Ticket Sales for Tyson-Lewis Fight Are Lagging

It turns out Mike Tyson’s fight with heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis on June 8 isn’t such a hot ticket after all.

Despite claims of a record-breaking $23-million sellout, tickets are so plentiful it appears promoters seriously overestimated the attractiveness of a title bout at Memphis, Tenn.

Some people close to the fight estimate that only a little more than half of the 19,000-plus tickets have been sold to fans. Most of the others are in the hands of ticket brokers or have gone on public sale at the Pyramid Arena.

The lack of demand became even more evident Wednesday when promoters put another 3,500 seats up for public sale.

Pro Football

Linebacker Mike Jones, a one-time Super Bowl hero with the St. Louis Rams, will be released Friday by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jones will count $83,333 against the salary cap, but the Steelers will save his $750,000 salary.

College Sports

Less than a week after signing a six-year contract, Indiana men’s basketball Coach Mike Davis agreed to another $300,000 incentive clause.

Davis will receive an additional $100,000 in the fourth, fifth and sixth years of the contract--if he remains the Hoosiers’ coach.

Ben Portie shot a five-under-par 66 to lead Colorado’s quick start before heavy rains and lightning suspended the first round of the NCAA men’s golf championship at Ohio State.

Fifteen teams and three individuals marked their shots and were called in. They will resume play early today before the second round begins.

Colorado’s four-under 280 led the teams in the clubhouse. Arizona was next at 282, followed by defending champion Florida, Texas Christian and Toledo, all at 283.

Elaine Michaelis is retiring after 40 seasons as women’s volleyball coach at Brigham Young but will remain the school’s athletic director for women’s sports.

Michaelis never had a losing season in posting an 887-225-5 career record. She ranks second among Division I women’s coaches behind UCLA’s Andy Banachowski, who had 919 victories in 35 seasons.

Jurisprudence

Former Notre Dame receiver Lorenzo Crawford had consensual sex with a female student and was not involved in a gang rape, his lawyer said.

Ken Cotter said that while an affidavit submitted by prosecutors with the charges against four former players indicates Crawford admitted to rape, a videotaped statement shows Crawford was saying the sex was consensual.

Crawford and Abram Elam were arraigned Wednesday at South Bend., Ind. Donald Dykes was arraigned Tuesday and Justin Smith had a bond-reduction hearing. Each is free on $3,000 bond.

The Bush administration defended a federal law that has greatly expanded women’s athletic programs, arguing that a lawsuit by male college coaches and athletes should be thrown out.

The lawsuit against the Education Department, filed in January in federal district court by the National Wrestling Coaches Assn., says the law--meant to ensure equal educational and athletic opportunities for men and women--hurts lower-profile male sports.

The 1972 statute known as Title IX prohibits any school or college that receives federal funding from discrimination based on sex in sports or academics.

The suit contends that many schools have trimmed men’s sports instead of adding women’s teams to achieve equality. The government said the suit should be dismissed because only the schools can correct the alleged damage.

Miscellany

News agency ANSA said that police Wednesday night raided hotels housing cycling teams competing in the Giro d’Italia as part of an investigation into the alleged use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by riders.

This year, 2000 champion Stefano Garzelli was suspended after testing positive for a banned diuretic. Defending champion Gilberto Simoni withdrew from the race Friday after testing positive for cocaine metabolites in April.