John Daly smashed one tee shot off the top of a beer can during a pro-am. At another tournament, he returned from a rain delay with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden as his caddie. And his most memorable photo this year came in an orange jail suit, eyes half-closed. Daly said Wednesday that such unwelcome publicity is why the PGA Tour suspended him for six months.
Chad Pennington has mastered NFL quarterbacking. And personal comebacks. For the second time in three years, Pennington is The Associated Press 2008 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. The Miami Dolphins star is the first player in the 11 seasons of the award to win it twice. “This time last year, I’m getting ready to watch the ball drop in Times Square.
Reliever Brian Fuentes and the Los Angeles Angels reached agreement on a two-year deal Wednesday, perhaps giving the AL West champions a replacement for record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez. Fuentes gets $17.5 million over the two seasons. There’s a club option for $9 million in 2011. The 33-year-old Fuentes was a three-time NL All-Star.
Jerod Mayo firmly answered everyone who criticized the Patriots for taking him with the 10th pick in April’s draft by winning The Associated Press 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Mayo was a nearly unanimous choice, earning 49 of 50 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league.
The Cleveland Indians acquired versatile infielder Mark DeRosa on Wednesday in a trade that sent three minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs. The Indians traded pitchers Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer and John Gaub for DeRosa, who will likely slide into Cleveland’s opening at third base. The 33-year-old DeRosa hit a career-high 21 homers and drove in 87 runs last season in 149 games while playing six…
Kalin Lucas scored a career-high 24 points, Chris Allen added 13 and No. 10 Michigan State beat Minnesota 70-58 Wednesday to hand the 21st-ranked Gophers their first loss of the season. In the Big Ten opener for both teams, Michigan State (10-2) wore down Minnesota by repeatedly attacking the basket and clogging the lane defensively.
In a tear-filled news conference the day after firing Mike Shanahan, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen gave no timetable for hiring the coach’s replacement. The Denver owner says he fired Shanahan after 14 seasons because, simply, he felt it was time for a change. Bowlen says he anticipated the new coach would not have full say over personnel moves, the way Shanahan did.
Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Wednesday. An officer with a task force that targets drunken driving saw the former NBA star run a stop sign about 1:30 a.m., Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said. Barkley was in Scottsdale’s Old Town area, a trendy spot in the Phoenix area.
Chad Pennington has made a comeback from a comeback. The Miami Dolphins quarterback won The Associated Press 2008 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award Wednesday, the second time in three years Pennington has received the honor. He also earned it in 2006 while with the New York Jets. Pennington is the first player in the 11 seasons of the award to win it twice.
John Daly has been suspended for six months by the PGA Tour for conduct that brought unwelcome publicity, including a night in a North Carolina jail to sober up. “Is it fair that I got suspended? It’s not fair in reality, but it’s probably fair in perception,” he told The Associated Press on Wednesday.