Brett Favre dismissed an ESPN report that he's considering coming out of retirement as "all rumor." Favre responded Wednesday to the ESPN report by telling his hometown newspaper Web site, SunHerald.com in Gulfport, Miss., that "it's all rumor." The paper reported that Favre sent a text message saying there's "no reason" for a media frenzy.

Former Chargers linebacker Steve Foley agreed Wednesday to settle his lawsuit against a police officer who shot him while off-duty two years ago and ended his pro football career. Foley's attorney, Harvey Levine, said the settlement was reached with Officer Aaron Mansker and his employer, the city of Coronado, before testimony resumed in a week-old civil trial in San Diego Superior Court.

Defensive tackle Kyle Williams signed a three-year contract extension with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday potentially worth $14.4 million. The two-year starter is now signed through 2012 and is guaranteed $5.2 million over the next two seasons. "We're very flattered," Williams' agent Albert Elias told The Associated Press.

The Chicago Bears agreed to a four-year deal with second-round draft pick Matt Forte, the former Tulane running back expected to replace Cedric Benson in the lineup. Chicago sent a loud message to Benson when it took Forte with the 44th overall pick and thrust them into a competition that never materialized.

A judge has declared a mistrial in the assault case of former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry. An eight-person jury in Cincinnati told the judge Tuesday they were unable to agree on a verdict. Hamilton County Municipal Judge Richard Bernat then dismissed the jury and set a hearing for July 8.

Matt Ryan isn't apologizing for benefiting from a system that allows top NFL draft picks to receive massive contracts. Even so, he appreciates where Roger Goodell was coming from last week when the commissioner questioned paying millions in guaranteed salary to rookies who have yet to play a down in the league.

The New England Patriots released defensive back Willie Andrews on Tuesday, one day after he was arrested for allegedly pointing a handgun at his girlfriend's head. The 24-year-old Andrews, primarily a special teams player, was being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Thursday following his second arrest this year.

Gilbert Arenas is accepting less money from the Washington Wizards, invoking an attitude far, far removed from the world of his working-class fans. "What can I do for my family with $127 million that I can't do with $111 million?" he told The Washington Post. The unpredictable three-time All-Star point guard, in vintage Agent Zero fashion, told the Post and the Washington Times on Thursday that he...

Chris Paul and the Hornets reached a contract agreement Thursday that could keep the All-Star point guard with the team for at least the next four seasons. Lance Young, Paul's agent, said Paul agreed to a three-year extension with a player's option for a fourth year. The total value of the deal is $68 million.

As the SuperSonics pack for the move to Oklahoma City, basketball fans and city officials were hopeful about the provisions of the team's departure deal that could lead to a new NBA franchise in Seattle. But meeting those requirements will be no easy task. Basketball boosters will have to win over a balky state Legislature and local voters who have grown weary of building stadiums for pro sports...

Mayor Mick Cornett was in a conference room waiting for a meeting to get started when city manager Jim Couch walked in and handed him a slip of paper with a single word on it: "Done." Cornett knew exactly what it meant. His city had just been called up to the major leagues. The journey was a long one for Cornett, who grew up in Oklahoma City asking adults if there was any chance one of the major...

Derrick Rose had a lot of questions at his first practice with the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. "I asked a lot of them. I lost count," the 19-year-old guard said following a two-hour practice at the Bulls' suburban training facility. "(But) I felt very comfortable out there. I can't wait to get down to Orlando and start playing." The 6-foot 3-inch Rose, selected first overall in the NBA draft, was...

Michael Beasley returned to practice with the Miami Heat on Thursday, one day after the No. 2 overall pick in last week's NBA draft was knocked out of his first official summer-league workout with a chest bruise. Beasley was inadvertently elbowed by a teammate during a defensive drill about 45 minutes after Miami opened its summer-league camp Wednesday morning.

Seimone Augustus scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx to an 88-70 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night. Candice Wiggins added 19 points off the bench and Nicky Anosike grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lynx (9-8), who ended a two-game losing streak. "There were a lot of 1-on-1 situations where I was able to attack the basket or dish out to Candice or Noelle (Quinn),"...

Lauren Jackson scored 23 of her season-high 33 points in the first half Thursday night to lead the Seattle Storm to an 84-71 win over the New York Liberty. Sue Bird scored a season-high 23 points and had six assists for Seattle (10-7), which won for the third win in four games overall and improved to 9-1 at home.

Sancho Lyttle had 15 points and 18 rebounds to help the Houston Comets hold off a late rally to beat the winless Atlanta Dream 72-65 on Thursday night. The Comets (8-9) almost squandered another sizable lead two nights after watching a 14-point lead vanish in a 78-68 loss to Connecticut. Michelle Snow had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Comets before fouling out with 1:20 left in the fourth...

By PA SportsTicker

Sophia Young always wanted to hit a game-winning shot, and she finally did it. Young had 20 points and 12 rebounds, including a three-point play with 5.5 seconds left to give the San Antonio Silver Stars a 68-67 victory over the Sacramento Monarchs on Thursday night. "Things like this, you dream about it," said Young about her last play to win the game.

Sancho Lyttle was not going to let the Houston Comets give up a large lead for the second game in a row. In place of injured Olympian Tina Thompson, Lyttle had 15 points and 18 rebounds to help the Comets hold off a late rally to beat the winless Atlanta Dream 72-65 on Thursday night. "I just wanted to go in and grab every rebound tonight," Lyttle said.

Tamika Catchings scored a season-high 18 points and the Indiana Fever beat the Chicago Sky 74-67 on Wednesday night. Catchings added six rebounds, three assists and two steals in her eighth game of the season after missing the team's first eight. She suffered a torn right Achilles' tendon in last year's Eastern Conference finals and underwent surgery in September.

The expansion Atlanta Dream have already set the WNBA record for the longest winless start to a season. They hope to avert another unfavorable distinction as they try again for the first victory in franchise history. The Dream look to avoid becoming the first team without a win at the midpoint of a season Thursday night when they host the Houston Comets.

Just as the New York Rangers ushered in the Markus Naslund era on Broadway, they turned out the lights on the Jaromir Jagr show. Naslund, the longtime Vancouver Canucks captain, agreed to terms Thursday with New York on a two-year deal worth $8 million. In making the announcement, Rangers general manager Glen Sather said he couldn't wait any longer for Jagr to make up his mind on what it would take...

The Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a seven-year, $35 million contract, the third long-term deal inked with one of their younger players in two days. Penguins general manager Ray Shero called Fleury "one of the elite goaltenders of the game" and said he was instrumental in helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Rob Blake is heading up the California coast, hoping to end his stellar NHL career with a shot at another Stanley Cup title in San Jose. The veteran defenseman signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Sharks on Friday, leaving Pacific Division rival Los Angeles for a more immediate chance at playoff success.

Forward Georges Laraque signed a three-year, $4.5-million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The 31-year-old Laraque spent last season with the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Laraque had four goals and nine assists and 141 penalty minutes in 71 games last season.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman James Wisniewski tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during training and will have surgery. The team said Thursday he should be able to return during next season. The 24-year-old Wisniewski played 68 games last season and had seven goals and 19 assists. In his three seasons with Chicago, he's played 137 games and scored 11 goals with 32 assists.

The Minnesota Wild signed right wing Antti Miettinen to a three-year contract Thursday, adding a two-way, third-line forward at the end of an up-and-down week. Miettinen's deal was done on his 28th birthday, after he scored a career-high 15 goals to go with 19 assists in 69 games last season for the Dallas Stars.

The rival Canadiens and Maple Leafs made a rare trade Thursday, with Montreal sending forward Mikhail Grabovski to Toronto for prospect Greg Pateryn and a second-round draft pick in 2010. Grabovski had three goals and six assists in 27 games for the Canadiens the past two seasons. Pateryn, a fifth-round pick in last month's NHL draft by Toronto, played in the United States Hockey League last...

Marian Hossa chose to join the Detroit Red Wings at a discount. He hopes hoisting the Stanley Cup will make it worth the sacrifice. Hossa signed a one-year contract with Detroit on Wednesday, and a person in the NHL told The Associated Press the deal is worth $7.45 million. He had rebuffed a chance to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were reportedly offering $7 million a season as part of...

South Carolina's athletic department reported nine NCAA secondary violations in the past six months, including one when a staffer bet dinner on a game not involving the Gamecocks. "I don't even know if it was a college game," athletic spokesman Steve Fink said Thursday. The violation took place Jan. 22 and was considered the most serious one of those detailed in South Carolina's report.

Georgia defensive end Michael Lemon was suspended from the team Thursday after he was charged with punching a student and breaking his eye socket. Lemon, a sophomore third-stringer, was charged with misdemeanor battery and felony aggravated battery. He was released on $2,500 bond from Athens-Clarke County jail.

Tennessee signed football coach Phillip Fulmer and basketball coach Bruce Pearl to new deals Wednesday that will keep them with the Volunteers through 2014. Fulmer's deal is worth an average of nearly $3 million over the next seven seasons, and the nearly $1 million raise makes him the fourth-highest paid coach in the Southeastern Conference.

Brandon Dillard, a redshirt junior wide receiver expected to contend for significant playing time for Virginia Tech this season, will instead miss the season after rupturing his right Achilles' tendon in player-organized offseason workouts. The school said Wednesday that Dillard was hurt Tuesday night.

Michigan running back Kevin Grady was arrested early Wednesday morning and will be arraigned next week on a misdemeanor drunken driving charge. Kent County Jail records show that the 22-year-old was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. Grady is to be arraigned July 9 in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming.

John Pont, who guided Indiana to its only Rose Bowl appearance 40 years ago and also coached at Northwestern, Yale and Miami of Ohio, died Tuesday. He was 80. Officials at Miami said Pont died at his home in Oxford, Ohio. Pont had been fighting cancer. Pont coached the Hoosiers from 1965 to 1972. In 1967, Indiana was 9-2 and represented the Big Ten Conference in the Rose Bowl, where the Hoosiers lost...

Georgia Tech cornerback Jerrard Tarrant has been charged with rape and has been suspended from the football team. The alleged victim said she was raped at an on-campus dormitory April 25 and reported the incident to police that morning, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday. Charles Lea, an attorney representing Tarrant, said his client is innocent of the charges.

South Carolina's athletic department reported nine NCAA secondary violations in the past six months, including one when a staffer bet dinner on a game not involving the Gamecocks. "I don't even know if it was a college game," athletic spokesman Steve Fink said Thursday. The violation took place Jan. 22 and was considered the most serious one of those detailed in South Carolina's report.

Tennessee signed football coach Phillip Fulmer and basketball coach Bruce Pearl to new deals Wednesday that will keep them with the Volunteers through 2014. Fulmer's deal is worth an average of nearly $3 million over the next seven seasons, and the nearly $1 million raise makes him the fourth-highest paid coach in the Southeastern Conference.

Indiana University will give up two basketball scholarships for the upcoming season in anticipation of penalties related to the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate, assistant athletic director Frank Cuervo confirmed Wednesday. The APR is a percentage score over a rolling four-year period that measures retention and eligibility of players.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has canceled its BP Top of the World college basketball tournament. University officials said Wednesday they weren't able to attract teams in the competitive landscape that followed an NCAA rule change. "The decision to cancel this year's tournament was not of our making or of our choice," tournament director Brian Hove said.

The University of Kentucky Basketball Museum has shut its doors due to falling attendance and financial problems. The museum, located in the Lexington Center near the entrance to Rupp Arena, has struggled to find an audience since opening in 1999. Kentucky deputy athletic director Rob Mullens said Wednesday that the museum, which was not affiliated with the university, was averaging less than...

UCLA coach Ben Howland, who has guided the Bruins to the Final Four each of the past three years, agreed to a new seven-year contract with the university Tuesday. The deal, which adds one year onto the agreement he signed last October, runs through the 2014-15 season and includes a guaranteed $1.97 million for next season, rising to $2.3 million in the final year of the contract.

Indiana University's president told the NCAA infractions committee that the hiring of ousted basketball coach Kelvin Sampson was "a risk that should not have been taken." President Michael McRobbie told the committee during a private session on June 14 that Sampson had betrayed the school's trust in violating NCAA regulations on telephone calls to recruits.

Southeast Missouri will not appeal NCAA sanctions calling for the forfeiture of 44 women's basketball victories as well as placing both the women's and men's programs on two years of probation. The university released a one-sentence statement late Thursday saying officials decided not to appeal the penalty.

Alcorn State hired former University of Tennessee player Tonya Edwards as its women's basketball coach Monday. Edwards spent the past two seasons as an assistant at Detroit-Mercy. Alcorn State athletic director Darren J. Hamilton said during Edwards' tenure at Detroit-Mercy she oversaw the budget, served as recruiter and coached the guards.

Longtime Connecticut assistant Tonya Cardoza will replace Dawn Staley as women's basketball coach at Temple, a person with knowledge of the hiring said Wednesday. Cardoza's appointment is expected to be announced by Temple on Friday, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was still two days off.

It took just 30 seconds for Dawn Staley, Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee to go from polished coaching professionals to teasing Olympic teammates. "Dawn said I whined on the Olympic team," McCray says. What did McCray whine about? "You're not ready for that," she said quickly. But Staley clearly is. "Didn't get a lot of minutes," the University of South Carolina's new head coach mimmicks, "didn't get the...

Geno Auriemma signed a deal that will keep the Hall of Fame coach on Connecticut's sideline through 2013. University officials said Wednesday that the five-year, $8 million contract extension begins July 1 and includes a base salary of $300,000 the first year. That amount will increase by $25,000 annually throughout the contract.

The University of Connecticut on Wednesday rewarded women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma with his second five-year extension in three years.

Mike Bozeman was hired Tuesday as George Washington's women's basketball coach. Bozeman spent the past three seasons as an assistant under Joe McKeown, who resigned this month after a 19-year tenure to become the women's coach at Northwestern. The Colonials advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of Bozeman's three seasons, including back-to-back final 16 appearances in 2007 and 2008.

AP - A spot in her seventh Wimbledon final already secured, Venus Williams headed back to Centre Court to catch the end of the next match. Scouting? Not really. More like rooting — for her sister.

AP - Gilbert Arenas has agreed to re-sign with the Washington Wizards for $111 million over six years, essentially taking millions less so that his team could have more financial flexibility, two newspapers reported Thursday.

AP - A-Rod and the Material Girl? That's a lot of hits. Reports that Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez and Madonna have become close just as their marriages are disintegrating have both the celebrity gossip industry and the sporting world — each a chatty bunch — buzzing with questions about the two "friends."

AP - Just as the New York Rangers ushered in the Markus Naslund era on Broadway, they turned out the lights on the Jaromir Jagr show. Naslund, the longtime Vancouver Canucks captain, agreed to terms Thursday with New York on a two-year deal worth $8 million.

AP - Chris Paul and the Hornets reached a contract agreement Thursday that could keep the All-Star point guard with the team for at least the next four seasons.

AP - Brett Favre dismissed an ESPN report that he's considering coming out of retirement as "all rumor."

Reuters - New Orleans All-Star guard Chris Paul agreed a four-year extension to remain with the Hornets, the Times-Picayune of New Orleans said on Thursday.

AP - Tim Lincecum trailed for all of two innings, then held down the Chicago Cubs' dangerous lineup. Lincecum increased his National League-leading strikeout total to 122 with eight Ks in six innings and also singled in a run and scored, helping the San Francisco Giants salvage a four-game split with an 8-3 win over the Cubs on Thursday.

Maybe Matt den Dekker can ask his new USA National teammate Tommy Mendonca exactly how they did it.

In a season unlike any other individual has had in Florida State baseball history, junior catcher Buster Posey...

LSU associate athletics director Eddie Nunez said recent rain showers have not affected progress on the new Alex...

Blake Smith was the lone offensive producer for the Cal baseball team in its short 2008 NCAA regional...

Georgia baseball coach David Perno earned a raise and a five-year contract after leading the Bulldogs to the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship and a runner-up finish in the College World Series. Georgia athletic director Damon Evans announced the five-year, $2.25 million deal Wednesday after Perno coached the Bulldogs to their third College World Series appearance in the last...

Iowa baseball players Caleb Curry and Justin Toole were two of the few bright spots for a team that struggled to...

Caleb Curry is living the dream these days. Just last month, he was finishing up his senior season at Iowa,...

It has only been a matter of weeks since the Arizona baseball team's season came to an end in Coral Gables, Fla.

A historically offensive-minded team will need to switch gears and rely on its defense to compete in the Western...

By PA SportsTicker

Nick Rimando stopped Brian Mullan's shot from inside the penalty box in the 84th minute, preserving Real Salt Lake's 0-0 tie with the Houston Dynamo on Thursday night. Rimondo had three saes for his fifth shoutout of the season to help Salt Lake (5-6-5) finish with its third scoreless tie in its last four home games.

The New England Revolution are atop the MLS standings even though they've been without their best offensive weapon for much of the season. Now that Taylor Twellman is working his way back onto the pitch, New England doesn't figure to easily give up its lead. With Twellman likely to make his first league start of the season Friday, the Revs look for their fifth consecutive win over the Los Angeles...

With his club at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Kansas City Wizards coach Curt Onalfo will take any win he can get. The same goes for FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman, who's still looking for his first victory since taking over the club two weeks ago. After a lucky break helped them snap a seven-game winless streak, Onalfo's Wizards look to win back-to-back matches for the first time since...

With their winless streak at four games, the Colorado Rapids should be very happy for the arrival of the Fourth of July. Colorado looks to continue its dominating Independence Day play when it faces the New York Red Bulls at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Friday. The Rapids (5-8-1) have hosted an MLS game on every July 4 since the league began play in 1996.

Real Salt Lake waived midfielder Matias Cordoba on Wednesday.

www.mlsnet.com

The Houston Dynamo didn't panic during their six-game winless start. It's safe to say the club has found its recent struggles more troubling. The Dynamo go for their first win in four matches on Thursday night when they visit Real Salt Lake in a matchup of teams tied for second place in the Western Conference.

China have not renewed coach Vladimir Petrovic's contract after their failure in 2010 World Cup qualifying, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Friday.

Barcelona finished last season with a profit for the fifth consecutive year, despite failing to win any silverware, the club announced Friday.

Newcastle United dismissed reports in the British press that owner Mike Ashley had put a price tag of 420 million pounds (840 million dollars) on the English Premier League club during talks with US investors over a possible sale.

Newcastle has described claims that Mike Ashley has put a price-tag of $830 million on the club as "absolute nonsense."

Spain's football federation (RFEF) have had talks with former Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque in their search for a successor to Luis Aragones as national coach of the European champions.

Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Michael Rensing admits he will be glad to finally step out of Oliver Kahn's shadow after five years on the sidelines as he targets a place in the Germany team.

Former Liverpool star Harry Kewell has passed up the opportunity to play for Australia at the Beijing Olympics to pursue a club career with Turkey's Galatasaray.

Danica Patrick described it as a ``carnagefest,'' and it fit.

March 29 -- GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300, Homestead, Fla. (Scott Dixon)

Brazil's Tony Kanaan posted his first IndyCar Series victory of the season by capturing the SunTrust Indy Challenge at the Richmond International Raceway on Saturday.

Danica Patrick started Saturday night's IndyCar Series race in the 14th spot ad had attrition and probably patience to thank for her sixth-place finish on a night that left many of her competitors' cars in pieces.

One week removed from a crash while leading, Tony Kanaan didn't let himself believe he would win a race he dominated until he took the checkered flag Saturday night.

The way Tony Kanaan saw it, it was his good fortune to be the last of the Andretti Green racers to qualify for the SunTrust Indy Challenge on Friday night.

Danica Patrick described it as a ``carnagefest,'' and it fit.

March 29 -- GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300, Homestead, Fla. (Scott Dixon)

Brazil's Tony Kanaan posted his first IndyCar Series victory of the season by capturing the SunTrust Indy Challenge at the Richmond International Raceway on Saturday.

Danica Patrick started Saturday night's IndyCar Series race in the 14th spot ad had attrition and probably patience to thank for her sixth-place finish on a night that left many of her competitors' cars in pieces.

One week removed from a crash while leading, Tony Kanaan didn't let himself believe he would win a race he dominated until he took the checkered flag Saturday night.

The way Tony Kanaan saw it, it was his good fortune to be the last of the Andretti Green racers to qualify for the SunTrust Indy Challenge on Friday night.

By Ian Parkes Special to PA SportsTicker

The Australian Grand Prix will remain at Albert Park until at least 2015, with the race due to become a twilight fixture.

Scott Pruett beat Alex Gurney by 0.081 seconds Thursday night in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway, the closest finish in the history of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. It was the fifth victory of the year for Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley.

Martin Truex Jr., vying to get into NASCAR's Chase for the championship, started the weekend with a significant setback.

Troy Aikman. Terry Bradshaw. Tim Brown. Julius Erving. Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Jim Kelly. Mark Rypien. Roger Staubach.

Dario Franchitti isn't sure what his future holds, but the former open-wheel star said Wednesday he'd like to remain in NASCAR.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. will use Aric Almirola full-time next season in a promotion that will free Mark Martin to move to Hendrick Motorsports next season.

The most dominant siblings in professional tennis are back in the Wimbledon final, reviving a rivalry that has been absent from the All England Club since Serena Williams beat older sister Venus in 2003. "It's definitely been a while," Serena said. "We've been on the same side of the draw a few times.

Roger Federer is back to his old self on the Wimbledon grass, and Rafael Nadal is moving ever closer to a new level of success at the All England Club. The top two players in men's tennis are on course to meet in their third straight Wimbledon final, but both have to get through the semifinals first.

Rainer Schuettler was simply happy to have reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time. Worrying about how to recover from a two-day match in time to face Rafael Nadal could come later. Schuettler finished off his quarterfinal victory over Arnaud Clement 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (7), 8-6 on Thursday, 23 1/2 hours after the pair first walked onto Court 1.

Bob and Mike Bryan never lost serve once during the Wimbledon doubles tournament, and yet they won't win the title. The top-ranked twins from the United States lost 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) in the semifinals Thursday to Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe. The Bryans were trying to reach a fourth consecutive men's doubles final at the All England Club.

Less than two months after her sudden retirement, Justine Henin isn't completely ruling out a return to tennis. "I can never say for sure that I'll never be back because I hate to say never," Henin said. "But for me, and the people who know me, they know that when I do something, I do it 200 percent -- and when I decide it's over, it's over and I go to the next step." The 26-year-old Belgian...