US WOMEN WIN GOLD IN GYMNASTICS

The Americans lived up to the hype,winning their first Olympic gold medal in women's gymnastics since 1996.

Their score of 183.596 Tuesday night was a whopping five points ahead of Russia. Romania won the bronze medal.
The Americans had come into the last two Olympics as world champions, only to leave without a gold. But this team is the strongest, top to bottom, the Americans have ever had, and the rest of the world never stood a chance. The U.S. opened with a barrage of booming vaults, held its own on uneven bars and pulled away on balance beam.
By the the time they got to floor exercise, the Russians were in tears on the sidelines, and the Americans turned the final event into a victory party.A/P

Vikings Peterson rushed to hospital after Seafood reaction

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon after an allergic reaction to seafood he ate for lunch.

Peterson was taken to the hospital by ambulance after experiencing shortness of breath and swelling in the face that caused Vikings personnel to call 911. He was back with the team resting in the dorms by the time the Vikings concluded their afternoon practice shortly after 5 p.m. Central, according to head coach Leslie Frazier, who was called it a “scary moment.”

Frazier said Peterson told him he had an allergic reaction to something else when he was younger, but Frazier wasn’t sure if Peterson knew of his seafood allergy.

“I don’t know if anyone of you has had anyone experience that, but, yeah, it was scary,” Frazier said. “But he’s fine now. Everything’s fine.”

Peterson has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list since the Vikings started training camp on Friday as he works his way back from surgery on Dec. 30 to his left knee to repair to the torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee.

“We’re anticipating him being back in rehab tomorrow, whether he’s doing things in the pool or back out on the field. He’s cleared to get going tomorrow,” Frazier said.tim yotter vikings.com

China Wins Gold in men's gymnastics; US Comes In Fifth

The Chinese won their second straight Olympic title in men's gymnastics and third and in four games in a rout Monday, making fools of everyone who wrote them off after a dismal performance in qualifying.
''We don't have any faults. That's our secret to beat the Japanese and to beat everyone,'' Zhang Chenglong said. ''In preliminaries, we had a little bit of faults. But tonight was completely perfect.''
Well, almost.
It took five minutes and a video review to sort out the silver and bronze medalists after Japan questioned the score of three-time world champion Kohei Uchimura on pommel horse, the last routine. Japan jumped from fourth to second after judges revised Uchimura's score, bumping Britain down to bronze and Ukraine off the medals podium.
It was the British men's first team medal in a century, and it set off  celebrations at the O2 Arena. Even Princes William and Harry joined in.
''To win a medal in your home games, I'll take that any day,'' Kristian Thomas said. ''We never actually had the silver in our hands, so there's no real disappointment.A/P

Brazilian Felipe Kitadai Breaks Medal In Shower

A Brazilian judoka  broke his Olympic bronze medal when he brought it into the shower. Now he's fighting to have it replaced.

Felipe Kitadai said he was carrying the medal everywhere. He took it with him to the shower as a joke, then dropped it while trying to keep it from getting wet.
Kitadai told Brazil's GloboEsporte.com that the part holding the medal's string broke, and now he can't wear it around his neck. He said there's also a small dent on it.

Kitadai won the bronze in the men's 60-kilogram division Saturday.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee says it will request a new medal even though it knows the International Olympic Committee has no obligation to give Kitadai another one.A/P

Michael Phelps 5th fastest in 200 fly heats

Michael Phelps fifth-fastest qualifying time in the preliminaries Monday in the200-meter butterfly.
Phelps has yet to have the quickest time in the morning heats at the London Games four years after he won a record eight gold medals in Beijing.
He finished third in his heat at 1 minute, 55.53 seconds, trailing Dinko Jukic of Austria and U.S. teammate Tyler Clary to the wall.

Phelps has won the 200 fly at the last two Olympics and set the world record at the 2009 world championships.
He was back in the water hours after swimming a solid second leg on the 4x100 freestyle relay that took silver after Ryan Lochte was overhauled by the French on the closing lap.
''Just getting last night sort of out of the way was something that I needed,'' Phelps said. ''I guess I got to bed pretty late. We're all falling asleep pretty late. We're all excited.''
Phelps' mother, Debbie, nodded her head slightly when she saw her son had safely advanced. He was the slowest qualifier for the 400 individual medley final on Saturday, and his surprising fourth-place finish kept him off the medals podium.
''I have no idea what it was, but I don't think it had anything to do with confidence,'' he said. ''I felt I was ready to swim faster than that. It just didn't happen.''
Jukic had the top time of 1:54.79, while Clary was second-best at 1:54.96 in advancing to the evening semifinals.
''I felt fantastic. The time was faster than it was at trials,'' Clary said. ''I hurt a heck of a lot more at the end of the race in trials. So I had actually said to myself coming into the third wall that I was amazed at how well I felt. Just wanted to see what I could bring it home in.''A/P

Americans Fall Short in 4X100M Relay

This time, it was France chasing down the United States — and Lochte, no less — to win another riveting relay at the Olympics.
''We got our revenge,'' French swimmer Clement Lefert said.
With Phelps looking much stronger than he did the night before, the Americans built a commanding lead over the first three legs of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay Sunday and never really had to worry about the defending world champions from Australia.
When Lochte dove into the water on the anchor leg, he was a half-body length ahead of the field and looking to add another gold to his dominating victory Saturday in the 400 individual medley.

Yannick Agnel, playing the chaser role that Jason Lezak did for the Americans four years ago in this same event, sliced through the water and was right on Lochte's shoulder as they made the flip at the far end of the pool. With about 25 meters to go, they were stroke for stroke. But Lochte, who had already competed in 1,200 meters of racing over the first two days, simply didn't have enough left to hold off the towering, 20-year-old Frenchman, one of the sport's real rising stars.
''I gave everything in the last 50 until he cracked,'' Agnel said. ''In the last 10 meters, I saw that he was really cracking.''
Agnel touched in 3 minutes, 9.93 seconds, having gone exactly 1 second faster than Lochte over the last two laps. Lochte and the Americans dropped to silver in 3:10.38, while Australia, the favorite, didn't even get a medal. Russia took the bronze in 3:11.41, edging the team from Down Under by 0.22.
Phelps settled for his 17th career medal and completed his collection of Olympic colors, adding a silver to his 14 golds and two bronzes. He also moved a step closer to becoming the most decorated Olympian ever, just one away from tying the mark for most career medals held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, and has five events to go.
''At least I'm in a medal today,'' Phelps said ruefully, referring to a fourth-place finish in his first race of the London Games.
But silver was a bitter disappointment for the Americans, who know how the French felt four years ago.
France had the lead in Beijing and its best sprinter, Alain Bernard, going out on the final leg. But Lezak swam the fastest relay leg in history, drafting Bernard along the lane rope and beating him by a scant 0.08 seconds to keep Phelps on track for his record eight gold medals.
That was one of the greatest races in Olympic history.A/P

Tebow Heckled During Practice

The wild scene as Jets fans descended on this central New York college town for the team's first public practice was tamed by the elements Saturday. Except for scattered cheers and a handful of hecklers shouting comments about the popular backup quarterback's penchant for holding the ball too long before throwing, it was a relatively uneventful session.

Although the sight of a thoroughly soaked Tim Tebow jogging bare-chested through the deluge after practice might have excited more than a few folks. It even left coach Rex Ryan somewhat speechless.
''Don't know if I'm there yet,'' Ryan said of casting off his shirt, too, even if he has lost 100 pounds.
The wet conditions seemed to cut down not only on the fans' enthusiasm, but on the number of banners on display. One man wore a green and white shirt with ''Mark 6:15 Thou Shalt Have Only One Quarterback'' printed on the front.
Real scripture? Not quite.
Mark would be Sanchez, the incumbent QB and the guy who wears the No. 6 jersey to Tebow's 15. The fan in the shirt, Todd Harmon of Buffalo — a tough place to be a Jets fan, he admitted — made the three-hour drive to support Sanchez, but also to observe Tebow.

''I think having him here will help Mark push through and will motivate Mark,'' Harmon said. ''He's never had someone pushing him.''
True enough. And from what everyone has seen from the fourth-year pro early in camp, he is responding. Sanchez has looked sharp, throwing darting spirals and hitting his targets in stride.
Even in a downpour.
''Mark can spin it in any conditions,'' Ryan said.
As for Tebow, well, as one impatient observer shouted from the grandstand as the rain pelted down: ''Throw it, Tebow!'' And when he connected with a receiver, the same fan added: ''Wow, you completed one!''
After a wobbly toss, another fan shouted: ''That's a Tebow ball!''A/P

NY Yankees win in Ichiro's home debut

In Suzuki's first game wearing Yankees pinstripes, Phil Hughes (10-8) gave up three solo homers but little else in seven innings to help the Yankees beat Boston for the sixth time in seven games this year — New York's best start to a season against the Red Sox since opening 6-0 in 1994.
The rivals were meeting in the Bronx for the first time this year, the latest in a non-strike season the team's have met at Yankee Stadium. New York was returning from a rough 2-5 trip in which the Yankees lost Alex Rodriguez to a broken hand. The Red Sox had won just once in six games coming in. The loss dropped them to 49-51.
With the Red Sox foundering in last place in the AL East and David Ortiz and Rodriguez on the disabled list, it felt as if the rivalry had lost some of its luster. Suzuki's presence helped give the game some buzz.
The 10-time All-Star was dealt to New York during its visit to Seattle on Monday. He started in right field and batted eighth Friday. Suzuki was met with a sustained ovation followed by chants of ''Iiiichiro,'' when he came up for the first time in the second inning. He hit a fly to center field.
In his second at-bat, he singled and scored on Martin's two-run homer to left field off Aaron Cook (2-4). Suzuki finished 1-for-4 and scored twice, including his first run with the Yankees.

Almost as if they were toying with Boston in Bobby Valentine's first trip to New York as a manager since he was fired by the Mets in 2002, the Yankees scored in the bottom half of each of the three innings the Red Sox homered.A/P

Greek Dimitris Chondrokoukis Fails Doping Test

A Greek athlete has failed a doping test, according to an IAAF official, and the father and coach of world indoor high jump champion Dimitris Chondrokoukis says his son has tested positive and withdrawn from the Olympics.

The IAAF official spoke on condition of  because the case has not yet been made public.
Greek media published a letter attributed to Kyriakos Chondrokoukis saying his son had tested positive for the steroid stanozolol. He said his son has not taken any banned substance and has asked for the backup ''B'' sample to be tested.
''Despite the fact that we consider this news to be surreal, we do not wish to dispute the result of this test,'' the letter said, adding that Chondrokoukis and his father might also seek to have both samples later tested at a separate accredited laboratory.

''The paradox of the use of such an easily detectible banned substance by a recent world champion who is under the microscope of doping control authorities, and on the eve of the Olympic Games, is blatantly obvious,'' Kyriakos Chondrokoukis wrote in the letter. ''Against this paradox I will fight, we will fight, to answer and determine what exactly happened.''
The 24-year-old Chondrokoukis was expected to be a strong medal contender at the London Games after winning the world indoor title in Istanbul in March.
Chondrokoukis finished fifth at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea, and matched his personal best jump of 2.32 meters at the Doha Diamond League meet in May

Dennis Rodman finally meets his father

Dennis Rodman has finally met his estranged father after 42 years of separation, following an exhibition game in the Philippines.

Philander Rodman Jr., who has acknowledged fathering 29 children by 16 mothers, says he was happy and surprised that his son agreed to meet him late Wednesday. He tried to meet the basketball Hall of Famer during another game in Manila in 2006.
Philander, who has been living in the Philippines for nearly 50 years, said Thursday he wanted to explain to his son that he didn't abandon his family in the United States, but they only had time for greetings and handshakes.A/P

Athletes prep for sex in the village Olympics?

Tales of shenanigans at the living quarters for 10,000 super-fit young men and women have always abounded, and London doesn't look as if it will be any different.

US women's soccer star Hope Solo recently dished about serious partying at the Beijing Games, and some newly arrived athletes say they can hardly wait for the fun to begin.
''The Olympics is the height of your career, so you might do some things you don't usually do,'' British beach volleyball player Shauna Mullin said with a giggle Wednesday.

Most, like Mullin, will restrain from going too far, aware they're in the international spotlight.
Still, there's no need to be prudish, according to the man overseeing the health of the Brazilian team.
''(Sex) is common at the Olympics. It's necessary. It's natural,'' Dr. Joao Olyntho Machado Neto said. ''If you are going to be healthy people, why not make sex? ... Brazil is very tolerant with sex as a country. We don't have Victorian minds and we're not religious.A/P

Drew Doughty Cleared Of Sexual Assault Charges

Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file sexual assault charges Wednesday against LA Kings player Drew Doughty, who was investigated by Hermosa Beach police in connection with a sexual assault allegation.

The allegations date to March 1, when a 25-year-old woman met Doughty at a bar near the Hermosa Beach Pier. She turned down a proposition from Doughty in front of several teammates, police said.

They took a cab to her home, where she accused Doughty of raping her. The woman reported the incident to police the same day. According the filing declination, the woman told police the two had consensual sex a few months prior to the incident.

She said that during the second incident, Doughty never threatened her, but that he had "intercourse with her against her will."

Detectives told The Times that they asked the woman to call the hockey player while they listened, but she refused. He said the woman has been “less than cooperative” and that the district attorney’s office and police have “found credibility problems.”by andrew blankstein

Joey Votto To Miss 3-4 Weeks

"Joey Votto will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery tomorrow to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
He is expected to miss three to four weeks.
A roster move will be made tomorrow.
Votto originally injured the knee in San Francisco, sliding into third base June 29. He left the game the next day and missed two more games with what was described at the time as inflammation.
Votto struggled at the plate since returning. He was 1-for-13 before going 2-for-3 Sunday night. He was 8-for-31 (.258) overall since returning from the two games out of the lineup."cincinnati enquirer

Shane Doan reportedly considering offer from Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made an offer to  free agent forward Shane Doan, his agent, Terry Bross confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Details of the offer are not known, according to the report.

Bross wrote Monday that Doan “has interest” in the Penguins, but has no timetable for making a decision.
Doan has drawn interest from clubs around the league with the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings among his suitors.
The Red Wings are planning to be in a holding pattern regarding another move for a forward until Doan makes a decision, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
Over the weekend, John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR Phoenix, reported that Doan had a four-year, $30 million-plus offer from an unidentified Eastern Conference team.
Doan, the Coyotes’ captain, could also return to Phoenix. Uncertainty over the team’s ownership situation has caused him to take his time in picking where he wants to spend the next season or more.by sporting news

Zach Johnson Hols Off Matterson In Playoff

Johnson won the Deere on Sunday with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. His 193-yard 6-iron approach from the bunker left of the 18th fairway ran up to less than a foot from the cup for an easy birdie, enabling him to knock off Troy Matteson, whose approach landed 43 feet from the pin.
''I saw it bounce on the green and hoped it would kick left,'' Johnson said. ''I couldn't see the golf ball.''
Johnson couldn't miss hearing the gallery, many of them friends, as the ball crept within a foot of the hole.
''I liked that crescendo from the crowd,'' said Johnson, who is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about an hour from the Quad Cities.
The kick-in birdie had seemed unlikely minutes earlier after Johnson followed Matteson into the water from the same bunker on the first playoff hole. Each settled for double-bogey 6, then went back to the 18th tee for another try.

Johnson's bunkered his tee shot again, but this time, he played one of the better shots of a career that includes a 2007 Masters victory and eight other PGA Tour titles.
''It's one of the best results,'' Johnson said.
When Matteson was unable to sink his long birdie putt, Johnson tapped in to secure his second victory of the year, adding to the title he won at Colonial Country Club.
While Johnson tried to downplay what winning would mean to him during the tournament's first three days, with the trophy in his grasp he admitted that it meant a great deal.
''It just feels awesome,'' Johnson said. ''This tournament has meant so much to me and my family, from when they gave me exemptions to being a part of its board.
''I don't really like making things a bigger deal than what they should be. It means a great deal now that I've done it.''
The duo had tied at 20-under 264 after Johnson closed with a 6-under 65 and Matteson had a 69. A/P

Jason Kidd Crashes SUV Arrested

New York Knicks  Jason Kidd was arrested on a drunken-driving charge after police said he crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in the Hamptons on Sunday, days after signing with the Knicks.

Was treated at a hospital for minor injuries after the crash, Kidd was arraigned on a misdemeanor driving-while-intoxicated charge and released without bail, Southampton Town police said.
Kidd's agent didn't immediately respond to phone or email messages. The Knicks, who signed the 10-time All-Star in free agency this week, had no immediate comment.
Kidd, 39, was alone in the 2010 Cadillac Escalade when it hit a pole and veered into the woods around 2 a.m. in Water Mill, police said. Water Mill is a serene, mainly residential community east of Southampton Village.
Kidd's next court date wasn't immediate available. The DWI charge carries the potential for up to a year in jail.
The Knicks signed Kidd away from the Dallas Mavericks this week in a deal that will pay him about $3 million a year. Kidd had played in New Jersey, leading the Nets to two NBA Finals appearances, before being traded to Dallas and remains fond of the New York City area, where his children continued to live.A/P

Miami Dolphins New Logo?

According to Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, the Miami Dolphins have spoken with the NFL office about changing their logo for the 2013 season.
Dolphins CEO Mike Dee stated that “it’s not 100 percent that we’re going to make a change.” After gaining some feedback from their fans they’re looking to “freshen up” their logo.
Back in 1997 the Dolphins made some tweaks to their to their logo that added some new colors and effects to it. They’ll have until November to submit a new logo for the 2013 season.
“We’re not talking about changing colors or taking the sun off the helmet. It’s not going to be like when Tampa Bay changed from orange to pewter gray,” Dee said. “It’s definitely keeping one eye on what’s traditional in the logo intact, while keeping one eye on a 21st century version of that.”
Volin believes that some of the logos that are being tossed around look similar to the old Dolphin Stadium logo that is posted at the top.

NHL might be heading toward another lockout?

The NHL might be heading toward another lengthy lockout

The owners are seeking  cuts into the players’ percentage of the league’s gross income, according to a New York Post report. The owners are demanding that the players accept 46 percent of the revenue, down from the current 57 percent.
The league also wants to reduce teams' salary cap number from $8 million over the midpoint to $4 million and is calling for a five-year limit on all player contracts and the removal of all signing bonuses.
The report also states that unrestricted free agency would be limited to players with 10 seasons in the league. Players currently need to have seven seasons in the NHL to become unrestricted free agents.

Breaking News Drew Brees Agrees To 5 Year $100 Million Deal

Drew Brees has agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, with $60 million guaranteed, said a person familiar with the deal.

Brees and the team Friday reached the agreement, which will pay the quarterback $40 million in the first year, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been publically announced.
The Saints announced they had reached a five-year deal with Brees but did not release financial details of the contract.
Brees posted  on his Twitter page reading, ''Deal is Done! Love you, Who Dat Nation. See you soon!''
Brees had been tagged as the Saints' exclusive franchise player and could not negotiate with other teams.
Had a deal not been reached, the tender for a quarterback was worth $16.3 million. Brees would have had to play for that amount or hold out for a better one-year deal, which would have left his long-term future in New Orleans uncertain.
Brees skipped the Saints' offseason practices while holding out for his new long-term contract, which now gives him the highest average annual pay ($20 million) in NFL history. Buffalo defensive end Mario Williams also has a $100 million contract, but for six years.
Now Brees is set to report for the opening of Saints training camp on July 24, a needed does of good news for a club whose offseason has been plagued by the bounty scandal that resulted in the season long suspensions of head coach Sean Payton and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, among other sanctions.A/P

2012 USA Olympic basketball team couldn't beat the 1992 Dream Team.

Michael Jordan says there's no way Kobe Bryant and this year's USA Olympic basketball team could've beaten the 1992 Dream Team.

Jordan told The Associated Press Thursday that he laughed, ''I absolutely laughed'' when hearing Bryant's comments that the squad training in Las Vegas could take Jordan and company.
Jordan says there was ''no comparison'' which team was better, adding that Byrant comparing the two teams ''is not one of the smarter things he ever could have done.''
Jordan spoke prior to a celebrity golf tournament in Charlotte.
He says the 1992 team, which included 11 future Hall of Famers and won its six games by an average of more than 43 points en route to capturing the gold medal, may not have been as athletic but was definitely smarter.A/P

Joe Paterno's ''61 years of excellent service to the university is now marred''

 Penn State's board of trustees says the panel believes Joe Paterno's ''61 years of excellent service to the university is now marred'' by the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal

Karen Peetz  says the board ''accepts full responsibility for the failures that occurred.''
A board-sanctioned investigation into the scandal concluded that the Hall of Fame coach and other senior school officials ''concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse'' because they were worried about bad publicity. The 267-page report is the result of an eight-month inquiry by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
Trustee Kenneth Frazier says ''we have to take some time ... before we start thinking about how we think about Joe Paterno's entire life and entire body of work.''
Sandusky is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of 45 criminal counts.A/P

Brees and Saints Still Far Apart On Money

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a large gap in guaranteed money if they are to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday's looming deadline for a long-term deal, said a person familiar with the negotiations.

The sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed part of the contract on Wednesday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing.
The stakes are high for both sides and the negotiations have lasted for months, including long gaps in communication between the two camps.
Brees, who is 33 and entering his 12th season, has never before had the chance to negotiate a contract on par with the elite quarterbacks of the game.
The Saints, meanwhile, risk alienating the best quarterback in franchise history, not to mention their fan base, by failing to make an offer to his satisfaction by Monday — the deadline for players with the franchise tag to sign long-term deals.
 Brees first raised the possibility that he would not report to the opening of training camp if all that was on the table at that time was the one-year franchise tag of about $16.3 million. People familiar with the quarterback's plans say that remains the case.
Brees has said he does not want to play under a one-year contract with no long-term security in the coming seasons. He did it once before, with costly consequences, when he played under the franchise tag for San Diego in 2005 and wound up with a career-threatening injury to his throwing shoulder.
That injury led him to accept a six-year, $60 million deal with New Orleans in 2006, which left him playing for well below market value during the past few seasons, even as he was setting club and league records.
Brees had hoped that an extension would be done before 2011, but when it was not, he decided against holding out and played without the security of a long-term contract. He remained healthy the entire season and passed for an NFL single-season record 5,476 yards. Brees considered that an act of faith in the Saints, and now he is expecting that faith be returned in the form of a contract that not only would give him the highest average annual salary in the game, but also guarantee a significant portion of his salary.A/P

Rockets trade Camby to NY Knicks

The Houston Rockets traded center Marcus Camby to the New York Knicks for guard Toney Douglas, centers Josh Harrelson and Jerome Jordan and future second-round picks.

when the NBA's moratorium on trades ended, Houston dealt point guard Kyle Lowry to Toronto for a future first-round lottery pick and forward Gary Forbes.
The Rockets have been collecting draft picks for a potential package to entice Orlando to send All-Star center Dwight Howard their way. The Lowry deal was in place several days ago, and the Camby deal was agreed to on Monday.
The 38-year-old Camby will return to New York, where he played from 1998-2002. Yahoo Sports reported that Camby's deal was for three years and $13.2 million.
The 6-foot-11 Camby was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1996 draft and became a fan favorite in New York before the Knicks dealt him to Denver in 2002. He should become a valuable backup at center to Tyson Chandler, last season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
The Rockets obtained Camby from Portland at last season's trading deadline. He averaged 7.1 points and 9.3 rebounds in 19 games.
Houston is also expected to sign Bulls center Omer Asik and Knicks guard Jeremy Lin to offer sheets. Chicago and New York will have three days to match the Rockets' offers.A/P

Lack of Interest in Alexander Semin?

Alexander Semin? He remains all but ignored on the free agent scrap heap 10 days into July.
Actually, being ignored would be an improvement for Semin, who has been savaged by critics this summer. The TSN panel for the Canadian sports network's free agency coverage on July 1  with Marc Crawford labeling Semin as a player with "no character" and "a complete loser." And he was the good cop. Pierre McGuire really laid  the hammer as the bad cop.

"This is not a great teammate, I'm telling ya right now," McGuire told viewers. "Not a good guy to have around your group unless you got unbelievably strong leadership. He's the ultimate coach killer, that's what he is."

Mark Gandler, Semin's agent, called the exchange "the worst I've ever heard an analyst say about any player" and threatened "to check with my attorney" over the perceived defamation.

Other than those possible chats with his lawyer, Gandler's phone lines haven't been burning up with calls as teams have largely steered clear of the enigmatic Russian star.

The closest Semin has come to a nibble was this candid admission by Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford after the Hurricanes lost out in the Parise sweepstakes and were rebuffed in efforts to trade for Columbus forward Rick Nash.

"We would look at Semin on a short-term basis," Rutherford told the Raleigh News and Observer. "We wouldn't want to get locked in to anything, because we've all heard the stories about him. We do like his skill level. It could be that we could bring him in for a year, get to know him and go from there in terms of considering something longer term."

And that was from a team that, according to captain Eric Staal, was just one elite forward away from being a contender.

"We've got some very good pieces in place, and if we can add, like they're saying, another elite forward, it will definitely put us in the mix among the top teams in the Eastern Conference," Staal told the News and Observer. "It's exciting. I hope they'll continue to push -- and not just grab anybody, but the right person for our group."

It doesn't seem like Semin, for all his skill, is viewed as the "right person" by anyone in the NHL, or at least not the right person to commit to with a multiyear deal. That's nothing new for Semin. After signing a two-year, $9.2 million deal with Washington in 2008, he's had to settle for one-year deals the past two seasons, albeit with raises to $6 million and $6.7 million, respectively.by douglas flynn

Lakers Owner Treated For Dehydration

Jerry Buss was recovering in a hospital after treatment for dehydration, a team spokesman said.

''He is recovering and is expected to be released soon,'' spokesman John Black said in a statement.
The team did not release any other details of the 78-year-old Buss' condition, when the dehydration occurred or the identity of the hospital. The hospitalization was first reported by TMZ.com.
Buss was hospitalized last December because of blood clots in his legs. At the time, Black said the condition was the result of ''excessive travel'' by Buss, who was involved in negotiations to end the NBA lockout.
Since Buss took ownership in 1979, the storied franchise has won 10 NBA titles.A/P

Thibault Pinot Wins 8th Stage Tour de France

Thibaut Pinot gave France its first stage victory in the Tour de France on Sunday while Bradley Wiggins of Britain kept the overall lead as the race entered Switzerland.

Pinot broke away from the pack during a steep, final climb and captured the 98-mile, eighth stage from Belfort to the Swiss town of Porrentruy. The 22-year-old Frenchman, the youngest rider in the main pack, held on during a frenzied chase in the last 6 miles, a mostly flat stretch.
This was by far Pinot's biggest achievement. His previous top performance was at the 2010 the Tour of Romandie, where he was honored as the best climber.
''I will remember this day my entire life,'' Pinot said as teammates embraced him. ''I can't yet get my mind around it.''

Overall, Wiggins leads defending champion Cadel Evans by 10 seconds. The Australian mounted a late but unsuccessful attack on the Briton. Italy's Vincenzo Nibali was third, 16 seconds off the pace
Defending Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez withdrew after a crash 35 miles into the stage. He broke his right hand and injured his left shoulder, and could miss the London Games.
Sanchez fell on his side before two other riders landed on him. He sat on the ground in tears, holding his left shoulder and arm as medical teams tended to him. He could not get back on a bike and was put on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital in Montbeliard.
Crashes have marred the first week of the Tour. Sanchez became the 20th rider to drop out of the three-week race. The Spaniard entered the day in 12th place.A/P

Roger Federer Ties Sampras With 7th Wimledon Title

The 30-year-old Federer has Tied Pete Sampras' record at the All England Club, and won his 17th Grand Slam title overall, by beating Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 Sunday.
''It has worked out so many times over the years here at Wimbledon that I play my best in the semis and the finals,'' Federer said. ''I couldn't be more happy. It feels great being back here as the winner.''
Once Murray's forehand landed wide on match point, Federer collapsed to the grass with tears welling in his eyes. He got up quickly and shook hands with Murray at the net.
Up in the players' box, Federer's wife and twin daughters cheered and smiled as he took his seat to await yet another Wimbledon trophy presentation.

''When the roof closed, he played unbelievable tennis,'' Murray said.
Federer is now 17-7 in Grand Slam finals, including 7-1 at Wimbledon. Murray dropped to 0-4 in major finals, with three of those losses coming against Federer.

''It's amazing. It equals me with Pete Sampras, who's my hero,'' Federer said. ''It just feels amazing.''
Besides Sampras, 1880s player William Renshaw also won seven Wimbledon titles, but he did it at a time when the defending champion was given a bye into the following year's final.
Sunday's match was the first Wimbledon singles final to be played with the roof closed. The roof was first used at the All England Club in 2009.

Britain has been waiting 76 years for a homegrown men's champion at the All England Club, and the expectations on Murray were huge. Thousands of fans watched the match on a huge screen on ''Murray Mount,'' but left the grounds still waiting for a British winner.
Inside the stadium, Prince William's wife, Kate, sat in the Royal Box along with David Beckham, British Prime Minister David Cameron and a slew of former Wimbledon champions

''Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is,'' Murray said. ''It's not the people watching. They make it so much easier to play. The support has been incredible, so thank you.''
With his victory, Federer regained the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic, allowing him to equal Sampras' record of 286 weeks as the top-ranked player.
''I never stopped believing. I started playing more, even though I have a family,'' Federer said. ''It all worked out. I got great momentum, great confidence and it all came together. So it's a magical moment for me.A/P

Breaking Report Jeremy Lin Signed By Houston Rockets

 New York Knicks restricted free-agent guard Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets have agreed to terms on a four-year contract offer

The person told The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't officially announced the deal.
Lin can sign the offer sheet with Houston on July 11, and the Knicks will then have three days to match the offer.
The Knicks have repeatedly said that they plan to keep Lin.
The contract is worth $10.2 million over the first two seasons and $9.3 million in each of the last two years. The fourth season is a team option.

The person also told the AP that the Rockets traded Kyle Lowry to Toronto on Thursday for a future first-round draft pick with lottery protection and forward Gary Forbes. Lowry averaged 14.3 points and 6.6 assists in 47 games for Houston last season.
The Rockets had Lin in training camp, but waived him because they had already had Lowry and Goran Dragic on their roster. Now that they've traded Lowry, and with Dragic headed to Phoenix, Houston is trying to get Lin back.
Lin was claimed by the Knicks after the Rockets let him go and soon became New York's starting point guard and ''Linsanity'' ensued.

He averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games with 25 starts before his season was cut short because of surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee.

Lin, who went undrafted out of Harvard, became a sensation with a remarkable stretch in February where he scored at least 20 points in nine of 10 games. A high point of that span came when he scored 38 points with seven assists in a 92-85 win over the Lakers on Feb. 10.

Hall Of Famer Boxer Jimmy Bivins Dies at 92

Jimmy Bivins, a boxing great of the 1940s and 1950s who defeated some of the greatest fighters of his time, has died at 92.

Bivins died of complications from pneumonia early Wednesday at an East Cleveland nursing home, according to his family.
Bivins retired from boxing in 1955 after more than 100 professional fights and was inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999.
He never fought for a world title, but in 1942 he was given the unprecedented ranking of No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He met seven fellow Hall of Famers, beating four, and 11 world champions, defeating eight.
Bivins had winning bouts with world champions Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Gus Lesnevich, Melio Bettina, Anton Christoforidis and Teddy Yarosz. He also went the distance with Joe Louis and fought Jersey Joe Walcott to a split-decision.
He finished with a record of 86-25-1 (31 KO).A/P

TERROR Raid Near Olympic Stadium

Armed British police carried out an early-morning raid on a residential address near London's Olympic Park on Thursday, using smoke grenades and a stun gun in what they called a pre-planned anti-terror operation.

A total of six people were arrested there and in separate raids in other parts of the capital, but Scotland Yard said the operation was not linked to the upcoming games, due to kick off on July 27.
Police didn't identify the suspects, who range in age from 18 to 30. Mizanur Rahman, who is involved with a Muslim activist group, said all those arrested were British Muslims. He said the three men taken into custody in Stratford, the neighborhood that contains Olympic Park, were brothers and claimed that one was a former police officer.
A police press officer declined to comment on the claim.
Resident John Smallshaw said a raid took place at a residence on Abbey Road, only about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Olympic Park
He told The Associated Press he was awoken just after 4 a.m. by ''five loud bangs in quick succession'' and saw police raiding the home. He said he later witnessed ''one young man taken on foot to a waiting ambulance.''
Another man was later taken into an unmarked police car, Smallshaw said, adding that plainclothes officers were still at the premises.
Continuing searches are being carried out at eight separate addresses in east, west and north London and at one business in east London, police said. Rahman identified one of the addresses as being in Old Street, near London's financial district.
Police said all the suspects have been taken to a southeast London police station. A/P

Serena, Radwanska reach Wimbledon final

The 13-time Grand Slam champion reached her seventh Wimbledon final on Thursday, smacking 24 aces to beat Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the semifinals


The final point of the match was, fittingly enough, the record-breaking ace.
''I've been working so hard, and I really, I really wanted it,'' said Williams, a four-time Wimbledon champion who lost in the first round of the French Open in late May. ''I got a little tight in the second set. I couldn't relax. I was like, looking too far in the future and she came back. But I'm glad I was able to get through.''
The previous Wimbledon record of 23 aces was also set by Williams, but in a three-set victory over Zheng Jie in the third round of this year's tournament.
Williams controlled the play against Azarenka in the first set with her service game, winning 20 of the 24 points she started. She then went up an early break in the second set, but Azarenka responded to make it 3-3.
They held the rest of the way, and Williams picked up her three aces in the tiebreaker.
Williams will face Agnieszka Radwanska in Saturday's final. The third-seeded Pole beat Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
In the men's semifinals Friday, defending champion Novak Djokovic will face six-time winner Roger Federer, while Andy Murray will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
For Radwanska, it was a steady hand - or steady backhands and forehands actually - that put her into her first Wimbledon final.
She won five straight games to take the first set, and then held on after taking an early lead in the second.
''This is a dream from when I was kid,'' the 23-year-old said. ''I'm playing tennis almost 18 years, and of course everybody's dream is to play the final of a Grand Slam.''
Radwanska is the first Polish woman to reach a major final since 1939, when Jadwiga Jedrzejowska lost in the French Championships.
Playing on Centre Court, both Radwanska and Kerber started well but soon started to show their nerves.
Each held at love in their opening service games, but Kerber broke for a 2-1 lead when Radwanska's backhand drop shot went wide.
It was one of only six unforced errors for Radwanska.
''We both were a bit nervous in the beginning,'' Radwanska said. ''Of course this is the semifinals, so you really want to try your best, but sometimes too much, and your hands a little bit shaking.
''After a couple of games, I just relaxed a little bit. I was really focusing on every point.''
The second set was more even, but Radwanska took a 3-2 lead by making it 3 for 3 on break points and then held the rest of the way.
Kerber finished with 26 winners, six more than Radwanska

A/P

Steve Nash Going To Be A Laker

Steve Nash is going to the Los Angeles Lakers, a Pacific Division rival the two-time MVP point guard tried so hard to beat, with little success, in his eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns.

the Lakers and Suns reached a sign-and-trade deal, with Los Angeles using the trade exception it got when it sent Lamar Odom to Dallas to facilitate the transaction.
The 38-year-old Nash, who spent the past eight seasons with the Suns, was a free agent but a sign-and-trade agreement was necessary for the Lakers to afford him. He agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract. In return, the Suns get four draft picks - first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.
Nash's agent Bill Duffy said the deal was finalized Wednesday.
In a statement released by the agent, Nash said that after he and the Suns agreed to part ways, he re-approached them to ask to pursue a sign-and-trade deal with Los Angeles ''because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family,'' who live in Phoenix.
''They were very apprehensive and didn't want to do it,'' Nash said. ''Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better.''
There had been sign-and-trade talks with New York and a lucrative free agent offer from Toronto.
The deal will put Nash on the floor with the team he tried so hard to unseat as a Western Conference power, teaming him with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and at least for now, Pau Gasol A/P

Maria de Villota loses eye after crash

Formula One test driver Maria de Villota lost her right eye in a crash during a testing session and remains hospitalized in Britain, with teammates describing her condition as critical but stable

The 32-year-old Spaniard sustained serious injuries to her head and face after colliding with a team vehicle at the end of one of her straight-line test runs at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire, north of London. She underwent a lengthy procedure by neurological and plastic surgery teams, her team said, adding that de Villota was in the operating theater from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday morning.
''We are grateful for the medical attention that Maria has been receiving,'' John Booth, Marussia team principal. ''However, it is with great sadness that I must report that, due to the injuries she sustained, Maria has lost her right eye.''
De Villota was testing the team's racing car for the first time Tuesday after joining Marussia in March. She is the sport's first full-time female driver since Italy's Giovanna Amati raced with the Brabham team in 1992.
She was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital after the accident with what an emergency team's spokesman described as life-threatening injuries.
Her head apparently took much of the impact from the collision with the Marussia team truck, which was used to transport the racing car to the airfield for a week of testing ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Sunday.
It was still unclear why the car suddenly accelerated, and hit the truck as De Villota slowed down at the end of the run.
Booth said the investigation of the accident is ongoing.
''We have embarked on a very comprehensive analysis of what happened,'' Booth said A/P

Federer reaches Wimbledon semifinals

Novak Djokovic closed out his latest Wimbledon win with an ace, then threw a fist and let loose a primal scream.


Federer earned a record 32nd Grand Slam semifinal berth and moved closer to a record-tying seventh Wimbledon title when he beat Mikhail Youzhny on Wednesday, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Minutes later on an adjacent court, defending champion Djokovic finished off Florian Mayer, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

Federer has a 14-12 edge against Djokovic, who is ranked No. 1. They've met in Grand Slam semifinals five times in the past two years, with Djokovic winning four of those matches.
They've never played each other on grass.
''A nice matchup,'' Federer said. ''Obviously I'm aware that Novak is the defending champion and the world No. 1. That's not going to make it easy.''
''It's always a pleasure playing against Roger,'' Djokovic said. ''Obviously he's a great champion. He has been so dominant and consistent in these Grand Slams, and he's really an ultimate challenge on grass courts.''
No. 5-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row by beating first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2. Tsonga, 27, seeks his first major title.
With two-time champion Rafael Nadal eliminated last week from one half of the draw, the Federer-Djokovic winner will be a big favorite Sunday against a first-time Wimbledon finalist

Brett Maclean Suffers 'Cardic Emergency'

Phoenix Coyotes forward Brett MacLean is in intensive care at a Canadian hospital after the team says he suffered a ''cardiac emergency'' during a pickup hockey game.

 

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney says the 23-year-old MacLean received CPR on Monday night at the rink in Owen Sound, Ontario. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance, then transported by air ambulance to Knight University Hospital in London, Ontario where he was admitted to cardiac ICU.
Maloney says no other information was available Tuesday.
MacLean was a Phoenix second-round draft pick in 2007. He played 13 games for the Coyotes in the 2010-11 season.A/P

He was claimed off waivers by Winnipeg last Oct. 5, then waived by the Jets 23 days later. Phoenix reclaimed MacLean and assigned him to AHL Portland.

Spectator Hit By Vehicle Tour de France

A spectator has been hit by a vehicle in the Tour de France publicity caravan, leaving him with a fractured leg.

 Chief of staff for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais governor, tells The Associated Press the spectator was taken to a hospital and has ''one or several fractures.'' The vehicle driver was not injured.
The accident happened in the town of Saint-Floris, about 45 miles after the start of the third stage between Orchies and Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
The caravan is made up of 160 vehicles promoting 33 brands. The vehicles may use the race route about one hour ahead of the main pack.
A boy was killed in 2000 and another in 2002 after being hit by sponsors' vehicles. Tour organizers then reduced the number of the vehicles on the course

Arbitrator rules in favor of Drew Brees

Drew Brees gained additional leverage in his contract talks with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday when an arbitrator in Philadelphia ruled in Brees' favor in a dispute over how much the Saints would have to pay the star quarterback if they applied the franchise tag to him again in 2013.A/P

The Saints have already used the tag on Brees for 2012, meaning he can't negotiate with another team and could be forced to settle for a one-year, $16.3 million deal if he cannot reach a new long-term deal by a July 16 deadline specified in the league's collective bargaining agreement.
System arbitrator Stephen Burbank's ruling Tuesday said if New Orleans tries to tag Brees a second year in a row, he would be entitled to a 44 percent raise to about $23.5 million because it would be his third-career franchise tag. The NFL had argued Brees would be due a 20 percent raise because it would have been only his second franchise tag with one team.
Burbank, however, ruled that while the NFL's CBA has some ambiguity on the matter, it is clear that the overarching purpose of the language regarding multiple franchise tags is meant to protect players from being denied their rights to free agency for an undue length of their careers.
''The arbitrator properly rejected the NFL's strained interpretation of the CBA language, which ignored the fact that a franchise player designation is a narrow exception to the overall free agency structure,'' the NFL Players Association said in a written statement after Burbank's ruling. ''This ruling will help all franchise players in the future. We are very happy that Drew Brees has clarification on this matter, and we hope that it facilitates a successful negotiation for Drew and the Saints.''
Brees has so far skipped the Saints' offseason practices while holding out for a new long-term contract with New Orleans.
New Orleans designated Brees, 33, its franchise player in March after the club was unable to reach a new long-term extension with the record-setting quarterback before his previous six-year, $60 million contract expired.

Top-Seeded Maria Sharapova Knocked Out at Wimbledon

Top-seeded Maria Sharapova was knocked out of Wimbledon on Monday, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round just a month after completing a career Grand Slam.
Lisicki, a 15th-ranked German, outplayed the 2004 Wimbledon champion in windy, rainy conditions on Court 1 for her first career victory over Sharapova in four matches. She avenged a loss in the semifinals to Sharapova here last year.
 advancing were four-time women's winner Serena Williams, defending champion Petra Kvitova and second-seeded Victoria Azarenka, but four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters lost in what she says is her final Wimbledon before retirement later this year.A/P

Jeremy Lin Off Select Team

Jeremy Lin will not play with the select team that will scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team because of his free agency.

Lin is a restricted free agent, so the New York Knicks can match any offer he receives. Players can't sign new contracts until July 11, the last day the select team will train against the Americans in Las Vegas.

USA Basketball also says Monday that Boston center Greg Stiemsma won't take part because of plantar fasciitis in his foot.A/P

Michael Jordan's Son Arrested In Omaha

Marcus Jordan, the son of retired NBA great Michael Jordan, was arrested in Omaha early Sunday following a disturbance outside a downtown hotel.
According to a news release, police responding to a call at the Embassy Suites found hotel security trying to subdue Marcus Jordan, who was having an argument with two women in the hotel driveway at 2:11 a.m. CDT.
The release said Jordan was ''very animated, intoxicated and uncooperative,'' and it took multiple officers to control and handcuff him.
Jordan was booked at the Douglas County Department of Corrections for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing. He had been released by Sunday night.
Jordan, a rising senior, averaged 13.7 points a game for UCF last season.A/P

Michael Phelps Olympic Program Is Set

Phelps wrapped up another stellar week at the U.S. trials Sunday night, rallying to win the 100-meter butterfly and secure his spot in five individual races at the Olympics. Throw in the three relays, and that adds up to eight.
Again.
''I guess that's OK,'' Phelps said nonchalantly.
Franklin will have four individual races in London after capping her week with a dominating win in the 200 backstroke. She's expected to swim all three relays, as well, setting her up to become the first U.S. woman to swim seven events in a single games.
Uhh, make that the first female. She's still a girl, a 17-year-old who'll be a high school senior in the fall. But first, she's got some important business this summer: the Olympics.
''I can't believe I have seven events,'' Franklin said. ''It's so overwhelming but so exciting. The whole week went really, really well.''

Ervin will have only one event in London, a chaotic dash from one of the pool to the other. But it's amazing that he's going at all, considering he walked away from the sport in 2003 while at the peak of his career, burned out and desperate to discover a deeper meaning to life. He spent eight years working odd jobs, finished his college degree and even auctioned off the gold medal he won in the 50 free at Sydney in 2000 to aid tsunami victims.
Now, after returning to the sport just a year ago, he's got a chance to win another gold. A runner-up finish behind Cullen Jones in the 50 freestyle locked up his improbable spot on the American team.
''I am surprised to be here at all,'' said the 31-year-old Ervin, whose has a sleeve of tattoos on each arm and turns interviews into a discussion on everything from philosophy to Biblical parables.
He put on quite a show during the medal ceremony, grabbing the mic and shouting, ''The journey continues, because I'm going to Londonnnnn!'' Then, after slamming it to the deck with a loud thud, he took off on a victory lap around the arena, soaking up the cheers of more than 12,000 fans.
A couple of other races provided quite a generation gap. Fifteen-year-old Kathleen Ledecky earned a spot on her first Olympic team with a win in the 800 freestyle, while 45-year-old Dara Torres advanced to the final of the women's 50 free - and a shot at her sixth Olympic team - with the third-fastest time in the semifinals.

''It's much tougher this time around,'' said Torres, who won three silver medals in Beijing but had only one event at these trials. ''People were saying I was middle aged when I was 41, but I'm really, really middle aged now.''
Phelps was slow off the blocks and made the turn in sixth place. But he caught Tyler McGill on the return lap and surged to the wall to win 51.14 seconds, well off his world-record pace (49.82) but fastest in the world this year.
McGill hung on for the second Olympic spot in 51.32. Ryan Lochte, swimming an event he normally doesn't in major competitions, just missed adding another race to his already busy program. He was third, 33-hundreths behind McGill.
Phelps, who won an Olympic-record eight golds four years ago, is set to swim the same in individual events in London: the 100 and 200 fly, the 200 and 400 individual medley and the 200 freestyle.
In an ominous sign for his rivals, Phelps isn't happy with just winning. He's still looking for the perfect race.

''That was a pretty crappy first 50 and a pretty terrible finish,'' Phelps said. ''I should have taken another stroke. It felt OK. It didn't feel great, didn't feel terrible.
''It's done, we're done.''
Well, not quite.
The races that really matter are still to come.
''It shows that I can do the kind of event program like this at a high level again,'' Phelps said. ''We were struggling over the last couple years at doing one event at this level. (It's good) being able to get a couple under the belt this week and hopefully build off of this. It will be good to get home and start heading toward London.''
Phelps legacy is already secure, no matter what he does in London.A/P