FT Chronicle

SYDNEY—US daredevil Seth Enslow coined a world record distance on a Harley-Davidson motorbike not once, but twice, on Tuesday after media missed the first death-defying leap.

The freestyle motocross star broke Bubba Blackwell’s 11-year record by soaring 175 feet (53.3 meters) near Sydney’s famed harbour, and then went back and jumped 183.7 feet for the assembled cameras.

The heavily tattooed Enslow, a star of the Crusty Demons motorbike troupe, held his crotch and grimaced after landing “awkwardly” on the second jump, but did not suffer any serious injury, a spokeswoman said.

The record was once held by legendary US stuntman Evel Knievel, who cleared 14 buses on a Harley XR-750 at King’s Island, Ohio in 1975, just a few months after famously crashing at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Enslow now wants to jump the XR1200 past the 200 foot (60.9m) mark.  He has been spotted in Australia recently testing for this jump.  The jump is scheduled for the end of March 2009 to coincide with the Official Grand Opening of the Red Rock Harley Davidson dealer in Las Vegas.  This jump will be an amazing jump considering it will be done on a Harely in Las Vegas.

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson has left the team and is out indefinitely to spend time with his ill daughter.

Iverson will miss at least the remaining three games of Philadelphia’s road trip. Iverson missed five games and the All-Star game to be with his family when the health issue surfaced earlier this month.

Iverson has not disclosed what is ailing his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.

Sixers president Ed Stefanski says it was in the best interest of the team and Iverson to allow him time with his family to deal with a “very serious issue.” - AP

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP)– Tiger Woods is to return to therapy after he speaks publicly for the first time about his infidelity, according to a letter from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem that was obtained by The Associated Press.

Finchem’s letter to the PGA Tour policy board and other officials explained why Woods chose Friday to make his first public comments, which are to be televised live by the major networks.

Woods’ statement comes during the Match Play Championship, sponsored by Accenture, the first company to drop Woods as a pitchman.

“As we understand it, Tiger’s therapy called for a week’s break at this time during which he has spent a few days with his children and then will make his statement before returning,” Finchem said in a letter Thursday. “Accordingly, there was very little flexibility in the date for the announcement.”

Woods is to speak at 11 a.m. EST from the clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA Tour.

The letter shed no light on whether Woods plans to return to the tour anytime soon.

Ernie Els was among players who were upset to learn that Woods had chosen the week of a World Golf Championship for a public appearance that was sure to take attention away from the tournament. “It’s selfish,” Els told Golfweek magazine.

Finchem told reporters in Marana, Ariz., earlier this week that he didn’t think Woods’ appearance would undermine Accenture, and that Woods’ handlers “have their own reasons for their schedule.”

In the letter, he said the tour discussed the timing with Accenture and “they understand that the PGA Tour was not involved in determining the timing of the statement.” Finchem also noted that Woods’ comments would be over well before television coverage of the third round from Dove Mountain.

The PGA Tour made available its sprawling, Mediterranean-styled clubhouse for the announcement, and is helping set up adjacent ballrooms at the nearby Sawgrass Marriott for media, where they can watch Woods on closed-circuit TV.

Finchem said in the letter that Woods’ management asked for the facilities, and “we agreed as we would for any member of the PGA Tour.”

DALLAS (AP)– Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers won’t play in the All-Star game this weekend.

Both former NBA MVPs were voted into the starting lineups by fans.

The NBA announced Thursday that Bryant will be replaced by Dallas point guard Jason Kidd on the Western Conference roster. Iverson’s spot in the Eastern Conference will be filled by New York forward David Lee.

Bryant missed his third straight game for the lakers Wednesday night with a sore left ankle.

Iverson missed his fifth straight game for the 76ers Wednesday night to be with his sick daughter.

Kidd will be making his 10th All-Star appearance, while Lee is a first-time All-Star.

The coaches will determine which players will replace Bryant and Iverson in the starting lineup.

The game is Sunday at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

MIAMI (AP)—The New Orleans Saints thwarted Peyton Manning, then intercepted him to seal the Super Bowl, rallying to beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night.

New Orleans’ lowly ranked defense made several key stops, an onside kick sparked their second-half comeback, and Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return on a pass from Manning, of all people, and sprinted 74 yards for a touchdown and a

31-17 lead with 3:12 left. Playing in the Super Bowl for the first time, the Saints went on a 31-7 run after falling behind 10-0 early.

MVP Drew Brees went 32 for 39 for 288 yards for the Saints, binding Tom Brady’s Super Bowl record for completions.

Brees went 7 for 7 on the drive that put New Orleans ahead to stay, with the score coming on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey.

Manning’s interception was the game’s lone turnover, and he was rolled to the turf trying in vain to tackle Porter.

In order to take away Manny Pacquiao’s crown, Clottey must force him to fight inside, wear down his body and keep him on the ropes.

It came from the mouth of former light middleweight and middleweight champion John David Jackson which serves as an unsolicited advice for Ghana’s Joshua Clottey.

In an interview by Fighthype.com on Thursday, Jackson said “Pacquiao is not a good inside fighter… and he also can’t fight off the ropes. Clottey has to capitalize on that. If he can do that, he can beat him.”

“Pacquiao has no quit in him and he will fight for three minutes of every round,” said Jackson. “He’s going to fight you; he’s going to bring the fight to you.”

Analyzing Clottey’s past performances, Jackson, however, noted that the Ghanaian seems to be incapable of a relentless attack which will affect his chances of taking away Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown

Still, Jackson believes that if Clottey can use his strengths, and find the right people and the right program, he stands a good chance of unseating Pacquiao as pound-for-pound king.

Pacquaio will be defending his WBO welterweight belt against Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

CHICAGO (AP)— The Chicago Bulls suspended forward Tyrus Thomas for their game against the Miami Heat on Saturday for undisclosed conduct detrimental to the team.

Thomas’ suspension was another blow to a team that had lost three straight and was already short-handed up front, with Joakim Noah sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot and expected to be out until after the All-Star break next weekend.

“It’s unfortunate timing, but in the short run, there’s a responsibility,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “No one player is bigger than the team, and there’s a responsibility to do things right. … It’s not one person. It’s a group, and you have to be committed to what your role is on the team. You have to be committed to your teammates, your coaches, the organization.”

Thomas, who missed seven weeks with a broken left forearm, was averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds over 25 games in his fourth season.

“We all get frustrated,” veteran guard Lindsey Hunter said. “You can’t act out your frustrations. At some point, you have to grow up and be a man about it.”

LAS VEGAS (AP)— Floyd Mayweather Jr. finalized a deal to fight Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1 in a welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) agreed to the bout last week, but formally signed the contract on Wednesday for the former pound-for-pound champion’s second fight back from a brief retirement.

“This one is definitely for the fans, as I wasn’t going to waste anyone’s time with a meaningless tuneup bout and asked to fight Shane immediately,” Mayweather said. “I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won’t be great enough to beat me.”

Although the fight is an intriguing matchup between two veteran welterweights who have been circling each other for a decade, the dangerous Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) still wasn’t Mayweather’s first choice.

Mayweather agreed to the bout only after several weeks of negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement on what’s likely to be the richest fight in boxing history, if it ever occurs. Pacquiao balked at Mayweather’s stringent drug-testing demands, and instead will fight welterweight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.

Mayweather and Mosley agreed to participate in Olympic-style drug testing for their fight, saying they hope to set a new standard for safety in boxing. Mosley has acknowledged using steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but claims he did so inadvertently through a coach who had connections with the BALCO lab.

“I’m real disappointed and real angry to be linked to juicing and steroids, because that’s just not me,” Mosley told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I don’t need to do that stuff. I like the testing for this fight. I want it, because I want to prove that everything I’ve done is all me, and not about steroids. I’ve never tested positive for anything, but I want everybody to know who I really am.”

Mosley was scheduled to fight Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay Casino before Berto dropped out while dealing with the earthquake in Haiti, his family’s home. Mosley expressed only sympathy for Berto’s family, but the setback quickly evolved into a chance for a major bout.

“I knew that there was a fight around the corner,” Mosley said. “I knew that Mayweather needed a dancing partner, and who else was he going to dance with? I’m a little stronger and wiser now. I’m very smart. Nothing he can do is going to rattle me and make me feel any different. I’m already in good shape, and I’m going into it feeling good.”

Mosley, the 38-year-old WBA welterweight super champion, has been vocal about his desire to meet Mayweather ever since Mayweather celebrated his ring return last September with a one-sided victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley, a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, jumped into the ring after Mayweather’s win and taunted the unbeaten fighter.

But Mayweather appeared to be focused on the biggest payday of all against Pacquiao until his hard line on drug testing scuttled the fight.

Mosley formalized his commitment last Friday but Mayweather didn’t sign the deal for five days, prompting worries for Mosley’s management and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who represented Mayweather throughout the torturous negotiations with Pacquiao’s promoters at Top Rank.

Just a few days ago, Schaefer publicly acknowledged he was worried Mayweather might be having second thoughts about a tough fight against Mosley, who has only improved with age.

Mosley’s only loss since late 2004 was a narrow decision to Miguel Cotto in November 2007. He has fought just twice since then, stopping Ricardo Mayorga and former champion Antonio Margarito, although Mosley was scheduled for fights against Zab Judah and Berto that were canceled by his opponents.

Mayweather should have the services of Roger Mayweather, his uncle and longtime trainer. Roger Mayweather has a June 1 trial date in Las Vegas on several serious charges related to accusations of beating and choking a female boxer last summer at an apartment he owned.

BOSTON – Kobe Bryant’s fallaway jumper with 7.3 seconds to play gave the Los Angeles Lakers to a 90-89 NBA victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday sending the struggling Celtics to their sixth loss in eight games.

The Celtics, who led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, nursed a one-point lead until Paul Pierce was whistled for an offensive foul for pushing off as he jumped to shoot with 28 seconds left.

Bryant, who shot just 8 for 20 in the game, dribbled down the shot clock before stepping back from defender Ray Allen and making a basket to give Los Angeles the lead.

Bryant finished with 19, and Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 12 assists for the Celtics.

The Celtics led 81-70 before the Lakers made the next four baskets. Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer — his only basket of the game — to stop the run, and it was still a three-point game with less than two minutes left when Bryant hit a pair of free throws to make it 87-86.

It was 89-88 when Pierce was called for pushing off. Bryant, who complained of a sore ankle after Friday night’s win in Philadelphia, gave the Lakers the lead, then Allen’s 3-point attempt at the final buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim.

Pau Gasol had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight game and beat Boston for the third consecutive time since losing Game 6 of the 2008 NBA finals to watch the Celtics clinch their 17th championship.

Pierce finished with 15 points for the Celtics. Kevin Garnett had 10 points with nine rebounds and Kendrick Perkins added eight points and 10 rebounds for Boston, who were coming off losses to top Eastern Conference rivals Orlando and Atlanta.

Garnett missed 10 of those games with a hyperextended right knee, and Boston was 4-6 without him. But Garnett’s return hasn’t solved all the Celtics’ problems.

The Celtics fell behind 22-10 in the first quarter, when Bynum scored 12 points, and trailed 40-34 midway through the second before scoring the next 15 points. Rondo had nine points and eight assists in the quarter and was in double digits in both by halftime.

Bryan Brooks won’t be back as sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao after being beaten up by the world’s pound-for-pound king in his first day of sparring session for his world title fight against Joshua Clottey, trainer Freddie Roach said he doesn’t see Brooks returning for more sessions with the Filipino at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.

“I don’t think I’m going to bring him (Brooks) back. He got hurt a few times. Manny was too much for him,” said Roach.

Brooks once served as sparring partner of reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Shane Mosley, but has a lackluster career as a pro with a 0-6 record.

The former light-middleweight, however, was obviously a bit bigger than Pacquiao and has a solid built just like Clottey.

Although up against a non-quality fighter, Roach said it’s a good way for Pacquiao to start and get his rhythm in training camp.

Pacquiao said the first week of training has been so far so good.

“Training is good. Right now, I have pretty good movement. I am throwing good combinations and will definitely be ready on March 13,” he said.

The Filipino will be staking his World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound belt in the 12-round fight to be held at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Clottey (35-3, with 20 KOs) is coming in as a last-minute replacement following the aborted super-fight between Pacquiao and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But Pacquiao said he’s definitely not looking past the 32-year-old challenger from Ghana.

“Clottey is tough. He can punch and he’s definitely very strong,” said the General Santos City native. -