Sports briefs 1/9/02

Basketball

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $500,000 on Tuesday for his repeated criticism of referees, the largest fine for an individual in NBA history.

Cuban's most recent public comments came after the Mavericks lost to San Antonio 105-103 on Saturday.

The Dallas owner was fined seven times by NBA commissioner David Stern last season for a total of $505,000. His largest previous fine was $250,000.

Soccer

Major League Soccer, looking to reduce rising financial losses, folded both its Florida franchises, the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.

Of the 10 teams remaining in the league, which started in 1996, Anschutz Entertainment Group operates five: Chicago, Colorado, DC United, Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey. Lamar Hunt operates two other teams, Columbus and Kansas City.

MLS cited poor support for the Fusion and the lack of an owner for the Mutiny as reasons for dropping the franchises. The Mutiny have been operated by the league since their inception in 1996.

Hockey

The NHL's Ottawa Senators were sold for $116 million, but the team will remain in Ottawa and majority owner Rod Bryden will stay to run the club.

The team, reportedly $93 million in debt, was sold to a new group of investors.

Colleges

Former LSU and Vanderbilt coach Gerry DiNardo became Indiana's football coach, a month after Cam Cameron's firing.

DiNardo signed to a five-year contract at $225,000 a year, Hoosiers athletic director Michael McNeely said during a news conference at Memorial Stadium.

The NCAA denied Missouri's request that Tigers center Uche Okafor be reinstated after being suspended for signing with a Russian semipro team.

The 6-foot-11 Okafor, who since his indefinite suspension last month has been allowed to practice with No. 17 Missouri, has no further possible appeals of the NCAA reinstatement committee's decision to reject his eligibility.

--From wire reports