NFL implements code of conduct for spectators

The NFL on Tuesday implemented a code of fan conduct, warning that spectators who misbehave will be ejected from stadiums and barred from returning.

The policy, first recommended by Commissioner Roger Goodell at league meetings in April, is aimed at conduct that the league said “detracts from the game-day experience.”

It includes bans on behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or illegal; drunkenness and signs of alcohol impairment that result in irresponsible behavior; foul or abusive language or obscene gestures; interference with the progress of the game, including throwing objects onto the field and failing to follow instructions of stadium personnel.

“The in-stadium experience is critically important to the NFL, our clubs and our fans and it will be a major focus this season,” Goodell said in a statement. “We are committed to improving the fan experience in every way we can -- from the time fans arrive in the parking lot to when they depart the stadium.”

The league also left teams the option of adding provisions to the code based on local circumstances. It said the guidelines would be contained in mailings to fans and signs posted at stadiums.

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Linebacker Keith Rivers, a first-round pick from USC, ended his contract holdout with the Cincinnati Bengals. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

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Atlanta waived Robert James, a fifth-round draft pick from Arizona State, after a specialist determined the linebacker was not recovering from a concussion as well as expected.

OLYMPICS

Cheek’s visa is revoked by China

Team Darfur said that the Chinese embassy in Washington has revoked the travel visa of activist athlete Joey Cheek. The Team Darfur co-founder had planned to fly to China today to join dozens of Beijing Olympics athletes who plan to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Cheek, a speedskating gold and silver medalist at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, will try to talk to Chinese officials today.

-- Greg Johnson

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Kentucky dismisses Pulley

Kentucky quarterback Curtis Pulley was dismissed from the team by Coach Rich Brooks for a violation of team rules.

Pulley was arrested on traffic charges in Hardin County on July 22 and last week pleaded guilty to speeding. He received a citation for marijuana possession in Louisville in June.

JURISPRUDENCE

‘Pacman’ Jones’ account challenged

The lawyer for the man accused of shooting three people after a strip club melee Feb. 19, 2007, in Las Vegas involving NFL player Adam “Pacman” Jones said that Jones “completely fabricated” the story that led to the man’s arrest.

Arvin Kenti Edwards pleaded not guilty to charges that could put him in prison for the rest of his life. A Clark County District Court judge set trial for March 2 and bail at $2 million.

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A federal jury in Wilmington, Del., cleared the way for the Assn. of Tennis Players tour’s planned tournament restructuring next year, rejecting antitrust claims in a lawsuit filed by the German Tennis Federation.

MISCELLANY

New England wins SuperLiga title

New England goalkeeper Matt Reis tipped a shot by Corey Ashe off the crossbar in the eighth round of penalty kicks at Foxborough, Mass., to give the Revolution a 3-2 victory over the Houston Dynamo for the SuperLiga championship.

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Mario Ancic of Croatia, ranked 25th, withdrew from the U.S. Open because of a recurrence of mononucleosis.

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Unrestricted free-agent point guard Earl Boykins, a 10-year NBA veteran, signed a one-year, $3.5-million deal to play with Virtus Bologna of the Italian league.

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Curlin is heading back to dirt for his next race, the $500,000 Woodward Stakes on Aug. 30 at Saratoga, N.Y., but his majority owner, Jess Jackson, said that doesn’t necessarily mean the turf experiment is over for the reigning horse of the year. Curlin made his turf debut last month, finishing second in the Man o’ War Handicap at Belmont Park.

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Cal State Bakersfield announced it has received a $1-million donation from local residents Tom and Barbara Hardt toward construction of an on-campus baseball training and playing facility. Bakersfield will field a Division I baseball team for the first time next spring.