Finish line: Reports: House letter to seek Clemens perjury investigation

The Rocky

Published February 26, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

Text size

Photo by Paul Connors / Associated Press

Ratings up Tiger Woods' win in the Match Play Championship final Sunday drew a 67 percent higher rating than last year. The 3.5 rating and 7 share on NBC also were the best final-round overnights for the event since 2004.

More More Sports

More stories »

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has drafted a letter recommending the Justice Department launch a criminal investigation into whether Roger Clemens committed perjury during his testimony on Feb. 13, The New York Times and ESPN.com reported.

Citing three lawyers familiar with the matter, The Times said Clemens' accuser, Brian McNamee, was not included in the letter, prompting speculation the committee has concluded the trainer's testimony was truthful.

* Clemens' oldest son, Koby, says his father will work with minor leaguers at Houston Astros spring training in Kissimmee, Fla., but didn't say when he would arrive.

* While lawyers for players and owners plan to resume discussions on the Mitchell Report's recommendations for improving the sport's drug testing, Michael Weiner, the No. 3 official of the players' association, said the "current program is working fine."

CHASING BONDS The Tampa Bay Rays have had internal discussions about the prospect of pursuing Barry Bonds. The St. Petersburg Times reported team officials have conferred among themselves about Bonds and other veteran unsigned free agents, such as Kenny Lofton and Mike Piazza.

LIDGE HAS SURGERY Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge, a Cherry Creek High School graduate, had surgery on his right knee. Doctors removed torn cartilage from the same knee in October.

LIRIANO COMING Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano said he received his U.S. visa and was preparing to travel to spring training in Florida.

* Former American League Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox and will report to spring training.

SAMPSON AGREEMENT Former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson's separation agreement with the university will not be finalized until March 17. The agreement also requires Sampson to continue cooperating with the NCAA investigation and bars him from interfering with any team activities.

VOLUNTEERS RISE Tennessee (25-2) surged to the top of The Associated Press men's basketball poll for the first time on the strength of its victory over Memphis in a Nos. 1-vs.-2 matchup.

* Marist (26-2) rode its 16-game winning streak straight into the women's basketball Top 25 for the first time in school history. The Red Foxes came in at No. 25.

UPHOLDING TRADITION The Texas-Texas A&M football rivalry will move back to its traditional Thanksgiving slot for the next two years. The longtime Thanksgiving event was moved to the day after in 1996.

BRYANT RELEASED Cornerback Fernando Bryant was released by the Detroit Lions after four seasons with the NFL team.

* Quarterback Kyle Orton and the Chicago Bears agreed on a one-year contract extension.

SPRINGS LISTED IN SUIT Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ron Springs, who has been in a coma since fall after surgery to remove a cyst, is listed among the 11 plaintiffs challenging Texas' medical malpractice cap in a lawsuit filed in Marshall, Texas.

FLYERS-LIGHTNING TRADE The Philadelphia Flyers bolstered their banged-up lineup by acquiring high-scoring forward Vaclav Prospal in a trade with Tampa Bay.

The Flyers dealt the Lightning minor league defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional pick in the 2009 draft.

BOYLE SIGNS The Lightning re-signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year extension.

MOREAU TO MISS YEAR Edmonton Oilers forward Ethan Moreau will miss the rest of the regular season after fracturing a bone in his lower left leg.

McCARTY COMES BACK Forward Darren McCarty has returned to the Red Wings, signing a one-year contract with the team four years after he left Detroit for Calgary.

LEGWAND CHARGED Nashville Predators forward David Legwand has been charged with driving under the influence, Nashville, Tenn., police said.

MARA SIDELINED Rangers defenseman Paul Mara was scheduled for facial surgery Monday and will be sidelined for two weeks.

JUDAH CAN REAPPLY Welterweight Zab Judah (36-5) was cleared to reapply for a license to fight in Nevada, a move that paves the way for a bout against Shane Mosley (44-5) in Las Vegas in the next few months.

RECOGNITION DROPPED The International Cycling Union will not recognize this year's Paris-Nice race in an escalating dispute with the group that also organizes the Tour de France.

DAVENPORT WINS Fourth-seeded Lindsay Davenport won her opening match 7-5, 6-3 against Sabine Lisicki in the Cellular South Cup tennis tournament in Memphis, Tenn.

* James Blake withdrew from the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis, citing a sore right knee.

* Eighth-seeded Elena Dementieva beat Patty Schnyder 7-5, 6-0 to advance to the second round of the Dubai Championships in the United Arab Emirates.

* Fourth-seeded Fabrice Santoro quit his first-round match because of an injured right shoulder while trailing Olivier Rochus 6-3, 2-0 at the Zagreb Indoors tournament in Croatia.

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News