The New York Giants won the Super Bowl with defense and they kicked off defense of that title with more of the same. Playing without Pro Bowl linemen Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, New York limited the new-look Washington Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run in a 16-7 victory that ushered in the NFL season Thursday...
Under increasing criticism, the LPGA Tour on Friday backed off a proposed policy that would have suspended players who could not efficiently speak English. LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens said she would announce a revised plan by the end of the year, although it would not include penalties. Bivens disclosed the tour's original plan in a meeting with South Korean players at the Safeway...
Marion Jones released from prison (AP)
Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones was released Friday from federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about her steroid use. Jones left a halfway house in San Antonio around 8 a.m., said LaTanya Robinson, a community corrections manager for the federal Bureau of Prisons. Jones, who has a house in Austin, will remain on probation.
That litany of health issues Novak Djokovic dealt with earlier in the week -- hip, ankle, stomach and more -- seemed a tad humorous to Andy Roddick. So Roddick joked about it, first by saying in an on-court interview it sounded as though Djokovic had "about 16 injuries," then by wondering aloud whether the problems might not also include bird flu, anthrax, SARS and a common cold.
Daunte Culpepper summed up his thoughts Thursday in two words, which ushered in the start of a new era for the former Pro Bowl quarterback. "Farewell NFL," he wrote. With that, a career once filled with such promise came to a most unceremonious end. Culpepper, who starred for the Minnesota Vikings before a major knee injury in 2005 curtailed his career, announced his retirement in an e-mail Thursday...
Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier is making gradual improvement from gunshot wounds but is "not out of the woods yet," his agent told a newspaper Thursday. Collier remained in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, but agent Jeff Jankovich told the Florida Times-Union he was encouraged by what limited knowledge he has of Collier's...
Cubs' Zambrano has shoulder tendinitis (AP)
Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano has right rotator cuff tendinitis and inflammation, an MRI confirmed Thursday, a potential obstacle to Chicago's chances of winning the World Series for the first time in a century. Zambrano received a shot of anti-inflammatory medication and hopes to return to the rotation next week.
Vandy upsets No. 24 S. Carolina 24-17 (AP)
Vanderbilt heard all the talk from South Carolina after beating the then-No. 6 Gamecocks last October. It made the Commodores mad. And for the first time since 1992, they finally did something about it on their own turf. Chris Nickson threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Vanderbilt beat a ranked opponent on its own field Thursday night, upsetting No.
Buckeyes star TB Wells out for Saturday (AP)
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells will not play when the third-ranked Buckeyes take on Ohio on Saturday. Wells injured his right foot in last weekend's 43-0 victory over Youngstown State. He has not practiced with the team this week and has spent much of the time wearing a protective boot.
