Tilghman suspended for Woods ‘lynch’ comment

Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks Wednesday for saying last week that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”

Tilghman was laughing in the exchange Friday with analyst Nick Faldo at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Woods’ agent at IMG said he didn’t think there was any ill intent.

But the comments became prevalent on news shows Wednesday, and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined the fray by demanding she be fired immediately. Golf Channel didn’t know who would replace Tilghman in the booth this week at the Sony Open or next week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

“There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this,” Golf Channel said in a statement.

Tilghman, who had apologized for the remark and has been friendly with Woods for 12 years, became golf’s first female anchor last year.

JURISPRUDENCE

No more than six months is sought for Jones

Prosecutors and defense lawyers told a federal judge in White Plains, N.Y., that former Olympic champion Marion Jones should not be sentenced to more than the six-month maximum they have already agreed upon.

Jones will be sentenced Friday for lying about steroid use and a check-fraud scheme. Judge Kenneth Karas had suggested that he might impose a sentence of more than six months.

TRACK AND FIELD

Masback leaves USATFto become Nike executive

Craig Masback is leaving as chief executive of USA Track & Field for a job with Nike.

Masback, the USATF chief executive since July 1997, will become director of business affairs for Nike’s global sports marketing division.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Mallett mulls Tennessee after leaving Michigan

Freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett left Michigan and he might be reunited with his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Tennessee.

Mallett’s father, Jim, also mentioned UCLA, Texas A&M; and Arkansas as possibilities for the former Texas Class 4A offensive player of the year.

New Mexico plans to self-impose penalties, including the reduction of two scholarships for next season, in response to an NCAA investigation into academic fraud involving the football team.

Mark Meleney, director of Florida State’s athletic academic support program, was told his contract would not be renewed after the cheating scandal that stripped the Seminoles of two dozen key players in last month’s Music City Bowl loss to Kentucky.

Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo will skip his senior year to make himself available for the NFL draft after leading the Southeastern Conference with 140 tackles this season. . . . Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes will forgo his senior season to make himself available for the NFL draft. . . . Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Munir Prince said he will transfer to Missouri. . . . Chase Holbrook, New Mexico State’s record-setting quarterback, said he will return for his senior year.

TENNIS

Hewitt, Gasquet upset in the second round

Lleyton Hewitt and top-seeded Richard Gasquet were upset in the second round of the Sydney International, but Justine Henin breezed through her first match of the year.

Hewitt lost to fellow Australian Chris Guccione, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), and Dmitry Tursunov rallied to beat Gasquet, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Henin beat qualifier Kaia Kanepi, 6-2, 6-0, in 52 minutes.

David Ferrer won both his matches to advance at the Heineken Open as two rounds of singles were completed because of rain the day before in Auckland, New Zealand.

Ferrer, the defending champion and top seed, beat Oscar Hernandez, 6-1, 6-2, in his first-round match and returned to the court to beat Sergio Roitman, 6-1, 7-6 (2), in the second. His quarterfinal opponent will be Julien Benneteau, who upset sixth-seeded Nicolas Almagro, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Florian Mayer surprised Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-3, 7-6 (7).

Flavia Pennetta upset Sania Mirza, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, in a quarterfinal at the Hobart International in Australia.

MISCELLANY

Storm finishes makeover by naming Agler coach

The Seattle Storm hired San Antonio Silver Stars assistant Brian Agler as its head coach and director of player personnel, succeeding Anne Donovan, who resigned Nov. 30. On Tuesday, the team announced owner Clay Bennett intended to sell the team for $10 million to a group of Seattle women.

The Galaxy re-signed defender Chris Albright, goalkeeper Steve Cronin and forward Allan Gordon. Cronin succeeded Chicago Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens on the U.S. men’s national team training camp roster.

Elsewhere around Major League Soccer, FC Dallas signed former Club American and Mexican national team defender Duilio Davino.

-- Jaime Cardenas

Terry Clayton, a senior linebacker for Kentucky, is the winner of the inaugural Rudy Award. Clayton, who lost his hearing at age 5, was a walk-on each of the last five seasons and twice was named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.