Robinho no loss to Chelsea, insists Scolari (AFP)
AFP - Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted Friday that the failure to sign his fellow Brazilian Robinho would be no loss to the Premier League club this season.
Steelers sign No. 1 pick to 5-year contract (AP)
AP - The Pittsburgh Steelers signed running back Rashard Mendenhall on Friday, agreeing to a five-year contract with their first-round draft pick two days before training camp opens.
Mets and Phillies both win big to set up showdown (AP)
AP - The Mets and Phillies, face to face, with first place up for grabs. And it appears Jimmy Rollins has found his stroke just in time.
Helmes hat-trick puts Leverkusen into second spot (AFP)
AFP - Bayer Leverkusen's Patrick Helmes scored a hat-trick in their 4-0 home victory over Hanover 96 on Friday to shoot them to provisional second spot in the German league table.
Telfair suspended for 3 games after gun charge (AP)
AP - Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Sebastian Telfair was suspended on Tuesday for three games after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon.
Sparks clinch playoff berth with win over Comets (AP)
DeLisha Milton-Jones had 16 points and seven rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks clinch a playoff berth with an 84-66 win over the slumping Houston Comets on Saturday night. Candace Parker scored 12 points, Lisa Leslie added 11 and Temeka Johnson 10 for the Sparks (19-13), who rebounded from a loss at San Antonio the previous night that snapped a four-game winning streak.
Favre set for Jets debut vs. Redskins (AP)
Brett Favre's next big test before taking the field for his Jets debut will be finding his way to the correct locker room. "I know where the visitors' is," New York's new quarterback said. "I think from there, I can kind of backtrack." Then, Favre stopped himself and asked how many locker rooms there are at Giants Stadium.
Azinger calls on 13th man to spur on US (AP)
AP - Paul Azinger was watching from his cart on the 13th hole when he decided to toss a few lapel pins toward his 13th man.
New M's GM begins search for manager (AP)
AP - New Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik says recently fired Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost and former Seattle interim manager Jim Riggleman are two candidates to be Seattle's new skipper in 2009.
Sharks beat Kings 3-1 at Utah (AP)
Brad Lukowich and Patrick Marleau scored 53 seconds apart late in the second period and the San Jose Sharks closed out the preseason with a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night. Lukas Kaspar had two assists for the Sharks (3-4), who open the regular season under new coach Todd McLellan on Thursday against Anaheim.
Saints give WR Colston 3-year extension (AP)
Wide receiver Marques Colston got his reward for playing far beyond the expectations for a seventh-round pick. Colston, whose 168 catches are more than any NFL receiver through his first two seasons, agreed to a three-year extension that could keep him in New Orleans through the 2011 season, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday night.
Report: Brady has 2 more knee procedures (AP)
New England quarterback Tom Brady has undergone two more procedures to clean out infection on his surgically repaired knee, the Boston Herald reported Thursday. The newspaper said Brady is on a six-week course of intravenous antibiotics and will continue to have follow-up exams at the clinic in Los Angeles where he had the surgery.
Plekanec scores twice as Habs top Sabres (AP)
Tomas Plekanec scored two goals in the Montreal Canadiens' 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. Plekanec put Montreal on the board at 10:25 of the first period. His goal was assisted by Andrei Kostitsyn, who added a short-handed tally in the second to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead. Plekanec scored his second four minutes later to make it 3-0.
Sun-Comets Preview (AP)
With the success the Connecticut Sun have enjoyed at home in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, it's easy to see why they'd want to play as many postseason games as possible at Mohegan Sun Arena. They can take a major step toward securing home-court advantage in the first round Tuesday when they start the season's final week on the road against the Houston Comets.
Jets to auction PSLs on StubHub (AP)
Excited by a jaw-dropping touchdown run by your favorite New York Jets player? You'll be close enough to tell him all about it. Think New York's coaching staff blew it with a bad call? Your voice will be heard, too -- literally. The Jets announced a partnership Wednesday with online ticketing Web site StubHub to auction off 2,000 seat licenses that will put big-spending fans 5 yards behind the team's...
Kirilenko avoids upset in Cincinnati (AP)
Third-seeded Maria Kirilenko avoided an upset and reached the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Women's Open with a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over qualifier Stephanie Dubois on Wednesday. Kirilenko came from behind twice, after losing the first set and seeing her serve broken at the beginning of the third, to advance in the $175,000 tournament.
Whisenhunt: NFL should review Boldin hit (AP)
Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt expects the NFL to review a helmet-to-helmet hit by New York Jets safety Eric Smith on Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin was resting at home on Monday, one day after being carted off the field in the Cardinals' 56-35 loss to the Jets in New Jersey. Whisenhunt said he believed the hit violated a safety edict issued by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but he stopped...
Packers DE 'KGB' says he will make camp (AP)
Green Bay Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila hasn't had much experience with surgery, and it's probably just as well. There was that time in high school, when he had his wisdom teeth removed under partial anesthesia. "I wasn't completely out," Gbaja-Biamila said. "I was just somewhat out. I remember I urinated on myself." Beg your pardon?
Federer wins, Swiss lead Belgium 2-0 (AP)
Roger Federer showed some rare frustration Friday, requesting a change of line judges before going on to beat Belgium's Kristof Vliegen 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-2 to give Switzerland a 2-0 lead in a Davis Cup World Group playoff. Upset by a baseline call that led to him lose serve and trail 2-0 in the second set, Federer walked to his chair and called for match referee Norbert Peick to change the line...
Russia's Mamin gets 2-year doping ban (AP)
Russian hockey player Maxim Mamin was banned for two years Monday following a positive doping test at the World Under-20 Championships. Mamin was 19 when he tested positive for a metabolite of nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, after a game in the Czech Republic in January. His test result was almost three times the reporting threshold under World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
Ivanovic withdraws from Olympics (AP)
Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic withdrew from Olympic tennis Sunday because of inflammation in her right hand that has bothered her for several weeks. Ivanovic said she hasn't been able to practice because of the injury, which began to bother her last month. She was expected to play her first-round match for Serbia on Monday, but after consulting with a doctor, she said she needs more rest.