Sports Digest: Michigan City's Parry a ref in Super Bowl

Pro football

MICHIGAN CITY'S PARRY A REF IN SUPER BOWL: Michigan City native John Parry is reported to be officiating next month's Super Bowl.

The Sacramento Bee reported on a blog Thursday that Parry will serve as referee for the game Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

Parry officiated the Thanksgiving Day game between San Francisco and Baltimore, two teams which could meet again in the Super Bowl.

COLTS OUST EIGHT ASSISTANTS: The Colts have responded to their worst season in two decades with a major housecleaning.

Following the firing of head coach Jim Caldwell last week, the Colts announced the departure of eight assistants Thursday, as well as the retirement of defensive coordinator Mike Murphy.

The coaches let go were assistant Devin Fitzsimmons, offensive line coach Pete Metzelaars, special assistant to the defense Rod Perry, receivers coach Frank Reich, defensive assistant Bill Teerlinck, defensive line coach John Teerlinck, strength and conditioning coach Jon Torine, and quarterbacks coach Ron Turner.

Pro baseball

RAILCATS EXTEND FOUR CONTRACTS, ADD PITCHER: The RailCats extended the contracts of outfielder Adam Klein, pitcher Will Krout, catcher Craig Maddox and infielder Rico Washington, as well as signed pitcher Chad Rhoades, the team announced Thursday.

The newest pitcher, Rhoades, spent the last two seasons with Fargo-Moorhead, going 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA in two seasons. He started nine games in 2010 and spent the 2011 coming out of the bullpen.

The 'Cats have signed 10 players for the 2012 American Association season, which begins May 17.

GARY CARTER'S HEALTH TAKES TURN FOR WORSE: Gary Carter, diagnosed last May with a malignant brain tumor, received results of his latest MRI exam Thursday, according to the online journal of his daughter, Kimmy Bloemers.

She writes "I wish I could say that the results were good. ... There are now several new spots/tumors on my dad's brain. I write these words with tears because I am so sad for my dad."

The 57-year-old Hall of Fame catcher had the MRIs last Friday in North Palm Beach, Fla., and they were sent to his doctors at Duke University for evaluation.

A day earlier, he fell at a doctor's appointment and completely tore a rotator cuff, Bloemers wrote, adding that he also fell on Christmas Eve.

Pro tennis

AZARENKA INTO ROUND OF 16 AT OPEN: Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka has advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, winning a matchup between champions of two warmup tournaments when she beat Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4 today. The 22-year-old from Belarus will next meet Czech player Iveta Benesova, who beat Russian qualifier Nina Bratchikova 6-1, 6-3.

Azarenka, who beat four seeded players including French Open champion Li Na to win the Sydney International last week, has only lost eight games at Melbourne Park en route to the Round of 16.

The 22-year-old from Belarus will next meet Czech player Iveta Benesova, who beat Russian qualifier Nina Bratchikova 6-1, 6-3.

Barthel was on a 10-match winning run in Australia after capturing her first title at the Hobart International last week as a qualifier.

Women's basketball

PUC UPSETS ROBERT MORRIS: Host Purdue Calumet survived a furious comeback to edge NAIA No. 22 Robert Morris University 61-60 on Thursday.

Alex Starr led four Peregrines in double figures with 14 points. Kami Graber and Brooklyn Short each notched 11, while Stephaine Beck dropped in 10. Amanda Gaskin, Madison Gervais and Lindsey Whitcomb all nabbed nine boards for Purdue Calumet (16-7), which has won four in a row.

PUMAS FALL TO KENTUCKY WESLEYAN: St. Joseph's College let a first-half lead slip away in a crucial Great Lakes Valley Conference game at Kentucky Wesleyan, which won 78-63.

The Pumas (11-5, 5-3) led by three at the half. The Panthers (11-5, 5-3) scored on five of their first six possessions to open the second half and run away with the win. Tatiana Ortiz led St. Joe's with 12 points while Montrell Mills added 11 and Breanna Birmingham chipped in 10.

College volleyball

PNC HIRES ERMINGER: Brian Erminger, a veteran of the club, high school and college coaching ranks, has been named coach at Purdue North Central.

Erminger replaces John Higgins, who started the program five years ago.

A Clark grad and Whiting native, Erminger coached at Hammond (1995-9) and Whiting (2006) before starting the Calumet College program from scratch. Winless in his first season, the Crimson Wave was 8-13 in his second year and 15-7 in his third, receiving American Volleyball Coaches Association top 10 rankings.

An active player, Erminger has also coached in the club ranks since 1995, leading teams to the Junior Olympics in 1999 and Junior Nationals in 2010.

Around the horn

Purdue Calumet men's basketball coach Dan Voudrie provides his monthly update about his team on "Purdue Calumet Sports Insight" at 5:30 p.m. today on WJOB-AM (1230). ... Maimi forward Eddy Curry saw his first NBA action since December 2009 Thursday night as the Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers 98-87. The Thornwood grad finished with six points and three rebounds in six minutes. He said earlier Thursday that he lost about 65 pounds to get ready for his comeback, more than half of that since the start of Heat training camp in December. "Felt great," said Curry, who did a 20-minute cardio workout after the game. "I didn't know what to expect. I've been working hard for this moment. This is only the beginning." ... The Bears say running back Matt Forte is cleared to play in the Pro Bowl after passing a physical. Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee early in a loss to Kansas City on Dec. 4 and sat out the rest of the season. ... David Toms and Colombia's Camilo Villegas shot 9-under 63 to top a leaderboard dotted with impressive scores in the opening round of the Humana Challenge on Thursday. ... A spokesman for police in the Dominican Republic says the Cleveland Indians pitcher known as Fausto Carmona has been arrested for using a false identity. Maximo Baez Aybar said Thursday that Carmona was arrested outside the U.S. consulate in Santo Domingo. Carmona had gone there to renew his visa so he could return to the United States. Baez said Carmona's real name is apparently Roberto Hernandez Heredia and his age is 31, three years older than the pitcher claimed.