Cycling
HAMILTON SUSPENDED: Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton wassuspended Monday from competitive cycling for two years for a blood-doping violation discovered at a race in September.
He can return to competition April 17, 2007, but he forfeits allcompetitive results since Sept. 11, 2004.
The positive test occurred the month after Hamilton won the timetrial at the Athens Olympics. Hamilton first tested positive inAthens, but that case was dropped after his backup sample was frozen.The Russian Olympic Committee filed an appeal with the Court ofArbitration for Sport seeking to strip Hamilton of his gold medal andgive it to Vyacheslav Ekimov.
Football
PLAYER REMEMBERED: Dozens of athletes and politicians were amongthe crowd of about 1,900 Monday in Macon, Ga., at the funeral of AlLucas, the lineman who died during an Arena Football League game andwas remembered as a person who 'taught us the fundamentals about lifeand playing.'
'When the old die, there's a sense they lived their time,' theRev. Jesse Jackson said. 'For Al, middle age was 13.' Lucas, whoplayed for the Los Angeles Avengers, was a former NFL player in histhird year in the Arena league. He died at 26 on April 10 aftertrying to tackle a New York Dragons kick returner.
Autopsy results were still pending Monday, the coroner's officesaid.The Avengers say Lucas died from a 'presumed spinal cordinjury.'
Hockey
GOMEZ HURT: New Jersey center Scott Gomez will be sidelined up toa month with a hairline fracture in his pelvic area, Devils presidentLou Lamoriello said Monday. Gomez was hurt after he got blindsidedwhile playing for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL in a playoff gameSaturday night in Bakersfield, Calif. The ECHL suspended Bakersfieldright wing Ashlee Langdone for the hit, pending further review.Gomez, 25, twice has won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Devils.He's a former NHL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star and skated forTeam USA in the World Cup.
College basketball
DOHERTY HIRED: Matt Doherty was hired as Florida Atlantic'sbasketball coach Monday, starting over two years after he resigned ascoach of North Carolina. Doherty, a former national coach of theyear, replaces Sidney Green, who was fired last month after threeconsecutive losing seasons, including a 10-17 mark this year.
Doherty worked as a broadcaster and businessman after leavingcoaching. He now joins a school in the Atlantic Sun Conference, along way from the Tar Heels and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
'I've been to the top of the mountain,' Doherty said. 'The view'snot always better from there.'
