IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Baseball

McGwire offers apology, again

MIAMI: Former home run king Mark McGwire began his new job as the St Louis Cardinals hitting coach on Wednesday with another apology for using steroids as a player.

"I think people understand how truly sorry I was for what I did," McGwire said at the Cardinals training camp for pitchers and catchers in Jupiter, Florida. "I take full responsibility (for) it. I've moved on from it. I just wish everybody else could move on from it."

McGwire, 46, first admitted in January to using steroids when he broke Roger Maris' major-league home run record by hitting 70 in 1998 while playing for the Cardinals.

NFL

Ravens sign receiver to one-year deal

BALTIMORE: The Baltimore Ravens have signed controversial wide receiver Donte' Stallworth on a one-year contract, the NFL team said on Wednesday.

Stallworth, 29, a former Cleveland Browns player, was suspended for the 2009 season for a manslaughter conviction after killing a pedestrian in Miami while driving under the influence of alcohol. He served 24 days of a 30-day jail sentence.

Stallworth was reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell after the Super Bowl and released by the Browns the next day.

Soccer

Eight is enough for FIFA head: AFC boss

SINGAPORE: Asian Football Confederation head Mohamed Bin Hammam will propose that the president of soccer's world governing body, FIFA, should have a maximum reign of eight years.

Qatari Bin Hammam told yesterday's edition of the The Guardian that he had support for the idea from other members on FIFA's executive committee ahead of their meeting in March.

"I genuinely believe eight years is enough for every president to focus on football," Bin Hammam said. "I am going to insist that no future FIFA president serves for more than eight years. I hope this proposal will be endorsed and accepted."

NBA

Cavs acquire Jamison in three-team trade

CLEVELAND, Ohio: The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward Antawn Jamison in a three-team trade, the Cavs announced on Wednesday on their website.

The Cavaliers acquired the Washington Wizards scorer and also received guard Sebastian Telfair from the Los Angeles Clippers while sending Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a first-round pick in this year's draft and the rights to 2009 pick Emir Preldzic to the Wizards.

The Wizards also gained forward Al Thornton while the Clippers got Drew Gooden.

The NBA-best Cavaliers have been looking to improve their roster as they chase their first championship and hope Jamison will give LeBron James another scoring option.

(China Daily 02/19/2010 page12)