A capsule look at the inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 8: Bob Hayes Wide Receiver 5-11, 185 NFL career: 1965-1974 Dallas Cowboys, 1975 San Francisco 49ers. Senior candidate. Cowboys’ seventh-round pick (88th overall) of 1964 NFL draft and Broncos’ 14th-round pick (105th overall) of 1964 AFL draft. … Won […]

DETROIT (AP) — Craving help for their starting rotation, the Minnesota Twins have turned to Carl Pavano. The Twins agreed Friday to send the Cleveland Indians a player to be identified later in exchange for Pavano, a one-time All-Star whose career derailed in New York during four injury-ruined seasons with the Yankees. “He’s certainly had […]

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Practically giddy with excitement over his upcoming induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ralph Wilson greeted Bruce Smith in the middle of a hotel ballroom to pose for a picture Friday afternoon. “It’s been fun,” said the 90-year-old Buffalo Bills owner, who then pointed to Smith, his former star […]

Red Bull’s New Year, No Limits series is moving from Las Vegas to La-La-Land, and this time it’ll be Travis Pastrana’s turn to try to wow the crowd. Pastrana will try to break the world record for the longest jump in a car. A handful of Los Angeles landmarks are being considered for the New […]

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson will never have a better view at Watkins Glen International. He just hopes he can keep it. Johnson captured the first road-course pole of his career in qualifying Friday, turning a lap at 123.633 mph in 71.34 seconds over the 11-turn, 2.45-mile circuit to edge Kurt Busch for […]

NEW YORK (AP) — John Smoltz may have thrown the last pitch of his storied career. The Boston Red Sox cut the struggling Smoltz on Friday, a day after the New York Yankees sent the 42-year-old righty to yet another early exit. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein traveled down to New York to personally […]

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks thought they were sitting down for another ho-hum evening meeting. Instead, they got one of the greatest winners of all time. Boston Celtics legend and five-time NBA MVP Bill Russell came from his home in suburban Mercer Island, Wash., on Thursday night to awe the Seahawks with an […]

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James is going to make the Cleveland Cavaliers wait — and sweat. James indicated Friday that he is unlikely to accept a contract extension from the Cavs until after the 2009-10 season and presumably will become a free agent. At an event in his hometown to unveil Nike Air Max […]

DETROIT (AP) — A person with knowledge of the deal says Ben Wallace is coming back to the Detroit Pistons. Wallace will receive a $1.3 million, one-year deal, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed. Wallace is expected to do that early next week. The […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Melky Cabrera and the New York Yankees knocked out John Smoltz early, and soon it was all over: They had finally beaten the Boston Red Sox. Muhammad Ali and a starry crowd watched as the Yankees beat Boston for the first time in nine games this season, with Cabrera and Jorge […]