Favorites and stunners open up the NCAA football season

Christion Jones leads No. 1 Bama past VaTech 35-10

With everyone focused on a three-peat, Nick Saban reminded his Alabama players of someone who did it twice - Michael Jordan. If they're going to follow MJ's lead, they'll need to play with a lot more passion than they showed in the season opener. Better get to it. Next up, it's Johnny Football. Christion Jones became the first Alabama player since at least the 1940s to have two returns for touchdowns, Vinnie Sunseri brought back an interception for another TD, and the top-ranked Crimson Tide overcame a rather dismal offensive performance to beat Virginia Tech 35-10 on Saturday night.

Eastern Washington upsets No. 25 Oregon State 49-46

Vernon Adams passed for 411 yards and ran for 107 and the go-ahead score with 18 seconds left as Eastern Washington upset No. 25 Oregon State 49-46 on Saturday to become the third FCS team to beat a ranked FBS team. Adams overwhelmed the Beavers in a performance in sure to attract attention around the nation. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for two, completing 23 of 30 passes despite leaving the game twice - once with cramping and a second time after taking a hard hit near the sideline. Adams returned, though, and scored on a 2-yard run to put the Eagles up 49-46. It was the first time a team from the Football Championship Subdivision has defeated a ranked team from the Football Bowl Subdivision since James Madison beat Virginia Tech in September 2010.

Kelly signs 5-year contract at Notre Dame and then goes out and rips Temple

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has been rewarded for getting the Fighting Irish to the national championship game in January with a new five-year deal. Kelly said the contract signifies to him that he and the university officials are ''all in it together.'' ''So when we come to an agreement, it's not necessarily that within it that I get a lunch stipend on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's about that we're all together in this contract about moving the program forward. We decided by signing this contract, we're all in this together. That's what I was looking for,'' he said. The university has made a number of changes in the program since he became coach, including instituting a training table to make sure players are getting proper nutrition and changing some longstanding pregame routine, such as moving the pregame Mass from Saturday to Friday. He also talked Thursday about how he will be involved in the conversation when players are facing potential disciplinary action, something former past coaches have complained about. The contract announcement came on a day when Notre Dame beat Temple 28-6, giving Kelly 200 career wins. Kelly had said four weeks ago that a new deal was ''imminent.'' Swarbrick had announced in January after Kelly led the Irish to a 12-0 record and the national championship game against Alabama that the school was working on a contract extension. Kelly interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles job the day after the BCS game in January.

No. 3 Oregon handles Nicholls 66-3 in opener

Marcus Mariota only had his game ball for a few moments. The quarterback for the third-ranked Oregon Ducks threw for a touchdown and ran for two more in a 66-3 rout of lower-tier Nicholls on Saturday, earning the postgame honor. But he quickly gave the ball away to someone he said was its rightful recipient - new coach Mark Helfrich. Helfrich, the team's former offensive coordinator, was promoted when Chip Kelly left the Ducks in January for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. ''It was his first career victory. That's something pretty special,'' Mariota said. ''It wasn't just me. A lot of the guys thought about doing it. We wanted to give something to coach Helfrich because he earned it.''

Freshman QB Christian Hackenberg, Penn State beat Syracuse 23-17

Christian Hackenberg knew about two weeks ago he was going to start his first college football game for Penn State. Most everybody else found out Saturday, when the 18-year-old freshman quarterback led the Nittany Lions on to the field at MetLife Stadium. Just a few months removed from playing high school baseball in Virginia, he confessed to a few nerves. ''After the first snap, it's football,'' he said. The kid did OK. Hackenberg threw for 278 yards and two touchdown passes and led Penn State to 23-17 victory against Syracuse. He went 22 for 31 and threw two interceptions as the second freshman to start a Penn State opener at quarterback since 1910.

Northern Illinois stuns Iowa 30-27

Mathew Sims hit a 36-yard field goal with four seconds left and Northern Illinois rallied to beat Iowa 30-27 on Saturday in the season opener for both teams. Jordan Lynch threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns for the Huskies, who scored 10 points in the final 5:05 to record their first win over the Hawkeyes. Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward intercepted Iowa's Jake Rudock with 1:17 left. He brought it to the Hawkeyes 30-yard line, setting up the game-winning kick from Sims. Rudock threw for 256 yards, a touchdown and two picks in his debut for Iowa, which lost its seventh straight game dating back to last season. The Hawkeyes also lost their first opener since 2000. For most of the afternoon, the Hawkeyes did a decent job containing the explosive Lynch - who last season became the first Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,500.

Pirates beat Cardinals 7-1 to take NL Central lead

Pittsburgh Pirates' Russell Martin (55) celebrates with Pittsburgh Pirates

starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (34) after hitting a three-run home run off

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (31) during the third

inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013.

The latest addition by the suddenly splurging Pittsburgh Pirates hustled into the dugout in the sixth inning on Saturday night eager to step into the batter's box against St. Louis if necessary. Take a breath, Justin Morneau. The Pirates - and the pennant race - aren't going anywhere. A.J. Burnett scattered four hits over seven innings, Russell Martin hit a three-run homer and the Pirates beat the Cardinals 7-1 on Saturday night to regain sole possession of the NL Central lead. Neil Walker added three hits for the Pirates, who improved to 79-56 and moved within three victories of their first winning season since 1992. And there's still a month left. ''It's a great feat,'' Burnett said. ''It's been a long time, but our goals have been higher than that.'' Burnett (7-9) gave up one run while striking out six and walking one. He received plenty of help only hours after the Pirates acquired Morneau from the Minnesota Twins, hoping the 2006 AL MVP can give a middling offense a jolt heading into the stretch drive. Morneau didn't waste time getting to Pittsburgh. He left Texas - where the Twins were playing the Rangers - in the middle of the afternoon, arrived at the airport just before 8 p.m. and was in uniform trading jokes with his new teammates moments after pulling on a black-and-gold jersey. ''You try to get here as quick as you can because you want to be a part of this,'' Morneau said. The 32-year-old first baseman will have to wait until Sunday to get his first major league at-bat for someone other than Minnesota. By the time he was inside PNC Park, the Pirates had things well in hand. Martin keyed a five-run second with his drive off Lance Lynn (13-9), who has a 7.66 ERA in his last four starts. ''It just (ticks) you off and that's where I'm at,'' Lynn said. ''I'm not happy with the way I'm throwing the ball, but I'm going to fix it and I'm looking forward to the next month because it's going to be better.'' It might have to be if St. Louis wants to keep pace with Pittsburgh. The trade for Morneau marked the second big move by the Pirates in five days as they try to beat out the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds in baseball's tightest division race. Pittsburgh brought in Marlon Byrd and John Buck from the New York Mets on Tuesday. Asked if he was encouraged by the way the Pirates' notoriously thrifty front office opened the checkbook to bring in three proven veterans, Burnett couldn't fight back a smile. ''That's what they're supposed to do,'' he said. Pittsburgh ranks 10th in the NL in runs scored, one of the main reasons general manager Neal Huntington aggressively pursued Morneau. But the Pirates are averaging 5.2 runs per game during their current six-game homestand and Morneau's arrival gives MVP contender Andrew McCutchen and slugging third baseman Pedro Alvarez some much-needed protection. ''Everybody knows we got better with the addition of Justin,'' Martin said. ''He's an ex-MVP. He knows what he's doing out there. He's going to give you a productive at-bat and he lengthens the middle of the order.'' For a night, however, it wasn't McCutchen, Alvarez or Morneau but role players who provided the pop as the Pirates clinched the season series over St. Louis. Burnett got Pittsburgh started with an RBI single in the second, and Jose Tabata followed with one of his own to stake the Pirates to a 2-0 lead. It could have been worse after Lynn loaded the bases before striking out McCutchen to get out of the jam. Lynn wasn't so fortunate one inning later. Alvarez led off with a double, Byrd singled him home and Garrett Jones walked. Martin stepped in and sent a fastball into the front row of seats in right-center for his second homer in two nights to give Pittsburgh a 6-1 lead. Walker added an RBI triple later in the inning. While Lynn managed to stay in the game, he left after four innings following a miserable start in which he gave up seven runs on 10 hits with three walks and four strikeouts. His ERA rose to 4.29. The deficit proved far too large for a suddenly reeling offense. The Cardinals lead the NL in batting average and runs but have scored just once in their last three games. ''We've had a few balls hit hard, but not a lot,'' manager Mike Matheny said. ''I like what our offense has done over the majority of the season. You don't want to take a couple of games and start making conclusions. We're just going to keep going about it.'' Burnett's control had something to do with it in front of the second-largest crowd in the 12-year history of PNC Park. Working both sides of the plate effectively, Burnett assured Pittsburgh heads into the final month of a remarkable season in first place for the first time since it won the NL East in 1992.

Manziel throws 3 TDs to lead A&M over Rice 52-31

Johnny Manziel's day began late because of the NCAA and ended early because of his mouth. In between he looked like Johnny Football at his best. After serving his first-half suspension, the Heisman Trophy winner threw three TD passes, scrambled for 19 yards - and, well, acted up - while No. 7 Texas A&M rolled over Rice, 52-31 , on Saturday. Manziel was sitting out because of what the school called an ''inadvertent'' violation of NCAA rules involving signing autographs. His first touchdown came on a 23-yard pass to Mike Evans on A&M's second drive of the half. But just before that, Manziel got into it with a Rice defender, appearing to mimic signing an autograph while getting up from a tackle. Coach Kevin Sumlin said he didn't see that exchange, but would have ''done something about it'' if he did. Manziel ended his day by getting yanked following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pointing at the scoreboard after a TD pass in the fourth quarter. ''A foolish penalty at the end,'' Sumlin said. ''No matter what the comments are or what. He's going to face that every week with the people chirping. That's not OK, and obviously I addressed that on the sideline right after the play. That's something he's going to have to deal with every week.'' Manziel, who was replaced by starting Matt Joeckel on A&M's last drive, wasn't made available to the media after the game. He did address his teammates on Friday night and discussed, according to Sumlin, the ''mistakes he's made.'' The meeting was a condition for reinstatement. ''Maybe actions you think just hurt you end up hurting the whole football team,'' Sumlin said. ''That was the real gist of his message to the team, that everybody's individual acts affect the team and when that happens it's not good.'' Manziel had been investigated for allegedly accepting money for autographs from memorabilia brokers, a violation of NCAA rules that could have led to a much longer suspension. Instead, Manziel only had to sit out the first two quarters to start a season that followed a very special one: He became the first freshman to win the Heisman, set numerous school and Southeastern Conference records and led the Aggies to an 11-2 mark and a victory over No. 1 Alabama. As for the opener, Joeckel threw for 190 yards and a touchdown to help the Aggies to a 28-21 lead at halftime. Manziel came in on Texas A&M's first offensive series of the second half. He scrambled for 12 and 7 yards, threw an incompletion and then was sacked and the Aggies capped his first drive with a 44-yard field goal. Manziel extended A&M's lead to 38-21 with the touchdown pass to Evans. Ben Malena grabbed an 18-yard pass from Manziel early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 45-28. Rice failed to convert on fourth down on its next drive and Manziel took advantage of the short field two plays later when he hit a wide-open Evans in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. Then he got a flag. Asked afterward if he was ready to pull Manziel before the penalty, Sumlin said: ''Nope.'' Offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi, for one, didn't have a problem with Manziel's antics. ''That's how he is. He's a fiery guy and that's what we love about him,'' he said. ''He's not quiet. He's not shy. He's going to be loud and aggressive and that's what makes him Johnny Football. So we love it.'' For Rice, Taylor McHargue threw for 180 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and Charles Ross had 107 yards rushing with two scores for the Owls. Ross got Rice within 10 points with a 1-yard run seconds into the fourth quarter. ''I thought we played well,'' Rice coach David Bailiff said. ''We are going to be a good Conference USA team. Our goals are still intact.'' The Aggies struggled early in the first half, possibly due to the suspensions of five defensive starters: cornerbacks Deshazor Everett and De'Vante Harris, tackle Kirby Ennis, end Gavin Stansbury and linebacker Steven Jenkins. Backup safety Floyd Raven also was suspended. The two-game penalties for Harris, Stansbury, Jenkins and receiver Edward Pope were announced just minutes before kickoff, meaning their first game action will be against top-ranked Alabama on Sept. 14. Everett's suspension was for a half. He started on defense after the break but was ejected in the fourth quarter for targeting. The Aggies wore helmet stickers to remember defensive lineman Polo Manukainiu, who was killed in a New Mexico car crash along with two others late last month. The sticker is black and white and features his No. 90 with designs in the number that were inspired by his Tongan heritage. The Aggies relied on the running game in the second quarter to complete a touchdown drive with a 1-yard run by Carson to even the score. Malena had 82 yards rushing with a touchdown and a touchdown catch. Tra Carson added 76 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Aggies. A&M's first lead came on a 71-yard catch and run by freshman Ricky Seals-Jones that made it 21-14. Carson pushed the lead to 28-14 with his second score on a two-yard run. Rice led 7-0 after a 1-yard run by Ross. With Manziel watching from the sidelines sporting a visor, A&M evened it up when Ben Malena scored on a 4-yard run, but the Owls took a 14-7 lead when McHargue found Charles Ross on a 19-yard touchdown pass with seven minutes left in the first quarter.

Tebow cut by Patriots, plans to keep playing

A Heisman Trophy, a riveting playoff game, an international following. Tim Tebow won all that in his football career. On Saturday, he lost his third NFL job in 18 months. It might be hard to find another. The quarterback with two big problems - throwing the ball and reading defenses - was cut by the New England Patriots less than 12 weeks after they signed him and just five days before the season. But, as Tebow sees it, this long journey is not over. ''I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback,'' he tweeted. Coach Bill Belichick gave the player whose profile was higher than his production what may have been his last chance when he signed him June 11, the day the Patriots' three-day minicamp began. And Tebow is grateful. He thanked Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and owner Robert Kraft, who said last Tuesday he was ''rooting'' for Tebow but would let Belichick make the decision. In his tweet, Tebow thanked the ''entire Patriots organization for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a classy organization.'' The Patriots cut 12 other players and put safety Adrian Wilson on injured reserve. That left them with 51 players, two below the regular-season limit they had to reach by 6 p.m. EDT. Belichick didn't comment on Tebow's release. But NFL.com analyst and former NFL executive Gil Brandt wasn't surprised. ''He has had a great career and I think it's probably time for him to admit that he just wasn't right up to NFL standards,'' Brandt said. ''I'm sure that whatever he does in life he'll be a huge success. Tebow was surely that at Florida, where he won the Heisman and two national championships while surrounded by talented teammates. He was a success with Denver, for one season, when he went 7-1 in his first eight starts in 2011 then threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime to give the Broncos a 29-23 playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow knelt on one knee - an expression of faith known as Tebowing - in the end zone. But then a career of accomplishment descended into adversity. Tebow led the Broncos into Foxborough the next weekend and lost 45-10 while completing barely a third of his passes. He was traded to the New York Jets the following March and languished on the bench while coach Rex Ryan ignored fans' calls for Tebow to replace a struggling Mark Sanchez. Tebow threw just eight passes, ran only 32 times and was cut last April 29. For six weeks no team wanted him until the Patriots signed him to a low-risk, two-year contract with no guaranteed money. One person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that Tebow would make the veteran's minimum salary, $630,000 in 2013, with incentives. At least he wouldn't be in the center ring of a media circus that surrounded him in New York, not with Belichick's tight rein on players' interactions with reporters. If anyone could turn him into a good NFL quarterback, it seemed, it would be Belichick. And McDaniels was a booster of Tebow, drafting him in the first round in 2010 as Denver's head coach. There even was speculation that Belichick might find other positions for the mobile Tebow to play, but he worked out only with the quarterbacks. And his passes still bounced at receivers' feet and flew over their heads. ''We see things like the pass that he threw in overtime to Thomas,'' Brandt said. ''I think we see that every once in a while. It really gets us excited about the guy. ''I don't know if he's ever going to be a quarterback, and the reasons that I say that is that I think it's very, very hard with somebody that doesn't have real good accuracy (and) I don't know if he has a real good feel for the game.'' Now, barely two weeks after his 26th birthday, Tebow's NFL career may be over. ''I can't predict that,'' said John Fox, who took over as Denver's coach in 2011 and traded him after the season. ''I wish nothing but the best for him, as I've said many times. He did a lot of good things for us, was great to this organization and to this coaching staff, myself included.'' The Patriots have carried just two quarterbacks in three of the past four seasons. So with Ryan Mallett entrenched as the backup to Tom Brady, Tebow's challenge was a difficult one, even before the preseason started. Then he posted a quarterback rating of just 47.2 with two touchdown passes, two interceptions and seven sacks in three exhibition games. Tebow's last play with the Patriots, and perhaps in the NFL, was a 9-yard touchdown to rookie free agent Quentin Sims with six seconds left in a 28-20 win over the New York Giants on Thursday night. With two scoring passes, it was the best of Tebow's three games during a shaky preseason in which he completed 11 of 30 passes for 145 yards and ran 16 times for 91 yards. ''It's not just one game (that matters),'' Belichick said Friday about the player evaluation process, ''although every game is important. But the body of work, the camp, the rate of improvement, the ability to do the things that players are going to be asked to do at their respective positions (also matter).'' After his last game, Tebow said he wasn't sure it would be enough to keep him on the team. But he didn't plan to worry. He would ''go to sleep when I get home, wake up, come work out, watch the film,'' Tebow said. ''See what I did good, see what I did bad, try to learn from it and get better.''

Pirates trade for long time Twin Justin Morneau

The Pittsburgh Pirates are all-in as they chase the franchise's first playoff appearance in 21 years. Pittsburgh traded for longtime Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau on Saturday, hoping the four-time All Star can give the Pirates' middling offense a jolt heading into the final month of the season. ''We felt that this move gives us a better chance to play in October, a better chance to win the division, a better chance to advance in October,'' Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. The Twins obtained outfielder Alex Presley and either a player to be named or cash in Pittsburgh's second major move in a week. The Pirates sent a pair of minor leaguers to the New York Mets on Tuesday in exchange for outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck. ''We've got more depth, we've got more options than we had four days ago,'' Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. ''We're a better team. We're a stronger team.'' Pittsburgh entered Saturday tied with St. Louis atop the NL Central with 29 games remaining. The Pirates have been in contention all season thanks in large part to a pitching staff currently second in the majors with a 3.17 ERA. Morneau's presence could have an immediate impact on an offense that ranks 10th in the NL in runs. The 32-year-old Morneau hit .259 with 17 homers and 74 RBIs this season for Minnesota and is finishing off a red-hot month in which he smacked nine home runs. ''I think he's found some ways to spark some things offensively in the second half,'' Hurdle said. The Pirates will pick up the remaining portion of Morneau's $14 million salary, estimated at around $2 million. It's not an insignificant investment for an ownership group that has sometimes shied away from paying the tab for proven players. Yet with Pittsburgh on the cusp of its first winning season since 1992, Huntington worked aggressively after the non-waiver trade deadline to give the Pirates the pieces they need to remain in a tight three-team divisional race with St. Louis and Cincinnati. ''We made Clint's job a little bit easier,'' Huntington said. ''He's got a number of weapons at his disposal now.'' While Huntington believes he'll be ''mocked'' for thinking the Pirates are true World Series contenders, he and Hurdle made a compelling case to Morneau, who had to OK the trade that ends a sometimes spectacular 11 seasons in Minnesota. Morneau won the 2006 AL MVP award and was one of the best hitters in the game until a concussion knocked him out of action in 2010. Still, he remained one of the cornerstones of the Twins' clubhouse. His departure is another emotional low point in a disappointing season. ''I have great respect for Morny,'' Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. ''He was our leader. He set the table. If there was something that needed to be said, he stepped up.'' While Morneau's numbers have tailed off the last three years, his power should play better at PNC Park compared to cavernous Target Field. It's just 320 feet from home plate to the right-field wall at PNC, an inviting target for left-handed sluggers. The Pirates had Morneau's No. 36 jersey ready minutes after the trade was announced and Hurdle held out hope Morneau would make it to the clubhouse in time for Saturday night's game against the Cardinals. Whenever Morneau arrives, he'll give a club reaching heights not seen in a generation another proven bat and more than an ounce of legitimacy. And he'll do it while taking away at-bats from longtime friend Garrett Jones. Jones has spent most of the season platooning with Gaby Sanchez at first and broke out of a lengthy slump by going 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs in Pittsburgh's 5-0 win over the Cardinals on Friday. Now he'll likely be moved to the bench or spot duty in the outfield. Playing behind Morneau is nothing new for Jones. He was a prospect in Minnesota's farm system for years but couldn't break into the majors on a regular basis with Morneau entrenched at first. Jones called Morneau ''a friend'' and understands why the Pirates pursued him. Until Friday, Jones was hitting just .119 in August. ''When we're winning and we know we can get a good player, sometimes you've got to suck it up and know what's best for the team,'' Jones said. ''Hopefully I can still continue to get in there and play and contribute.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - AUGUST 31ST

1881 - First US men's single tennis championships (Newport, RI).
1894 - Phillies Billy Hamilton steals 7 bases.

1909 - A J Reach Co patents cork-centered baseball.

1915 - Chicago White Sox Jimmy Lavender no-hits NY Giants, 2-0.
1918 - Boston Red Sox, win earliest AL pennent ever (season ended Sept 2).
1934 - First NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Chicago Bears 0, All-Stars 0 (79,432).

1935 - Frank Robinson, baseball player/manager (MVP 1961-NL 1966-AL) is born.
1935 - Chicago White Sox Vern Kennedy no-hits Cleveland Indians, 5-0.

1947 - NY Giants set season record for HRs by a club 183 (en route to 221).
1950 - Dodger Gil Hodges hits 4 HRs & a single in a game vs Braves.

1969 - Rocky Marciano, former Heavyweight champ, dies in a plane crash at 45.

1972 - Olga Korbut, USSR, wins olympic gold medal in gymnastics.
1973 - First Heavyweight championship fight in Japan (Foreman beats Roman).

1979 - 16 yr old Tracy Austin defeats 14 yr old Andrea Jaeger at US Open.

1985 - Angel Cordero becomes 3rd jockey to ride horses earning over $100 M.
1987 - Curtis Strange sets golf's earning for year record ($697,385).

1990 - Nat (Sweetwater) Clifton, NY Knick, dies at 65 of a heart attack.

1991 - Houston QB David Klingler sets NCAA record with 6 touchdown passes 

in the 2nd quarter as the Cougars clobbered Louisiana Tech 73-3.

1997 - Don Mattingly's #23 is retired by NY Yankees.

2006 - Tom Delaney, British racing driver (b. 1911) dies.

Chicago Bears cut 17 players, still have five to go

J'Marcus Webb was released by the Bears after starting 44 regular-season games over the past three years.

J'Marcus Webb was released by the Bears after starting 44 regular-season games over the past three years.

The Bears on Friday reduced their roster to 58 by releasing 17 players including tackle J'Marcus Webb, running back Armando Allen and quarterbacks Jordan Palmer and Trent Edwards. The Bears must trim five more players to reach the NFL's mandatory 53-man roster deadline by 5 p.m. Saturday. Other players released Friday were receivers Brittan Golden and Josh Lenz, center/guard Edwin Williams, guard Derek Dennis, tight end Fendi Onobun, running back Harvey Unga, defensive ends Aston Whiteside and Josh Williams, defensive tackle Christian Tupou, linebacker Jerry Franklin, safety Tom Nelson cornerback Demontre Hurst and long-snapper Brandon Hartson. Webb appeared in 46 games with 44 starts in three seasons with the Bears after arriving in 2010 as a seventh-round draft pick from West Texas A&M. The 6-7, 333-pounder started the final 12 games of his rookie year at right tackle, helping the Bears win the NFC North title and advance to the NFC Championship Game. Webb then moved to left tackle, where he started all 16 games each of the past two seasons. After the Bears signed Pro Bowl left tackle Jermon Bushrod in free agency in March, Webb was shifted back to right tackle. He worked with the starting unit throughout the offseason before being supplanted by rookie fifth-round pick Jordan Mills early in training camp. Allen lost a battle with undrafted rookie Michael Ford for the third running back position behind Matt Forte and Michael Bush. Allen appeared in 15 games for the Bears last season, rushing for 124 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries and recording seven special-teams tackles. With the Bears opting to keep only two quarterbacks in Jay Cutler and Josh McCown, Palmer failed to earn a roster spot after an impressive performance in Thursday night's preseason finale. Playing the first half in an 18-16 loss to the Browns, the five-year veteran completed 11 of 17 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown and a 102.8 passer rating.

Phillies rally for 6-5 victory over Cubs in Ryne Sandberg's return to Wrigley Field

Roy Halladay had trouble gripping the ball in the steamy conditions, Domonic Brown's sore right heel started to bother him again and the Philadelphia Phillies just kept plugging away. It turned into the perfect homecoming for Ryne Sandberg. Michael Young had four hits, including a tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth inning, and the Phillies rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday in Sandberg's return to Wrigley Field. ''It's a good one to get. Sure, down 5-0 out of the chute,'' Sandberg said. ''The guys battled back. Good energy after that. Anytime you rally to come back like that it goes well with the guys. But yeah, extra special.'' Kevin Frandsen had two hits and scored two runs after entering in the sixth, helping Philadelphia bounce back from Thursday's 11-3 loss to the New York Mets. Chase Utley added a key two-run triple. The Phillies improved to 9-6 since Sandberg was promoted to interim manager when Charlie Manuel was fired on Aug. 16. The Hall of Fame second baseman spent most of his playing career with the Cubs and was cheered all day long in his first trip to Chicago since he was elevated to the top spot in Philadelphia. ''The four hits from Young and the home run from Frandsen, I had some flashbacks,'' Sandberg cracked. Anthony Rizzo and Nate Schierholtz homered for the Cubs, who went 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Starlin Castro had two doubles and two RBIs in Chicago's fourth loss in five games. ''We can't get a big hit to seal the deal,'' manager Dale Sveum said. ''To add on runs is what you preach. We just couldn't add on.'' Roger Bernadina used his speed to set up Young's winning hit. He was hit by a pitch from Kevin Gregg (2-4) with one out, swiped second and raced home when Young's blooper landed in front of Schierholtz in right field. ''Fortunately it found a patch of grass out there,'' Young said. ''I've faced him a lot over the years and he's got good stuff. The only thing I was really trying to do was keep my approach relatively simple.'' B.J. Rosenberg (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win and Jonathan Papelbon got three outs for his 23rd save. Utley made a great diving stop and throw on Schierholtz's grounder to second to end the game. The victory wiped away some of the sting of Brown's nagging foot problem. The All-Star, who just returned to the lineup Thursday, was lifted in the sixth due to a sore right Achilles and is day to day. The Cubs built a 5-0 lead against a struggling Halladay, but Jeff Samardzija was unable to hold on for his third consecutive victory. Philadelphia scored four times in the sixth after Frandsen's sinking liner got past diving center fielder Junior Lake for a pinch-hit triple. Samardzija finally got out of the inning when Darin Ruf grounded into a double play, but Frandsen lined an 0-1 pitch into the bleachers in left with two out in the seventh, tying it at 5. ''It got away from me a little bit, a couple of hits,'' Samardzija said. James Russell came on with two on and two out and got Utley to fly out to left, closing Samardzija's line. He gave up eight hits and walked two in his worst start since he lasted just 3 1-3 innings in a 12-1 loss at Philadelphia on Aug. 8. Chicago had a chance to go back in front in the bottom half, but Dioner Navarro was thrown out when he tried to score from second on Darnell McDonald's pinch-hit single. John Mayberry's throw from right field bounced a couple times and still beat the lumbering catcher to the plate, drawing groans from the crowd of 27,753. ''We can't catch a break today,'' Navarro said. Halladay made his second start since he had right shoulder surgery in May. The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched six effective innings in a 9-5 victory over Arizona on Sunday, but he struggled right from the beginning against the Cubs. Halladay said he had trouble holding onto the ball due to the muggy day in Chicago. The gametime temperature was 91 degrees. ''After about the fourth inning, you would try to dry it off and it would come right back and would just drip right off,'' he said. ''After that point, it was just kind of hard to hold on to it.'' Rizzo connected for his 21st homer in the first inning, and Halladay hit consecutive batters in the second. He threw a ball behind Lake during Chicago's three-run fourth, drawing a stare from the rookie outfielder. The right-hander allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings while throwing only 77 pitches. ''I had more of an issue holding on to the ball late in the game than anything,'' he said. ''My arm felt good, shoulder felt good, nothing different there.''

NBA's Lamar Odom arrested for DUI in Los Angeles

Basketball star Lamar Odom was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Friday after a California Highway Patrol officer saw his white Mercedes-Benz traveling erratically on a San Fernando Valley Freeway. The husband of reality TV star Khloe Kardashian was stopped shortly before 4 a.m. and was arrested after a field sobriety test. The CHP said Odom's car was observed traveling in a ''serpentine manner'' before he pulled off the freeway. ''Mr. Odom showed objective signs of intoxication and was unable to perform field sobriety tests,'' the CHP said in a report. Authorities said he later declined to take a chemical test. Odom, 33, was booked for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and jailed on $15,000 bail. He was released Friday morning after posting bail. A message for his agent, Jeff Schwartz, wasn't immediately returned. The 6-foot-10-inch forward has played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. Odom broke into the NBA with the Clippers in 1999, playing for them for four seasons before spending the 2003-04 season with the Heat. He had his best years during his six seasons with the Lakers, beginning in 2004-05. The team won NBA championships in 2010 and 2011 and Odom won the NBA's sixth man award in 2011. After spending the 2012 season with the Dallas Mavericks, he returned to the Clippers last year. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - AUGUST 30TH

1884 - Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey wins Middleweight title in 1st fight with boxing gloves.

1905 - Tiger Ty Cobb makes his debut, doubling off Yank Jack Chesbro.
1912 - St Louis Brown Earl Hamilton no-hits Detroit Tigers, 5-1.
1913 - Phillies lead Giants 8-6 in top of 9th, fans in bleachers try to 

distract Giants, Umpire forefeits game to Giants, later overruled.

1918 - Ted Williams, American baseball player, last player in MLB to bat over 

.400 in a single season (Red Sox, AL MVP '46, '49; Trip Crown '42, '47) is born.
1922 - Babe Ruth is thrown out of a game for 5th time in 1922.

1937 - Joe Louis beats Tommy Farr in 15 for Heavyweight boxing title.

1937 - Bruce McLaren, New Zealand car racer and founder 

of eponymous race team (d. 1970) is born.

1939 - NY Yankee Atley Donald pitches a baseball a record 94.7 mph (152 kph).
1941 - St Louis Cardinals Lon Warneke no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 2-0.

1943 - Jean Claude Killy, Paris France, alpine skier (Olympic-3 golds-1968) is born.
1944 - Tug McGraw, American baseball player (d. 2004) is born.

1952 - Arky Vaughn, infielder (Pirates & Dodgers), drowns.

1953 - Robert Parish, NBA center (Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets) is born.

1965 - Casey Stengel announces his retirement after 55 years in baseball.

1979 - Wildest US Tennis Open match, John McEnroe defeats Ilie Nastase 

6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Nastase was defaulted by the umpire then reinstated.

1987 - Knuckleballer Charlie Hough on the mound, Rangers catcher 

Geno Petralli ties the major league record by allowing 6 passed balls.
1990 - Ken Griffey & Ken Griffey Jr become first father & son to play 

on same team (Seattle Mariners), both single in 1st inning.

1994 - Largest US Tennis Open single session (total) 23,618.
1997 - First WNBA Championshion: Houston Comets beat NY Liberty.

NFL agrees to pay $765M to settle concussion suits

In this April 9, 2013, file photo, former NFL player Dorsey Levens, right, 

extends a hand as Mary Ann Easterling, the widow of former NFL player 

Ray Easterling, reacts as former NFL player Kevin Turner, left, looks on 

during a news conference in Philadelphia, after a hearing to determine 

whether the NFL faces years of litigation over concussion-related brain 

injuries. Judge Anita Brody has announced on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, 

that the NFL and more than 4,500 former players want to settle concussion-

related lawsuits for $765 million.

The NFL agreed to pay more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to settle lawsuits from thousands of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related health problems they say were caused by the very on-field violence that fueled the game's rise to popularity and profit. The settlement, unprecedented in sports, was announced Thursday after two months of court-ordered mediation and is subject to approval by a federal judge. It came exactly a week before the first game of the 2013 season, removing a major legal and financial threat hanging over the sport for two years. U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia is expected to rule on the settlement in two to three months but said it ''holds the prospect of avoiding lengthy, expensive and uncertain litigation, and of enhancing the game of football.'' More than 4,500 former players, some of them suffering from Alzheimer's disease or depression, accused the NFL of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions and rushing injured players back onto the field, while glorifying and profiting from the bone-crushing hits that were often glorified in slow motion on NFL Films. ''Football has been my life and football has been kind to me,'' said former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, one of at least 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who filed suit since 2011. ''But when I signed up for this, I didn't know some of the repercussions. I did know I could get injured, but I didn't know about my head or the trauma or the things that could happen to me later on in life.'' The settlement applies to all past NFL players and spouses of those who are deceased - a group that could total more than 20,000 - and will cost the league $765 million, the vast majority of which would go to compensate retirees with certain neurological ailments, plus plaintiffs' attorney fees, which could top $100 million. It sets aside $75 million for medical exams and $10 million for medical research. Individual payouts would be capped at $5 million for men with Alzheimer's disease; $4 million for those diagnosed after their deaths with a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy; and $3 million for players with dementia, said lead plaintiffs' lawyer Christopher Seeger. ''We got what we wanted, let's put it that way,'' said Seeger, who noted that settlement discussions began more than a year ago. The settlement does not include an admission from the NFL that it hid information from players about head injuries. Commissioner Roger Goodell told pro football's lawyers to ''do the right thing for the game and the men who played it,'' according to a statement by the league. Goodell was not made available for comment. The NFL takes in revenues of more than $9 billion a year, a figure that will rise when new TV contracts start in 2014. In addition to Dorsett, the plaintiffs include Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon, who suffers from dementia; former running back Kevin Turner, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease; and the family of All-Pro selection Junior Seau, who committed suicide last year. Turner, who played for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, predicted that most of his peers would support the settlement. ''Chances are ... I won't make it to 50 or 60,'' said Turner, now 44. ''I have money now to put back for my children to go to college and for a little something to be there financially.'' All former NFL players are eligible to seek care, screening or compensation, whether they suffered a documented concussion or not. The amounts they receive will be based on their age, condition and years of play. They do not need to prove that their health problems are connected to playing football. Players' lawyers said they expect the fund to cover the ex-athletes' expenses up to age 65. Current players are not covered and, therefore, theoretically could bring their own lawsuits at some point. ''All of those 'experts' said this would be a 10-year process, but I personally believe both sides did whatever they had to, to help retired players - and at the same time, to not change the game of football as we know it,'' said Craig Mitnick, one of the players' lawyers. If the settlement holds, the NFL won't have to disclose internal files that might reveal what it knew, and when, about concussion-linked brain problems. ''I think it's more important that the players have finality, that they're vindicated, and that as soon as the court approves the settlement they can begin to get screening, and those that are injured can get their compensation. I think that's more important than looking at some documents,'' said lawyer Sol Weiss of Philadelphia, who filed the first lawsuit on behalf of former Atlanta Falcon Ray Easterling and a few others. Easterling later committed suicide. Sports law experts had thought the lawsuits might cost the league $1 billion or more if they went to trial. The NFL had pushed for the claims to be heard in arbitration under terms of the players' labor contract. The league had also argued that individual teams bear the chief responsibility for health and safety under the collective bargaining agreement, along with the players' union and the players themselves. Dorsett said each day is getting harder for him, as he struggles with memory problems. ''It's frustrating. Frustrating. And to have a 10-year old daughter who says to her mother, 'Daddy can't do this because Daddy won't remember how to do it,' it's not a good feeling,'' he told The Associated Press. ''I'm glad to see there's been ... acknowledgment that football has had something to do with a lot of the issues us players are going through right now.'' In recent years, a string of former NFL players and other athletes who suffered concussions have been diagnosed after their deaths with CTE, including both Seau and Easterling. While some of those who sued suffered brain ailments, others were worried about future problems and wanted their health monitored. ''I'm relieved; I don't know about pleased. There are probably too many details to work through that we don't all understand yet, quite frankly. But I'm relieved that both sides came together to protect the game we all love and help the players of the past and tomorrow. And to especially help those who need help right now, who have cognitive issues and those whose quality of life has been taken away,'' said Mark Rypien, the MVP of the 1992 Super Bowl for the Washington Redskins. He has dealt with depression and memory problems. ''It's a good day, because we're getting help for those who need help,'' Rypien said, ''and a sad day, because we didn't get this done earlier to help guys in the past.'' Researchers at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, who have been examining brains of deceased NFL players, praised the $10 million set aside for research. The lawsuits, along with a growing awareness that concussions can have serious long-term effects, have already spurred research into better helmets and changed the way the game is played. Helmet maker Riddell, which was also sued, was not a party to the settlement. The company declined comment. The NFL has also instituted rule changes designed to eliminate hits to the head and neck, protect defenseless players, and prevent athletes who have had concussions from playing or practicing until they are fully recovered. Independent neurologists must be consulted before a player can return to action. One key rule change that takes effect this season bars ball carriers from using the crown of the helmet to make contact with defenders. ''We thought it was critical to get more help to players and families who deserve it rather than spend many years and millions of dollars on litigation,'' NFL Executive Vice President Jeffrey Pash Executive Vice President Jeffrey Pash said in a statement, the only comment issued by the league. ''This is an important step that builds on the significant changes we've made in recent years to make the game safer.''

Atlanta Hawks coach Budenholzer arrested on DUI charge

Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has apologized for his arrest on a driving under the influence of alcohol charge. According to a report from the Georgia State Patrol, Budenholzer was pulled over at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Atlanta for not having working taillights. Trooper J. Nelms said Budenholzer had bloodshot and watery eyes ''and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.'' Budenholzer refused a breath test but agreed to a field sobriety test, according to the report. He told Nelms he had only one glass of wine and that he finished the glass about 15 minutes before being pulled over. Nelms said in the report that Budenholzer was ''polite'' and that his speech patterns were mumbled, slow and slurred. Budenholzer issued an apology in a statement released by his attorney, Michael Hawkins. ''I take my role as a leader very seriously and hold myself to a high standard,'' Budenholzer said. ''I apologize to the fans and to the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon my family and the organization while the legal process evolves and I contest these misdemeanor charges.'' Budenholzer, who was released from jail on $1,524 bond, entered a not guilty plea at Atlanta Municipal Court on Thursday, according to Hawkins. Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement that Budenholzer immediately informed him of the arrest and that team officials are gathering more information. ''We take this matter seriously and have been in constant communication with coach Budenholzer throughout this situation,'' Ferry said in a second statement released Thursday afternoon. ''We support him during this legal process and will let that take its course.'' Hawkins said Budenholzer asked to consult with an attorney before his arrest. Hawkins said Budenholzer volunteered at the jail to take both a breathalyzer and a blood alcohol test and was denied both requests. Hawkins said following Budenholzer's release from jail, the coach went to Piedmont Hospital where his blood alcohol was tested at .01, well below the legal limit of .08. Hawkins said that test came ''several hours'' after the arrest. Budenholzer, 44, a former longtime San Antonio Spurs assistant, was named the Hawks coach May 29. He spent 19 years with the Spurs, including 17 seasons as an assistant. He was the top assistant for coach Gregg Popovich the past six years. Ferry and Budenholzer worked together in San Antonio. Ferry came to the Hawks last year after two years as vice president of basketball operations for the Spurs. Budenholzer was hired to replace Larry Drew, who now is the Milwaukee Bucks' coach.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - AUGUST 29TH

1885 - Phillies Charlie Ferguson no-hits Providence 1-0.
1885 - Boxing's first heavyweight title fight with 3-oz gloves & 3-minute rounds 

fought between John L Sullivan & Dominick McCaffrey.
1889 - First American International pro lawn tennis contest (Newport RI).
1895 - The formation of the Northern Rugby Union 

at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, England.
1904 - First Olympics in US are held (St Louis).

1925 - After a night on the town, Babe Ruth shows up late for batting 

practice Miller Huggins suspends Ruth & slaps a $5,000 fine on him.

1945 - Wyomia Tyus, Griffin Ga, 100m runner (Olympic-gold-1964, 68) is born.

1946 - Bob Beamon, Jamaica NY, high jumper (Olympics-gold-68, 29' 2½" 8.9m) is born.

1950 - International Olympic Committee votes admission to West Germany & Japan in '52.
1964 - On Elston Howard Night, Mickey Mantle ties 

Babe Ruth's career strikeout record (1,330).
1965 - Willie Mays sets NL record for HRs in a month with his 17th of August.
1967 - Yanks longest day, Red Sox take 1st game 2-1 in 9, Yanks win 

2nd game in 20, 4-3 a total of 8 hours & 19 minutes.
1968 - First US Open tennis match (Billie Jean King beats Dr Vija Vuskains).
1969 - Joe Pepitone quits Yanks after being fined $500 for leaving the bench.
1972 - SF Giant Jim Barr retires 1st 20 batters he faces added 

to last 21 he retired 6 days earlier for record 41 in a row.

1977 - St Louis Cardinal Lou Brock eclipses Ty Cobb's 49-year-old 

career stolen bases record at 893 as Padres win 4-3.

1981 - Phillies minor leaguer Jeff Stone steals pro baseball record 

121st base en route to 122 (Spartanburg (South Atlantic League).
1982 - George Brett gets his 1,500th hit.

1987 - Nolan Ryan passes the 200-strikeout barrier for record 11th time.

2007 - Richard Jewell, central figure in the 1996 

Centennial Olympic Park bombing (b. 1962) dies.

Manziel to sit half of A&M's opener against Rice

Johnny Football's season will start a little late. Johnny Manziel was suspended for the first half of Texas A&M's opening game against Rice on Saturday for what the school called an ''inadvertent'' violation of NCAA rules by signing autographs. The penalty appears to have brought a quick end to an investigation that could have ruined the seventh-ranked Aggies' upcoming season. The school issued a statement Wednesday saying it declared the Heisman Trophy winner ineligible and that the NCAA agreed to reinstate Manziel after he sits out the first half against the underdog Owls. ''I am proud of the way both Coach Sumlin and Johnny handled this situation, with integrity and honesty,'' Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said in the statement. ''We all take the Aggie Code of Honor very seriously and there is no evidence that either the university or Johnny violated that code.'' The quarterback was being investigated by the NCAA for allegedly accepting money for signing autographs for memorabilia brokers, a violation of NCAA rules that could have led to a much longer suspension. ESPN first reported the allegations against Manziel earlier this month. According to the statement, Texas A&M and the NCAA ''confirmed there is no evidence Manziel received money in exchange for autographs based on currently available information and statements by Manziel.'' Conditions for reinstatement include Manziel discussing his actions with teammates and A&M revising how it educates student-athletes about signing autographs. ''Student-athletes are often asked for autographs from fans, but unfortunately, some individuals' sole motivation in seeking an autograph is for resale,'' said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs. ''It is important that schools are cognizant and educate student-athletes about situations in which there is a strong likelihood that the autograph seeker plans to resell the items.'' He likely will be replaced in the starting lineup by either junior Matt Joeckel or freshman Kenny Hill. Joeckel has thrown only 11 passes in his college career. The news of Manziel's suspension was the talk of Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, with many questioning the length of the suspension. Former NFL and MLB star Deion Sanders was incredulous at the brevity of Manziel's suspension, after Dez Bryant was suspended for an entire season while at Oklahoma State after lying about having dinner with Sanders. ''Can we investigate the investigators? (at)DezBryant got suspended a season 4 lying about a dinner that wasnt a violation & Manziel gets a half,'' Sanders tweeted soon after the ruling was made public. The decision also had a major impact in Las Vegas, where the odds of Manziel's chances of repeating as a Heisman winner and Texas A&M's chances of winning the national championship shifted dramatically on Wednesday. RJ Bell, the founder of sports betting web site Pregame.com, said that Manziel's chances of winning the Heisman jumped from 12/1 to 6/1 on Wednesday, and the team's shot at the title increased from 18/1 to 10/1. The latest problem isn't the first time off-the-field trouble has put Manziel's career in jeopardy. Manziel was arrested last summer after a bar fight near campus and charged with disorderly conduct, possession of the fake ID and failure to identify himself to police. It was an incident that put him in danger of being suspended from school and left him having to earn the starting job in fall camp. Manziel admitted this June that he failed to identify himself to police following the altercation. As part of a plea deal, other charges against the 20-year-old, including disorderly conduct, were dismissed, and it looked like Manziel's trouble was behind him before the latest problems came to light. Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy last season, setting numerous school and Southeastern Conference records while leading Texas A&M to an 11-2 mark and a victory over No. 1 Alabama in its first season in the SEC. He followed that with a high-profile offseason of road trips to Las Vegas and the NBA Finals. Manziel got to meet Heat star LeBron James and rapper Drake, and he posted some Tweets that made headlines. His biggest misstep, however, came during the summer when he departed early from a quarterback camp for high school players run by the Manning family in Louisiana. Manziel said it was a mutual decision after he overslept and missed meetings and activities. Dat Nguyen, an All-America linebacker at Texas A&M in the 1990s and former assistant coach for the Aggies, lamented Manziel's mistakes, but noted what he's done for the program. ''I'm a little bit disappointed with what's going on down there,'' Nguyen said recently. ''Going into the season I thought this would be the year for A&M to win a national championship and this has been a distraction. He made a bad decision and he's just got to move on ... but overall the guy has put A&M back on the map.'' Former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum, who is now a special adviser to Texas A&M's president, has watched Manziel's career with great interest and is looking forward to seeing how he'll follow up his incredible first season. ''This young man has been in a position that no one has ever been in,'' Slocum said on Wednesday before the suspension was announced. ''He's been a freshman and a 20-year-old winner of the Heisman Trophy, and he's done some great things with that and he's had a few things I'm sure he'd like to have a do-over with. And if I were advising him, I might have said, 'That's probably not in your best interests to do that or say that or be there,' but in terms of the upcoming season, I'm as anxious as anybody to see what happens and see what the results are.'' Manziel was the main attraction at SEC Media Days, where he was peppered with questions but answered with the same cool and calm he often shows in the face of a pass rush. ''I don't feel like I've done anything that's catastrophic,'' Manziel said at the time. ''Of course, I've made my mistakes. It's time to grow up.'' The day before the Aggies reported for preseason practice, ESPN reported Manziel signed thousands of autographs for brokers in Texas, Florida and Connecticut, and cited unidentified sources who said Manziel was paid thousands for dollars for the signatures. Manziel has been off-limits to the media since news broke of the NCAA investigation, but has been practicing with the Aggies.

Venus Williams loses 3rd-set tiebreaker at US Open

Venus Williams dug herself out of deficits over and over again, until she simply ran out of solutions, exiting the U.S. Open before the third round for the third year in a row. At 33, two-time champion Williams was the oldest woman in the second round at Flushing Meadows, and while she made things interesting after a poor start to the match and to the final set, she couldn't sustain her solid play all the way through and lost to 56th-ranked Zheng Jie of China 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5) on a wet Wednesday. The match last 3 hours, 2 minutes - making it the longest between women in the tournament so far - and the third set alone went 1 1/2 hours, closing when Williams missed a volley, then a return, on the last two points. She wound up with 44 unforced errors in all, half on forehands. During her on-court interview, Zheng addressed the partisan crowd that was pulling for Williams, saying: ''First, I want to say, 'Sorry, guys.''' Rain began falling in the early afternoon, jumbling the schedule, and eight women's singles matches were postponed, including Williams' younger sister, defending champion Serena, against Galina Voskoboeva. In all, there were more than four hours of delays during the day, and 2012 men's winner Andy Murray had yet to play a point as the time approached 9 p.m. Wednesday. In the handful of matches that were completed by early evening - men in the first round, women in the second - 2011 French Open champion Li Na, and 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska won in straight sets, as did 30th-seeded Laura Robson of Britain. No. 17 Kevin Anderson, No. 21 Mikhail Youzhny and 109th-ranked American wild-card entry Tim Smyczek were among the men's winners. Venus Williams and Zheng, a former top-15 player who twice reached Grand Slam semifinals, played all of two points at the beginning before their match was interrupted by showers. When they resumed about two hours later, at 15-all in the opening game, Williams' play was full of mistakes. In the first set, she only managed to put 46 percent of her first serves in play, and she accumulated 15 unforced errors, 10 more than Zheng. The American, who owns seven Grand Slam singles titles in all, failed to convert any of six break points, while losing serve twice. And then came the second set, and a significant shift. Suddenly, Williams looked a lot more like the player who won the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001. After falling behind by a break in the third set, and being two points away from losing - at 5-3, when Zheng served for the victory, then again in the next game - Williams put up quite a fight to extend the match, drawing raucous support from clapping, yelling and standing fans at Louis Armstrong Stadium. With a drizzle coming down, and play halted on other courts, Williams and Zheng stayed out there and kept going. Zheng grabbed a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker, before Williams made one last stand. It was 4-all after Zheng dumped a forehand into the net on a 23-stroke exchange, then leaned over at the baseline, resting on her racket as if it were a cane. Then, at 5-all, Williams put a backhand volley into the net as she lost her footing and sat on the court, wincing. That gave Zheng her first match point, and Williams' backhand service return was off the mark, ending her stay in the singles draw. Williams was ranked No. 1 in 2002, but she last was a member of the top 10 when she was No. 9 in March 2011, and she's currently 60th. The last time she made it beyond the third round at a Grand Slam tournament was a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon that season. At the 2011 U.S. Open, Williams withdrew before her second-round match, announcing she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that saps energy. She lost in the second round in New York last year. And her results have faded more, with losses in the first round at two her previous four trips to major tournaments, including at the French Open in May. Bothered much of this season by a bad lower back, Williams sat out Wimbledon for the only time in her career in June. She looked solid in her first-round match Monday, a 6-1, 6-2 victory over 12th-seeded Kirsten Flipkens, a Wimbledon semifinalist this year. But Williams could not follow that up Wednesday against Zheng and her contrasting style of blocking shots back and covering a lot of ground along the baseline.

Landon Donovan re-signs with Los Angeles Galaxy

Just a few months after Landon Donovan thought he might be finished with soccer, he re-signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday with his passion rekindled. Donovan agreed to a multiyear contract extension that could make him the highest-paid player in MLS if he reaches incentives within the deal. His decision to stick with the Galaxy is another turn in an eventful year for the fleet-footed midfielder widely considered the best player in American history. ''I'm very proud of what I've accomplished,'' Donovan said at a news conference in an upscale club at StubHub Center. ''I'm very happy in the present, but I have a lot more to achieve. This is not a reward for what I've done. This is something I'm going to earn.'' After winning his fifth MLS Cup title last December, the 31-year-old Donovan spent the winter on a self-imposed sabbatical, battling burnout and exhaustion from 14 years of pro soccer. He returned in late March to fulfill the final year of his current Galaxy contract, but missed the first month of the MLS season and fell out of favor with U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. But the top scorer in U.S. national team history has been rejuvenated by the Galaxy's unwavering support and his resurgence with the American team. With the perspective of time and distance, he has embraced the prospect of more challenges to chase, including a fourth World Cup appearance. ''Was this day ever in doubt? Yeah, for a lot of reasons,'' Donovan said. ''I didn't know five months ago if I wanted to keep playing much longer. This summer, through a lot of work and through a lot of support from friends, family, the Galaxy, it's now very clear to me that I want to keep playing. I really enjoy this game. I love it. I've found my passion again, and I'm excited about it.'' Donovan has been with the Galaxy since 2005, winning three of his five career MLS Cup titles in his native Southern California. Alongside David Beckham and Robbie Keane, the fleet-footed midfielder led Los Angeles to its second straight MLS championship last December before his break, which included a trip to Cambodia. Now that he's back with MLS' glamour franchise as it closes in on another playoff spot for its title defense, Donovan decided he still has much more to do as a soccer trailblazer. Donovan is the third-leading goal-scorer in league history, trailing Jeff Cunningham by just three goals, but he's more interested in winning MLS trophies and fostering the game's U.S. growth. ''It's a tremendous signing, a historic signing for us,'' said Dan Beckerman, the CEO of Galaxy owners AEG. ''It's overwhelming and staggering what he's accomplished in this league and his career. He's always demonstrated his commitment to growing soccer in this league and in this country. A lot of success that MLS has had is attributable to his effort.'' Los Angeles patiently waited for Donovan to return to his current form while negotiating a long-term deal for his future. Donovan said the deal ''was as much about respect and feeling wanted as anything,'' and the Galaxy made sure Donovan knew how much he means to the franchise and the American game. ''This is the place I want to end my career,'' Donovan said. ''I've always wanted to be here. I've always wanted to play here. When other opportunities arose, they paled in comparison to playing here.'' Donovan, who previously played with Bayer Leverkusen and Everton, attracted attention from European clubs this year while his MLS future was uncertain. Donovan emerged from his hiatus and subsequent negotiations totally committed to MLS and the Galaxy, saying he's not even interested in going to Europe on loan during the winter. ''I've never made decisions for money, and I think I'm a much happier person for it,'' Donovan said. The Galaxy are grateful to hear he's comfortable and committed. Donovan is one of Los Angeles' three designated players - who can receiver higher salaries than MLS regulars - joining Irish national team star Keane and U.S. national team defender Omar Gonzalez. ''We think we've got three great designated players,'' said Bruce Arena, the Galaxy's longtime coach and general manager. ''We couldn't be more thrilled to have them. I think we've got the three best in the league.'' Donovan has more to accomplish in MLS, but he's also eager for more U.S. national team success. He has played a leading role on the last three World Cup teams while becoming the U.S. national team's career scoring leader in 150 appearances. He returned to the international stage last month with a flourish, scoring five goals and showing off his remarkable playmaking ability while leading the Americans to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title. Donovan then scored four goals in the Galaxy's last three games since he returned from the tournament. Donovan's return to the Galaxy is more good news for MLS, which welcomed U.S. star Clint Dempsey to Seattle this summer. Donovan believes the league has reached another superlative in its steady growth, and he wants to be part of it. ''I think we're seeing a little bit of a tipping point right now,'' Donovan said. ''When you have a guy like Clint Dempsey, with all that he's done and the player that he is, wanting to be in our league, it makes a big statement. When you have a young defender who has a plethora of options and Omar wants to stay here, it makes a big statement.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - AUGUST 28TH

1921 - Babe Ruth starts streak of an extra-base hit in 9 straight games.

1926 - Indian Emil Levsen pitches complete doubleheader victory (Red Sox).

1932 - Andy Bathgate, Canada, NY Ranger (1958 NHL MVP) is born.
1936 - Don Denkinger, American baseball umpire is born.

1950 - Ron "Louisiana Lightning" Guidry, Yankee pitcher (Cy Young 1978) is born.

1951 - Braves sell pitcher Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000.

1955 - First NFL preseason sudden death football, Rams beats Giants 23-17.

1958 - Scott Scovell Hamilton, Toledo Oh, ice skater (Olympic-gold-1984) is born.

1960 - White Sox Ted Kluzewski's 3-run HR is disallowed as ump called time.

1961 - Thomas Connolly, first baseball umpire elected to hall of fame, dies.

1970 - Phillies Larry Bowa steals home for 2nd time in 1970.

1977 - NY Yankee Ron Guidry faces just 28 men & beats Texas Rangers 1-0.
1977 - Nolan Ryan strikes out 300 batters for 5th straight year.

1987 - Mike Schmidt passes Ted Williams & Willie McCovey with 522 HRs.

1991 - Red Tom Browning vs Expo Dennis Martinez both perfect game pitcher.

2008 - Phil Hill, American race car driver and one-time F1 world champion (b. 1927).