David Beckham checked into a Finnish hospital Monday for surgery on his torn left Achilles’ tendon, hoping for a “swift and full recovery” from an injury that is expected to keep him out of the World Cup. Using crutches, Beckham hobbled out of a private jet at Turku airport in southwestern Finland at about 4 p.m.
Gilbert Arenas says he deserves to be punished for bringing guns to the locker room. The suspended Washington Wizards guard told Esquire magazine that he wasn’t using “longevity thinking” when he took out four guns in what he says was an attempt to play a prank on teammate Javaris Crittenton in December.
Rachel Alexandra won’t be facing Zenyatta next month in their planned highly anticipated $5 million showdown, leaving racing’s other female superstar to take on all comers. Rachel Alexandra’s owner, Jess Jackson, said Sunday that his 2009 Horse of the Year is not in top form after her defeat in the New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds.
The selection committee made its choices. Now, it’s America’s turn. The country’s biggest office pool, otherwise known as March Madness, serves up the usual smorgasbord of choices, starting with Kansas, the overall top seed in the 65-team NCAA tournament bracket released Sunday. “It’s a blessing, it’s a burden,” Kansas coach Bill Self said of being No.
LaDainian Tomlinson is bolting for the Big Apple. Tomlinson’s agent, Tom Condon, said Sunday that the New York Jets signed the former Chargers running back to a two-year contract. The Jets confirmed that they have agreed to a deal, adding the aging star to the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense last season.
John Calipari only had questions once he and his Kentucky Wildcats finished celebrating their Southeastern Conference tournament championship. “How did we win this game? How did we go to overtime? I don’t know,” Calipari said. Credit his fantastic freshmen who scored to get them to overtime and then won the game, even if they celebrated a little prematurely.
Leon Powe has seen the Boston Celtics at their best. They aren’t there anymore. After coming off the bench and helping the Cleveland Cavaliers put away the Celtics 104-93 on Sunday, Powe, who won an NBA title with Boston in 2008, took a moment to reflect on his former team, a squad showing signs of age and perhaps vulnerability.
Evan Turner didn’t need any late-game heroics on Sunday. When it appeared there was nothing more he could do to make his Big Ten tournament performance better, the junior had 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 5 Ohio State over Minnesota 90-61 in the championship game. Turner hit a 37-foot shot at the buzzer to beat Michigan in the quarterfinals, then scored 12 of his 31 points after…
Brady Quinn will get a chance to start over in Denver. Whether he’ll get to start is up in the air. The Broncos acquired the former first-round draft pick from the Cleveland Browns for fullback Peyton Hillis, a 2011 sixth-round draft pick and a conditional pick in 2012. The teams announced the trade Sunday and said the deal is pending physicals.
Miss after miss, open look after open look, yet Jon Scheyer ignored them all. He wasn’t going to stop shooting, not with an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship on the line and fourth-ranked Duke clinging to a one-point lead in the final seconds. He curled around a screen, took a pass and launched a 3-pointer that dropped perfectly through the net.