Area sports briefs

Meeting for Bloomfield summer softball

An organizational meeting has been set for interested individuals for the Bloomfield Summer softball program. The meeting will be Sunday, January 23 at the First Christian Church in Bloomfield beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Linton's girls JV will play Saturday

Linton's junior varsity girls team will play a game Saturday, January 22 at White River Valley against the Mitchell Bluejackets starting at 1 p.m.

Bloomfield Youth Football sets meeting

The Bloomfield Youth Football league will have its January meeting on Thursday, January 20th at 6:30 p.m. at the Bloomfield Fire Station. Head coaches for the 2005 season will be voted on.

Shakamak softball having meeting

The Shakamak girls softball league will have their first meeting of the year on February 6 at 4:00 p.m. at Hanna Field. At the meeting, construction and bylaws will be discussed, as well as voting on managers. All interested parties are urged to attend. Questions should be directed to Brian Pilant at 665-3012 or Doug Keller at 665-3736.

Clayton conducting Future Miner camp

Due to the overwhelming demand for the Future Miner basketball program, Linton varsity basketball head coach Darren Clayton is announcing time changes set to begin this Saturday, January 22. The kindergarten, third and fourth grades will now meet 9:00 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. First and second grades will meet 10:15 until 11:30 a.m. Schedules for the new time changes will be available at Saturday's session. Contact coach Clayton at 847-9670 for more information.

Mini-Miner camp for elementary girls

Linton's girls basketball coach Mike Riggleman is offering the Mini-Miner camp. The final day for the camp will be January 22 at 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Time changes for Miner games

Thursday's game between the Linton Lady Miners and the Barr-Reeve Vikings will be a 6:00 p.m. start time. The Miners' boys game at North Daviess will now by a 6:00 p.m. start time. These are changes from the original times.

Hockey sides meet, no deal in place

Union president Trevor Linden and NHL board of directors chairman Harley Hotchkiss spoke at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, and the sides are planning another meeting in an effort to save the season.

The session lasted about five hours, including several breaks so each three-man negotiating group could huddle. It was just the third time the league and its players have had face-to-face talks in the four months since the lockout was imposed Sept. 15.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and union chief Bob Goodenow were not present. More than half of the regular season ---- 662 of 1,230 games ---- has been wiped out so far.

James youngest with triple-double

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) ---- LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Cleveland's 107-101 win over Portland.

Lamar Odom was 20 years and 54 days on Dec. 30, 1999, when he had one for the Los Angeles Clippers. James beat Odom's mark by 34 days.

James' pass to Zydrunas Ilgauskas with 1:19 left gave him 10 assists and completed the feat. His teammates congratulated him during a timeout a short time later, and his mother cheered him from a courtside seat.

Linehan becomes Dolphins' OC

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ---- Scott Linehan agreed to a three-year contract with the Miami Dolphins to be their offensive coordinator, leaving the Minnesota Vikings without one.

In three seasons in Minnesota, Linehan oversaw one of the league's best offenses. The Vikings ranked second in the NFL in 2002, first in 2003 and fourth in 2004 in total yardage.

Though Linehan wouldn't divulge specific terms of his deal, he's believed to be getting a significant raise. Minnesota has one of the lowest-paid coaching staffs in the league.

Jets' Hackett resigns amid criticism

NEW YORK (AP) ---- Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett knew the time had come for him to leave the team.

Following mounting pressure and constant criticism for his conservative play-calling, Hackett and coach Herman Edwards decided it was best for them to part ways. So Hackett resigned after four seasons with the club, and Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger was hired hours later as his replacement.

Former Oakland player charged in Miami

MIAMI (AP) ---- Former Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins was charged with three counts of attempted felony murder, less than a week after being shot during a furious struggle with three police officers investigating a burglary call.

Robbins is best remembered for missing team meetings the night before the 2003 Super Bowl in San Diego. He spent Super Bowl Sunday in a hospital and later acknowledged that he had stopped taking his medicine for depression and bipolar disorder.

Clarett, Williams cleared for NFL draft

NEW YORK (AP) ---- Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams were among 49 underclassmen granted early entry into the NFL draft. Players needed to file paperwork with the league by Jan. 15.

It's been two long years for Clarett, the talented running back who was suspended before his sophomore season at Ohio State for NCAA violations and never returned. Clarett initially won a ruling to enter the draft last year, but the decision was reversed by an appeals court.

Williams, then a sophomore wide receiver at Southern California, declared for the draft after a lower court ruled in Clarett's favor. After the reversal, he was not allowed to return to the Trojans, so he sat out last season.