AREA

AREA
Struthers/Polandmoved ahead
POLAND -- Today's Struthers/Poland girls basketball games have been moved up an hour, with the junior varsity game beginning at 5 p.m. The varsity game will follow at 6:30 p.m.
The games were moved so fans can see all of the Rose Bowl.
DeMonaco honored
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Westminster College basketball standout Mark DeMonaco (New Castle/New Castle High) has been named Basketball Player of the Week by the Presidents' Athletic Conference for the two-week holiday period ending Monday.
DeMonaco, a 5-foot-8-inch senior guard, averaged 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals while leading Westminster to a 2-1 record over the holiday break, including a season-high 35 points in a 94-89 win over NAIA member Ottawa (Kan.). He shot 47 percent from the field (23-of-49), including 40 percent from three-point range (16-of-40), and 83 percent at the line (10-of-12).
The Titans (3-8, 0-0 PAC) opens conference play tonight by hosting Thiel College (2-9, 0-0 PAC) at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium at 8 p.m.
REGION
Browns fan convicted
CLEVELAND -- A fan whose romp on the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium ended in a body slam by a Pittsburgh player was convicted Tuesday of disorderly conduct charges.
Nathan Mallett, a Browns fan from Chippewa Lake, will be sentenced Jan. 17 by Municipal Court Judge Joan Synenburg, who convicted him after he pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct while intoxicated and criminal trespassing. The 24-year-old Mallett could face up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
Mallett, who responded "Yes" when asked if he wanted to change his plea of Dec. 27 from not guilty to no contest, left court without commenting.
Mallett said earlier that he raced onto the field because he was upset during the Steelers' 41-0 win over the Browns on Dec. 24. His jaunt ended when Steelers linebacker James Harrison put him on the ground and held him for police.
Vogelsong,Bucsreach terms
PITTSBURGH -- Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong has agreed to a $555,000, one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Vogelsong was 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 44 games last season, pitching mostly in mop-up roles. He was demoted from the starting rotation after going 6-13 with a 6.50 ERA in 31 games in 2004, including 26 starts.
Acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Jason Schmidt trade in 2001, Vogelsong has a 10-22 record and 5.78 ERA in 100 career games. He has fought with control problems throughout his career, and had only 12 more strikeouts (52) than walks (40) last season.
Vogelsong made $332,000 last season. He can make as much as $125,000 in bonuses next season as a starter: $25,000 for 10 starts, $30,000 for 15, $30,000 for 20 and $40,000 for 25. He also could earn $75,000 extra as a reliever with $25,000 bonuses each for 45, 55, and 65 games pitched.
The Pirates have three remaining unsigned players who are arbitration-eligible: left-hander Oliver Perez, right-hander Kip Wells and outfielder-first baseman Craig Wilson.
NATION
Sonics fire coach Bob Weiss
SEATTLE -- Bob Weiss' laid-back attitude made him a favorite of players. It just didn't translate to enough victories.
Weiss was fired as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday with Seattle struggling at 13-17, and having lost five of its last seven. The Sonics are the second NBA team to change coaches this season, following Stan Van Gundy's resignation at Miami last month.
Assistant Bob Hill will take over and his first game will be tonight against Chicago.
Millen respondsto backlash
DETROIT -- Lions president Matt Millen finally responded to the "Fire Millen" movement Tuesday -- the signs, the chants, the T-shirts.
And he didn't fire back.
"All that fan stuff? I understand it completely," Millen said. "They could not have been more disappointed and more upset at how this season went than we were in this building. To be honest with you, this hurt this year. It really, really bothered me."
How badly did it bother him?
"I didn't sleep very well. I turned white," Millen said, referring to his hair. "This was the worst thing I ever went through.
"I didn't blame those people one bit. I was more ticked off than they were."
Millen met with four newspaper writers in a conference room at team headquarters in Allen Park, making his first extensive public comments since Nov. 28, when he fired Steve Mariucci.
At one point, Millen turned to Lions chief operating officer Tom Lewand.
"He sat there right with me," Millen said, "and he saw my teeth clenched, and he saw my blood pressure go through the roof."
Millen said this season might have been the most disappointing one he ever had endured -- more disappointing than when he was a player, when his college team at Penn State lost the national championship, when his two of his great NFL teams lost in the playoffs.
Vindicator staff/wire reports