WASHINGTON House seeks pardon for boxing champ
The first black heavyweight champion should be granted a presidential pardon for a racially motivated conviction 75 years ago that blemished his reputation and hurt his boxing career, the U.S. House recommended Friday.
Jack Johnson became world heavyweight champion in 1908, sparking a search for a white boxer, dubbed “the Great White Hope,” who could beat him.
In 1913, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act which outlawed the transportation of women across state lines for immoral purposes. Authorities had first unsuccessfully tried to charge Johnson over his relationship with a white woman who later became his wife. They then found another white woman who testified against him.
Johnson fled the country, returning in 1920 to serve time at Leavenworth. He tried to renew his career after leaving prison, but never regained his title.
tennis
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals at the Thailand Open in Bangkok (see picture, right).
Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga used 13 aces to overpower Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2.
Andy Roddick overcame four double-faults in the first set – and a smashed racket to show for it – to defeat
Juan Carlos Ferrero 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the semifinals of the China Open in Beijing.
Roddick will face unseeded Bjorn Phau in a semifinal, with Dudi Sela playing Rainer Schuettler in the other.
Wnba
Janel McCarville scored 17 points and Shameka Christon had 11 points and 11 rebounds to help the host New York Liberty hold off the Detroit Shock 60-56 in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals.
Motorsports
Ashley Force raced to the provisional No. 1 Funny Car qualifying spot in the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Millington, Tenn., while Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (motorcycle) also topped their divisions.
Force drove her Ford Mustang to a 4.079-second pass at 298.87 mph.
hockey
The Atlanta Thrashers acquired defenseman Mathieu Schneider from Anaheim for defenseman Ken Klee and forwards Brad Larsen and Chad Painchaud.
Nba
A nonprofit run by Sacramento, Calif., mayoral candidate and former NBA star Kevin Johnson used AmeriCorps grants to pay volunteers to engage in school-board political activities, run personal errands for Johnson and even wash his car, federal investigators say.
Johnson said he will appeal the decision and believes the U.S. attorney's office will find no substantial wrongdoing.
Jason Williams announced his retirement, ending his 10-year NBA career less than two months after signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Williams, who helped the Miami Heat to the NBA title in 2006, averaged 11.4 points and 6.3 assists in 679 games.
Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards were fined $15,000 apiece by the NBA after he ducked out of the team's annual preseason media day, avoiding any discussion of his third left knee operation in 11/2 years.
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