NEW YORK — Bobby Bowden did not want to retire.
“Fired might be a little too strong,” the former Florida State football coach said Tuesday. “Pushed out ain’t bad. I was pushed out, no doubt about it. I didn’t want but one more year. Gosh, I’m 80.”
Bowden retired — at least technically — after Florida State went 7-6 last season, the third time in the last five seasons the Seminoles barely broke .500.
The coach doesn’t act bitter, but he wants to make sure the record is straight.
“I didn’t want them to spread the story that I voluntarily, happily resigned,” said Bowden, who was in New York to promote his new book, “Called to Coach.”
• Missouri linebacker Will Ebner returned to the practice field, two days after being arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
• B.R. Holbrook was named New Mexico’s starting quarterback.
Rondo withdraws from Team USA
ATHENS, Greece — The U.S. national basketball team finalized its roster for the world championships and there’s no Rajon Rondo after the Boston Celtics star asked to withdraw from consideration.
Rondo had started the Americans’ first two exhibition games, then surprisingly didn’t play Sunday when the U.S. edged Spain.
Selected to the 12-man roster were Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Rudy Gay, Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups, Danny Granger, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler and Andre Iguodala.
• The Charlotte Bobcats signed center Kwame Brown to a one-year, $1.3 million deal.
Georgia stays unbeaten at LLWS
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Called on to pinch hit, Matthew Lang sent the first pitch he saw the opposite way for a homer to left-center to help keep Columbus, Ga., unbeaten in the Little League World Series with a 6-0 shutout of Hamilton, Ohio.
In other games, Toms River, N.J., shut out Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 10-0 in a consolation game; Chitre, Panama, eliminated Vancouver, British Columbia, after a 4-2 win; Auburn, Wash., eliminated Fairfield, Conn., after a 9-5 victory; and Tokyo clinched a berth in Saturday’s international final with a 3-2 win over Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Footnotes.
Aaron Ward, a member of three Stanley Cup championship teams, is retiring after 13 seasons. The defenseman spent most of last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2006. Ward, who was traded in March to Anaheim, was also a member of Detroit’s Cup teams in 1997 and 1998.
• Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier had minor arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to recover in time for the start of training camp.
• The Nashville Predators signed their top goal scorer, forward Patric Hornqvist, to a three-year, $9.25 million contract. He scored 30 goals last season.
• Canadian left-handed golfer Mike Weir has a partially torn ligament in his right elbow and is likely out for the rest of the season.
The Associated Press
