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From The Associated Press

Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner dies at 59
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Terry Hoeppner won nine games as Indiana’s coach, but he will always be remembered as the program’s rock.

The man hired to revive Indiana’s foundering football program in 2004—and had a 3-ton limestone boulder placed in the north end zone of Memorial Stadium—died of complications of a brain tumor Tuesday morning at Bloomington Hospital with his family at his side. He was 59.

Hoeppner waged his personal battle with the same zeal that made him a popular coach.

“I think if you measure the man strictly by wins and losses, I think you’re underselling a lot of attributes,” athletic director Rick Greenspan said Tuesday. “He has really touched a lot of people, inspired a lot of people, and his memory will live on in these players and other people for a long time.”

In two seasons, Hoeppner reinvigorated the program by embracing fans, students, boosters and, of course, players. He even nicknamed Memorial Stadium “The Rock.” Now his legacy will be passed to Bill Lynch, a longtime friend who was named interim coach on Friday.

Although Hoeppner spent 19 seasons as a coach at Miami, the northeastern Indiana native’s heart was always back home in Indiana.

Kobe keeps pressuring Lakers to trade him
LOS ANGELES—Intentional or not, Kobe Bryant seems to be doing everything he can to pressure the Los Angeles Lakers into trading him.

So far, it doesn’t appear to be working.

The latest twist in the Bryant saga involves an amateur video of the nine-time All-Star denouncing general manager Mitch Kupchak and teammate Andrew Bynum.

Lakers spokesman John Black said the team was contacted about the video before Bryant first requested to be traded on May 30.

“It doesn’t change our stance at all,” Black said a day after saying essentially the same thing—that the team has no plans to trade the two-time defending NBA scoring champion.

“These people called us about a month ago, they told us they wanted to sell it, we told them we had no interest in buying it,” Black said. “That’s the end of the story. There’s been no further contact between them and us.”

Kupchak declined further comment, saying, “I think enough has been said.”

A spokesman for the men trying to peddle the video to media outlets told the New York Times they were talking with Bryant when one decided to take a photograph and some video, but they didn’t believe Bryant was aware they were filming.

No agreement on Giambi-Mitchell meeting, yet
NEW YORK—Lawyers for Jason Giambi and Major League Baseball spent Tuesday trying to put together an agreement that would lead to a meeting between the New York Yankees star and steroids investigator George Mitchell.

While several people on the periphery of the talks said the sides appeared to be moving toward a deal before Thursday’s deadline, negotiations were still taking place Tuesday evening.

Talks began last week and media coverage has slowed the process, a person with knowledge of the discussions said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no public statements were being made. That could be an indication one side—or both—is trying to push for a more advantageous deal.

Thursday’s deadline is only for an agreement to meet, not for the actual session to take place.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said June 6 that he wanted a Giambi-Mitchell meeting to take place within two weeks. Selig threatened Giambi with discipline, saying the level of cooperation with Mitchell would be factored into his decision.

Giambi would be the first active player known to meet with Mitchell since the investigation began in March 2006. Giambi was quoted last month by USA Today as seeming to admit to steroids use. Giambi then met with baseball lawyers to discuss those remarks.

Giambi is on the disabled list with a foot injury and it is unclear when he’ll be able to play again.

NFL to blow whistle on concussions
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Troy Vincent recalls going back to the huddle and forgetting to look at the sideline for the play, even though it was his job to relay the signal.

He mentions the days after one concussion when he couldn’t remember phone numbers and kept thinking his car was running. When he sees clips of himself knocked unconscious, he cringes.

“I’m not sure if we—athletes—know what a concussion is,” said Vincent, a veteran defensive back and the president of the NFL Players Association.

The NFL is taking steps to educate players on the subject and make sure they report concussions, implementing a whistle-blower system when training camps start next month. The league hopes that will ease pressure on players to take the field with a concussion.

“It’s an important element of what we’re trying to accomplish here,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday after a conference with medical personnel from every team in the league. “I have said repeatedly and will continue to say that medical decisions must override any competitive decisions.

“And if anyone feels they are being forced onto the field when they are not ready to play, we want to know about that and look into it.”

Buick Open optimistic Woods will play next week
DETROIT—The Buick Open is optimistic Tiger Woods will play his first tournament as a father in Michigan.

A day after Woods’ wife gave birth to their first child, Buick golf marketing manager Larry Peck said that was good news.

“No. 1, we’re happy that the baby and Elin are healthy and that Tiger is spending time with them,” Peck said Tuesday. “From a tournament standpoint, the timing reduces the uncertainty of next week.”

Peck added: “He has told us all along that he intends to play here. I have nothing but optimism that he’ll spend a great week at home with the baby and Elin, then he’ll come defend his title.”

Woods said May 21 he intended to play at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc but the birth of his child was a priority.

Less than 24 hours after Woods finished second at the U.S. Open on Father’s Day, he announced on his Web site that Sam Alexis Woods was born.

Schilling sent back to Boston for MRI exam
ATLANTA—After getting roughed up in two straight starts, Red Sox starter Curt Schilling was sent back to Boston on Tuesday to get an MRI exam on his right shoulder.

Schilling nearly pitched a no-hitter at Oakland on June 7, giving up a two-out single to Shannon Stewart in the ninth inning.

But the 40-year-old right-hander hasn’t looked the same in his last two outings, surrendering 11 earned runs and 19 hits in 9 1-3 innings. He was hit hard Monday night by the Atlanta Braves, who said Schilling lacked his usual velocity in a 9-4 loss.

Taking no chances, the first-place Red Sox sent Schilling (6-4) back to Boston to get checked out by the team’s medical director, Dr. Thomas J. Gill.

“The ball didn’t come out of his hand too well,” manager Terry Francona said. “He didn’t complain of pain or anything. The ball just wasn’t coming out.”

Schilling, 14th on the career strikeout list with 3,086, failed to fan anyone Monday night—the first time that’s happened in one of his starts since 1993.