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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Charlotte Hornets forward Jeffery Taylor pleaded guilty Wednesday to a domestic violence charge and admitted he pushed his girlfriend at a hotel in Michigan.The news came just hours before the Hornets were set to open the regular season against the Milwaukee Bucks.Taylor pleaded guilty in East Lansing District Court to domestic abuse and malicious destruction of property charges. He faces up to 93 days in jail, but prosecutors say they wont oppose a diversion program that could clear Taylors record if he complies with probation rules.In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped an assault and battery charge involving an employee at a Marriot hotel in East Lansing. Authorities have said that Taylor attacked his girlfriend and the employee Sept. 25.In court Wednesday, Taylor acknowledged that he pushed his girlfriend and damaged a wall at the hotel.Taylor is from Norrkoping, Sweden, and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.After his arrest, the Hornets banned Taylor from all team-related activities. The team declined comment about the plea Wednesday afternoon.Hornets general manager Rich Cho said in September that the team would await the outcome of an NBA-led investigation before making a decision on Taylors potential return to the team.Cho said on Sept. 29 that it was appropriate for the organization to act decisively and swiftly in banning Taylor from all team-related activities.We take domestic violence as a very serious matter, Cho said at the time.Its unclear if Taylor will face any punishment from the NBA.The Hornets went 43-39 last season and are hoping to make a deeper run in the playoffs. Taylor figured into the teams rotation as a backup.The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Taylor has been competing for the past two seasons with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for a starting spot at small forward. He played in 26 games with eight starts last season before suffering his injury in late December.As a rookie in 2012, he played in 77 games with 29 starts. He has averaged 6.6 points and 2.0 rebounds for his career. .ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit. . The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Joe ... -Jersey/.Y. - Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isnt a labour deal with its referees and other on-field officials. . But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game. .J. Hardy finally got in on the fun Saturday, against a likely opponent.The Duel in the Desert? Yes, Formula 1 has been here before. Two years ago in fact, when the first exclusive battle for the world title between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg came down to a final-race shootout in the opulent surroundings of Abu Dhabis Yas Marina Circuit.Whens the Abu Dhabi GP on Sky F1? On that occasion it was Hamilton in the box seat - the Briton led Rosberg by 17 points following a spurt of five wins in the previous six races. Leaving Spa, and the Mercedes team-mates acrimonious collision, in late August, Rosberg had been as many as 29 points ahead but Hamilton reeled him in relentlessly thereafter.However, Hamiltons challenge in Abu Dhabi was made tougher by what turned out to be the one-off, and highly controversial, advent of double points for the season finale. The title picture going to Abu Dhabi 2014 1. Lewis Hamilton 334 points 2. Nico Rosberg 317 points +17 points The fact there were 50, rather than the usual 25, points up for grabs for the race winner meant Hamilton needed to finish at least second to secure the crown. Under the points system in place for the previous 18 races, and every one since Abu Double, sixth would have got the job done.It wasnt quite winner takes all, but the unusual permutations still meant nothing could be taken for granted heading into the decider. WIN! VIP Silverstone Experience for 2 Motorsport Manager are offering Sky Sports fans the chance to win a VIP trip for 2 to Silverstone What happened in Qualifying?Mercedes front-row lockouts have rarely been in doubt this season, and that was certainly the case in 2014 when the Silver Arrows were almost untouchable in the first year of F1s new hybrid engine era.Abu Dhabi represented their eighth successive qualifying one-two although, in the twist the title battle needed for the neutral, it was Rosberg who beat an error-strewn Hamilton to pole position.Hamilton had led the way in the first two stages of qualifying but lost out to his team-mate by 0.386 seconds when the pressure cranked up in the final shootout. Lock-ups under braking on each of his Q3 timed laps meant he ended up closer to the Williams cars directly behind than Rosberg ahead. Abu Dhabi 2014 Qualifying 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:40.480 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.386 3. Valtteri Bottas Williams +0.545 4. Felipe Massa Williams +0.dddddddddddd39 It was a scruffy qualifying from Lewis and he could have been just fifth, said Sky F1s Martin Brundle in commentary at the time. He just over-drives the final part of qualifying - which isnt what he used to do. It will have hurt his pride to be out-qualified so comprehensively.It was Rosbergs 11th pole of the year, but he wasnt getting carried away: This weekend is about the championship and not about pole position. It would have been great if somehow a Williams could have got between the two of us but that can always happen tomorrow.As it turned out, the polesitter was right to be cautious.What happened in the Race?The start was like a rocket and probably the best Ive ever had, Hamilton later reflected.Its more often the case that a race can be lost at the first corner, rather than won, but for Hamilton the latter essentially proved true as he made the most electric of getaways to overtake polesitter Rosberg well before the first corner.His second world title was effectively clinched right there and then. Enjoying a small, but comfortable, two-second lead over his team-mate in the races opening 20 laps, Hamilton was already well on course for the title when Rosbergs W05 developed what would turn into a crippling energy-recovery failure just before half distance.The Formula 1 Gossip ColumnDown on power, and increasingly in trouble with his over-worked brakes, Rosbergs race turned into an agonising slide down the order as he attempted to get to the finish in the fifth place that would still see him become champion if Hamilton himself hit terminal car trouble.But with seven laps to go Rosberg was seventh and, with his car problems only worsening, he was asked by his race engineer if he wanted to retire. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, and the fact he was lapped by his team-mate, Rosberg manfully soldiered to the finish and came home 14th.It was a cruel end to a championship battle he had led for so long, but the German still sought out Hamilton afterwards to personally congratulate the newly-crowned double world champion. Its been so intense between us all year long, said Hamilton. Theres been good moments and bad moments. Without a doubt weve had a friendship or a relationship that we built a long, long, long time ago, so that will always be there. He was a very, very fierce competitor this year, he did an exceptional job. Hes going to be quick for a long time.Perhaps things naturally will ease up a little now. He was graceful enough to come up to me and see me after, which I really appreciated. It was really big of him to be able to do that. Its very, very tough, I know what its like losing a championship so, for sure, well keep working at it.Two years on the rivalry on track remains just as intense, with another world championship crown on the line in the Duel in the Desert...Part Two this weekend.Dont miss the #DuelintheDesert live on Sky Sports as the F1 title race goes to the wire. Watch the entire Abu Dhabi GP weekend on Sky Sports F1 on November 25-27. Watch the whole race weekend with a NOW TV week pass - £10.99, no contract Also See: When is the Abu Dhabi GP on Sky F1? Abu Dhabi title permutations Watch the title decider on NOW TV The F1 Gossip Column ' ' '