Sports briefs for Sept. 29, 2005

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005 | 9:10 a.m.

Arena League team out of New Orleans

The Arena Football League's New Orleans VooDoo won't play in 2006 because of the effects of Hurricane Katrina, including damage to the team's stadium, the New Orleans Arena.

"This decision was made with heavy hearts," AFL commissioner David Baker said in a statement. "We looked at a number of alternatives but felt it was in the best interests of the city, team and its fans to step aside and allow them to concentrate on more important things."

The New Orleans Arena is downtown, next to the Louisiana Superdome. It's also home to the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, who will play their home games this season in Oklahoma City and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

VooDoo owner Tom Benson, who also owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints, said he would continue to employ the AFL team's administrative staff and coaches in 2006. The AFL will hold a dispersal draft for players under contract with the VooDoo.

The indoor football league's season runs from January through June.

"Factors beyond our control are forcing us to make this decision," Benson said. "We will not have a facility available to us to play our games."

Benson said the VooDoo plan to resume play in New Orleans in 2007.

Strawberry faces charge for false report

Former all-star Darryl Strawberry was charged in Delray Beach, Fla., with filing a false police report after investigators watching a gas station surveillance video saw him drive off in a different sport utility vehicle than the one he reported stolen, The Palm Beach Post reported today.

Strawberry told a detective that he lied when he reported on Sept. 17 that his rental SUV, a silver Nissan Murano, was stolen from a Delray Beach gas station. But in a surveillance video viewed by investigators, Strawberry appeared to be the passenger in a Land Rover driven by a woman, police said.

Another ref fesses up

A second Brazilian referee allegedly admitted that he took bribes to favor clubs in certain matches this year. Paulo Jose Danelon said he helped fix the results of three matches in this year's Sao Paulo state championship. Danelon, who was interrogated for nearly six hours, told authorities he received $4,500 for each match. On Tuesday, FIFA suspended referee Edilson Pereira de Carvalho, who confessed to taking bribes.

Baffert runs reverse

Roman Ruler will prep for the Breeders' Cup in California instead of New York this weekend. Trainer Bob Baffert reversed himself Wednesday, deciding to enter Roman Ruler in Saturday's $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita instead of the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in New York.

Garrison keeps job

Zina Garrison will remain captain of the U.S. Fed Cup team through next year, the U.S. Tennis Association announced. Garrison has been the U.S. captain for the premier team championship in women's tennis since 2003.

Korea race off

The Champ Car World Series called off its Grand Prix of Ansan, scheduled for Oct. 16 in South Korea. The race is still on the Champ Car calendar for 2006. The series has not raced in Asia since 2002, at Motegi, Japan. -- Sun wire services