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St. Louis Rams fire Coach Scott Linehan

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Scott Linehan has been fired by the St. Louis Rams after an 0-4 start to the 2008 season and 11-25 mark in just more than two seasons as the NFL team's coach.

Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom issued a statement Monday confirming Linehan had been let go and would be replaced by defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Haslett was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, building a 45-51 record from 2000-2005.

"I have enormous respect for Scott Linehan as a person and believe under the right circumstances he will be regarded one day as a fine head coach," Rosenbloom said. "Unfortunately, the situation with the Rams as they exist today is no longer acceptable and we have to make a change."

The Rams have lost eight consecutive games going to last season and 17 of their last 20 contests, including Sunday's 31-14 home loss to Buffalo. St. Louis has a bye this week.

Linehan had no head coaching experience when he was hired by the Rams in early 2006. St. Louis was 8-8 in his first season but 3-13 in 2007.

Villegas jumps to Top 10 in golf rankings

VIRGINIA WATER, England, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Camilo Villegas's second PGA victory in 21 days moved him into the Top 10 of the men's world golf rankings released Monday.

Villegas, who won Sept. 7 in St. Louis, won the first playoff hole Sunday to edge Sergio Garcia for the title at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. He jumped 17 spots in the latest rankings to seventh in the world. He was 34th before the win in St. Louis.

Garcia, the Tour Championship runner-up, remained rated fifth while Andy Kim, who tied for third, moved from 10th to sixth. Phil Mickelson, who tied Kim, remained second.

Tiger Woods, who is out for the season while recovering from a knee injury, still owns a substantial lead for the top spot with Mickelson solidly in second. Vijay Singh remained third ahead of No. 4 Padraig Harrington and Garcia.

After Kim and Villegas are Ernie Els, who slipped from sixth to eighth; Henrik Stenson, who went from seventh to ninth; and Jim Furyk, who dropped one spot to 10th.

Steve Stricker dropped out of the Top 10. He is ranked 11th after being eighth a week ago.

Godfrey leaving Blue Jays

TORONTO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The Toronto Blue Jays will need a new president and chief executive officer with Monday's announcement that Paul Godfrey is stepping down at year's end.

Godfrey, who will leaving effect Dec. 31 after an eight-year run, said he decided not to seek a new contract with the American League franchise.

"I indicated this possibility to the ownership of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club earlier this year," he said.

"I would like to thank (owner) Ted Rogers for the opportunity to fulfill every sports fan's dream of running a major league franchise."

Toronto finished fourth in the AL East this season with an 86-76 record, 11 games behind the division-champion Tampa Bay Rays.

Jockey Fires walks away from horse racing

CHICAGO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Earlie Fires, who holds the record at Illinois' Arlington Park race track for most career victories, says he is retiring from horse racing after 45 years.

The 61-year-old jockey said after 2,886 wins at the race track in Arlington Heights, Ill., he will call it quits with 6,470 total career victories to his name, the Daily Herald newspaper in Arlington Heights, Ill., said Monday.

"I thought I'd be a jockey until I quit," Fires said. "How long it would last, I didn't know. I actually over-lived being a rider. Most riders are done at 45 and I made it to 60 -- that's pretty good."

Unfortunately for Fires he was unable to end his notable horse racing career on a high note. The veteran jockey, riding Mancho Prince, failed to win his last race Sunday at the race park in the Chicago suburb, the Herald said.

"I really wanted to win a race," Fires told the newspaper. "I was actually going to quit earlier but it didn't work out that way. I thought I could ride a horse or two that had a shot to win a race. I wanted to win my last race here but it just didn't happen."

Lisicki wins first-round match in Tashkent

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Sabine Lisicki dropped just one game Monday in cruising to a first-round win at the $145,000 Tashkent Open tennis tournament in Uzbekistan.

Lisicki, seeded fourth, wiped out Dilyara Saidkhodjaeva 6-0, 6-1. Lisicki, who turned 19 last Monday, is seen as a rising star, having beaten established players Dinara Safina, Lindsay Davenport and Anna Chakvetadze this year.

Fifth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova also advanced Monday, handling Kathrin Woerle 6-4, 6-4 on the first day of the hard-court tournament. Also, Sofia Shapatava stopped Kinnie Laisne 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Top-seeded Shuai Peng is among played scheduled for play Tuesday. Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova is also in the field.

The winner's check for the 2008 Tashkent Open is $22,925.

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