Senser's wife faces felony charges

MINNESOTA authorities filed felony charges yesterday against the wife of a former Minnesota Viking in a fatal hit-and-run crash.

Amy Senser, 45, of Edina, is charged with criminal vehicular operation in the Aug. 23 death of Anousone Phanthavong of Roseville. The 38-year-old Thai restaurant chef had run out of gas and was walking along an Interstate 94 exit ramp in Minneapolis when he was struck and killed.

Amy Senser is the wife of former West Chester University and Minnesota Viking tight end Joe Senser, who owns the Mercedes SUV that the Minnesota State Patrol identified as striking Phanthavong. Amy Senser turned herself in to the State Patrol yesterday and was later released on $150,000 bail; she's due to make her first court appearance today, and faces up a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $20,000 fine.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said prosecutors had enough evidence to prove that Amy Senser was driving the vehicle, hit and killed the victim and left the scene.

"There may be supplemental charges and it may be we can prove other elements," Freeman said. He said the investigation is continuing but would not discuss other details.

Phanthavong had been chef at the True Thai restaurant which is near the site of the accident. Members of his family have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sensers seeking $50,000 in damages.

*  Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher returned to practice after the death of his mother and is expected to play at New Orleans this weekend. Urlacher had missed Wednesday's practice following the sudden death of his mother, Lavoyda, at her home in Texas on Monday night.

* Suspended Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor had a hearing on his bid to overturn his five-game ban. Pryor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said it was a productive meeting and that he appreciated commissioner Roger Goodell and the union taking time to hear from Pryor. Rosenhaus said he expected to get a ruling shortly.

* Former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter pleaded guilty to state theft charges linked to a sports ticket-fraud scheme and apologized to a woman who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the plot. In a deal worked out with state and federal prosecutors, Schlichter pleaded guilty to 12 theft counts and one corrupt activity count and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He also was ordered to pay more than $800,000 in restitution, although a prosecutor conceded victims were likely to never see the money.

Schlichter, 51, will appear today in federal court, where he faces related charges of bank and wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Schlichter has indicated he'll plead guilty to those charges, though no date for accepting the plea has been set.

* Steven Jackson has not ruled himself out for the St. Louis Rams' Monday night game against the New York Giants. But he hasn't practiced yet this week and some of his comments made it appear he is already gearing up for Week 3. Jackson strained his right quadriceps on a 47-yard scoring run on the Rams' first offensive play of the season during Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Eagles.

*  Despite labor unrest this year, the NFL showed an increase of 30 percent in the number of diverse employees in executive-level jobs, according to a study by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

Richard Lapchick, primary author of the annual report, lauded unprecedented gains at the top executive level within the league office. The report gave the league its second consecutive "A" grade for racial hiring and its second consecutive "C" on gender hiring. That gave the NFL a combined grade of "B".

* When the Cincinnati Bengals rushed to the line and quickly snapped the ball on Sunday for a 41-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, Dick Jauron, Cleveland's defensive coordinator - and former head coach in Chicago and Buffalo - had his head down, looking at his play sheet.

"I have to pick it up," Jauron, who coached the Eagles' secondary last year, said yesterday. "I have to see it and I didn't see it. I missed it."

Jauron accepted blame for the Browns' blunder, when Bengals quarterback Bruce Gradkowski hurried his team to the line, took the snap and lofted a game-winning TD pass to rookie A.J. Green.

"When the offense is ready to snap the ball, we've got to be ready to play defense," he said. "That's my responsibility and I didn't get it done on that play."