Sports in 2 Minutes: Rodriguez says he took over-the-counter substance

From The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla.—Alex Rodriguez offered new details Tuesday about his performance-enhancing drug use, saying his cousin injected him with an over-the-counter substance to gain an energy boost.

The New York Yankees star said using the banned drug that he said he obtained from the Dominican Republic was a “stupid mistake.”

“I knew we weren’t taking Tic Tacs,” said Rodriguez, who was joined at the head table with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi.

The three-time AL MVP and baseball’s highest-paid player met the media 10 days after Sports Illustrated reported that he tested positive in 2003.

Rodriguez started his news conference by reading from a prepared statement. At the end, he paused for 37 seconds — a dramatic break in which he looked side to side, blinked several times and took a sip of water — then finally turned to his teammates and said “thank you.”

Sitting in the front row were Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. Jeter, with his arms crossed, and the other three stared right back at Rodriguez as he apologized directly to them.

Hornets send Chandler to Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired center Tyson Chandler from New Orleans in a deal that sends veterans Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox to the Hornets.

After years of trying to draft and develop a front-line center, the move finally gives the Thunder a proven talent inside. The 7-foot-1 Chandler has averaged 8.8 points and 8.3 rebounds this season as the frequent recipient of All-Star point guard Chris Paul’s alley-oop passes.

For the Hornets, the trade provides an opportunity to shed salary in an uncertain New Orleans economy by adding two contracts that expire at the end of the season. The Hornets also got the rights to DeVon Hardin, a second-round pick out of California in last year’s draft.

Pettitte talked to feds in Clemens probe

WASHINGTON—Federal prosecutors have interviewed Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte as they investigate whether his former teammate Roger Clemens lied to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Two people familiar with the case told The Associated Press that Pettitte was in Washington last week to meet with prosecutors. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Pettitte could be a crucial witness for any case against Clemens. The two trained together for years. Pettitte has acknowledged taking human growth hormone and told congressional investigators that Clemens informed him nearly a decade ago that he used HGH.

Prosecutors are weighing whether to bring perjury charges against Clemens for denying under oath to Congress that he took performance-enhancing substances.

Lawyers for Pettitte did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Much of what investigators wanted to know Pettitte had already told Congress.

NCAA president Brand says his cancer is advanced

INDIANAPOLIS—NCAA president Myles Brand says he’s fighting advanced pancreatic cancer “as hard as I can” with aggressive chemotherapy that has left him fatigued.

The 66-year-old Brand told USA Today he learned of his diagnosis Christmas Eve. A few days later his doctors told him his cancer had reached the fourth and final stage by spreading beyond the pancreas, making surgical removal of the cancer impossible.

Brand said his doctors at the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis have not given him a medical timetable.

“It depends upon your individual biology. It could be short. It could be long. But I have signed up for aggressive treatment. I’m going to fight it as hard as I can,” he told the newspaper.

Brand is receiving chemotherapy every two weeks. He appeared thinner during an 80-minute interview Monday in Indianapolis. He recalled how stunned he was when he learned of his dire prognosis.

Barkley to return from leave on Thursday night

Charles Barkley will return from his leave of absence and be back on the air Thursday night during TNT’s NBA coverage.

Barkley was arrested Dec. 31 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and his leave began Jan. 9. Police said the 45-year-old NBA Hall of Famer had a blood-alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit in Arizona.

Barkley, a TNT studio analyst, was forced to miss the network’s coverage of All-Star weekend in Phoenix.

“From the beginning, Charles recognized that he used poor judgment. He took full responsibility and apologized for his actions,” Turner Sports president David Levy said in a statement Tuesday.

Barkley will be back to offer his opinions of Thursday’s trade deadline, as well as TNT’s doubleheader coverage of San Antonio-Detroit and Boston-Utah.

Hampton’s heartbeat fixes itself, clearing return

KISSIMMEE, Fla.—Mike Hampton’s irregular heartbeat has cleared up without a procedure, and the Houston Astros left-hander is headed back to spring training earlier than expected.

A test Monday in Houston showed that his heartbeat had returned to normal after a physical two days earlier revealed a minor irregularity. Instead of undergoing a procedure in which an electrical current fixes the heartbeat, Hampton passed a treadmill test Tuesday and was cleared to return to Florida.

Astros team physician Dr. Jim Muntz says the episode was common and similar to one experienced by former President George H.W. Bush, his wife, Barbara, and former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon.

The 36-year-old Hampton is 141-105 with a 4.01 ERA in 14 seasons, although he has been slowed significantly by injuries the past four years.