College basketball

An ex-husband of a woman accused of demanding millions from Rick Pitino to keep quiet about their one-night stand has told jurors that his former wife turned down a plea deal because she wanted revenge. Randy Wise testified Monday that Karen Cunagin Sypher said in the summer of 2009, "I'm going down. I'm going to take Pitino with me." Wise said Sypher made the comments about two months after she had been charged. Sypher has pleaded not guilty to extortion, retaliating against a witness and lying to the FBI. She is accused of demanding college tuition for her children, her house to be paid off and $10 million. She claims the Louisville basketball coach raped her in an Italian restaurant in July 2003 - a charge that Pitino denied and that authorities dismissed as lacking merit.

Hockey

For Marty Turco, the bottom line is to play for a Stanley Cup contender. By agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, the veteran goaltender made that clear. Turco, who will replace Stanley Cup hero Antti Niemi as the Blackhawks' top goalie, could have earned more money and gotten a longer contract elsewhere, according to his agent, Kurt Overhardt. The deal is believed to be worth $1.3 million.Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said the team expects "immediate" contributions from the 34-year-old Turco, who has played all nine of his NHL seasons with Dallas. The three-time All Star has never advanced past the conference finals in six playoff appearances with the Stars. The 26-year-old Niemi helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup this past season after earning $826,875 as a rookie. He was awarded a $2.75 million salary for next season by an arbitrator last week, putting the Blackhawks in a tough spot. Bowman declined to say whether the team could have squeezed Niemi's award under the NHL's salary cap, set at $59.4 million next season.

Auto racing

IndyCar officials fined star Helio Castroneves $60,000 and placed him on probation for the remainder of the year following his actions at the July 25 race in Edmonton. The penalty was handed down following a meeting between Castroneves and series officials, more than a week after the three-time Indy 500 champion was black-flagged for blocking Penske Racing teammate Will Power on the final restart.The Brazilian crossed the finish line first, but the victory was awarded to Scott Dixon and Castroneves was placed 10th. He lost his temper afterward, touching one series official on the chest and grabbing another by the collar, actions for which he later apologized. IndyCar officials penalized Castroneves for failing to follow the direction of officials and unsportsmanlike conduct. IndyCar president of competition Brian Barnhart cautioned drivers before the race to be aware of their lines and not to take any extraordinary steps to prevent a competitor from making a pass. Castroneves had the lead on a restart with three laps to go when Power swung well wide around a turn hoping to beat his teammate to the corner. Castroneves edged out in an effort to cut Power off, a move Barnhart deemed illegal.

Soccer

Defender Rafael Marquez has signed with Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls, two days after he was released by Barcelona. The 31-year-old Mexican national team captain joins former Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry on the Red Bulls. Henry made his MLS debut Saturday at Houston, forming an impressive front line with Juan Pablo Angel. Marquez joins Angel and Henry to give the Red Bulls three high-priced designated players not subject to the league's salary budget.Marquez is to be introduced at a news conference today at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.