LeBron lifts Team USA past Uruguay, sans 'Melo
[Aug. 30, 2007] LeBron James soared for powerful dunks, pulled up for flawless 3-pointers. And when the halftime buzzer sounded, there was only one way to describe his play.

Perfect.

Henin, Williams, Ivanovic, Dementieva advance; Sugiyama upset
[Aug. 29, 2007] Venus Williams overcame a few glitches and Justine Henin ran right into the next round Wednesday at a U.S. Open where the favorites kept rolling.

Cuban, Mayweather, Castroneves on 'Dancing With the Stars'
[Aug. 29, 2007] Is it possible Mark Cuban, Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Wayne Newton can dance? Viewers will find out on the new season of "Dancing With the Stars," which has assembled another eclectic field of contestants.

Falcons asking for $20 million; experts say it could be only $3.5M
[Aug. 29, 2007] The Atlanta Falcons formally sent a demand letter to Michael Vick on Monday, asking to recover $20 million of the $37 million in total bonuses paid to Vick under terms of the 10-year extension that he signed on Christmas Eve 2004.

Bucks finally sign Yi Jianlian to deal
[Aug. 29, 2007] Yi, the sixth overall selection in the NBA draft in June, signed a standard rookie scale contract with the Bucks in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The club also gave his former team, the Guangdong Tigers, money in the deal, but declined to discuss details.

Vick pleads guilty, apologizes for actions
[Aug. 28, 2007] RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick apologized to the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons on Monday for "using bad judgment and making bad decisions" and vowed to redeem himself after pleading guilty to a dogfighting charge.

Samuel signs 1-year, $7.79M deal with Patriots
[Aug. 28, 2007] FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel has signed a one-year contract worth $7.79 million, ending a contract dispute that had kept him out of training camp for a month.

Struggling Astros can Garner, GM
[Aug. 28, 2007] HOUSTON (AP) -- Manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura were fired Monday by the Houston Astros, less than two years after leading the team to its first World Series appearance.

Freeman beats out Wright, is Miami's starting QB
[Aug. 28, 2007] CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Kirby Freeman is set to be the starting quarterback for Miami's season opener Tuesday, beating former first-stringer Kyle Wright in the Hurricanes' most-scrutinized training camp competition.

RB Larry Johnson signs 5-year extension, shows up at Chiefs camp
[Aug. 22, 2007] KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Holdout running back Larry Johnson agreed to a five-year contract extension and joined the Kansas City Chiefs for practice Tuesday, surprising teammates who broke into scattered cheers when he jogged unannounced onto the field.

NFL should let Vick play after sentence, NAACP says
[Aug. 22, 2007] ATLANTA -- An NAACP leader said Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation.

Former Timberwolves forward dies in SUV-train crash
[Aug. 22, 2007] HOUSTON (AP) -- Basketball always came easily to Eddie Griffin. It was life off the court that he had trouble handling.

The former Minnesota Timberwolves forward died last week when his sport utility vehicle collided with a freight train in a fiery crash, the Harris County medical examiner's office said Tuesday.

Anderson 10 RBI help Angels blast Yankees 18-9
[Aug. 22, 2007] ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Garret Anderson got the first curtain call he can remember, going to the top step of the Angels' dugout and doffing his helmet to a roaring crowd.

Longtime minor league skipper Trembley to lead O's in '08
[Aug. 22, 2007] BALTIMORE -- Dave Trembley will return next season as manager of the Baltimore Orioles after leading the team to a winning record over the last two months.

Vick to plead guilty
[Aug. 20, 2007] RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a prison term.