College athletes outperforming others in classroom

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — College athletes are still setting records and dispelling myths - in the classroom.

Just like the late NCAA President Myles Brand believed they could.

The NCAA's latest graduation numbers show nearly four out of five student-athletes earn their diplomas on time, an all-time high, and federal statistics show athletes are still more likely to graduate on time than other students.

Scioscia, Tracy win Manager of the Year awards

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels could have crumbled when pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident in April, overcome by waves of grief and sadness.

Mike Scioscia kept them moving forward.

"There wasn't one defining moment," he said. "I think as the season started to evolve guys found that sense of purpose to play baseball again and they played it at a very, very high level."

US loses to Denmark 3-1 in final match of 2009

AARHUS, Denmark (AP) — The United States finished its 2009 schedule with a 3-1 loss to Denmark, losing its second straight match on a quick tour that was the last time Europe-based players will gather before March.

Jeff Cunningham gave the United States the lead with a 26th-minute goal, but substitutes Johan Absalonsen, Soren Rieks and Martin Bernburg beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan during the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Coming to a head: NFL players hide, fear concussions

Washington Redskins kick returner Rock Cartwright remembers his brain "shaking like a bell" when he was walloped in a game against the New York Giants a few years ago.

"You know how a bell vibrates? That's how my brain was going at that time," he said. "I think five minutes later, I came back to myself. I went back out there and played football."

What Cartwright never did when the hit happened? He never told Washington's medical staff his head ached.

Moving on: Pats shift focus to Jets' visit

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill Belichick has heard enough about his fourth-down decision that failed. So has Tom Brady.

The Patriots returned Wednesday for their first practice since Sunday night's 35-34 loss in which their coach went for it on fourth-and-2 from the New England 28-yard line instead of punting with a six-point lead. They fell a yard short and the Indianapolis Colts scored a touchdown and extra point for the victory.

"Today is Wednesday," Belichick said. "We talk about Wednesday."

NBA roundup: Nets drop to 0-11

By The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Danny Granger scored 22 points, Roy Hibbert tied a career high with 19 and the Indiana Pacers dropped the New Jersey Nets to 0-11 with a 91-83 victory Tuesday night.

Dahntay Jones added 17 points for the Pacers, who extended their winning streak to five and can continue their turnaround from an 0-3 start Wednesday when they host another struggling team, the New York Knicks.

Capitals top Rangers

NEW YORK — Matt Bradley bounced back from having his face bloodied in a first-period fight to net the winning goal with 4:51 left, and Alex Ovechkin also scored in his return from injury to lift the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Galaxy wary of RSL in MLS final

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The only obstacle between David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy and a Major League Soccer championship is an MLS Cup opponent that barely made the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a losing record.

Sure, it might sound like a simple Sunday in Seattle for Beckham, Landon Donovan and the star-studded Galaxy. Yet Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena is certain it'll be anything but easy to finish off Real Salt Lake in the league final.

BCS creates football executive director role

NEW YORK (AP) — Defending the Bowl Championship Series and trying to convince critics that it is the best way to determine a college football champion has to qualify as one of the toughest jobs in America.

Bill Hancock now has that job.

Hancock, the former director of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, was selected Tuesday to become the first executive director of the BCS.

Shanahan retires from NHL after 21 seasons

NEW YORK (AP) — Brendan Shanahan is retiring from the NHL after 21 seasons and an almost certain Hall of Fame career.

The 40-year-old forward announced Tuesday that he wouldn't play again. After going through training camp with the New Jersey Devils, the team he spent his final season with, he and the club mutually parted unexpectedly shortly before opening night of the season.

Patriots' defense lacks consistency despite record

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots' young defense kept Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts under control for three quarters.

The Patriots forced seven punts, made one interception and led 24-14 with 15 minutes left. But they couldn't finish the job as Manning rallied the Colts to a 35-34 win Sunday night.

Pats' assistant says boss unaffected by critics

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When defensive coordinator Dean Pees returned to work after New England's stunning loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Bill Belichick was preparing for the Patriots' next opponent.

The coach was seemingly unaffected by the wave of criticism stemming from his fourth-down gamble.

"As far as I can see right now, it's business as usual," Pees said Tuesday.

Pierce, who hurt knee, returns to Celtics practice

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) — Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce has returned to practice after missing a day with a sore left knee.

Pierce was hurt on Friday night against Atlanta. The 32-year-old says it was only a slight sprain, and he took part in the team's workout after missing Monday's practice. He says his return went smoothly.

Coach Doc Rivers gave him an occasional rest on the sideline.

Rivers and Pierce both say they expect him to be available against Golden State on Wednesday.

Tiger leaves Aussies eager for his return

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Still wearing his gold jacket from winning the Australian Masters, with his car waiting to take him to the airport, Tiger Woods had one more stop to make at Kingston Heath.

He stood atop a bench and looked out at some 250 volunteers who had gathered outside the tournament office to see him one last time. Woods thanked them for their support, saying his week would not have been as special without them.

In true Aussie fashion, one bloke wasn't interested in a speech.

Magic's Nelson to have knee surgery

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson needs surgery again.

The All-Star will have arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on torn cartilage in his left knee, the team said. He is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Nelson was injured in the fourth quarter of Monday night's win against Charlotte. But he finished the game on the court and showed no signs of injury.

Weis doesn't think future at Notre Dame has been decided

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Charlie Weis is going about his job as Notre Dame coach as normal, saying he doesn't think a decision about his future has been made.

"Oh no, I don't think that any decision's been made because I probably would know, and I don't know," Weis said Tuesday. "With that being said, it's full speed ahead to UConn, full speed ahead to Stanford and full-speed ahead to recruiting. That's exactly the way we're approaching it."

Grizzlies officially waive Iverson

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies officially have ended their relationship with Allen Iverson by waiving the 10-time All-Star.

The Grizzlies announced Monday they had mutually agreed to end a one-year contract with the former league MVP.

But the team did not waive Iverson until late Tuesday afternoon.

Iverson began an indefinite leave of absence on Nov. 7 to deal with a personal issue. The 34-year-old guard played only three games with Memphis, all in California. He averaged 12.3 points and 22.3 minutes coming off the bench in each.

Survey: More minorities in U.S. playing tennis

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More Americans are playing tennis, with Hispanics and blacks showing a marked increase.

The U.S. Tennis Association said in a survey released Tuesday that 30.1 million people hit the courts this year. That's a 12 percent increase from 2008 and up 25 percent from six years ago.

The survey showed participation grew in all age groups under 50 and within all ethnic groups. The biggest increases were among Hispanics, with 32 percent more playing the game. Blacks had a 19 percent increase.

LeBron believes he could star in football, too

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James watched the Cleveland Browns get shut out by Baltimore on Monday night and came to one simple conclusion: He could help.

"If I put all my time and commitment into it, if I dedicated myself to the game of football, I could be really good," the Cavaliers superstar said before facing the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. "No matter what team I was on."

The Browns have one of the NFL's most anemic offenses, a key problem during their 1-8 start. The NBA's reigning MVP certainly couldn't make things any worse.

Rivers has Bolts in first place tie

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The calendar hadn't even gotten to Halloween and the San Diego Chargers already had been knocked 3 1/2 games behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West race.

Fans were jumping off the bandwagon rather than ride out what appeared to be a spectacular crash in the making. The Bolts were being written off in the media. Preseason talk of reaching the Super Bowl was replaced by the stunning thought that the Chargers, who have been guilty in the past of fawning over their press clippings, might miss the playoffs entirely.

Greinke of Royals wins AL Cy Young Award

NEW YORK (AP) — When the phone rang, Zack Greinke let it go - he didn't recognize the number. Only after listening to the voice mail did he call back and find out he'd won the American League Cy Young Award.

The Kansas City Royals ace easily beat out Felix Hernandez for the honor Tuesday after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination. Winning left the extremely shy Greinke with mixed emotions.

Larry Johnson agrees to terms with Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP) — Larry Johnson might have his career up-and-running sooner than expected.

The running back who was banished from Kansas City for bad behavior signed on for a backup role with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, giving the AFC North leaders depth for the rest of this season. He might not be watching for long.

A day after coach Marvin Lewis referred to Johnson as an insurance policy in case of injury, he said it's possible the running back could play in some form Sunday in Oakland if starter Cedric Benson is still limited by a strained hip.

Bills fire Jauron, promote Fewell

RCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills promoted coordinator Perry Fewell to take over as interim head coach after Dick Jauron was fired on Tuesday.

Wilson ran out of patience with Jauron, who ran out of time to build a contender or come up with a way to fix an offense that sputtered even with the addition of Terrell Owens.

The shakeup, which caught some players by surprise, came during the players' day off and after the Bills (3-6) stumbled out of their off week to fall further out of contention with a 41-17 loss at Tennessee last weekend.

Mangini says he would change play that injured Cribbs

CLEVELAND (AP) — Like his mentor, Eric Mangini is being second-guessed for a late-game decision.

Bill Belichick's gamble cost his team a win.

Mangini's nearly lost him his best player.

Following Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs' scary last-second injury in Monday night's 16-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland's coach said he wishes he would have handled the game's final play differently.

Titans' owner fined $250k for gesture

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NFL has fined Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for making an obscene gesture at Buffalo fans while celebrating Tennessee's victory over the Bills.

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Adams of the fine Monday, and league spokesman Greg Aiello said it is for conduct detrimental to the NFL. Adams was seen making the gesture while in his luxury suite and again on the field after Sunday's 41-17 victory.

The 86-year-old Adams issued an apology a couple of hours later, saying he got caught up in the excitement of the moment.