Sports briefs for December 18, 2003

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 11:01 a.m.

New York Yankees Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia were charged today with fighting with a groundskeeper in the Fenway Park bullpen during a playoff game against the Red Sox.

A clerk magistrate also found probable cause to go forward with Nelson's cross-complaint against Paul Williams, 24, a middle school teacher from Derry, N.H.

Clerk Magistrate Michael Neighbors called the case against the two players "weak," but said there was enough evidence in the police report to allow the case to go forward.

The players were charged with assault and battery.

The fight took place during a raucous Game 3 of the AL championship series on Oct. 11. Williams said he was attacked by Nelson, a Yankees reliever, because he was cheering for the Red Sox in the Yankees' bullpen.

But Nelson, who filed a cross-complaint seeking counter charges against Williams, said during a probable cause hearing last week that Williams provoked the fight.

NBC re-ups with Irish

NBC agreed to a five-year contract extension to show Notre Dame home games through 2010. This season's ratings were tied for the worst in the 13 years NBC has shown Notre Dame games. The Irish were 5-7.

Players' union settles

The National Lacrosse League and its players union agreed to extend their labor contract through the 2003-04 season, averting a threatened cancellation of the season. The 10-team league's board of governors Tuesday voted 10-0 to cancel the season if the union didn't end its strike.

Two lead Nevada Open

Las Vegas resident Charlie Hoffman and Kevin Stadler, the son of pro star Craig Stadler, shot 65s to share the first-round lead of the $65,000 Nevada Open in Mesquite.

Flyers trade winger

The Philadelphia Flyers traded right winger Eric Chouinard to the Minnesota Wild for a 2004 fifth-round draft pick.

No Athens for Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt plans to skip the Athens Olympics because it is too close to the U.S. Open.