Soccer ref critical

after attack by fan

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (AP) — A Salt Lake City man who was serving as a referee in a recreational soccer game in Taylorsville is in critical condition after being punched by a teenager.

Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal says the attack happened over the weekend during a game held at Eisenhower Junior High School.

Hoyal says the 46-year-old referee apparently made a call against the suspect, who lashed out with a single punch to the man’s face.

Hoyal says the victim was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries, but doctors found the injury was much more severe.

Officials say the teenager from Salt Lake City was booked into the Salt Lake Valley Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of aggravated assault. His name isn’t being released because he’s a minor.

 

Indoor team makes

Tebow offer to sign

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha Beef have a job waiting for Tim Tebow if he wants it — and the Nebraska indoor football team will even pay him $75 a game.

A day after Tebow was cut by the New York Jets, the Beef called the office of Tebow agent Jimmy Sexton to offer a standard player contract. Beef assistant general manager Andrew Mather said Tuesday that he doesn’t expect to hear back, but he thought it was worth asking.

The Beef’s current quarterback, James McNear, has led the team to a 5-1 start. He’s completing 70 percent of his passes and has thrown for 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions.

McNear is anything but insulted by the Beef’s wooing of Tebow. McNear said, “I think Tim can learn a lot from me.”

 

Alford won pay $1M

buyout to Lobos

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A University of New Mexico official says former Lobos basketball coach Steve Alford is willing to pay a $200,000 buyout for leaving the Albuquerque school to take a job at UCLA but he won’t pay the $1 million payment that New Mexico wants.

According to the Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/14L4Aaj ), an email written by a university lawyer says Alford is offering to comply with terms of his previous contract with New Mexico.

Alford on March 18 signed a term sheet agreeing to a new 10-year contract with New Mexico that included a $1 million buyout. It was to take effect April 1, two days Alford announced his resignation.

New Mexico contends it’s owed the $1 million buyout because the previous contract required a 30-day notice of termination.

 

Grand jury listening

to teen rape charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An eastern Ohio grand jury has finished its first day of work investigating whether other laws were broken in the case of a 16-year-old girl a judge said was raped by two high school football players.

The grand jury held its first session Tuesday in Steubenville and will reconvene Wednesday. Results of its secret work won’t be known for weeks.

Possible crimes being investigated include situations in which adults including coaches or school administrators knew of the rape allegation but failed to report it.

Investigators issued search warrants at the high school and local school board offices Thursday.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says nothing is off the table for the 14-person grand jury.

A judge convicted the two teen football players in March of raping the West Virginia girl after an alcohol-fueled party last August.