BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins are going into the season with high expectations for the first time in a long time, and coach Claude Julien is telling his team to be ready. “I think we’ve got to work our way to the top just like we did last year,” Julien said at the team’s […]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots were happy to win on Sunday, but their inefficiency in the red zone is raising red flags. With quarterback Tom Brady still shaking off the rust from a lost 2008 season and getting used to new receivers such as veteran Joey Galloway and rookie Julian Edelman — […]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Oh boy, another easy victory for Jimmie Johnson. Just what NASCAR didn’t need in its bid to use an exciting championship race to spark its sagging ratings. With a runaway win Sunday at Dover International Raceway, Johnson stepped up and practically dared the competition to wrestle the Sprint Cup from his […]

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett has been scratched from Monday night’s start because of back spasms. “He’s been feeling it. This time of year, guys feel it a lot,” Boston manager Terry Francona said before the game against Toronto. “But on the plane last night he tried to get comfortable and didn’t. […]

GREENVILLE (AP) — The 2009 Maine moose hunting season opened Monday. The season’s first week ends Saturday, and the second week will be Oct. 12-17 in a number of other areas of northern Maine. Permit holders will also be allowed to hunt moose in very select areas of southern Maine this year from Nov. 2-28. […]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow could be back in the huddle in time for Florida’s biggest game of the season. Coach Urban Meyer said Monday that his star quarterback was feeling better and eating well two days after sustaining a concussion at Kentucky. Although Tebow still has “a little bit of a headache,” Meyer […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — All this Cy Young talk is wearing on Zack Greinke. Even when it comes from the hometown fans, Kansas City’s attention-shy ace doesn’t want to hear it. “It’s pretty annoying, actually. I really don’t like it all,” he said. Sorry, Zack. When you put up an ERA that looks like […]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers have benched starting quarterback Byron Leftwich and replaced him with second-year pro Josh Johnson. Coach Raheem Morris made the move Monday, a day after the Bucs fell to 0-3 while gaining just 86 yards total offense in a 24-0 loss to the New York Giants. Leftwich […]

COPENHAGEN (AP) — President Barack Obama is hitting the campaign trail again. Obama is going to Copenhagen after all, joining first lady Michelle Obama to support Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. Obama plans to leave Washington on Thursday, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett told The Associated Press on Monday, getting to Denmark in time to […]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants running game has caught up with Eli Manning and the passing attack, and that’s not good news for opposing defenses. If teams put eight defenders in the box to take away the Giants’ running game, Manning has a bevy of young receivers, including Steve Smith and […]