Monday's Sports In Brief
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The man behind the Ohio University Bobcat who wrestled Ohio State's Brutus to the ground says he tried out for the mascot job with the goal of tackling the Buckeye.
The mascot tussle before Saturday's game at Ohio Stadium led to an apology from Ohio University and the banning of Brandon Hanning from further affiliation with the school's athletics department.
The 19-year-old Hanning says it was his "whole plan to tackle Brutus" when he tried out to be the Rufus Bobcat mascot. The Post of Athens was the first to report Hanning's intentions.
Hanning was a student at Ohio last year and now attends nearby Hocking College.
Ohio State won the game 43-7.
SAN FRANCISCO — Garrett Hartley kicked a 37-yard field goal that barely fluttered through as time expired after Drew Brees set it up with a 30-yard completion to Marques Colston and the New Orleans Saints spoiled the San Francisco 49ers' home opener with a 25-22 victory Monday night.Frank Gore of the 49ers ran for a 7-yard touchdown with 1:19 to play and Vernon Davis made a close-call catch at the goal line for the tying 2-point conversion. The play was initially called no good, but the 49ers (0-2) challenged the ruling and won.The Saints (2-0), who relied on their defense most of the game, got the ball back at the 30 with 1:14 left. Brees hit Colston with a pass that put the Saints on the 18 with 18 seconds left.
NEW YORK — George Steinbrenner was honored with the largest monument at Yankee Stadium, dwarfing those of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.The tribute to the late owner, who died on July 13, was unveiled by his family in Monument Park before Monday night's game against Tampa Bay.Former manager Joe Torre and captain Don Mattingly came to new Yankee Stadium for the first time, and Yogi Berra and Reggie Jackson attended.
SAN FRANCISCO — Jerry Rice's No. 80 now hangs from the upper deck at Candlestick Park alongside all the other San Francisco 49ers greats.Rice's number was retired during a halftime ceremony Monday night, when the Niners hosted the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.Rice played the first 16 of his 21 NFL seasons with San Francisco, from 1985-2000.
NEW YORK — Thierry Henry was fined $2,000 by Major League Soccer for a celebratory kick last week that injured Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.Following a goal by Red Bulls teammate Mehdi Ballouchy in Thursday's 2-2 tie, Henry kicked the ball toward the net. The ball struck Hartman on the right knee, injuring his medial collateral ligament,MLS's disciplinary committee said Monday the actions by the former Arsenal captain were unsporting. Henry apologized to Hartman and called it "one of those stupid things."
