Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Sports briefs

By DEBI JONES, TIMES WIRES

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 22, 2001

Injury ends career of FSU's Brannon

Ross Brannon, who started 25 straight games at offensive tackle for Florida State from 1997-99, announced Wednesday that he no longer can attempt a comeback from a chronic knee injury.

Brannon started as a freshman and was named first-team All-ACC after his sophomore season. He had meniscal replacement surgery in 1999. Surgeons used cartilage from a cadaver to replace those in his damaged knee.

"I'm disappointed that I can't play anymore," Brannon said. "I really hoped it would all turn out and I could get back on the field, but the doctors have told me that I really can't try and play football anymore."

Brannon graduated in December. The NCAA had granted him a sixth year of eligibility.

MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Florida's highly anticipated quarterback duel fizzled during the first spring scrimmage as quarterbacks combined to complete six passes for 95 yards. The longest pass of the day came from sophomore Chris Stephens, who completed a 42-yarder to Kelvin Kight. Brock Berlin finished 4-of-16 for 32 yards. Rex Grossman was 1-for-7. Running back Willie Green, who sat out last season with a knee injury, had four carries for 26 yards. "Willie Green can run through arms. You can't tackle him putting your arms out," coach Steve Spurrier said. "Our defense is going to be better this year. I am going to make a prediction." ... Miami coach Larry Coker announced that redshirt freshman receiver Anthony Johnson has withdrawn from the university and is no longer on the team. ... Billy Sims, the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner, failed to appear at a child-support hearing in Tulsa, Okla., but might not face an arrest warrant if his claim of car trouble is proven true. Sims was ordered to pay $14,025 related to a 1997 child-support conviction.

MORE COLLEGES: South Florida freshman Paco Antelo, who beat the nation's No. 9 and 43 singles players last weekend, was Conference USA men's tennis athlete of the week. ... The Florida men's tennis team snapped a four-match losing skid with a 6-1 win against visiting Georgia State. ... In crew, Jacksonville won the four- and eight-rower events for men and women at the Buccaneer Regatta at Key Biscayne. ... Gators gymnasts Teal Chiabotti, Gabby Fuchs, Hilary Thompson, Jenny Carow, Kelly Hesbeens and Lindsey Miner were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: Pinch-hitter Jim Burt singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th as host Miami beat Cornell 2-1. ... Aaron Davidson tied a school record with five hits as host Florida beat Maine 19-9. ... Karl Jernigan went 4-for-4, leading host FSU past Akron 14-2 for its 17th win in 18 games. ... Chris Cuccia went 3-for-4 as USF beat visiting Northwestern 7-2. ... Two Baylor players, pitcher Derek Brehm and outfielder Clint Bowers, were charged with cruelty to animals after police in Waco, Texas, found a skinned cat head in the back seat of a car.

TENNIS: Justin Gimelstob lost to Andreas Vinciguerra 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne. "If I continue on this path, I probably will stop playing sooner rather than later," Gimelstob, 24, said. All seeded players had a first-round bye, which made for a lackluster schedule. Andy Roddick, the top American teenager on the tour, beat Harel Levy 6-3, 6-2. Todd Martin, playing his first match after being sidelined for six weeks with a back injury, lost to Max Mirnyi 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. ... Model Angela Ermakova received an official order naming Boris Becker the father of her year-old daughter, Anna.

SOCCER: The Mutiny played D.C. United to a 1-1 draw in a scrimmage at the Sunrise & Lauderhill Sports Complexes. Mutiny reserves who played little or not at all in the Tuesday night scrimmage started Wednesday. Kalin Bankov's header, on a corner kick by Gus Kartes, tied the score.

OLYMPICS: A toxic chemical has been spilled at an abandoned U.S. military base near the site of the planned 2004 rowing center in Athens, Greece, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Athens daily Ta Nea said. ... Jacques Rogge, one of the top contenders to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the International Olympic Committee, will declare his candidacy Monday, the Belgian Olympic Committee said. ... Sacramento Kings center Vlade Divac is running for president of the Yugoslav committee.

BASKETBALL: Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders will lead the U.S. at the Goodwill Games, Sept. 3-9 in Australia.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright