Sports briefs 9/17/04

Football

"Monday Night Football" will be broadcast on a five-second delay for the rest of the season, a reaction to the furor caused by last season's Super Bowl halftime show. The move is just a precaution, an ABC spokesman said.

Golf

Ted Purdy's play in the first round of the Texas Open matched the local weather.

Purdy closed his round with an eagle and a birdie Thursday, tying the course record with a 9-under 61 that gave him a three-shot lead over four players.

He hit all 14 fairways on a windless but extremely hot day at the La Cantera Golf Club course. He reached all but one green in regulation, and needed only 26 putts in his best round as a pro.

The 61 tied the course mark set in 2002's second round by Garrett Willis. It was the fourth 61 on the tour this year.

At 64 were Jim McGovern, Tim Clark, Dean Wilson and J.J. Henry, while six players had a 65, including two-time champion Justin Leonard, and another 17 were at 66.

Hockey

NHL players began scattering across the globe Thursday in search of work on Day 1 of the lockout, with no negotiations scheduled between union and management.

While rinks from Pittsburgh to Montreal to Anaheim figure to be quiet in the coming weeks, the ice will be crowded with high-priced talent in places such as the Czech Republic.

The Finnish league had its season-opening games Thursday night and several NHL players were involved.

Olympics

The only two men convicted in the Salt Lake City Olympic bribery scandal were let off without penalty at their sentencings Thursday. Both cooperated with prosecutors in an unsuccessful attempt to bust two key officials in the city's bid for the 2002 Winter Games.

Salt Lake businessman David Simmons and former U.S. Olympic official Alfredo La Mont -- who have been on probation since pleading guilty in 1999 -- received no jail time, no fines and no probation.

The two had been expected to receive leniency in return for their testimony against the two key figures in the case, who ended up being acquitted last December by a judge halfway through their trial.