Sports briefs for April 7, 2005

Thursday, April 7, 2005 | 9:23 a.m.

Bo Jackson sues over steroid allegation

Bo Jackson filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against a California newspaper that quoted a dietary expert who said the former two-sport star used steroids.

The lawsuit was filed in Cook County against the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, MediaNews Group Inc., MediaNews Group Interactive, Inc., sports writer Jim Mohr, who is now sports editor, and three other employees of the newspaper.

"I've got nothing to hide," Jackson said. "If anyone wants to check into my medical past, go get blood tests, go check up on those blood tests and see if there was any anabolic steroids in it. You're more than welcome."

NASCAR punishes Hmiel for gesture

Shane Hmiel was fined $10,000 and docked 25 points in the standings by NASCAR for making an obscene gesture at Dale Jarrett during the Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this week.

Hmiel was caught on his in-car camera flipping his middle finger at Jarrett after Jarrett leaned inside his window to complain about an accident Hmiel had caused during Monday's race.

Hmiel caused the last of 14 cautions during Monday's race when Jarrett slowed to avoid an accident, then was hit from behind by Hmiel.

Serena cruises

Second-seeded Serena Williams beat unseeded Dally Randriantefy 6-3, 6-1 in 52 minutes in a second-round match at the Bausch & Lomb Championships on Amelia Island, Fla.

Williams allowed just seven points in the five games she served in the first set of her first match of the season on clay. Randriantefy took the opening game of the second set, but Williams rallied to win the next six.

Player suspended in game-rigging scandal

The captain of a third-division team became the first player to be suspended in Germany's match-fixing scandal today, when the country's soccer federation banned him until July 31.

Thijs Waterink already had been suspended by his club, SC Paderborn, after the scandal broke in January.

Waterink admitted accepting $12,900 from a man he didn't know before a German Cup game against top-division Hamburger SV. Waterink was told he could keep the money if his team won.

Paderborn won 4-2 after earning two dubious penalties and Hamburg had a player sent off. Waterink gave each of his teammates $645 after the match.

Referee Robert Hoyzer admitted that was one of the games he fixed. Hoyzer said he received $86,400 from three Croatian brothers to manipulate games and is cooperating with prosecutors.

-- Sun wire services