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In a statement to the Associated Press, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games did not dispute the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World.

“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

News of the World said the picture was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina. During that trip, he attended one of the school’s football games and received a big ovation when introduced to the crowd.

While the newspaper did not specifically allege that Phelps was smoking pot, it did say the pipe is generally used for that purpose and anonymously quoted a partygoer who said the Olympic champion was “out of control from the moment he got there.”

The party occurred nearly three months after the Olympics while Phelps was taking a long break from training, and his actions should have no impact on the eight golds he won at Beijing. He has never tested positive for banned substances. The case is unlikely to fall under any doping rules.

Phelps’ main sanctions most likely will be financial — perhaps doled out by embarrassed sponsors who might be reconsidering their dealings with the swimmer.

Phelps was in Tampa, Fla., during Super Bowl week to make promotional appearances on behalf of a sponsor. But he left the city before Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, abandoning his original plan to be at Raymond James Stadium.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it was “disappointed in the behavior recently exhibited by Michael Phelps,” who was selected the group’s Sportsman of the Year. He also was honored as AP male Athlete of the Year, and his feat in Beijing — breaking Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record for most gold medals in an Olympics – was chosen as the top story of 2008.

“Michael is a role model, and he is well aware of the responsibilities and accountability that come with setting a positive example for others, particularly young people,” the USOC said in a statement. “In this instance, regrettably, he failed to fulfill those responsibilities.”

USA Swimming said its Olympic champions are “looked up to by people of all ages, especially young athletes who have their own aspirations and dreams.”

“That said,” the governing body added, “we realize that none among us is perfect. We hope that Michael can learn from this incident and move forward in a positive way.”

Phelps was part of a group of elite athletes who agreed to take part in a pilot testing program designed to increase the accuracy of doping tests. His spot in the program could be at risk, said Travis Tygart, head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

“For one of the Olympics’ biggest heroes it’s disappointing, and we’ll evaluate whether he remains in that program,” Tygart said. “But some good education comes from this because he’s going to suffer some penalties.”

Marijuana is viewed differently from performance-enhancing drugs, according to David Howman, executive director of the World Anti-Doping Agency. An athlete is subject to WADA sanctions only for a positive test that occurs during competition periods.

“We don’t have any jurisdiction,” Howman said. “It’s not banned out of competition. It’s only if you test positive in competition.”

Phelps returned to the pool a couple of weeks ago to begin preparations for this summer’s world championships in Rome. He plans to take part in his first post-Olympics meet in early March, a Grand Prix event in Austin, Texas.

This isn’t the first embarrassing episode for Phelps after an Olympic triumph. In 2004, a few months removed from winning six gold and two bronze medals in Athens, the swimmer was arrested on a drunken driving charge at age 19. He pleaded guilty and apologized for the mistake.

In his book No Limits: The Will to Succeed, Phelps recounted how his first phone call was to his agent, and not his mother or coach Bob Bowman, because he knew they would yell at him.

Later, he called Bowman, who was supportive but told him, “Michael, just because you want to blow off some steam doesn’t mean you can be an idiot.”

Debbie Phelps, his mother, cried at the news.

“That hurt worse, maybe, than anything,” Phelps wrote. “I had never seen my mother that upset.”

Bowman did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages Sunday.

Olympic teammate Dara Torres said Phelps has become such a prominent figure that everything he does is news.

However, she said: “This in no way, shape or form diminishes anything he’s done.”

“It’s sort of a double-edged sword,” Torres told the AP on Sunday. “When you’re recognizable, you’re looked up to as a role model. He is recognizable and everything you do gets looked at and picked apart. I guess that’s the price of winning 14 Olympic medals.”

Jason Lezak, whose remarkable anchor leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay helped Phelps stay on course to break Spitz’s record, said he was “saddened” to hear of the report.

“While I don’t condone his conduct, I am a teammate and fan,” Lezak said in a text message to the AP. “Unlike many fair-weather people, I am sticking by him. If my wife and I can help him in any way, we will. I believe he will grow from this and be better person, role model and teammate.”

Last year, News of the World posted video on its Web site showing Max Mosley, the president of motor racing’s governing body, engaging in sex acts with five prostitutes. Mosley admitted to being a part of the scenario but sued for breach of privacy and was awarded $120,000. Another news break involved Prince Harry in 2002, smoking marijuana and drinking before the legal age of 18.

During the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati was stripped of his gold medal in the giant slalom after testing positive for marijuana,. The victory was reinstated because the sport’s governing body did not have a rule banning the substance. Later that year, Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. drew a three-month suspension after testing positive for pot.

“It’s one of those substances that every year there’s debate over it,” said Howman, the WADA official.

He said U.S. officials and swimming’s world organization, could punish Phelps — perhaps under code of conduct rules — if there is “sufficient evidence to indicate possession, supply or distribution.”

“We have to be strong on these things,” Howman said. “We certainly are relying on those who are responsible to look into this.”

The USOC noted that Phelps acknowledged his mistake and apologized.

“We are confident that, going forward, Michael will consistently set the type of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion,” the group said.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The decision to call it a night was easy. The decision to call it a career may be a lot tougher.

“My heart still wants to fight, that’s for sure,” De La Hoya said. “But when your physical doesn’t respond, what can you do? I have to be smart and make sure I think about my future plans.”

Pacquiao gave De La Hoya a lot to think about by beating and battering him around the ring for eight rounds Saturday night before De La Hoya declined to answer the bell for the ninth round. The domination was shocking enough, but the fact that it came at the hands of a fighter who just nine months earlier had been fighting at 129 pounds had to be even more troubling for De La Hoya and his legions of fans.

De La Hoya absorbed such a beating that he was taken to a hospital afterward for what was described as a precautionary examination. The most popular fighter of his generation won just one round on one ringside scorecard and none on the other two against a smaller opponent who fought bigger than him from the opening bell on.

“We knew we had him after the first round,” Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. “He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot.”

Roach trained De La Hoya in his last big fight a year ago and said then that De La Hoya simply couldn’t throw punches when he needed to anymore. That was magnified even more against Pacquiao, who not only was as elusive as Floyd Mayweather Jr. but threw punches back that kept De La Hoya off pace.

“Freddie, you’re right,” De La Hoya told the trainer after the fight. “I just don’t have it anymore.”

If De La Hoya’s career is over, it will be the end of a remarkable story that began when he won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and went on to become the biggest box office attraction in the sport. But while he sold tickets, De La Hoya hadn’t won a big fight in six years, and there were whispers long before the fight that he had nothing left.

He certainly had nothing against Pacquiao, who fought a lot bigger than he looked and who proved that speed was a lot more important than size against a fighter who at the age of 35 has seen his better days.

“That’s what we were focused on every day in the gym, speed, speed would be the key to this fight,” Pacquiao said. “I trained hard for this fight, and that’s why I deserve tonight.”

De La Hoya’s left eye was swollen shut as he sat on his stool after the eighth round and the ring doctor, referee and his cornermen discussed his condition. De La Hoya offered no complaints when his corner decided he had enough, getting up from his stool and walking to the center of the ring to congratulate the victor.

“You’re still my idol,” Pacquiao told him.

“No, you’re my idol,” De La Hoya said.

It was lopsided from the beginning, with Pacquiao landing punch after punch while De La Hoya chased after him, trying to catch him with a big blow. Pacquiao was winning big even before the seventh round, when he was pounding De La Hoya against the ropes in his corner and catching him with huge shots that knocked him across the ring.

De La Hoya remained upright, but with one eye closed and his reflexes seemingly gone there was no chance he was going to land the big punches he would have needed to turn the fight around. Ringside statistics showed Pacquiao landed 45 power punches in the seventh round to just four for De La Hoya.

“He’s just a great fighter,” De La Hoya said. “I have nothing bad to say about him. He prepared like a true champion.”

Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 knockouts) came up two weight classes to fight for his biggest purse ever, while De La Hoya dropped down to meet him at 147 pounds. Though De La Hoya (39-6) towered over Pacquiao and had a big reach advantage over him, Pacquiao had no trouble getting inside what few jabs De La Hoya threw to land his shots.

Pacquiao was credited with landing 224 of 585 punches to just 83 of 402 for De La Hoya.

De La Hoya not only dropped down to fight for the first time at 147 pounds in seven years, but actually came into the ring unofficially weighing less than Pacquiao. Both fighters got on scales in their dressing rooms and De La Hoya was 147 while Pacquiao was 148 and a half.

Pacquiao will earn a guaranteed $11 million, while De La Hoya was expected to make at least twice that by the time all the pay-per-view revenues are totaled up.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The 61-year-old Hall of Famer listened stone-faced, his wrists in shackles, as Judge Jackie Glass pronounced the sentence — 33 years behind bars with eligibility for parole after less than a third of that.

Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions.

He choked back tears as he told her: “I didn’t mean to steal anything from anybody … I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of it.”

The judge said several times that her sentence in the Las Vegas case had nothing to do with Simpson’s 1995 acquittal in the slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

“I’m not here to try and cause any retribution or any payback for anything else,” Glass said.

But Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, and sister, Kim, said they were delighted with the sentence.

“We are thrilled, and it’s a bittersweet moment,” Fred Goldman said. “It was satisfying seeing him in shackles like he belongs.”

Simpson said he and five other men were simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room occupied by two dealers on Sept. 13, 2007. He insisted the items, which included his first wife’s wedding ring, had been stolen from him.

But the judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been shot. She said the evidence was overwhelming, with the planning, the confrontation itself and the aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape.

Glass, a no-nonsense judge known for tough sentences, imposed such a complex series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that even many lawyers watching the case were confused as to how much time Simpson got.

Simpson could serve up to 33 years, according to Elana Roberto, the judge’s clerk.

In state prison, he will remain in his own cell protected from the general prison population because of his celebrity.

Simpson’s lawyer suggested again that his client was a victim of payback for his acquittal in Los Angeles.

“It really made us all aware that despite our best efforts, it’s very difficult to separate the California case from the Nevada case,” attorney Yale Galanter said.

Some people who followed the case said justice had finally caught up with Simpson.

“You do things and you’ve got to expect karma to come around,” said Greg Wheatley, 32, of Los Angeles.

Simpson was led away to prison immediately after the judge refused to permit him to go free on bail while he appeals.

Simpson’s co-defendant and former golfing buddy, Clarence “C.J. Stewart, was sentenced to up to 27 years in prison but would be eligible for parole after 7½ years, court officials said.

The judge could have sent both men to prison for the rest of their lives. The state parole agency recommended at least 18 years. The defense pushed for the minimum six years.

District Attorney David Roger revealed that Simpson and Stewart had both been offered plea agreements during the trial that would have resulted in lesser sentences. He would not provide details.

The prosecutor also said that because the crimes were considered violent felonies, Simpson and Stewart will not be eligible for good-behavior credits to lessen their sentences. He did not expect them to be immediately released when they do seek parole.

The Goldmans took a share of the credit for Simpson’s fate, saying their relentless pursuit of his assets to satisfy a $33.5 million wrongful-death judgment “pushed him over the edge” and led him to commit the robbery to recover some of his valuable sports memorabilia.

Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister, Denise Brown, released a statement from her family referring to the date her sister and Ron Goldman were killed.

“Allowing wealth, power and control to consume himself, he made a horrific choice on June 12, 1994, which has spiraled into where he is today,” the statement said.

Simpson and Stewart were both brought to the courtroom in dark blue jail uniforms, their hands chained to their waists. Simpson, who had not been expected to speak, delivered his statement to the judge in a hoarse voice before a hushed courtroom.

Both men were convicted Oct. 3 of 12 criminal charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery.

“We were preparing Mr. Simpson for the worst,” Galanter said. “We felt we did really well. Obviously, he’s upset about the possibility of doing nine years.”

Galanter planned to file a notice of appeal later Friday. He believed the Goldman family’s presence in the courtroom was inappropriate.

Most of the 63 seats in the courtroom were taken by media, lawyers and family members of the defendants. Fifteen members of the public were also allowed.

After sentencing was over, the Goldmans left the courtroom and Kim threw her arms around her father and wept.

One of Simpson’s sisters declined to comment, and the other, Shirley Baker, said only: “It’s not over.”

Jurors who heard 13 days of testimony said after the verdict that they were convinced of Simpson’s guilt because of audio recordings that were secretly made of the robbery at the Palace Station casino hotel.

The confrontation involved sports memorabilia brokers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong. It was recorded by collectibles dealer Thomas Riccio, who was acting as middleman.

“Don’t let nobody out of this room!” Simpson commands on the recordings, and he instructs other men to scoop up items.

On Tuesday, the judge is scheduled to sentence four former co-defendants who took plea deals and testified against Simpson and Stewart.

Michael McClinton, Charles Cashmore, Walter Alexander and Charles Ehrlich could receive probation or prison time. McClinton could get up to 11 years; the others face less.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Peter Eastgate hit an ace-to-five straight on the turn and instantly called an all-in bet from Ivan Demidov on the river to win the title and $9,152,416. Demidov held two pairs — twos and fours.

The previous youngest champion was 11-time gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, who was 24 when he won the tournament in 1989.

“It feels good to beat Phil’s record,” Eastgate said after taking pictures with stacks of $100 bills and his new gold bracelet. “I was not focused on the record that I could break, I was just focused on the game.”

Eastgate said he got a call from Hellmuth wishing him luck before the more than three-hour session.

Eastgate built a 7-to-1 chip advantage before the decisive hand by sniffing out two bluffs by Demidov for big pots.

Eastgate, of Odense, Denmark, put Demidov on his heels by stopping the 27-year-old from bluffing a pot worth roughly 44 million chips with an ace high. Eastgate called with a diamond flush.

He won a significant pot four hands later with a full house and immediately began putting pressure on the final opponent standing between him and the title.

“My motivation was $9 million and a bracelet,” Eastgate said. “That’s what kept me focused.”

Demidov, a 27-year-old semiprofessional poker player from Moscow, took home $5,809,595 for second place.

“I’m someone who’s not going to cry,” Demidov said. “I’m disappointed, but I’m going to be happy. That’s the way it turned out.”

Demidov erased Eastgate’s initial 24 million chip advantage in their quest for the gold bracelet in less than 30 minutes to start the night.

But Eastgate regained his chips and then some by the first break — taking a 35.8 million chip lead after hitting two pairs — aces and queens.

Eastgate took a nearly 2-to-1 chip advantage after calling a 7 million chip river bet with a pair of jacks. A queen was on the board, but Demidov turned over an ace high. The call indicated that Eastgate sensed his hand was good despite the large bet and plenty of cards that could have beaten him.

“He was playing me very aggressively so I was kind of looking to kind of trap him,” Eastgate said. “It worked out in different spots.”

One player had to collect all the chips in play — some 137 million — to win the tournament. Chips have no monetary value and each player started the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament in July with 20,000 chips.

The players were deliberate in their decisions, not rushing to shove their chips in the middle early on. As Eastgate distanced himself from Demidov, it became apparent that Demidov would need to double his stack to keep his options unhindered.

“I learned that I need to improve my hands-on game,” Demidov said.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

“Simpson should be granted a new trial,” attorney Gabriel Grasso wrote in a motion faulting Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass’ decisions during jury selection, her limitations on cross-examination of witnesses during trial and her instructions to jurors before deliberations.

In a separate filing, a lawyer for co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart said Stewart suffered from being tried with Simpson, who was acquitted more than a decade ago of killing his ex-wife and her friend. Attorney Brent Bryson also alleged misconduct by the jury foreman, whom he quoted as saying he thought Simpson should have been given a life sentence for murder.

If the foreman “believes that Mr. Simpson is a murderer, and that Mr. Stewart is associated with Mr. Simpson, that bias would spill over” and affect the juror’s ability to be impartial, Bryson wrote.

Jury foreman Paul Connelly has made remarks disputing such an interpretation of his post-verdict comments.

In documents filed with Glass, Grasso and Simpson lawyer Yale Galanter also protested that the judge refused to grant enough time to fully review transcripts and videotapes of the trial, which led to guilty verdicts against Simpson and Stewart on Oct. 3.

“She didn’t give us the time we need to do a full-fledged motion,” said Galanter, who lost a bid to extend the seven-day deadline.

Galanter said he would file a more detailed appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, the state’s only appellate court, if Glass denies a new trial.

Prosecutors were expected to submit written opposition this month, according to court documents.

Simpson, 61, and Stewart, 54, are due for sentencing Dec. 5. The jury convicted them of all 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, in the hotel room confrontation more than a year ago.

Both men are jailed in Las Vegas. They face five years to life in prison on each of their two kidnapping convictions, and a mandatory sentence of at least two years or up to 30 years on each of the two armed robbery convictions.

Simpson’s motion for a new trial alleges Glass improperly allowed prosecutors to use pre-emptory challenges to remove two prospective black jurors before the final jury was seated.

Both Simpson and Stewart are black. The final jury of nine women and three men included one woman who identified herself as Hispanic, but no blacks.

Simpson’s lawyers asserted there was not enough evidence to support first-degree kidnapping convictions and faulted questions used to cull the jury from a pool of 500 prospects.

Grasso alleged that Glass blocked them from telling jurors that they could consider lesser charges of larceny or second-degree kidnapping against Simpson, or that the former NFL star believed when he confronted memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley that he was retrieving items that belonged to him.

Grasso also claimed the judge allowed biased jurors to be seated after they were questioned about Simpson’s acquittal in the 1994 slayings in Los Angeles of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Five of the 12 eventual jurors said they disagreed with the murder acquittal, Grasso wrote, complaining that defense attorneys weren’t allowed to ask them how they reached their opinion.

Glass sought during the trial to limit references to Simpson’s 1995 acquittal. But there were references to that case and to a 1997 civil judgment holding Simpson liable for the slayings and ordering him to pay $33.5 million.

Stewart lawyers lost several requests to sever Stewart’s trial from Simpson’s. Bryson’s documents referred to those decisions but focused on accusations of misconduct by Connelly, the jury foreman.

Bryson pointed to answers on Connelly’s jury questionnaire and to comments he said the foreman made during a post-verdict news conference.

“We all have opinions; some people think he should have been given life 13 years ago,” Bryson quoted Connelly as saying. “That was my opinion, but I think that’s reserved for the court to decide.”

Connelly has said he was asked two different questions at the news conference and his answers were consistent with his responses on his jury questionnaire – that the courts had acquitted Simpson of murder and he agreed with that verdict.

Connelly has said that he was asked two different questions at the news conference and that his answers were consistent with his responses on his jury questionnaire — that the courts had acquitted Simpson of murder and that he agreed with the verdict.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Governing body FIA ratified its calendar for the coming season and omitted the Canadian GP, which was first held in 1967. It’s the first time since 1987 that the Canadian GP won’t be on the F1 schedule.

Contractual problems between Circuit Gilles Villeneuve officials and commercial rights holder F1 management are believed to have contributed to the decision.

The Canadian race was left off the calendar 21 years ago due to a dispute between local organizers and the F1 over sponsorship.

The U.S. GP was dropped from the F1 schedule last year.

The 2009 season will be the first since 1966 without any North American race.

The inaugural Abu Dhabi GP replaces the Canadian race for 2009, which will feature 18 races, the same as 2008.

The Turkish GP, originally scheduled to be raced in August, takes Montreal’s June 7 spot to leave teams with a four-week break between the Hungarian GP on July 26 and the European GP at Valencia, Spain, on Aug. 23.

At the World Council meeting held at FIA’s Paris headquarters, FIA also gave president Max Mosley the power to negotiate directly with the Formula One Teams Association over proposed measures to cut F1 team costs in half by 2010.

Should negotiations with the 10 teams fail, then the FIA can “enforce the necessary measures to achieve this goal.”

Also, Marco Piccinini will leave his post as deputy president for the sporting side of the body a year early “to focus on other professional commitments.” Piccinini, whose successor will be elected at the Nov. 7 general assembly, was serving out his second term.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

In the end, none of it mattered.

The Shock overcame all of that in winning their third WNBA title in six seasons on Sunday, beating the San Antonio Silver Stars 76-60 in Game 3.

Detroit swept the league’s best regular-season team, winning the clincher at Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center, a venue forced upon them because of a scheduling conflict.

For Smith, the finals MVP, the win meant a league championship less than two months after she and her U.S. teammates took gold in Beijing.

“Everybody battles on this team,” she said.

Smith was lifted from the game with time running out as coach Bill Laimbeer emptied his bench to the ear-splitting delight of the crowd.

A few minutes later, she was sprinting back on to the court with her teammates to celebrate yet another championship as confetti rained down.

Detroit became the second team in league history to win a third championship. Only the Houston Comets, who won the first four (1997-2000), have more. Los Angeles (2001, 2002) is the only other team with more than one.

It was an especially sweet win for the Shock, who let the 2007 title slip away, losing it at The Palace to the Phoenix Mercury. They also lost Ford — a stalwart on the previous title runs — in July.

Sunday’s game was tight for three quarters with San Antonio leading by six on several occasions. But the veteran Shock were too much to take in the fourth with the title on the line.

The Shock enjoyed a 49-45 lead after three periods, and they quickly extended it to 55-47 on Taj McWilliams-Franklin’s one-hander off the glass 3 minutes into the fourth.

A pair of free throws by McWilliams-Franklin less than a minute later gave the Shock their first double-digit lead of the game.

Then Smith sealed it.

She hit a long jumper and then drained a high-arching 3 that made it 62-47 and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It might not have been The Palace and its seating capacity of more than 22,000, but the cozy Convocation Center and its 9,000-plus seats served as a fine home-court advantage for Detroit — which won all three postseason games here.

One sign in the stands said simply: “Not in our rental unit.”

The Silver Stars had the league’s best regular-season record thanks in part to going 14-0 against the East. They powered their way through the conference playoffs, but were no match for the Shock, losing by eight points twice on their home court before the series shifted to Michigan.

Top scorer Becky Hammon was held in check for much of the series and was a non-factor in Game 3, managing only five points on 1-for-10 shooting. Center Ann Wauters led San Antonio with 19 points, and forward Sophia Young added 15.

Smith had a team-high 18 points for Detroit, which also got 13 from McWilliams-Franklin — who was a key late-season acquisition — and 12 from Deanna Nolan, the 2006 finals MVP.

San Antonio led 34-30 at the half and was never up by more than six.

The Silver Stars didn’t trail in the first quarter, despite Hammon being held scoreless. They scored the game’s first six points and led 10-7 midway through the period, but McWilliams-Franklin’s jumper knotted the score at 16 with 35 seconds remaining.

After a night of celebrating, the Shock have a date with the new mayor of Detroit, Ken Cockrel Jr., who will honor the team at a downtown celebration at midday Monday.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The 61-year-old former football star was convicted of all 12 counts late Friday after jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours. He released a heavy sigh as the charges were read and was immediately taken into custody.

Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after his murder acquittal, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

His attorney said he would appeal.

Many people considered the four-week trial justice delayed. Simpson was cleared in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century, but was later found liable for the deaths in a civil case.

“I don’t like to use the word payback,” defense attorney Yale Galanter said. “I can tell you from the beginning my biggest concern … was whether or not the jury would be able to separate their very strong feelings about Mr. Simpson and judge him fairly and honestly.”

The Hall of Fame football star was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges for gathering up five men a year ago and storming into a room at a hotel-casino, where the group seized several game balls, plaques and photos. Prosecutors said two of the men with him were armed; one of them said Simpson asked him to bring a gun.

Simpson’s co-defendant, Clarence “C.J.” Stewart, 54, also was found guilty on all charges and taken into custody.

Simpson showed little emotion as officers handcuffed him and walked him out of the courtroom. His sister, Carmelita Durio, sobbed behind him in the arms of Simpson’s friend, Tom Scotto, who said “I love you” as Simpson passed by. As spectators left the courtroom, Durio collapsed.

Jurors made no eye contact with the defendants as they entered the courtroom. They declined to answer questions after the verdict was read.

Galanter said his client had expected the outcome, and in a courthouse conversation with an Associated Press reporter on Thursday, Simpson had implied as much.

Simpson said he was “afraid that I won’t get to go to my kids’ college graduations after I managed to get them through college.”

Galanter said it was not a happy day for anybody. “His only hope is the appellate process,” he said.

Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said prosecutors would not comment until the case was “completely resolved.”

Judge Jackie Glass made no comment other than to thank the jury for its service and to deny motions for the defendants to be released on bail.

She refused to give the lawyers extended time to file a motion for new trial, which under Nevada law must be filed within seven days. The attorneys said they needed time to submit a voluminous record.

“I’ve sat through the trial,” Glass said. “If you want a motion for new trial, send me something.”

Stewart’s attorney, Brent Bryson, also promised to appeal.

“If there was ever a case that should have been severed in the history of jurisprudence, it’s this case,” he said of unsuccessful attempts to separate Stewart’s case from Simpson’s because of the “spillover” effect.

From the beginning, Simpson and his lawyers argued the incident was not a robbery, but an attempt to reclaim mementos that had been stolen from him. He said he did not ask anyone to bring a weapon and did not see any guns.

The defense portrayed Simpson as a victim of shady characters who wanted to make a buck off his famous name, and police officers who saw his arrest as an opportunity to “get” him and avenge his acquittal.

Prosecutors said Simpson’s ownership of the memorabilia was irrelevant; it was still a crime to try to take things by force.

“When they went into that room and forced the victims to the far side of the room, pulling out guns and yelling, ‘Don’t let anybody out of here!’ — six very large people detaining these two victims in the room with the intent to take property through force or violence from them — that’s kidnapping,” prosecutor David Roger said.

Kidnapping is punishable by five years to life in prison. Armed robbery carries a mandatory sentence of at least two years behind bars, and could bring as much as 30. Sentencing was set for Dec. 5.

Simpson, who now lives in Miami, did not testify but was heard on a recording of the confrontation screaming that the dealers had stolen his property. “Don’t let nobody out of this room,” he declared and told the other men to scoop up his items, which included a photo of Simpson with former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Four other men charged in the case struck plea bargains that saved them from potential prison sentences in return for their testimony. Some of them had criminal records or were otherwise compromised in some way. One, for example, was an alleged pimp who testified he had a revelation from God telling him to take a plea bargain.

Memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio, who arranged and secretly recorded the hotel-room confrontation, said he netted $210,000 from the media for the tapes.

Similarly, minutes after the Sept. 13, 2007, incident, one of the alleged victims, sports-memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley, was calling news outlets, and the other, Bruce Fromong, spoke of getting “big money” from the case.

Simpson’s past haunted the case. Las Vegas police officers were heard in the recordings chuckling over Simpson’s misfortune and crowing that if Los Angeles couldn’t “get” him, they would.

During jury selection, Simpson’s lawyers expressed fears that people who believed he got away with murder might see this case as a chance to right a wrong.

As a result, an usually large pool of 500 potential jurors was called, and they were given a 26-page questionnaire. Half were almost instantly eliminated after expressing strong feelings that Simpson should have been convicted of murder.

The judge instructed the jurors to put aside Simpson’s earlier case.

In closing arguments, Galanter acknowledged that what Simpson did to recover his memorabilia was not right. “But being stupid, and being frustrated is not being a criminal,” he said.

He added: “This case has taken on a life of its own because of Mr. Simpson’s involvement. You know that. I know that. Every cooperator, every person who had a gun, every person who had an ulterior motive, every person who signed a book deal, every person who got paid money, the police, the district attorney’s office, is only interested in one thing: Mr. Simpson.”

Hookscenter.com wire report.

“I was never a very graceful person. The only time I ever really feel coordinated is when I dance with Joanne,” he once told the Associated Press, referring to his wife, Joanne Woodward. “And that’s not my doing. But when I’m behind the wheel of race car, I feel competent and in charge. It’s something I really enjoy.”

Newman, an Oscar-winning actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, activist and race car driver, died of cancer Friday at his farmhouse near Westport, Conn., publicist Jeff Sanderson said.

“Paul Newman, a real American hero,” NASCAR team owner Jack Roush said.

Newman spoke of his passion for racing during a 1995 interview with the AP shortly after he was part of the winning team in the Daytona 24-Hours sports car endurance race. He was 70 years old at the time. No one remotely close to that age had ever won in that event.

Newman could be terse and distant in his rare interviews, but he would light up when he talked about his favorite sport.

“I don’t like talking about acting because that’s business and pretty boring,” Newman told the AP another time. “And politics can get you in trouble. But I’ll always talk about racing because the people are interesting and fun, the sport is a lot more exciting than anything else I do, and nobody cares that I’m an actor. I wish I could spend all my time at the racetrack.”

When Newman decided to get into racing, it was more than just being in the cockpit that interested him. He became a car owner in the Can-Am Series, campaigning cars for a number of top drivers, including Indianapolis 500 winners Al Unser, Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal, as well as Formula One champion Keke Rosberg.

After competing against team owner Carl Haas in Can-Am, Newman formed a partnership with the Chicago businessman, starting Newman/Haas Racing in 1983 and joining the CART series.

With Mario Andretti hired as its first driver, the team was an instant success. Throughout the last 26 years, the team — now known as Newman/Haas/Lanigan and part of the IndyCar Series — has won 107 races and eight series championships with drivers like Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Cristiano da Matta, Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais.

“He was just a great guy and truly loved everything about racing,” Michael Andretti said.

Despite a heavy schedule, Newman came to the track as often as possible. He tried without much success to keep a low profile as he roamed pit lane on his motor scooter or sat at the team’s pit box, his baseball cap pulled low over those famous blue eyes, a pair of reading glasses — used for reading the timing and scoring monitor — dangling from a string around his neck.

“Paul and I have been partners for 26 years and I have come to know his passion, humor and, above all, his generosity,” Haas said. “Not just economic generosity, but generosity of spirit. His support of the team’s drivers, crew and the racing industry is legendary. His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him.”

Newman’s many charitable works extended to racing. Kyle Petty and his wife founded a camp for chronically ill children in North Carolina, modeled on Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps.

“He was dedicated to giving back to those less fortunate and with each child we see, we honor his spirit and vision,” Petty said.

Two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart competed against Newman in several sports car races.

“He set the bar, not only with his giving, but in how he gave. … Paul did it right, and he did it with class,” Stewart said.

After playing the role of an Indy 500 driver in “Winning,” Newman found he couldn’t get the driving bug out of his system. And he found he had a real talent for the sport.

Newman began racing sports cars in amateur divisions and won his first race in 1972 at Thompson, Conn., in a Lotus Elan. He earned the first of four SCCA National title in 1976 in the D-Production class and also won championships in the 1979 C-Production category, as well as taking the GT-1 championship in 1985 and 1986.

His first professional victory came in the rain at an SCCA trans-Am race at Brainerd, Minn., in 1982.

When Newman arrived in the media center at Brainerd for the winner’s interview, a bottle of champagne in hand and a huge smile on his face, he found just two writers waiting for him.

“Where is everybody? I guess I’ll have to win something a little bigger than this to get any attention,” he said.

Newman added another Trans-Am win at his home track in Lime Rock, Conn., in 1986.

He often said one of the things that attracted him most to racing was the camaraderie in the pits and paddock. And Newman loved a good practical joke, even when it was played on him.

During a race in Elkhart Lake, Wis., several drivers conspired to pull a fast one on him. They hired a bus and sent it to a home for the aged, telling the residents that actor Paul Newman had invited them for lunch and a day at the track. About 40 women jumped at the offer.

Newman was at the track when a crewman came in and said, “Paul, there’s a bunch of people out here who say they’re supposed to have lunch with you.” Newman came out of his motor coach smiling and played the role of gracious host at a hastily arranged lunch for the adoring ladies.

When the Indy Racing League was formed, Newman/Haas stuck with CART and Newman tried numerous times during the 12-year split to broker a deal to get the rival organizations back under one banner.

Once, when a deal appeared close in the late 1990s, Newman summoned a writer to his motor coach at Portland, Ore., and demanded: “Write about this now and we’ll put some pressure on these people to get this done,” he said, with a profanity tossed in to underline his point.

It finally did get done, but not until this past February.

Newman was thrilled by the unification, even though it was the IRL’s IndyCar Series that wound up the winner of the internecine warfare.

“It’s about time,” Newman said. “Now, we can tell potential sponsors we have a future and mean it, and we can develop great, young drivers that will attract new fans to the sport. The future looks much brighter now.”

As he passed his 80th birthday, he remained in demand. He managed to combine acting with racing by providing the voice of a crusty 1951 car in the 2006 Disney-Pixar hit, “Cars.”

Newman drove his last race as a professional in the 2005 Daytona 24-Hours and even ran some hot laps around his beloved Lime Rock Park in August.

As the years went on, people kept asking him when he was going to quit racing. His reply was standard.

“That’s what Joanne keeps asking me,” he said.

Hookscenter.com wire report.