Busch fined $50,000, put on probation for rest of NASCAR season

Auto racing: NASCAR fined Kyle Busch $50,000 on Monday and placed him on probation through the end of the year for wrecking Ron Hornaday under caution in the truck race at Texas.

NASCAR also warned Busch that he will be suspended indefinitely if he is involved in any other action “detrimental to stock car racing or to NASCAR, or is disruptive to the orderly conduct of an event.”

Busch was scheduled to run only in the Sprint Cup Series race this weekend at Phoenix. It’s unknown how many events he had planned to enter in next week’s season finales at Homestead.

Busch could still face additional discipline from Joe Gibbs Racing or sponsor M&Ms.

BYU approached by Big East Conference

College football: The Big East has had discussions with BYU about giving up its football independence and joining the rebuilding conference.

BYU is in its first year as a football independent after leaving the Mountain West Conference. Its other sports teams compete in the West Coast Conference.

The Big East is working to add new members and become a 12-team football conference, following the announced departures of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

Horton, Rask lead Bruins to victory

NHL: Nathan Horton had two goals and an assist, and Tuukka Rask stopped 24 shots to earn his first win of the season and lead the Boston Bruins to a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders in Boston.

The win pulled the defending Stanley Cup champions out of last place in the Eastern Conference. The have won three in a row for the first time this season.

• Sharks double up Kings: Patrick Marleau scored once and assisted on San Jose’s other two second-period goals and the Sharks won for the seventh time in nine games, beating the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 in San Jose, Calif.

Joe Thornton started the second-period outburst with his fourth goal and Dan Boyle capped it by scoring his first of the season.

Stern urges union to take latest deal

Basketball: NBA players are facing a Wednesday deadline to accept the league’s latest proposal or face a worse one, and commissioner David Stern says “the only rational thing to do is for us to make that deal.”

During an interview on ESPN, Stern said the league believes there is a “great offer on the table” but noted “it’ll get worse from there” if the deadline he imposed passes without an agreement.

That proposal calls for players to receive anywhere between 49-51 percent of basketball-related income, though players argued it would be nearly impossible for them to get anywhere above 50.2. Stern said the next one will call for a 53-47 split in the owners’ favor, along with essentially a hard salary cap.

Sveum interviews for Cubs manager job

Miscellany: Dale Sveum interviewed for the Chicago Cubs’ managing job, just one week after interviewing for the Boston Red Sox’s manager position.

Sveum, the Milwaukee Brewers’ hitting coach said, “They’re the two most prestigious jobs in baseball, if not sports. It’s two of the same, but they both rank right up there. I’m honored to be just considered for both of them at the same time and the same season.”

• Woods’ ex-caddy apologizes: Tiger Woods says his former caddie, Steve Williams, is not racist and has apologized to him for a slur, and the two met and shook hands at The Lakes Golf Club ahead of the Australian Open.

Williams’ disparaging comment came during a caddies’ awards party Friday in Shanghai.

• Three in hunt for poker title: The three top finishers at the World Series of Poker are preparing to settle an $8.72 million title.

The finalists, Pius Heinz, 22, of Germany; Ben Lamb, 26, of Las Vegas; and Martin Staszko, 35, of the Czech Republic, square off today.