Sports briefs for May 9, 2005

Monday, May 9, 2005 | 9 a.m.

NHL, union take gloves off again

In an unusually pointed exchange, even by the standards of their bitter lockout, the NHL and its players union traded harsh words over a dispute that has scuttled one season and threatens another.

In the first salvo, Bill Daly, the league executive vice president, told Rogers Sportsnet, the Web site of a Canadian news media company, that the leadership of the NHL Players' Association misled the players over the weekend when it reported to them the possible effect of last week's league proposal.

According to a story posted by Rogers Sportsnet on Sunday night, Daly, the second in command to commissioner Gary Bettman, called the union's analysis "grossly slanted" and "sheer fiction."

Ted Saskin, the senior director of the union, said in a statement from his home in Toronto on Sunday night: "I am not surprised that Bill would be embarrassed by what Gary and the league proposed to us on Thursday. I am surprised that Bill would be upset at us having informed the players."

Nadal claims title in five-set tiebreaker

Rafael Nadal edged French Open runner-up Guillermo Coria 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (6) Sunday to win the Rome Masters in a match that lasted more than five hours.

The match, which took 5 hours, 14 minutes to play, was a repeat of Nadal's victory against Coria in the Monte Carlo Masters final last month.

Henin-Hardenne continued a remarkable comeback from a virus and an injured knee, lifting her overall record to 20-1 since returning.

Texas schools bought banned supplements

Texas and Texas A&M purchased nearly $120,000 in dietary supplements containing ingredients banned by the NCAA for their student-athletes, according to a published report.

Between fall 2000 and spring 2004, the athletic department purchased 21 products containing certain muscle-building ingredients and substances forbidden by the NCAA, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The newspaper discovered the purchases through school invoices and documents obtained under the Texas Public Information Act.

-- Sun wire services