BoxingTYSON'S LAWYERS MULL APPEAL: Mike Tyson's lawyers are considering whether to let him serve a one-year sentence for assault or appeal and risk more jail time.
Tyson, who spent his third day in protective custody at Montgomery County, Md., jail, was sentenced Friday for kicking one man and striking another after a fender bender in Gaithersburg in August.
Tyson, 32, pleaded no contest -- meaning he neither contested the charges nor admitted guilt -- in December. The former heavyweight champion cannot ask for a bond hearing unless an appeal is filed.
Tyson's lawyers must decide within 30 days of the sentencing whether his career would be further jeopardized by an appeal. A Circuit Court judge could then decide not to accept the no-contest plea and order a trial by jury.
If found guilty, Tyson would again be subject to Maryland sentencing guidelines that call for a jail term of three to seven years. Indiana authorities also must decide whether Tyson violated his probation for a 1992 rape conviction, and Nevada authorities could revoke his boxing license.
DE LA HOYA TO WED ACTRESS: Unbeaten welterweight boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya will wed actress Shanna Moakley next summer, promoter Bob Arum says.
Arum confirmed that Moakley, a star of the cable television show "Pacific Blue," is pregnant.
De La Hoya, 26, brings a 29-0 record with 24 knockouts into the 12-round bout Saturday night. Quartey, 29, is 34-0-1 with 29 knockouts.
Football
FALCON FACES FEDERAL CHARGES: Eight days after playing in the Super Bowl, Atlanta receiver Tony Martin was charged in federal court with money laundering and conspiracy stemming from his longtime friendship with a drug dealer.
The charges stem from his relationship with Rickey Brownlee, a convicted drug dealer. Martin, 33, is not accused of involvement in Brownlee's drug business. Prosecutors said he wrote checks to lease luxury cars and pay legal fees for his friend because Brownlee's lawyers wouldn't take cash.
GIANTS RELEASE MILLER: Linebacker Corey Miller, who missed all of last season because of a neck injury, had his contract terminated by the New York Giants after failing a physical.
Baseball
FIRST FEMALE ARBITRATOR: Baseball broke the sex barrier in salary arbitration.
In 409 hearings since 1974, all cases had been decided by males. Elizabeth Neumeier, a professional arbitrator from Gloucester, Mass., became the first female when Boston outfielder Midre Cummings argued his case before a three-person panel in Tampa, Fla.
Cummings asked for a raise from $250,000 to $725,000, while the Red Sox said he should be paid $450,000. Neumeier was joined on the panel by veteran arbitrators Gil Vernon Anthony Sinicropi.
On the first day of hearings, Montreal infielder Shane Andrews asked for $2.3 million, with the Expos arguing for $1.25 million.
Three players agreed to one-year deals, leaving 19 players in arbitration. Right-hander Aaron Sele and Texas agreed at $5,525,000, the midpoint between his $6.25 million request and the team's $4.8 million offer. Tampa Bay outfielder Quinton McCracken settled at $1.85 million, and Philadelphia second baseman Kevin Jordan settled at $500,000.
Meanwhile, Cecil Fielder signed a minor league contract with Toronto. The 35-year-old designated hitter-first baseman will earn $500,000 if he makes the team, along with an additional $1.5 million available in performance bonuses. He has 319 career homers.
Also, Cincinnati was the secret winner of the auction for negotiating rights for Alejandro Quezada, a 21-year-old Dominican outfielder who played in Japan last season. The Reds agreed to pay $400,001 to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp if they sign Quezada, according to a pair of baseball sources.
CARIBBEAN SERIES: David Ortiz smacked a two-run double in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Dominican Republic a third consecutive Caribbean Baseball Series title with a 6-5 win over host Puerto Rico Monday in San Juan.
Puerto Rico forced Monday's one-game playoff for the championship of the four-nation tournament with a come-from-behind victory in Sunday's final round-robin game, leaving the two teams tied with 4-2 records.
A sold out crowd of 27,000 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium went wild when Puerto Rico's Wil Cordero slammed a 475-foot home run off Manny Aybar in the ninth inning to tie the game at 4-4 and send it into extra innings.
Tennis
SYBASE OPEN: Two weeks after playing listlessly in a fourth-round loss in the Australian Open, Andre Agassi beat Australia's Todd Woodbridge 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the Sybase Open in San Jose, Calif.
Agassi, who won the Sybase Open last year after entering the tournament unseeded and ranked 71st in the world, has moved back to a No. 7 ranking.
Pete Sampras, returning to tennis after a 10-week break, begins play tonight against Spain's Galo Blanco.
Second-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain beat Sweden's Magnus Norman 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates. Fourth-seeded Greg Rusedski of Britain also advanced, beating Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-4.
Hockey
PANTHERS EXTEND BURE: The Florida Panthers wasted little time locking up Pavel Bure for the long term, signing the high-scoring Russian to a five-year contract extension with an option for a sixth year.
Bure, 27, will remain under contract through at least the 2003-04 season. Financial terms were not disclosed, but sources put the deal at $47.5 million over five years with an option year at $10.5 million.
He has eight goals in seven games since joining the Panthers on Jan. 17 in a seven-player deal with Vancouver.
Skiing
KERNEN LEADS MEN'S COMBINED: Switzerland's Bruno Kernen took a slim lead over Norwegians Andre Aamodt and Lasse Kjus in the downhill portion of the men's combined in the World Alpine Ski Championships at Beaver Creek, Colo.
Two slalom runs, scheduled for today, will conclude the event, with the combined times for all three runs determining the champion.