Cab Driver Returns Cash, Medal To Brazil Goalie

Goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel, hailed as a hero in Brazil's World Cup victory, says a real hero is the California cabbie who returned Taffarel's victory medal, the family's passports and $60,000 in cash.

Taxi driver Juan Blanco gave Taffarel and his family a ride from Anaheim to Fullerton on Monday. Taffarel left his pink-and-black fanny pack, which contained the championship medal and the cash, in the cab.

Blanco received a $1,000 reward and an autograph and hug from the goalie.

-- Bill Nuttall resigned as general manager of the U.S. soccer team and will join a sporting-goods company in New Jersey.

JURISPRUDENCE

Boxing promoter Don King pleaded innocent to nine counts of wire fraud at an arraignment in U.S. District Court in New York. If convicted, King faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

-- Paul Williams, linked to misconduct in the Florida State football program, was sentenced in Tallahassee, Fla., to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $255 in court costs after pleading no contest to third-degree felony charges of failing to register as a sports agent.

SAILING

Internationally renowned skipper Dawn Riley, 30, of Detroit has decided to sail with America3, the first all-female team in 142 years of America's Cup racing.

TENNIS

-- Steffi Graf, playing for the first time since her early exit at Wimbledon, beat Nicole Provis 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of a tournament in Mahwah, N.J.

-- Lindsay Davenport fought back after losing the opening set today to help lead the United States past Austria and into the semifinals of the Federation Cup tennis tournament in Frankfurt, Germany.

Mary Joe Fernandez of the U.S. played a patient game of long, baseline rallys, defeating Petra Ritter 6-2, 6-4. Then Davenport, ranked sixth in the world, struggled but defeated Judith Wiesner 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Germany and Spain also won their singles matches to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead and a semifinal berth.

-- Brett Steven of Australia ousted No. 5-seeded Andre Agassi 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals of a tournament in Washington D.C.

HOCKEY

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has told officials of the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues to meet in his office Monday to discuss Coach Mike Keenan move from the Rangers to the Blues.

TELEVISION

Award-winning director Chet Forte, best known for his work on ABC Monday Night Football, was hired by NBC to direct some of the network's NFL games.

Forte, who lost $20 million in gambling, left TV after pleading guilty to tax and wire fraud and tax evasion in 1990.

TRACK AND FIELD

William Sigei of Kenya shattered the world 10,000-meter record with an unofficial time of 26 minutes, 52.23 seconds today at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway.

-- The apparent world junior 100-meter record of 9.96 seconds run by Tim Montgomery on May 20 in Lisbon, Portugal, will not be recognized because the track was 4 centimeters too short. The record remains 10.08, by Obadele Thompson.

COLLEGES

The NCAA has approved Hampton (Va.) University's move from Division II athletic status to Division I-AA in football and Division I in all other sports.