Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony and Greg Oden will be on a team of NBA players that will travel to China this month for an exhibition game against Yao Ming and the Chinese national team. Baron Davis, Leandro Barbosa and Derek Fisher also will play in the Sept. 14 game in Beijing that will raise money for the Special Olympics, the China Hope Project and the Chi Heng Foundation, which benefits Chinese…
Mike Redmond has been an invaluable backup catcher for Minnesota over the last three years. Pressed into more playing time with Joe Mauer hurt and fighting persistent pain in his finger, Redmond hasn’t let up. Redmond’s two-run double provided the winning margin for the Twins in a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Rejecting the urge to retire, Michael Strahan has decided to play a 15th season with the New York Giants, and possibly even more. The seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end had his agent announce Friday that he was ending a 36-day holdout and would report to the Giants early next week. “He went with his heart instead of his head,” Tony Agnone, his agent, said in a telephone interview with The Associated…
Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer were spectators for a preseason game that was tough to watch from the sideline — or anywhere else. Neither of the NFL’s Pro Bowl passers got onto the field Friday night, leaving it to the reserves to generate some points and excitement. Neither came easily during the Cincinnati Bengals’ 14-6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
One of coach Jack Del Rio’s first decisions with the Jacksonville Jaguars was drafting Byron Leftwich. One of his toughest was letting him go. Del Rio and the Jaguars said Friday they are parting ways with Leftwich after four frustrating, injury-filled seasons. They hope to trade him, but are resigned to releasing the former first-round draft pick.
Icy Atlantic rallied in the stretch to beat Touched By Madness in Saturday’s Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Joe Bravo, Icy Atlantic covered the mile over firm turf in 1:32.42. A 6-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic, Icy Atlantic paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20. Touched By Madness, who took the lead in midstretch, returned $9 and $4.
Lawyer Ron pulled away in the stretch and won the $500,000 Woodward Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, moving to the top of the handicap division. “I think he’s arguably one of the top older horses in training,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. Lawyer Ron added the Grade 1 Woodward to his win in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap on July 28, a race in which the 4-year-old…
Jockey Edgar Prado was thrown from his horse after a race at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, apparently injuring his ankle in the fall. Prado, who won the 2006 Kentucky Derby aboard Barbaro, had guided Admiral Bird to a second-place finish in the seventh race, and was galloping out around the clubhouse turn when the horse was bumped by another runner.
Boston Celtics forward James Posey was suspended by the NBA for one game on Friday for pleading no contest to reckless driving stemming from an incident in April. Posey’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said his client will appeal, calling the April 9 arrest in Miami Beach a “bad arrest.” Posey was arrested on drunken driving charges while he was a member of the Miami Heat.
New York Knicks center Randolph Morris pleaded guilty Friday to reckless driving and agreed to pay a $100 fine. Morris, who was scheduled to appear in Fayette District Court for a preliminary hearing, didn’t attend. His attorney, Jim Lowry, entered the guilty plea on his behalf and said the fine and court costs would be paid Friday.
