League Championship side Barnsley's mortally sick owner, PATRICK CRYNE, wrote a "poignant letter to fans" in their matchday program, telling supporters that he was "living on borrowed time" and did "not expect to live to see the ultimate outcome" of the new season. Cryne stepped down from day-to-day duties at Oakwell in November "after being diagnosed with bowel cancer, and was told in May this year that his condition was terminal" (London TELEGRAPH, 9/13). ... CARLOS TEVEZ is “overweight” and will not play for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua until he gets in shape, according to interim Manager WU JINGUI. Having taken time off to rehab a muscle injury in his native Argentina, the striker returned in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Henan Jianye, "a result which saw GUS POYET sacked as manager." But the Uruguayan’s replacement "appeared to be less willing to indulge a player who has failed to live up to his reported" £600,000 ($792,180)-a-week wages (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 9/13). ... South Korea's basketball governing body said Wednesday that it will "start the naturalization process" for an American forward to "boost the international competitiveness of its men's national team." The Korea Basketball Association said that it reached an agreement with the Korean Basketball League to seek special naturalization for RICARDO RATLIFFE, who has been playing in South Korea since '12. The 28-year-old, who plays for the Seoul Samsung Thunders, said in January that he "wants to acquire South Korean citizenship and play on the national basketball team for his adopted country" (YONHAP, 9/13).
