Sports briefs 2/23/05

Colleges

* A Roman Catholic priest pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years' probation Tuesday for giving alcohol to a University of Pittsburgh football player who died after falling through a church ceiling while drunk.

The Rev. Henry Krawczyk was the only adult of legal drinking age at a cookout he hosted in the hours before the death of 19-year-old receiver Billy Gaines. A witness said Gaines had eight glasses of rum and Coke plus a shot of liquor at the party, held on church grounds.

Football

* Former punter Reggie Roby, a 16-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowl selection, died Tuesday after being found unconscious at home by his wife. He was 43.

Melissa Roby found her husband with no pulse. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at home and in the ambulance, but he was pronounced dead in the emergency room at St. Thomas Hospital, according to a statement released by the family.

The cause of death is unknown, the statement said.

Roby was a sixth-round pick in 1983 out of Iowa by the Miami Dolphins, where he played from 1983-92. He also played for the Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston/Tennessee Oilers and San Francisco 49ers, where he wrapped up his career with a final season in 1999.

He led the AFC in 1991 with an average punt of 45.7 yards.

* Seahawks general manager Bob Ferguson resigned Tuesday after two years on the job, part of an executive house-cleaning following a disappointing season.

After a 3-0 start that seemed to validate preseason forecasts of a Super Bowl run, the Seahawks lost several tough games and finished 9-7, good enough to win the weak NFC West. They lost to St. Louis in the first round of the playoffs.

* Jets running backs coach Bishop Harris left the team Tuesday, ending a four-year stint in which he was best known for nearly coming to blows with coach Herman Edwards during a playoff game.

Harris was en route to the San Francisco 49ers, and is expected to be their running backs coach.

Hockey

* Motor City Mechanics coach Steve Shannon understands the United Hockey League's decision to suspend him for the rest of the season even though he denies offering players a $200 bounty to take out a rival on the ice.

"It's unfortunate for me personally," Shannon said. "The findings I don't agree with, but I understand how they came to their conclusion." UHL commissioner Richard Brosal said Tuesday that Shannon will be suspended without pay until the end of the season for offering players money to take Flint Generals forward Kevin Kerr out of the game. Shannon's suspension began Feb. 18 and he will miss 24 games. Mechanics assistant head coach John Blum also will be suspended for 10 games starting Wednesday.

Mechanics President John Tull said players confirmed that Shannon made the offer.

Shannon said Tuesday that he never offered the bounty, and that his players may have wanted to hurt Kerr because Kerr criticized NHL players who joined UHL teams.

Motorsports

* With ongoing construction at NASCAR racing star Mark Martin's new Ford dealership in Batesville, management at the current location decided to offer a ride in the racer's famed No. 6 car to anyone who buys a new or used vehicle.

Buyers will go to the Memphis Motor Speedway, where they will take a short driver's course before driving around the track 10 times wearing a helmet and firesuit. They'll be able to reach speeds of up to 130 mph. Afterward they will get to meet Martin.

Tennis

* Marat Safin lost to Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the opening round of the Dubai Open on Tuesday, dropping his first match since winning the Australian Open three weeks ago.

Safin looked sluggish and was admittedly uncomfortable against Kiefer.

Kiefer "was playing the kind of game that doesn't give you any sort of rhythm," the second-seeded Russian said. "Chipping and charging, slicing and spinning and changing the power." In the match of the night, Tim Henman beat Greg Rusedski 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 after saving a match-point in the second set.