Sports briefs for October 7, 2003

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003 | 10 a.m.

Bucs' Glazer almost out of Dodger picture

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not officially eliminated Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer as a potential buyer of the franchise, but sources said Glazer's chances are fading and that the team is seriously looking at other potential owners.

Glazer has long been considered the leading candidate to purchase the team from News Corp., but a potential deal has been stalled in part because of cross-ownership rules involving the NFL and Major League Baseball.

A source close to the situation said the potential deal between Glazer and News Corp., once considered almost a certainty, now is "on life support," and another source said the two sides no longer are actively negotiating.

So, although the Dodgers aren't closing the door on Glazer and his bid -- believed to be for as much as $450 million -- they are looking elsewhere as the team enters an offseason of uncertainty.

Groups led by Jeff Smulyan, former owner of the Seattle Mariners, and real estate developer Alan Casden previously have been mentioned as alternatives to Glazer. But other potential buyers are likely to enter the picture.

Penguins sign top pick

The Pittsburgh Penguins reached terms with No. 1 draft pick Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury could begin the season as Pittsburgh's goaltender at age 18. He will make $3.72 million over three years plus incentives that could easily make the contract worth several times that.

Knight loses in court

A judge sided with Indiana University in Bob Knight's breach-of-contract lawsuit over his firing as the school's basketball coach three years ago. Monroe Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Todd granted the university's motion for summary judgment, effectively dismissing Knight's lawsuit without a trial.

Austria named host

Salzburg, Austria, was chosen Monday to host the 2006 World Road Cycling Championships. Salzburg defeated Kuzak, Switzerland, in a vote by the International Cycling Union.

Top players decline

Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne will skip the Fed Cup, leaving Belgium without the world's Nos. 1 and 2 players for next month's semifinal against the United States. The top-ranked Clijsters complained the tournament should not be held in Moscow because of poor attendance when the event was there two years ago.