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Government ask judge in Vick case to freeze $1 million

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Associated Press Writer

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick's "deteriorating financial condition" prompted federal prosecutors to ask a judge to order the former NFL star to set aside nearly $1 million for the care of pit bulls seized from his dogfighting operation.

In court papers filed Tuesday, the government asked U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson to issue a restraining order that essentially would freeze about $928,000 to fulfill Vick's legal obligation to cover the costs of caring for the dogs and finding homes for them.

Vick faces a prison term of up to five years when he is sentenced Dec. 10 on a federal dogfighting conspiracy conviction. He voluntarily began serving his prison term early on Monday.

As part of his plea deal, Vick agreed to make restitution for the care and placement of the 54 pit bulls confiscated from his Bad Newz Kennels property in Surry County. Prosecutors cited a rash of claims by Vick's creditors and former employer that threaten his ability to make good on the agreement:

--An arbitrator's ruling that Vick should repay the Atlanta Falcons nearly $20 million in bonus money.

--A lawsuit by Wachovia Bank claiming Vick and others defaulted on a $1.3 million loan for a wine store.

--Royal Bank of Canada's lawsuit seeking payment for default on a $2.5 million credit line.

--A lawsuit by 1st Source Bank of South Bend, Ind., seeking at least $2 million for loans involving a rental car business.

"The current events outlined above regarding Vick's deteriorating financial condition demonstrate the validity of the government's concern about the defendant's ability to fulfill his legal obligation by the time he is sentenced on December 10, 2007," prosecutors said in their motion.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, did not immediately respond to telephone and e-mail messages seeking comment.

The prosecutors said the civil actions against Vick suggest "demands for payment by Vick have gone unheeded," and that published reports indicate the former Virginia Tech star has listed a suburban Atlanta home for sale for $4.5 million.

Vick's troubles began in April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of his cousin seized dogs and equipment linked to dogfighting from a Surry County property.

Vick and three co-defendants pleaded guilty to dogfighting conspiracy charges. Vick, suspended indefinitely by the NFL without pay, admitted in his plea agreement to helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights.

The four men also face state felony charges. Vick has been charged with two state felony counts -- beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Lakers trade Cook and Evans to Orlando for Trevor Ariza

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Lakers traded forward Brian Cook and swingman Maurice Evans to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday for forward Trevor Ariza.

Ariza has averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11 games this season, his fourth in the NBA. Last season, he averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Magic.

The 6-foot-8 forward left UCLA after one season and was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 43rd overall pick in 2004.

"He's a 6-8 athletic, active guy," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before their game against the Indiana Pacers. "His specialty is probably defense. He's an all-around player, but defensively, with the athleticism -- he's tough."

Cook has played sparingly this season for the Lakers, averaging 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in six games. He was in the first year of a three-year, $10.5 million contract.

The 6-9, 250-pounder was a first-round pick by the Lakers in the 2003 draft after playing at Illinois. He turns 27 on Dec. 4.

Cook's best season was in 2005-06, when he averaged 7.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 19 minutes, all career highs.

Cook, along with Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton, were the only players on the current roster who played with the Lakers in 2003-04, the last time they advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs.

Evans averaged 4.4 points in seven games for the Lakers this season. The 29-year-old was in the final year of his contract.

The 6-5, 220-pounder averaged a career-high 8.4 points in 76 games last season, his first with the Lakers. Evans was acquired from Detroit in a draft day trade in 2006. He's also played for Minnesota and Sacramento.

"We gave up two players that were veterans, experienced players who fit into our system relatively well," Jackson said.

Ariza hadn't yet joined the Lakers, and Cook and Evans weren't with the team, leaving Los Angeles short-handed for Tuesday's game.

URGENT

Lowell finalizes $37.5 million, 3-year deal with Red Sox

Eds: TOPS with announcement; Will be UPDATED following 6 p.m. conference call.

AP Photo BX202

By MATT PITTA

Associated Press Writer

BOSTON -- World Series MVP Mike Lowell and the Boston Red Sox finalized their $37.5 million, three-year contract on Tuesday.

In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and exercised options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.

Lowell, 33, who made $9 million this season, had sought four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.

A high-priced castoff of the Florida Marlins who was dumped on the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett trade, Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs.

Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors. Red Sox fans were still celebrating at Coors Field when they began chanting for management to re-sign Lowell and ignore the temptations offered by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, alternating chants of "Re-sign Lowell!" with chants of "Don't sign A-Rod!"

During the team's victory parade, Ramirez also cast a vote for the incumbent: "Forget about A-Rod," he yelled, "we've got Mike Lowell in the house!"

A four-time All-Star, Lowell was the honorary grand marshal at a Disney World parade last week. In announcing his new contract, the team also said Lowell had been named this year's Thomas A. Yawkey Award recipient, as the team's most valuable player. He becomes just the third Red Sox third baseman to win the award, after Frank Malzone in 1957 and 1959, and Wade Boggs in 1985.

The other remaining Red Sox free agents are backup outfielders Bobby Kielty and Eric Hinske, shortstop Royce Clayton, relievers Eric Gagne and Mike Timlin and backup catcher Doug Mirabelli.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

Illini's Zook picked to coach in the Hula Bowl

Eds: NewsNow.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois football coach Ron Zook has been picked to coach in the 2008 Hula Bowl.

The all-star game is in its 63rd year and will be played January 12th at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

Zook calls being picked to coach a "great honor," and he says he's looking forward to being able to work with the best players in college football.

The Hula Bowl news comes the day after Zook was picked as the Big Ten's coach of the year for leading Illinois to a 9-3 record in his third season on the job. Zook's Illini have surged to a seven-win improvement over last season, when they won only two games.

6 killed in wreck involving ex-Ala. football star Siran Stacy; victims include wife, 4 kids

Eds: UPDATES with details on Stacy's football career. Moving on general news and sports services.

AP Photo NY151, ALDOT101

DOTHAN, Ala. -- A van driven by former University of Alabama football star Siran Stacy was struck by a pickup at an intersection and six people were killed, including Stacy's wife and four of his children, state troopers said Tuesday.

The driver of the second vehicle also was killed, said Dorris Teague, a spokeswoman for the state troopers.

Stacy, 39, a star running back for Alabama during 1989-91, was listed in stable condition in surgical intensive care at Flowers Hospital in Dothan.

Stacy, who has been employed by a mortgage company, was the first pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1992 draft, but amid injury and legal problems he was cut the next year. While he never carried the ball in the NFL, he played for a few years in Canada and for minor pro leagues.

State trooper Sgt. Tracy Nelson said the pickup was on the wrong side of the four-lane road when it struck Stacy's van on the passenger side late Monday at an intersection on U.S. 84 about six miles west of Dothan.

Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd said Stacy had stopped for a red light. "The light turned green and they proceeded to cross" the four-lane highway when hit by the other vehicle, he said.

Nelson said investigators hadn't determined why the pickup was in the wrong lane.

"He hit them broadside, T-boned them at the intersection there," said Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd.

"I've never had anything like that in my life and I've been doing this for 20 years," Byrd said. "The truck that hit the car was on the passenger side and the impact was substantial."

Stacy's 3-year-old daughter, Shelly, was taken to Children's Hospital in Birmingham, which did not release her condition.

Byrd identified the victims as Stacy's wife, Ellen Stacy, 36; children Lequisa, 18, Bronson, 10, Sidney, 8, and Ellie, 2, all of Newton in southeast Alabama; and pickup driver Adam W. Wayman, 29, of Dothan.

Roddick to lead United States against Russia in Davis Cup final

AP Photo XEH123

By CHRIS LEHOURITES

AP Sports Writer

LONDON -- Andy Roddick will lead the United States against defending champion Russia in the Davis Cup final.

The sixth-ranked Roddick, who has never won a Davis Cup title, was selected along with No. 13 James Blake and the top-ranked doubles pair of Bob and Mike Bryan. The best-of-five series will be played Nov. 30-Dec. 2 on the indoor hard courts of the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Ore.

The Russian team, which won its second Davis Cup title last year, will be led by No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko, Igor Andreev, Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny, the International Tennis Federation announced Tuesday.

"It's pretty tough because we play in America," Davydenko said recently. "We know we have less chance to win."

Marat Safin, a two-time Grand Slam champion, had been a candidate to claim one of Russia's four spots but was left off the team.

Safin is 29-18 in the Davis Cup, and he won the decisive point in Russia's 3-2 win over Argentina in the final in Moscow last year.

Both Davis Cup teams include the same players from the semifinals, when the United States beat Sweden 4-1 and Russia defeated Germany 3-2.

The United States has won a record 31 Davis Cup titles, but none since 1995, when Pete Sampras led the team to victory over Russia on clay in Moscow.

In last year's semifinals, Tursunov put Russia into the final against Argentina by beating Roddick 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 in reverse singles in the deciding match.

Davydenko, meanwhile, has been at the center of a tennis match-fixing investigation. In August, the Russian withdrew from a match in Poland in the third set against 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello. An online betting site, in an unprecedented move, then voided bets on the match because of suspicious betting patterns.

The ATP is investigating the incident, and Davydenko has denied involvement.

Since then, Davydenko has twice been accused of not trying his best by chair umpires, first in St. Petersburg, Russia, and then earlier this month at the Paris Masters.

Davydenko was originally fined $2,000 by the ATP for "lack of best effort" for the 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 loss to Marin Cilic in October at the St. Petersburg Open, but the penalty was dropped during the Masters Cup in Shanghai, China.