR put driver AJ Allmendinger on probation after his arrest early in the morning in Mooresville, N.C., on a charge of drunken driving.
TENNIS:Serena Williams became the first player to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar, defeating Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-4 for her third consecutive victory in the tournament's round-robin group phase.
AP