ASHBURN, Va. (AP) - The Washington Redskins were disappointed last season with the limited yards after catches generated by their wide receivers.
What a difference a year makes. There's renewed excitement at Redskins Park about the passing game.
The Redskins acquired receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan via free agency on March 13, giving them five-year contracts that included a guaranteed $28 million.
Washington also drafted quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy-winner whom the Redskins traded up to take second overall
Coach Mike Shanahan called Garcon a "big-time receiver" after Thursday's organized team activity session. Shanahan says "you can see his power, his strength, his quickness, his speed."
The coach says though Morgan hasn't practiced full-speed all the time, he's "practiced enough to tell everybody . he's one heck of a receiver."
DETROIT (AP) - Veteran Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom has retired.
The four-time Stanley Cup champion and seven-time Norris Trophy winner made the announcement Thursday.
The 42-year-old Lidstrom played for the Red Wings in each of his 20 seasons and set an NHL record by playing 1,564 games with one team. He put retirement on hold in each of the previous two years by signing one-year contracts.
Lidstrom had 34 points and a plus-21 rating that ranked among the league leaders last season. He missed a career-high 11 games with a bruised right ankle and was out for another game with the flu.
The Swede was named the NHL's best defenseman last year for a seventh time, matching Doug Harvey's total and trailing Bobby Orr's record by one.
METAIRIE, La. (AP) - Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt says he has talked to Drew Brees about preparations for training camp and expects the star quarterback to be back with the team by then.
When asked why he's confident Brees will be back, Vitt says, "what else is he going to do? He can't sing or dance."
Brees is holding out for a new long-term contract. Vitt says everyone knows the type of deal Brees wants can be complicated and take time to complete.
The Saints have until July 16th to sign Brees to a new long-term deal. Otherwise, he has to play under the one-year franchise tag which the Saints have placed on him to prevent him leaving.
Brees has skipped the first six offseason practices held this week and last.
NEW YORK (AP) - Right-hander Ryota Igarashi has been claimed by the New York Yankees off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Igarashi, who turned 33 Monday, allowed four earned runs in one inning over two appearances this season with the Blue Jays, who brought him up May 25 and designated him two days later.
He was 5-2 with a 5.74 ERA in 79 relief appearances with the Mets in 2010-11, spent spring training this year with Pittsburgh and was acquired by the Blue Jays on March 30. He was 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA and four saves at Triple-A Las Vegas.
New York cleared a spot on the 40-man roster Tuesday by transferring right-hander Brad Meyers from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed third-round pick Sean Spence to a four-year contract. Financial details were not disclosed.
The Steelers chose Spence with the 86th overall pick. The former Miami star gives the Steelers needed depth at linebacker after the team released 15-year veteran James Farrior this year.
Linebackers coach Keith Butler says it's "impossible" to replace Farrior, but he is impressed by Spence's speed and instincts. Spence led the Hurricanes with 106 tackles last season. He likely will only play on special teams as a rookie.
Spence says he's eager to learn behind veterans Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote.
The Steelers have yet to sign first-round pick David DeCastro and second-round pick Mike Adams.
MIAMI (AP) - Washington Nationals infielder Chad Tracy, who leads the major leagues with nine pinch-hit RBIs, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury.
The Nationals selected the contract of outfielder Corey Brown from Triple-A Syracuse, and he joined them for Monday's game at Miami.
Tracy was hurt Saturday against Atlanta, and he's scheduled to undergo an MRI Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury, with surgery a possibility. He was 6 for 18 (.333) as a pinch hitter and batting .265 overall.
Brown, whose only previous major league experience was three games with the Nationals last year, hit .297 with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs in 48 games this season for Syracuse.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Steve Johnson of Southern Cal won his second straight NCAA singles title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory Monday over Kentucky's Eric Quigley.
Johnson, the tournament's No. 1 seed, ended his college career with 72 consecutive victories, finishing the season 32-0.
By leading Southern Cal past Virginia in last week's team final, Johnson became the first men's singles champion to help his school win four straight team titles.
The third-seeded Quigley ended the best season in school history at 54-8.
Johnson broke serve to take a 5-4 lead in the first set and a 4-3 lead in the second. He dropped to his knees in celebration after Quigley's shot went deep on match point.
Johnson won his semifinal Sunday over Stanford's Bradley Klahn, the 2010 singles champion, in straight set
<VIDEO> Johnny Tapia, the five-time boxing champion whose turbulent career was marked by cocaine addiction, alcohol, depression and run-ins with the law, was found dead Sunday at his Albuquerque home. He was 45.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The charity for troubled youths started by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky more than three decades ago is seeking court approval to shut down.
The Second Mile says it has been financially crippled by the child-sex abuse scandal involving its founder and onetime public face and has no other option but to close.
The charity is asking a judge to allow it to transfer programs and millions of dollars in assets to a Texas-based youth ministry that serves abused and neglected children.
Prosecutors say Sandusky found his victims through The Second Mile. He has pleaded innocent to more than 50 counts of sexual abuse involving 10 alleged victims. He awaits a June trial.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) - Forward Juan Agudelo, defender Alfredo Morales and midfielders Danny Williams and Graham Zusi have been cut from the U.S. soccer roster.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has selected his 23-man roster for upcoming exhibition games and World Cup qualifiers.
Klinsmann says "we have chosen the 23 players who are in the best form right now and ready to get the job done."
The Americans have exhibitions against Scotland on Saturday at Jacksonville, Fla., Brazil on Wednesday at Landover, Md., and Canada on June 3 at Toronto.
Seeking its seventh straight World Cup berth, the U.S. opens qualifying on June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda at Tampa, Fla., then plays at Guatemala on June 12.
<VIDEO> Now that the playoffs are over for him, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony talks about the New York spotlight, Jeremy Lin, and his new role as executive vice presedent of the sports drink brand, POWERCOCO.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Sports betting could be up and running this fall in New Jersey under a plan that would defy a federal ban on such wagering in all but four states.
Gov. Chris Christie, who earlier this year signed a sports betting law, says New Jersey will act on its own to implement sports betting.
During a speech Thursday in Atlantic City, Christie said he expects the federal government might try to stop the plan. But he's confident the state will prevail in such a scenario.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
Sports bets would be taken at Atlantic City casinos and the state's four horse tracks.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - After months of wondering when any Hendrick Motorsports car would win again, NASCAR's powerhouse program is on a major roll heading into the Coca-Cola 600.
Five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson broke a 16-race winless drought earlier this month at Darlington Raceway to earn the 200th victory for Hendrick Motorsports, then followed with a win in last week's All-Star race at Charlotte Motorspeedway. Throw in a Sprint Showdown victory by Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. last Saturday night and a win in the Pit Crew Challenge by Johnson's No. 48 team and it's a non-stop party for owner Rick Hendrick.
The team celebrated with country music superstar Brad Paisley headlining a Hendrick party. Johnson sees no reason the success won't continue in Sunday night's race.
WASHINGTON (AP) - NFL players union chief DeMaurice Smith says the league isn't exactly refuting his organization's claim of collusion.
The NFL Players Association claimed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota on Wednesday that the 32 teams had a secret salary cap in place during the uncapped 2010 season, and that it cost players at least $1 billion in wages. On Thursday, outside of union headquarters, Smith repeated those charges.
Said Smith: "It doesn't sound like you're denying the existence of collusion, does it?"
On Wednesday, hours after the court action, the NFL issued a statement saying "the union's claims have absolutely no merit and we fully expect them to be dismissed."
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Helio Castroneves is getting serious about the Indianapolis 500.
The gregarious Brazilian driver who won over racing and dancing fans with his personality is back at Indy focused, determined and barely cracking jokes.
This year, he's all business.
Yes, Castroneves is making his second attempt to break up the American monopoly of four-time 500 winners.
After a dismal 2011 season, he's taken a simple rule into this season's races: Just win. His next chance happens to come Sunday at his favorite track and with a chance to join A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in race's most exclusive club.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh Steelers running back Isaac Redman says his journey from rookie free agent to NFL starter has changed the way he's received in his hometown of Paulsboro in southern New Jersey.
Redman says he is recognized more often these days and is even holding his first-ever football camp at his old high school next month.
It's a far cry from three years ago, when Redman arrived as an out-of-shape rookie from Division II Bowie State and needed a little bit of luck just to make the practice squad.
Now he's the No. 1 back for the Steelers while starter Rashard Mendenhall continues his lengthy rehab after tearing the ACL in his right knee in last year's regular-season finale.
Redman ran for 121 yards in a playoff loss to Denver and believes he can handle a heavy workload.
NEW YORK (AP) - NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James is the leading vote-getter for the league's all-defensive team.
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, Clippers guard Chris Paul, Grizzlies guard Tony Allen and Magic center Dwight Howard join the Heat star on the first team announced Wednesday.
Ibaka and Allen earned first-team honors for the first time.
James totaled 53 points, including 24 first-team votes. He averaged 1.9 steals and 7.9 rebounds as Miami ranked fourth in the league in opponent scoring.
The NBA's 30 head coaches vote on the all-defensive team by position. They're not allowed to pick their own players.
<VIDEO> Once billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Astrodome is in the spotlight again as the leader and staff of the agency that runs the facility are set to make a recommendation on its future.
<VIDEO> Authorities say eight people are hurt after shots rang out in Oklahoma City as thousands of people left the NBA playoff game between the Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers.
<VIDEO> New quarterback Peyton Manning ran the offensive practice during the Denver Broncos workout Monday. After missing last season with a neck injury, it was the first time the media witnessed Manning throwing the ball since last year's training camp.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) - Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III says his first workout alongside veterans begins the process of showing the Redskins he "can help this team win."
Already anointed the starter by Washington coach Mike Shahanan, the Heisman Trophy winner known as RG3 zipped passes on rollouts to his right and left during Monday's start of organized team activities.
Griffin says the rookie minicamp that wrapped up two weeks ago was a chance to show Shanahan that "I'm as advertised." Working with veterans can show them why he was the No. 2 overall pick in April's draft.
While practicing, Griffin wore a yellow glove on his left hand, because he "was a huge Michael Jackson fan growing up."
While a steady rain fell, the team practiced at its new indoor practice facility.
With a dispute under way over the player suspensions handed out in the Saints' bounty case, NFL owners will meet in Atlanta on Tuesday.
The New Orleans situation is certain to get some attention at the meetings, where Commissioner Roger Goodell will be asked about Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma's defamation lawsuit against him. Goodell's authority for administering discipline is being challenged by the players' union, Vilma and three other players suspended for their roles in the bounty system.
Owners also will discuss several bylaw changes that were tabled in March, including designating one player suffering a major injury before Week 2 of the season as eligible to return from injured reserve, and moving the trading deadline back two weeks to after Week 8.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) - Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was knocked to the turf when defensive back Brandyn Thompson slammed into him on a play during the team's first full-squad workout in its new indoor practice field.
Shanahan remained on his back for a couple of minutes while he was checked near midfield.
Eventually, he was helped up and then stood for a bit before walking to the sideline, where he watched the rest of Monday's practice near general manager Bruce Allen.
The Redskins didn't immediately say whether Shanahan was injured.
Team spokesman Tony Wyllie said Shanahan wouldn't speak to reporters Monday because he wasn't "in condition to talk at the podium."
WASHINGTON (AP) - Brian McNamee says some of the medical evidence he saved in a beer can was not used on baseball pitcher Roger Clemens.
McNamee is the main prosecution witness in the case against, who's accused of lying to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs. McNamee testified this week that he injected the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with steroids and human growth hormone.
McNamee has said he stored medical evidence from shooting Clemens with steroids in 2001. But under cross-examination, he acknowledged that some of the items were not in fact used on Clemens, such as a needle to inject human growth hormone.
McNamee, Clemens' former strength and conditioning coach, also testified that a pin included in the beer can might not have been used on Clemens. He said it was either used on Clemens or another player, whom he did not name.
<VIDEO> The Oregon Board of Education voted to require state schools to retire their Native American mascots within five years or risk losing state funding. Officials and residents discuss their opinions on one of the nation's toughest restrictions.
Old Dominion is leaving the Colonial Athletic Association and joining Conference USA.
School President John R. Broderick said in a release Thursday that the move will be effective July 1, 2013.
It means the Monarchs, who began playing football only three seasons ago, will play at the Bowl Subdivision level after one more year in the Championship Subdivision.
The move will be costly for Old Dominion, which will have to add football scholarships, but Broderick says Monarchs boosters have already pledged $3 million in private support to help meet those expenses. The president also says the move will be made without increasing student fees.
The Monarchs become the second school to leave the CAA this week. VCU announced Tuesday that it is heading to the Atlantic 10 in July, 2012.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a May 3 incident in which police used pepper spray to subdue him after an off-campus party.
Rees is charged with one count of battery, two counts of resisting law enforcement and one count of illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. Rees didn't speak during Thursday's court hearing, which lasted less than a minute, and the pleas were entered on his behalf. Neither Rees nor defense attorney George Horn would comment afterward. Rees is due back in court July 17.
Linebacker Carlo Calabrese faces a misdemeanor count of intimidation for the same incident. He is scheduled to be in court June 21.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Jay Penske has struck a deal to use Chevrolet engines for his two drivers at the Indianapolis 500, ending an ugly dispute with Lotus.
Dragon Racing agreed to drop a $4.6 million lawsuit against Lotus in exchange for being released from its contract with the engine manufacturer that has struggled all season.
The move comes just in time to get Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge, Penske's drivers, track time before series officials add a power boost to the engines Friday. Qualifying begins Saturday. The 500 is scheduled for May 27.
Penske says the engines powering his team were originally assigned to Ed Carpenter's second entry, which has no driver. Dragon Racing has no backup engine.
NEW YORK (AP) - Major League Baseball has announced the 2013 All-Star game will be hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The announcement was made Wednesday during a news conference at City Hall with baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Mets owner Fred Wilpon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The game will be July 16, 2013.
Baseball decided at least four years ago that the Mets would host the game at the ballpark, which opened in 2009, but held off an announcement until it reached agreements with the city and agencies for All-Star services and related events, such as the FanFest.
The Mets last hosted the All-Stars in 1964, the year Shea Stadium opened. The game was last in New York in 2008, the final season of old Yankee Stadium.
Kansas City is host of this year's game, and the 2014 game is expected to be played at Minneapolis' Target Field.
GENEVA, N.Y. (AP) - The wife of a fired Syracuse University assistant basketball coach says ESPN trampled her reputation and destroyed her life by broadcasting stories about her and about accusations that her husband molested children.
Laurie Fine broke six months of silence and threatened to file a lawsuit in federal court against ESPN and two employees. ESPN in November broke the story of two former Syracuse ball boys who claimed Bernie Fine molested them decades ago.
Bernie Fine has denied wrongdoing and hasn't been charged.
Laurie Fine's lawyer, Lawrence Fisher of Pittsburgh, repeatedly declined to answer specific questions and said he was discussing the complaint with ESPN. He has not yet filed the complaint.
ESPN says Fine's complaint is without merit and the network stands by its reporting.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Brian McNamee has conceded that the first time Roger Clemens asked for help with a "booty shot," the pitcher did not specifically use the word "steroids."
Under cross-examination from Clemens' lawyer, McNamee said that he assumed Clemens was referring to steroids when asking for the shot while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998. McNamee said he was under the impression Clemens was already doing steroids.
Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin challenged why McNamee thought that. McNamee responded that he had no physical evidence, but he referenced a conversation he overheard Clemens have with another player, Jose Canseco, but could not provide specifics. Clemens' request for help came less than a month before the date on which McNamee says he gave Clemens his first injection.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - The president of the Syrian Olympic Committee says the war-torn country will send 20 sports officials and 10 athletes to the London Games.
Gen. Mowaffak Joumaa says 10 Syrian athletes have either qualified or received wild-card invitations to compete in swimming, track and field, weightlifting, boxing, equestrian and shooting during the games.
Joumaa says he and other sports officials will travel to London despite the British government's warning that they could be banned from attending the Olympics because of his close links to President Bashar Assad.
The Syrian government's 13-month crackdown on an uprising has killed thousands of people and led to broad sanctions and a European Union travel ban against top officials.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) - Guard Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers has won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award. Coming out of Duke, Irving was the No. 1 overall pick of the Cavaliers. He led all rookies by averaging 18.5 points per game. He also averaged 5.4 assists, finished first among rookies in field-goal percentage and dominated several games in the fourth quarter, rallying Cleveland to wins.
Irving received 117 of 120 possible first-place votes from a nationwide media panel of 120 writers and broadcasters. He finished with 592 points, way ahead of Minnesota's Ricky Rubio
Irving is the second Cleveland player to win the award, joining LeBron James in 2004. Irving's arrival has helped the Cavaliers continue to rebuild following James' departure as a free agent two years ago.
The Cavaliers should be able to add some pieces to surround Irving in next month's draft. Cleveland has three of the top 34 picks and has a chance to win the draft lottery
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Dale Hunter is finished as coach of the Washington Capitals after less than one full season, telling the team he wants to return to his family in Canada.
Hunter says: "It was the right thing to do."
He told general manager George McPhee of the decision Monday, two days after the Capitals were eliminated from the playoffs by the Rangers in Game 7.
Hunter was hired in November to replace the fired Bruce Boudreau and went 30-23-7 during the remainder of the regular season to help the Capitals squeeze into the playoffs. Playing a defense-first, possession-oriented system, Washington eliminated reigning Stanley Cup champion Boston in the first round. Hunter also limited captain Alex Ovechkin's minutes.
McPhee says Hunter "got everything out of this team that he could."
CINCINNATI (AP) - Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the latest major setback for the NL East leaders.
Ramos' knee buckled as he chased a passed ball during the seventh inning of a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night. He fell on his back in pain and had to be helped off the field, putting little weight on the knee.
An MRI confirmed that he tore the ligament, costing the Nationals their young catcher. He's the 11th Nationals player to go on the disabled list this season.
The Nationals called up catcher Sandy Leon from Double-A Harrisburg to back up Jesus Flores. The 23-year-old Leon was batting .319 with a homer and 12 RBIs in 27 games at Harrisburg.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) - Free agent running back Tim Hightower has re-signed with the Washington Redskins.
The 25-year-old Hightower rushed for 321 yards on 84 carries in five games last season before going on injured reserve with a torn ligament in his left knee.
A fifth-round pick in the 2008 draft out of Richmond, Hightower spent three years with the Arizona Cardinals. For his career, he has rushed 523 times for 2,054 yards and 24 touchdowns, with 128 catches for 879 yards.
Hightower was traded to the Redskins before last season. He attended high school in Alexandria, Va.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Redskins also said Monday they had waived tight end Rob Myers. Myers played in one game last season with no catches.
<VIDEO> British doctors have publicly criticized McDonald's Olympic sponsorship in recent weeks, saying that the fast food chain's ads could worsen the country's obesity epidemic.
<VIDEO> Michael Phelps was the star attraction at the USOC media summit Sunday in Dallas. Speaking at his lone media availability, the winner of 16 Olympic medals spoke of the goals he's set for the London games and the challenges he'll face.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The owners of third-place Kentucky Derby finisher Dullahan say the colt won't be running in the Preakness Stakes on May 19.
Donegal Racing managing partner Jerry Crawford says Friday that Dullahan will run next in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown races, on June 9.
Dullahan closed strongly in the Derby last week and finished less than two lengths behind the winner, I'll Have Another. Bodemeister was second, a neck ahead of Dullahan.
Trainer Dale Romans says Dullahan came out of the Derby in good shape. But he says Dullahan could be a 3-year-old champion contender and Horse of the Year candidate, and "his future is best served by not asking him to race for the third time in just five weeks in the Preakness."
WASHINGTON (AP) - No one worked harder than Roger Clemens. He would will himself to win. The New York Yankees traded for him after winning the World Series because they didn't want complacency to set in.
Those were all characterizations Thursday by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman - ostensibly a government witness in Clemens' perjury trial. But like former Clemens teammate Andy Pettitte a week before, he sometimes sounded more like a defense witness.
Clemens is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone. The key government witness, former Clemens strength coach Brian McNamee, says he injected the standout pitcher with both drugs during the 1998, 2000 and 2001 major league seasons.
McNamee is expected to take the stand when testimony resumes on Monday.
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) - Eric McClure says he remembers only bits and pieces of his accident at Talladega, but knows he had lost his brakes before the impact.
McClure suffered a concussion and internal bruising in the accident in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday. He says he believed he was headed toward his first career top-10 when the accident began in front of him.
McClure was then hit by another car, and heading toward the inside wall, he says he "went to hit the brake pedal and the brakes were not there."
McClure was airlifted to an Alabama hospital, where he spent two nights with a concussion and internal bruising. He will not race Friday night at Darlington Raceway and has been replaced by Jeff Green in the car.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Alex Ovechkin rebounded from a rare zero-shot performance by scoring after 88 seconds Wednesday night, Braden Holtby made 30 saves, and the Washington Capitals recovered from a potentially devastating loss by beating the top-seeded New York Rangers 2-1 to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
Two nights after blowing a lead in the last 10 seconds of regulation and losing in overtime, the No. 7-seeded Capitals showed immediately they were over it. Ovechkin's early power-play goal and Jason Chimera's second-period score were just enough for the unflappable playoff rookie Holtby.
The teams meet in New York on Saturday night to determine who will face the New Jersey Devils in the conference finals.
Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin told the judge in the former baseball pitcher's perjury trial Wednesday that the defense has additional questions it wants to ask Radomski when it makes its case to the jurors.
Radomski on Wednesday finished parts of two days on the stand for the prosecution with a feisty exchange with another Clemens lawyer, Michael Attanasio.
Clemens is accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using steroids and human growth hormone. But Attanasio tried to portray Radomski as the liar, pointing to inconsistencies between what he said in his testimony and what he wrote in his book, "Bases Loaded."
NEW YORK (AP) - A pickoff move that's been part of baseball strategy for years might get picked off next season.
Major League Baseball is poised to eliminate the fake-to-third, throw-to-first trick that teams routinely use.
The Playing Rules Committee has approved a proposal to make the move a balk, and MLB executives and umpires are in agreement. The players' union vetoed the plan for this season to discuss it further.
MLB is allowed to implement the change after a one-year wait. There's no telling yet whether that would happen if players strongly object.
Under the new wording, a pitcher could not fake to third unless he first stepped off the rubber. If he stayed on the rubber, as most all pitchers do now, it would be a balk.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Country singer Martina McBride will sing the national anthem at the May 27 Indianapolis 500.
McBride's website announced her selection Wednesday.
The Grammy-winning singer is a four-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year and three-time Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year. She has sold more than 18 million albums and had six No. 1 singles.
McBride says singing the national anthem at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a "huge honor."
Speedway spokesman Doug Boles tells The Indianapolis Star that officials wanted a performer who would sing the national anthem in the traditional manner.
LONDON (AP) - London Olympic organizers say preparations are in "great shape" after the completion of the final test events for the games.
Sebastian Coe, head of the local organizing committee, says 42 test events in 28 venues were held over the past year - including five events in the Olympic Park in the last week.
More than 8,000 athletes have competed in Olympic venues, with about 350,000 spectators attending competitions.
Coe says "there will be some lessons learned" from the test events but no major changes needed to be made.
He says "we are in great shape and on course to stage the world's greatest sporting event."
The Olympics run from July 27 to Aug. 12; the Paralympics take place from Aug. 29 to Sept. 9.
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) - Danica Patrick is ready to earn her stripes this weekend at Darlington Raceway.
Patrick will race in her second Sprint Cup event and first since the season-opening Daytona 500 when she competes in the Southern 500 on Saturday night.
She's excited, edgy and eager to test the quirky layout that even longtime NASCAR veterans like her boss, Tony Stewart, struggle to get around.
Patrick knows she'll quickly pick up her "Darlington stripe," the worn mark on the right side of a racer's car that comes from rubbing against the track's walls for 500 miles.
Patrick is competing in 10 Sprint Cup races this season for Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick will race in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte two weeks later, then not be back until late August at Bristol.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Attorneys for two Penn State administrators charged with lying to a grand jury say prosecutors filed charges before they knew the facts.
Athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president for business Gary Schultz are fighting allegations that they lied to a grand jury and failed to properly report suspected child abuse. Curley is on leave and Schultz is retired.
The attorney general's office had said in a court filing Monday that investigators have concluded that the alleged attack that led to coach Joe Paterno's firing took place in February 2001, not March 2002.
Defense attorneys say that means the statute of limitations on a charge against their clients of failure to report has expired and should be dismissed.
LONDON (AP) - Olympic organizers are making nearly 1 million more tickets available in the latest round of sales for the London Games.
The organizing committee says the tickets will go on sale online starting at 6 a.m. EDT on Friday.
The tickets will be available on first-come, first-served basis to the nearly 1 million people who applied in previous rounds but came up empty handed.
Included are tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, and the 100-meter final.
First priority will be given to the 20,000 people who were unsuccessful in the initial ballot and missed out again in a second sale. Those customers will be given 31 hours of exclusive access.
After that, the 1 million people who applied in the initial ballot but were unsuccessful will have an exclusive five-day window.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An attorney for jockey Robby Albarado says the veteran rider is worried his racing career is at risk as he faces an assault charge in Kentucky.
Albarado's attorney, Scott Barton, entered a not guilty plea Tuesday in Jefferson District Court for Albarado. The jockey was arrested Friday and charged with fourth-degree assault for allegedly accosting a woman who said she was trying to break up with him.
Ablarado's arrest came hours before he was to ride in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks, the female version of the Kentucky Derby. He was indefinitely suspended from racing at Louisville's Churchill Downs racetrack, where he's third on the all-time jockey wins list.
Albarado was charged with domestic assault last year in an incident involving his estranged wife, but the charge was dismissed.
NEW YORK (AP) - The Jets' special teams coach says he plans to use Tim Tebow.
The Daily News of New York reported Monday that Mike Westhoff said he had discussed the plan with Tebow and the backup quarterback was amenable to it.
Without revealing specifics, Westhoff calls Tebow a "more potent Brad Smith," referring to the versatile former Jets receiver who was a college QB.
On offense, Tebow is expected to play some quarterback in wildcat packages and could see time at running back and fullback. The Jets acquired him from the Broncos this offseason to back up starter Mark Sanchez.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Big East Commissioner John Marinatto has resigned.
The conference said Monday that Marinatto had decided to step down after less than three years in the position. The Big East lost several high-profile members under his watch.
In a statement from the conference, Marinatto says he is "proud of what we have been able to accomplish."
Former Miami Dolphins CEO Joseph A. Bailey III will serve as interim commissioner.
Pittsburgh and Syracuse made plans to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference in September, and West Virginia bolted for the Big 12 the following month. The Big East then added Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Temple for all sports and Boise State, San Diego State and Navy for football only.
<VIDEO> Junior Seau's death has been ruled a suicide by the San Diego County medical examiner's office. The AP's John Mone reports his death is once again raising questions about brain injuries in former football players.
<VIDEO> In the wake of the suicide of football player Junior Seau, some have wondered if he suffered from depression. Neurologist Walter Bradley discusses the potential damage football does to the brain.
<VIDEO> Paralyzed defensive tackle Eric LeGrand has been signed to an honorary contract by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LeGrand broke two vertebrae and suffered a serious spinal cord injury while playing for Rutgers in Oct. 2010 game against Army.
<VIDEO> Supporting the Minnesota Vikings is Larry Spooner's lifelong passion. He has been camping out at the Minnesota Capitol with his purple van, trying to help the Vikings win more support for a Metrodome replacement in downtown Minneapolis.
<VIDEO> Magic Johnson, Mark Walter and Stan Kasten stood in center field at Dodger Stadium and vowed to restore the Dodgers' pride and dignity. The franchise's prestige and fan support declined under owner Frank McCourt, who sold the team for $2 billion.
<VIDEO> OCEANSIDE, Calif. (AP) - Police in Oceanside, Calif., say the death of former NFL star Junior Seau appears to be a suicide.
Seau, who was 43, was found shot to death at his home today. Police say his girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest. A gun was found nearby.
His mother, Luisa Seau, was weeping uncontrollably as she appeared before reporters. She said, "I don't understand." She said her son had given no indication of a problem when she spoke to him by phone earlier in the week, and that he was "joking" with her.
Seau was a standout linebacker with USC before going to the San Diego Chargers and leading them to the Super Bowl after the 1994 season. The team says in a statement that everyone with the Chargers "is in complete shock and disbelief" over the news.
In October of 2010, Seau survived a 100-foot plunge down a seaside cliff in his SUV, hours after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence at the home he shared with his girlfriend. She had told authorities that he assaulted her during an argument.
Seau told authorities he fell asleep while driving. He suffered minor injuries.
MONACO (AP) - A Portuguese long-distance runner has become the first track and field athlete suspended for doping based on the "biological passport" program.
The IAAF says 38-year-old Helder Ornelas has been banned for four years by the Portuguese federation after being found guilty of doping.
He was sanctioned based on a series of blood test results collected by the International Association of Athletics Federations between December 2008 and November 2010.
The IAAF said it's the first time a doping case was decided based on the passport program, which monitors an athlete's blood profile over time to check for evidence of performance-enhancing drugs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Barry Irwin says he lost his anonymity after Animal Kingdom won last year's Kentucky Derby for his syndicate, Team Valor International.
Trainer Graham Motion doesn't have quite the same level of recognition, but he certainly isn't flying under the radar.
The pair and jockey John Velazquez are back at Churchill Downs for Saturday's race with Went the Day Well, a precocious bay colt who is staying in the same stall, following the same routine and will likely post similar odds as Animal Kingdom did.
While jockey Calvin Borel most recently won two straight races in 2009-10 and trainer Bob Baffert did it in 1997-98, no combination of jockey-trainer-owner has won two in a row since 1972-73, when Ron Turcotte, Lucien Laurin and Meadow Farm pulled it off with Riva Ridge and Secretariat.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Andy Pettitte (PEHT'-iht) looked like he wanted to be anywhere but on the witness stand in the perjury trial of former baseball star Roger Clemens.
During breaks in the proceedings Tuesday, Pettitte sometimes rubbed his eyes for several seconds, looking like he couldn't wait for this to end.
But Pettitte returns to the stand Wednesday, when Clemens' lawyers will continue to try to sow doubts about the testimony Pettitte provided for prosecutors when he said Clemens had mentioned to him that he had taken human growth hormone.
Clemens, who told Congress in 2008 that his friend and former teammate "misremembers" the conversation, is accused of lying to Congress when he said he never took HGH or steroids. Pettitte and Clemens pitched together for the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
NEW YORK (AP) - Nolan Reimold will miss the final two games of the Baltimore Orioles' series against the New York Yankees because of a bulging disk in his back.
The outfielder went 0 for 4 in Monday night's series opener as the Orioles lost 2-1, then called head trainer Rich Bancells after the game and reported tingling in his fingers.
Reimold returned to Baltimore on Tuesday for tests. Manager Buck Showalter hopes Reimold can return to action for Friday's series opener at Boston.
Hitting coach Jim Presley was taken to a hospital early Tuesday with a kidney stone.
NEW YORK (AP) - Alex Ovechkin's power-play goal with 7:27 remaining snapped a tie and gave the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers that squared the Eastern Conference semifinal series 1-1 on Monday night.
Just under 6 minutes after Ryan Callahan got the Rangers even with a power-play goal, Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead for good after they squandered a 2-0 lead.
Mike Knuble and Jason Chimera scored first-period goals for the Capitals, who will host the next two games of the series. Washington is trying to repeat its first-round feat when it lost the series opener but rallied to beat Boston in seven games. The Capitals have earned four of their five wins in this postseason on the road.
Brad Richards had a goal and assist, and defenseman Michael Del Zotto had two assists for the top-seeded Rangers, who got forward Brian Boyle back from a three-game injury absence but couldn't turn it into a commanding lead in the series.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A horse costing $21,000 bought by chance could very likely be the early leader among the field of 20 for the Kentucky Derby. Whether the colorful Trinniberg can stay there over the mile and a quarter after never running a race longer than seven furlongs is the biggest question.
The Teuflesberg colt owned by Shivananda Parbhoo and trained by his father Bisnath is built for speed after winning two stakes races - the Swale at Gulfstream Park and Bay Shore at Aqueduct by a combined nine lengths.
Other trainers and owners in the field are concerned Trinniberg might take their horses out if they chase an unreasonable pace, while Trinniberg jockey Willie Martinez says they're prepared to "rain on a lot of people's parades" and win the Derby outright.
NEWTON, N.C. (AP) - The bank that held the mortgage on property owned by former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has bought the North Carolina home at a courthouse auction.
Carolina Farm Credit bid more than $1.7 million for the home and land owned by Mayfield, who was suspended from NASCAR after testing positive for methamphetamine in 2009.
The auction was conducted on the Catawba County Courthouse steps Monday. The bank was the only bidder.
Mayfield and his wife, Shana, had taken out two mortgages from Carolina Farm Credit in 2006 on the property for more than $3 million. They last made a payment in April 2011.
The Mayfields must be out of their home in 10 days. Mayfield was in Caldwell County on Monday on pending drug charges, which were delayed until September.
