MLS averts strike with agreement on labor deal
Major League Soccer and its players signed an agreement in principle Saturday on a five-year labor contract that avoided a strike scheduled before next week’s season opener.
Negotiators began intensive talks Thursday in Washington, and the deal was signed shortly after 1 p.m. EDT Saturday, about 51/2 hours before the opening of $200-million Red Bull Arena, the league’s latest showpiece stadium.
“This can all be a positive relationship going forward,†Galaxy star Landon Donovan said. “Going forward we’re going to have a real relationship with the league as opposed to being combative at times.â€
MLS Players Union head Bob Foose said a majority of players will receive guaranteed contracts for the first time and there will be increased player rights within the league when contracts expire. Still, the union did not achieve its goal of free agency.
Talks went overnight until 2 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday. The deal must be ratified by both sides, which appears to be a formality.
GOLF
Furyk (67) takes the lead
Furyk was at 11-under 202, with a strong group of contenders behind him.
Defending champion Retief Goosen birdied the last hole of a roller-coaster round that gave him a one-under 70, part of four-way tie for second. The others at eight-under 205 were two past champions at Innisbrook — K.J. Choi (67) and Carl Pettersson (70) — and Bubba Watson, who has never won on tour. He scrambled for a 70.
Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion who hasn’t won since the 2008 PGA Championship, went 14 holes without a birdie to fall out of the lead, then dropped another shot on the 18th hole for a 72 that left him four shots behind.
BOXING
Klitschko retains titles
The taller, heavier Klitschko dominated the fight and ended it with a left hook 11 seconds before the final bell. The American went down heavily and needed a couple of minutes to recover. The referee never bothered to count.
The 33-year-old Ukrainian improved to 53-3 and scored his 48th knockout. Chambers lost for the second time in 37 fights.
HORSE RACING
Hollywood Park trims its racing schedule
Track officials told the California Horse Racing Board at its meeting Friday of the change in plans that will result in five fewer racing days than the board originally allocated. The meet runs April 21 through July 18.
Hollywood Park will eliminate live racing on six Thursdays: April 22 and 29, June 3, July 1, 8 and 15. The track will continue to race on Friday nights.
Ice Box, a 20-1 longshot, rallied five-wide entering the stretch to win the $750,000 Florida Derby by a nose over Pleasant Prince, another longshot.
Race favorite Rule finished third. Lentenor, a full brother to ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, finished fourth.
ETC.
Arnold is Hawaii’s new coach
Hawaii Athletic Director Jim Donovan announced the selection of Arnold. He succeeds Bob Nash, who was fired after going 34-56 in three seasons with the Rainbow Warriors, including 10-20 in 2009-10.
“I’m well aware of what this team and university means to Hawaii,†said Arnold, who served as an assistant at USC for the last five seasons before being fired this month by Coach Kevin O’Neill.
The 40-year-old Arnold played prep ball in Honolulu and is the son of former Hawaii coach Frank Arnold. The elder Arnold had a record of 11-45 from 1985-87.
Justin Allgaier grabbed the first win of his NASCAR career by passing teammate Brad Keselowski on a late restart, then holding him off over the closing laps in a Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.Allgaier, last year’s Nationwide Series rookie of the year, had to hold his line over the final 27 laps to keep Keselowski from passing him.The win was the first for Dodge at Bristol since August 2007.Keselowski, the pole-sitter who led 73 laps, finished second to give team owner Roger Penske his first 1-2 finish in the Nationwide Series.
