Mourners back Joe Paterno at memorial service

Crediting him with building not just better athletes but better men, former Penn State football stars and others paid tribute to Joe Paterno in a huge campus memorial service Thursday that exposed a strong undercurrent of anger over his firing.

In a 21/2-hour gathering that capped three days of mourning on campus, Nike Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Knight instantly brought the near-capacity crowd of 12,000 to its feet in thunderous applause when he defended the coach’s handling of child sex abuse allegations leveled against former assistant Jerry Sandusky. Paterno was fired over the episode on Nov. 9.

“This much is clear to me: If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation and not in Joe Paterno’s response,” Knight said. Paterno’s widow, Sue, was among those rising to their feet.

Later, Paterno’s son Jay received a standing ovation when he declared: “Joe Paterno left this world with a clear conscience.”

The ceremony at the university basketball arena was filled with lavish praise that probably would have embarrassed Paterno, who died of lung cancer Sunday at 85 after racking up more wins — 409 — than any other major-college football coach and leading his team to two national championships in his 46 seasons.

He was saluted for his commitment to sportsmanship, loyalty, teamwork, character, academics and “winning with honor.”

ETC.

No charges against Welch

A spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office said Thursday that no charges would be filed against Santa Margarita High football Coach Harry Welch stemming from an anonymous tip that prompted an investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department into allegations that Welch pushed or shoved a player in December.

Spokeswoman Farrah Emami said the D.A.’s office didn’t believe it could present a case that would prove a criminal act occurred.

Welch was put on administrative leave last Friday by the school and the Diocese of Orange pending outcome of a review. He guided the Eagles to the Pac-5 Division championship and a CIF state championship Division I bowl victory last season.

“Something came to the attention of the diocese and the Santa Margarita administration, and they’re looking into it,” diocese spokesman Stephen Bohannon said Thursday.

—Eric Sondheimer

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw accepted the Warren Spahn Award in Oklahoma City on Thursday night as the best left-handed pitcher in baseball.

Kershaw, the National League Cy Young Award winner, led the NL with a 21-5 record, 248 strikeouts and a 2.28 earned-run average. He also was selected to his first All-Star game and won his first Gold Glove.

The Spahn award is based on a pitcher’s wins, strikeouts and ERA. Spahn won 363 games in his Hall-of-Fame career. He died in 2003.

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Free-agent reliever Brad Lidge agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals.

Last season, the right-hander pitched only 191/3 innings for the Philadelphia Phillies, finishing 0-2 with a 1.40 ERA and one save. He didn’t pitch until late July because of elbow and shoulder problems in his right arm.

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Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut is out indefinitely after breaking his left ankle Wednesday night in Houston.

Bogut’s left foot came down awkwardly on a Houston player’s foot after Bogut tried to block a shot in the first quarter. The Bucks said Thursday that an MRI exam found Bogut fractured his ankle.

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Texas football Coach Mack Brown is getting a contract extension through 2020.

University regents voted to give Brown four more years on his current contract, which was set to expire in 2016.

Brown is paid $5.2 million per year. He will keep getting annual raises of $100,000 that are in his current contract.