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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Kornheiser taken off air by ESPN


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ESPN has suspended host Tony Kornheiser from his television talk show "Pardon the Interruption" for two weeks for comments he made on the radio last week about SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm's clothing.

Kornheiser announced the suspension on his Washington, D.C. radio show yesterday morning, calling his remarks about Storm intemperate and stupid.

"As the result of this, I have been sent to the sidelines of PTI for a while," Kornheiser said.

In a written release yesterday, ESPN called Kornheiser's comments inappropriate.

"Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences," said John Skipper, ESPN's vice president for content. "Tony has been suspended from PTI for two weeks. Hannah is a respected colleague who has been an integral part of the success of our morning SportsCenter."

Kornheiser described an outfit Storm was wearing at ESPN last week as "horrifying," saying her shirt was too tight and looked "like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body."

Kornheiser said he had called Storm to personally apologize for the remarks.

IN THE COURTS

EX-HOOPSTER GETS 5-YEAR PRISON TERM

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday for fatally shooting a hired limo driver in 2002, ending an eight-year legal odyssey by tearfully apologizing to the victim's family. He will be eligible for parole in 18 months.

Williams, avoiding a retrial on a reckless manslaughter count that deadlocked the jury at his 2004 trial, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault in the death of Costas Christofi on Feb. 14, 2002. At the same 2004 trial, he was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter but convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting.

The sentences on the assault and cover-up counts will run concurrently. New Jersey State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman went along with a plea agreement that spelled out the five-year prison sentence and the potential for Williams to be released as early as summer 2011.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

LATECH WILL PLAY GRAMBLING, FINALLY

Louisiana Tech and Grambling State have agreed to meet on the football field for the first time — even though the schools are only 5 miles apart.

The game will be played at a neutral site — Shreveport's Independence Stadium — on Sept. 4 with Grambling as the home team. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

Grambling plays in Division I's second tier, while Louisiana Tech plays in the top-tier FBS.

TENNIS

VENUS OPENS WITH VICTORY IN MEXICO

Top-seeded and defending champion Venus Williams won her first clay-court match of the season, beating Mathilde Johansson of France, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the second round of the Mexican Open yesterday in Acapulco.

Third-seeded Gisela Dulko and No. 5 Carla Suarez Navarro also advanced to the second round.

On the men's side, No. 1 seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain rallied from a set down to defeat Italy's Fabio Fognini, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Williams is coming off a hard-court tournament victory at Dubai on Sunday.

GOLF

TIGER APOLOGIZES TO SCHOOL PARENTS

Tiger Woods has offered another apology, this time to parents of children at the preschool that his 2-year-old daughter attends, an Orlando television station reported yesterday.

WFTV reported on its Web site that it has obtained a letter that Woods and his wife, Elin, wrote to parents of children attending Premier Academy to apologize for increased media scrutiny around the school.

"We hope that the paparazzi will find something better to do with their time in the near future," the letter said.

Media coverage around Woods and his family has been intense since the Nov. 27 accident outside his home led to revelations that the world's No. 1 golfer had been cheating on his wife.

AND WHAT'S MORE...

Aaron Boone, who played for six different teams in his 12-year major league career, announced his retirement yesterday and will become a baseball analyst for ESPN. ... Fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Florent Serra, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, yesterday despite playing with a sore left wrist to advance to the second round of the Dubai Championships at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.