Piratesdaily.com | Pittsburgh Pirates News, pirates Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Eddie Jordan was fired as coach of the Washington Wizards on Monday after opening the season 1-10 without injured starters Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood. </div>"That's an unacceptable record, obviously," team president Ernie Grunfeld said at a news conference to introduce director of player development Ed Tapscott as interim coach. "We had to do something. The way we're losing games was unacceptable." The Wizards' record matches the worst start in franchise history; the only other time the team was 1-10 was in 1966, when it was called the Baltimore Bullets. The final straw for Jordan appears to have been a 122-117 loss Saturday to the undermanned New York Knicks, who had only seven players. Tapscott will coach the team for the rest of this season. Grunfeld said he'll "evaluate everything" in the offseason. \ Baseball Pirates SIGN PAIR FROM INDIA The Pittsburgh Pirates signed a pair of 20-year-old pitching prospects from India, who came to the U.S. six months ago after being the top finishers in an Indian reality TV show called the "Million Dollar Arm." Neither Rinku Singh nor Dinesh Patel won the $1 million prize for showing an ability to throw strikes at 85 mph or faster. But Pirates GM Neal Huntington said, "We are intrigued by Patel's arm strength and Singh's frame and potential." The two are believed to be the first athletes from India to sign professional sports contracts outside their country. -Three of 14 charges against Barry Bonds were dismissed Monday by a federal judge in San Francisco, who left intact most of the indictment alleging he lied to a grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds, Baseball's home run king, is scheduled for a March 2 trial. - Washington Nationals right-hander Tim Redding (10-11, 3.95 ERA) will have minor surgery on his left foot Friday to repair a damaged toe joint and is expected to be fully recovered by the start of spring training. \ OLYMPICS RESTRAINT URGED FOR LONDON Organizers of the 2012 London Olympics do not need to top the Beijing Games and should focus on creating a festive atmosphere and controlling spending on venues, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Monday. The International Olympic Committee leader said he is often asked how London can outshine the Beijing Games and its extravagant opening ceremony, eye-catching venues and near flawless organization. "It doesn't need to," Rogge said in a speech to the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. "London just has to be London." No single Olympics is better than another, he said, "There is just 'different.' " -His NFL experience didn't go as planned. Still, Jeremy Bloom isn't through looking for mountains to climb. Cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers this summer, the two-time Olympian announced plans to start working out with the U.S. ski team, the first step toward possibly reviving his freestyle skiing career for the Vancouver Games. \ ETC. GMC CUTS TIES WITH TIGER General Motors Corp., looking to cut costs in the face of a horrid sales downturn, is bailing out on the final year of its 10-year contract with golf great Tiger Woods. The endorsement deal, believed to be worth at least $7 million a year, was to expire at the end of 2009. -Will Barrow, a co-captain of Virginia's 2008 lacrosse team, was found dead in his off-campus apartment. Barrow, 22, died Saturday but the school's sports media relations office did not release a cause of death on Monday. Questions were referred to the university's public affairs office. A phone message was not immediately returned. -Los Angeles Kings forward John Zeiler was suspended three games without pay by the NHL for ramming Colorado defenseman Adam Foote into the boards on a hit from behind during Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Avalanche. \ NORTHWEST FOUR BELLEVUE BALLPLAYERS SIGN Four Baseball players from Bellevue College (formerly Bellevue CC) signed NCAA national letters of intent during the early fall signing period. Pitcher Cody Goodfellow from Stadium High signed with Seattle University, pitcher Brian Buckham from Newport High signed with Oregon, infielder Bryan Barnes from Mountlake Terrace signed with Ohio University and infielder Keegan Acker from Redmond signed with Centenary. -Seattle Pacific's Jeff Downs and Megan Hoisington were named players of the week in Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's and women's basketball after leading their respective teams to two wins each. Downs shared the men's honor with Bill Richardson of Saint Martin's.

Eddie Jordan was fired as coach of the Washington Wizards on Monday after opening the season 1-10 without injured starters Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood.

"That's an unacceptable record, obviously," team president Ernie Grunfeld said at a news conference to introduce director of player development Ed Tapscott as interim coach. "We had to do something. The way we're losing games was unacceptable."

The Wizards' record matches the worst start in franchise history; the only other time the team was 1-10 was in 1966, when it was called the Baltimore Bullets. The final straw for Jordan appears to have been a 122-117 loss Saturday to the undermanned New York Knicks, who had only seven players.

Tapscott will coach the team for the rest of this season. Grunfeld said he'll "evaluate everything" in the offseason.

\ Baseball

Pirates SIGN PAIR FROM INDIA

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed a pair of 20-year-old pitching prospects from India, who came to the U.S. six months ago after being the top finishers in an Indian reality TV show called the "Million Dollar Arm."

Neither Rinku Singh nor Dinesh Patel won the $1 million prize for showing an ability to throw strikes at 85 mph or faster. But Pirates GM Neal Huntington said, "We are intrigued by Patel's arm strength and Singh's frame and potential."

The two are believed to be the first athletes from India to sign professional sports contracts outside their country.

-Three of 14 charges against Barry Bonds were dismissed Monday by a federal judge in San Francisco, who left intact most of the indictment alleging he lied to a grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds, Baseball's home run king, is scheduled for a March 2 trial.

- Washington Nationals right-hander Tim Redding (10-11, 3.95 ERA) will have minor surgery on his left foot Friday to repair a damaged toe joint and is expected to be fully recovered by the start of spring training.

\ OLYMPICS

RESTRAINT URGED FOR LONDON

Organizers of the 2012 London Olympics do not need to top the Beijing Games and should focus on creating a festive atmosphere and controlling spending on venues, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Monday.

The International Olympic Committee leader said he is often asked how London can outshine the Beijing Games and its extravagant opening ceremony, eye-catching venues and near flawless organization.

"It doesn't need to," Rogge said in a speech to the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. "London just has to be London."

No single Olympics is better than another, he said, "There is just 'different.' "

-His NFL experience didn't go as planned. Still, Jeremy Bloom isn't through looking for mountains to climb. Cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers this summer, the two-time Olympian announced plans to start working out with the U.S. ski team, the first step toward possibly reviving his freestyle skiing career for the Vancouver Games.

\ ETC.

GMC CUTS TIES WITH TIGER

General Motors Corp., looking to cut costs in the face of a horrid sales downturn, is bailing out on the final year of its 10-year contract with golf great Tiger Woods.

The endorsement deal, believed to be worth at least $7 million a year, was to expire at the end of 2009.

-Will Barrow, a co-captain of Virginia's 2008 lacrosse team, was found dead in his off-campus apartment.

Barrow, 22, died Saturday but the school's sports media relations office did not release a cause of death on Monday. Questions were referred to the university's public affairs office. A phone message was not immediately returned.

-Los Angeles Kings forward John Zeiler was suspended three games without pay by the NHL for ramming Colorado defenseman Adam Foote into the boards on a hit from behind during Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Avalanche.

\ NORTHWEST

FOUR BELLEVUE BALLPLAYERS SIGN

Four Baseball players from Bellevue College (formerly Bellevue CC) signed NCAA national letters of intent during the early fall signing period.

Pitcher Cody Goodfellow from Stadium High signed with Seattle University, pitcher Brian Buckham from Newport High signed with Oregon, infielder Bryan Barnes from Mountlake Terrace signed with Ohio University and infielder Keegan Acker from Redmond signed with Centenary.

-Seattle Pacific's Jeff Downs and Megan Hoisington were named players of the week in Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's and women's basketball after leading their respective teams to two wins each.

Downs shared the men's honor with Bill Richardson of Saint Martin's.