Stewart Reigns in Indy

The usually fiery Tony Stewart keeps his cool, and that helps him roll to victory in the Brickyard 400 at the Indy Motor Speedway. Stewart loses the lead late to Kevin Harvick, only to rally and cruise to his second straight win.After years of torment, Tony Stewart has mastered his beloved hometown track.Stewart scored his second career victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, dominating Sunday at the place that caused him a decade of heartache and once even threatened his career.

Vick's crony to cop a plea

Barely a day after he joined three other co-defendants - including Falcons quarterback Michael Vick - in pleading not guilty to dogfighting charges in a Richmond, Va. federal courthouse, Tony Taylor was the first to accept a plea bargain.
The 34-year-old Taylor, who is from Hampton, Va., will appear before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson at 9 a.m. Monday, according to The Associated Press. Taylor was the alleged ringleader, according to the 18-page indictment handed down July 17, responsible for identifying Vick's property in rural Smithfield, Va., as the location where "Bad Newz Kennels" would house and train pit bulls and stage fights.
Taylor's attorney, Stephen Ashton Hudgins, did not return a call by the Daily News last night. The other three defendants - Vick, 35-year-old Purnell Peace and 28-year-old Quanis Phillips - still are scheduled for trial Nov. 26, but Taylor's bombshell may suggest a domino effect, especially with Vick's football star severely dimmed ever since the allegations surfaced.
"Usually what happens in that (kind of) case, one of the co-defendants will give information. Whoever talks first ends up with the best deal," William Frick, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney's office in South Carolina who has prosecuted several dogfighting cases, told The News. "I don't know if that happened in this case, but typically whoever comes first gets the best deal."
Vick, 27, Peace and Phillips still face conspiracy charges involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines. If found guilty, each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 in fines for conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and one year and $100,000 for sponsoring a dog in a fighting venture.
In the indictment, Taylor is identified as executing "at least two dogs in 2002 that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions at (Vick's Smithfield home) by shooting one dog and electrocuting the other."
DAMAGED GOODS: The NFL quickly is making Vick jerseys and memorabilia collector's items.
Yesterday, in response to the quarterback being indicted last week on dogfighting charges, the league pulled all of his items off its on-line shopping site, nflshop.com. "It's not appropriate under the circumstances," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "What we are doing is suspending those sales. It's for the immediate future."
McCarthy also said that Reebok, the exclusive supplier of NFL jerseys, has ceased selling and producing Vick jerseys. Also yesterday, Nike suspended its shoe contract with the three-time Pro Bowler.
Vick was banned from Falcons training camp by commissioner Roger Goodell. It's possible Goodell will suspend him for the 2007 season if the league's own investigation shows Vick violated the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Not only are No. 7 Falcons jerseys with Vick's name no longer available on the NFL's shopping site, but it's not possible to customize a No. 7 Falcons jersey with a nickname for Vick, such as Ookie, which is used in the indictment, or something more derisive. Those variations are considered "inappropriate, derogatory or profane," according to the site. Autographed balls by Vick and all Vick items are now off the site as well.
Meanwhile, Donruss - one of four major trading card companies - has decided to pull Vick's card from any future 2007 releases, according to Beckett Media, which covers the collectibles industry.

Going Camping With the AFC

For those of you weary of police blotter reports and player suspensions, of plenty of talk but no football action, we finally have something for you. An entire column without dog fighting, raining money or night club punch-outs.

Training camps are getting under way and that means we can speculate on football instead of wondering who will get busted next, or what weird story will top the last one. Pacman Jones and Michael Vick will take a back seat, at least in preparation for the coming season, to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.This season will mark an anniversary of sorts, 10 years since the power shifted in the NFL. You will recall that, going into the 1997 season, NFC teams had won 13 consecutive Super Bowls, and people were speculating about when the league might re-align to make the title game competitive.How strange that seems, now that AFC teams have won 8 of the last 10 championships, and the league’s three best teams – Indianapolis, New England and San Diego – are all in the AFC.With that in mind, we’ll start with the AFC this week (NFC next week), and here are the five burning questions about the stronger conference going into training camp:5. How will Mike Tomlin’s tough approach be greeted in Pittsburgh?Tomlin is in an enviable spot, because he has a strong organization and tradition behind him and a team only 18 months removed from winning the Super Bowl. But Tomlin, just the third Steelers’ coach in nearly four decades – and the third youngish one in a row the Rooneys have hired -- now has to establish himself.It’s worth noting that Tomlin is in the same relative position, regarding his career, that Bill Cowher was in and Chuck Noll before him. The difference, of course, is that the team he takes over was so recently a champion. Nonetheless, Tomlin seems determined to put his imprint on the Steelers as quickly as possible, and a change from the 3-4 to the 4-3 defense seems inevitable.4. Forget the questions about Tarik Glenn for a moment. The real issue with the Colts is this one: Which is their real defense? The one that was so easy to run against during the season or the one that turned into the Steel Curtain in the playoffs?Indy has been working to improve its defense for a couple of years. The Colts prefer to draft their players, but they reached out for a pair of veteran defensive tackles, and Anthony McFarland helped them in the post-season. But this is still a team that allowed the most rushing yards in the league last season, and the most yards per carry, and that’s a burden it must overcome.The Colts overcame it in the playoffs. Their defense overall was great and the run defense was stifling. What changed between December and January? And has anything changed between February and July? Perhaps the Colts can keep that playoff defense going this year, but it’s far from a certainty.3. Can Vince Young will the Tennessee Titans into playoff contention?It’s not out of the question. Young is the most exciting young player in the league, and those who saw him in college were not shocked by how well he played as a rookie. The Titans are in a tough division but Jeff Fisher, their coach, is one of the best in the NFL at working with young players, and the makeover of the roster is just about complete.With a year’s experience, Young should be even better. And you can bet there are a lot of people around the league hoping he is, because Young’s game is not unlike Michael Vick’s; the difference is that Young has shown he could be a better passer, and he is in position to become the new face of the league. Given Vick’s problems, the league can use a new face.2. Can the Patriots manage to bring Randy Moss into their all-for-one team concept, or will Moss’ indifference infect the team?New England has protected itself by bringing in several receivers in addition to Moss, who represents everything the Patriots are not. So the team is in position to make a move if Moss reverts to his old form. And I don’t mean his old form of streaking down the field and catching long touchdown passes. The problem with Moss is his refusal to play all-out all the time, his refusal to go over the middle, to block, to run pass routes when he’s not the primary receiver.The Patriots have great leadership, both on and off the field. But how much effort and energy can they afford to devote to Moss, and they probably will need plenty of both to become a contributing player. History says they did it with Corey Dillon, another guy who arrived with baggage, but Dillon’s baggage was little more than a fanny pack compared with the steamer trunks Moss is carrying.1. Will the third time be the charm for Norv Turner, the new San Diego coach?No matter who was coaching, the Chargers would find it hard to reprise or improve on last season’s 14-2 record. Turner is a nice guy, low-key, with a great reputation for working with young quarterbacks, and could be just what Philip Rivers needs to fully develop. But what about the rest of the roster, which already is fully developed and, aside from the QB, is probably the strongest roster, top to bottom, in the entire league?That’s the rub. You can make the case, and I have, that what happened in Washington and Oakland was hardly all Turner’s fault, because those are both impossible situations and neither the guy who preceded him nor the guy who followed him did even as well as Norv did. But history doesn’t provide much comfort for a two-time loser trying his third team, even when the team is as strong and the organization as solid as the Chargers are.I happen to believe Turner will beat the odds. But they are long odds, despite the talent on the team.

Focus Turns to Las Vegas After NBA Betting Scandal

The former NBA referee under investigation for a betting scandal is reportedly receiving death threats. Police are staked out all around his Florida home.
The FBI is looking into whether Tim Donaghy changed the outcome of certain games in order to win money. The FBI is investigating whether calls he made had an impact on point spreads.
Donaghy is expected to surrender this week.
The bets were all supposed to have taken place in New Jersey, not Las Vegas. And as that scandal grows, national attention turns to Las Vegas and the fleeting hope for a professional sports franchise for the city.
FBI investigators say this case appears to have nothing to do with Las Vegas. But anytime you involve sports, gambling and scandal, Las Vegas always seems to come up, and now the fate of a franchise is hanging in the balance.
Deep inside an office complex off of Sunset Road, a dark shadow hangs over the Mecca of sports betting. Las Vegas Sports Consultants is the force in laying down the line for billions of bettors.
Kenny White runs Las Vegas Sports Consultants and said, "We would find any, any sports fix long before it got started."
Right now, an undisclosed but a powerful client has asked White to look at the odds on every game in the NBA last season because Tim Donaghy.
The former NBA referee has been linked to the Gambino crime family and is accused of fixing certain games. Now, Las Vegas is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Mayor Oscar Goodman said, "The eastern media can go drop in the lake as far as I'm concerned. I was going to say drop dead. I would never say something like that."
Goodman says the scandal is a concern NBA Commissioner David Stern, but the Las Vegas mayor doesn't worry about the hopes for a team fading to black.
"I think this is a good thing, as far as Las Vegas is concerned," Mayor Goodman said.
Goodman has pride and trust in Nevada's tough gambling regulations. The mayor says the issue isn't gambling. It's making sure everything is done in the open, but temptation is never far away in Las Vegas.
The mayor continued, "Who's going to want to watch any of the games in any of the sports without having a little wager on it?"
Goodman says the NBA owners will meet next week. They may discuss moving a franchise to Las Vegas, but a deal is far from done.
The final word will rest with Commissioner Stern. He had no comment about Las Vegas and will make a statement later this week. He's the one man who will decide yes or no.

Don't Expect to See Much of Beckham

The man everyone came to see was nowhere in sight. And don't expect to see much of David Beckham in action when the Los Angeles Galaxy play Chelsea in the superstar's first scheduled game with his new team.

Garcia Closing in on First Major Title

Sergio Garcia wasn't spectacular on Saturday, but he was more than good enough to keep his challengers at bay in the third round at Carnoustie. Steve Stricker's course-record round puts him within striking distance, but Tiger Woods and other players fall further behind the Spaniard's quest for his first major title.The cheers grew louder as Sergio Garcia crossed the bridge over Barry Burn toward the 18th green at Carnoustie, a reception so warm it gave him chills. He removed his cap in a steady rain and soaked up the adulation.

Feds Indict Vick on Dogfighting Charges

NFL star Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation so grisly the losers either died in the pit or sometimes were electrocuted, drowned, hanged or shot.


The Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three others were charged with competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.The operation was named "Bad Newz Kennels," according to the indictment, and the dogs were housed, trained and fought at a property owned by Vick in Surry County, Va.The 18-page federal indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges the 27-year-old Vick and his co-defendants began the dogfighting operation in early 2001, the former Virginia Tech star's rookie year with the Falcons.The indictment states that dogs fought to the death - or close to it.If convicted, Vick and the others - Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor - could face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution.Telephone messages left at the offices and home of Vick's attorney, Larry Woodward, were not returned. A woman who answered the phone at the home of Vick's mother said "no comment" and hung up."We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said."The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."Vick and the Falcons are scheduled to report to training camp on July 25."Obviously, we are disturbed by today's news," the team said in a statement posted on its Web site, apologizing to fans for the negative publicity."We will do the right thing for our club as the legal process plays out. We have a season to prepare for," it said.John Goodwin of the Humane Society said the manner in which losing or unwilling dogs were killed was especially troubling.
"Some of the grisly details in these filings shocked even me, and I'm a person who faces this stuff every day," he said. "I was surprised to see that they were killing dogs by hanging them and one dog was killed by slamming it to the ground. Those are extremely violent methods of execution - they're unnecessary and just sick."Vick and the others are accused of "knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting an animal fighting venture" and conducting a business enterprise involving gambling, as well as buying, transporting and receiving dogs for the purposes of an animal fighting venture.About eight young dogs were put to death at the Surry County home after they were found not ready to fight in April 2007, the indictment said. They were killed "by hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."The indictment also outlined a rough chronology:In March 2003, after a pit bull from Bad Newz Kennels lost in a fight, it said Peace consulted with Vick about the losing dog's condition, then executed it by wetting it with water and electrocuting it;In March 2003, after two Bad Newz Kennels dog lost fights to dogs owned by a cooperating witness, it alleged that Vick retrieved a bag containing $23,000 and gave it to the owner of the winning dogs. One of the fights had a $20,000 purse;In the fall of 2003, a person witnessing a dog fight involving one of the dogs trained by Bad Newz Kennels incurred the ire of another cooperating witness by yelling out Vick's name in front of the crowd during the fight.It also said that after establishing Bad Newz Kennels in early 2002, Vick and the others obtained shirts and headbands promoting their affiliation with the kennel.After a police raid on the property in April, Vick said he was rarely at the house, had no idea it may have been used in a criminal enterprise. He blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity.On Vick's Web site, he lists his birthplace as Newport News, "a.k.a. BadNews."Purses for the fights ranged from hundreds of dollars to the thousands, and participants and spectators placed side bets, the document said.Local authorities have been investigating the allegations since the April 25 drug raid at the property Vick owned. On June 7, officials with the Department of Agriculture executed their own search warrant and found the remains of seven dogs.Surry County prosecutor Gerald G. Poindexter said he didn't know of the indictment before it was filed, and said he's not sure how the county will continue its case.At the start, authorities seized 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting. About half the dogs were tethered to car axles with heavy chains that allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact - an arrangement typical for fighting dogs, according to the search warrant affidavit.The indictment said dogfights were held at the Virginia property and dog owners brought animals from six states, including New York and Texas.In a search warrant executed July 6, the government said the fights usually occurred late at night or in the early morning and would last several hours.Before fights, participating dogs of the same sex would be weighed and bathed, according to the filings. Opposing dogs would be washed to remove any poison or narcotic placed on the dog's coat that could affect the other dog's performance.Sometimes, dogs weren't fed to "make it more hungry for the other dog," it said.

Bonds Headlines All-Star Rosters as NL Starter

Barry Bonds is as much a fixture in San Francisco as cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge, and he'll be in his usual spot in left field when the All-Star game comes to his home ballpark.


The star overcame a 119,000-vote deficit in the final days of balloting and finished 123,000 ahead of the Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Soriano on Sunday to claim the third and final starting outfield spot for the National League."I'm at a loss for words right now," Bonds said. "It just means more 'cause I'm at home. This is my town. This is my house. You can't say enough about being at home. It's great."At 42, Bonds will be the oldest player to start an All-Star game. He tops Roger Clemens, who was 41 years, 11 months at the 2004 game in Houston, his hometown."This is the one I'll remember all time. This is the one I'll remember forever," Bonds said.Bonds, heading to his 14th All-Star game and 12th as a starter, was the lone Giants player chosen for the July 10 game in San Francisco - his first trip since 2004. Five home runs from tying Hank Aaron's record of 755, Bonds is beloved in San Francisco but booed in most other cities following years of suspicion that he used performance-enhancing drugs."One guy will be a lot bigger than everybody else. It's his hometown," said Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr., the top NL vote-getter. "He gets to have all the fun stuff and the press conferences. I just get to play."
With the game in his home park, Bonds figures to be the focus all week. He could be one of the sluggers picked to participate in Monday night's Home Run Derby."I don't think so. I don't have anything to prove in that," Bonds said.Soriano wasn't bothered that fans voted Bonds to start over him. Soriano still made it as a backup."Going to the All-Star game means a lot to me, especially my first time with the Cubs," he said.The Boston Red Sox and AL champion Detroit Tigers led all teams with five players selected. Boston is sending first baseman David Ortiz, third baseman Mike Lowell, outfielder Manny Ramirez and pitchers Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon.Detroit had three players elected to start for the first time since 1983 (second baseman Placido Polanco, outfielder Magglio Ordonez and catcher Ivan Rodriguez). Pudge, a 14-time All-Star, was elected to start for the 12th time. Polanco is a first-time All-Star.Detroit's Justin Verlander, who pitched a no-hitter this season, was picked for the AL staff, and shortstop Carlos Guillen is a reserve.
The Red Sox or Tigers could gain a sixth, with Boston reliever Hideki Okajima and Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman among five players on the Internet ballot for the final AL spot.The New York Mets (center fielder Carlos Beltran, shortstop Jose Reyes, closer Billy Wagner and third baseman David Wright) tied the Milwaukee Brewers (closer Francisco Cordero, first baseman Prince Fielder, shortstop J.J. Hardy and pitcher Ben Sheets) for the most players picked in the NL. The Brewers hadn't had four All-Stars since 1983.Fans elected the starters, except for the pitchers, and a record 18.5 million votes were cast before Thursday's deadline.Alex Rodriguez, with 3.89 million votes, led fan voting for the first time. A-Rod was picked for his 11th All-Star appearance, his 10th as a starter."It's hard to think about that right now," Rodriguez said Sunday after the Yankees lost for the ninth time in 11 games. "But it's a pretty neat experience. It never gets old."Griffey jumped past Beltran in the final days and topped the NL with 2.99 million votes, the eighth time Griffey has led his league. Griffey is going to his 13th All-Star game, all as a starter.The rest of the AL starting lineup has the Yankees' Derek Jeter at shortstop, A-Rod at third, and the Los Angeles Angels' Vladimir Guerrero and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki in the outfield.Fielder and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin were elected as first-time All-Stars in the NL. Philadelphia's Chase Utley topped voting at second base.While fans picked the starters, player voting determined eight reserves and eight pitchers in each league. St. Louis' Tony La Russa and Detroit's Jim Leyland, the All-Star managers, each chose four position players and three pitchers.Voting runs through Thursday on MLB.com for the final roster spot in each league. Competing with Okajima and Bonderman in the AL are the Angels' Kelvim Escobar, Toronto's Roy Halladay and Minnesota's Pat Neshek. The NL five are Pittsburgh pitcher Tom Gorzelanny, Houston's Roy Oswalt, Arizona's Brandon Webb, San Diego's Chris Young and the Cubs' Carlos ZambranoThe top write-in vote totals were for Detroit's Curtis Granderson (376,000) and Cincinnati's Josh Hamilton (151,000).Some of the most notable snubs included NL MVP Ryan Howard of the Phillies, Atlanta shortstop Edgar Renteria and New York Mets pitcher John Maine. In the AL, Granderson and Gary Sheffield missed out despite excellent numbers.Leyland said his final pick went to Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez over Sheffield.Howard, who might participate in the Home Run Derby, understood why he was bypassed.
"I can't make it every year," he said.Fielder said he'll take part in the Home Run Derby."That will be pretty cool. I just want to hit one first. That will be a lot of fun," he said.Several perennial All-Stars will be absent because of subpar performances this year, such as Yankees closer Mariano Rivera and Braves center fielder Andruw Jones.