KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) – The Seahawks’ shield against the hex of the Super Bowl loser has its first crack: Shaun Alexander broke his left foot, and will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks.
Coach Mike Holmgren said that a bone scan revealed Alexander sustained a “small crack” and “displaced fracture” on a non-weight-bearing foot bone sometime during the Seahawks’ win over the New York Giants on Sunday.
Already nursing soreness in his foot from a bone bruise, last year’s league MVP ran for 47 yards on 20 carries while wearing new shoes with special inserts before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Alexander missed two practices last week because of the bone bruise from the season opener at Detroit, which led to the small crack, Holmgren said.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) _ While Cardinals coach Dennis Green didn’t say rookie Matt Leinart would replace struggling veteran Kurt Warner for Arizona’s next game, he also didn’t dismiss the possibility.
Green’s noncommittal comments came in the wake of Warner’s awful performance in Sunday’s 16-14 home loss to the St. Louis Rams. The 35-year-old quarterback was intercepted three times _ once with the team at the Rams 1-yard line and another at the St. Louis 14.
To cap it off, Warner fumbled a snap at the Rams 18 with 1:46 to play as Arizona was positioning itself for a winning field goal.
ESPN.com reported that the Cardinals were expected to start Leinart against the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday, citing team sources the Web site did not identify.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) _ Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms is out indefinitely after having his spleen removed. However, the Buccaneers have not ruled out his playing again this season.
In the meantime, rookie Bruce Gradkowski becomes the starter. Tim Rattay will be the backup, and the Bucs will explore signing a veteran to fill in as the No. 3 quarterback until Luke McCown comes off the physically unable to perform list.
Simms had his spleen removed Sunday night after absorbing several punishing hits during the loss to the Carolina Panthers.
CINCINNATI (AP) _ Coach Marvin Lewis expects linebacker Odell Thurman to be suspended for the rest of the season following his arrest on a drunken driving charge, making him the sixth Cincinnati Bengal arrested this year.
Thurman, already serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, could get an additional one-year suspension from the league.
The arrest came less than a week after commissioner Roger Goodell visited Cincinnati and reminded players of their responsibility to stay out of trouble and represent the league honorably.
SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Kicker Nate Kaeding signed a six-year contract that will keep him with the Chargers through 2012.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
HOUSTON (AP) _ A Rice University freshman football player died, a day after collapsing during a light workout.
Dale Lloyd, a 19-year-old defensive back, collapsed on the field about 5 p.m. Sunday but was conscious when taken to a hospital by ambulance. He died about 9 a.m., school officials said.
Rice athletic director Chris Del Conte said Lloyd collapsed while the team was doing some light running. Although he didn’t complain of anything specific, he told team trainers he didn’t feel right.
An autopsy was pending.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Conference USA suspended an instant replay official who overturned a fumble by Houston’s Jeron Harvey in the second quarter of the Cougars’ victory over Oklahoma State this weekend.
Following a challenge by Houston coach Art Briles, the replay official ruled that Harvey’s forward progress had been stopped before the ball was stripped by Oklahoma State’s Rodrick Johnson and recovered by the Cowboys.
Four plays later, Houston scored on a 27-yard pass from Kevin Kolb to Vincent Marshall to take a 24-17 halftime lead. Houston won 34-25.
The conference said in a news release that the play should not have been subject to review.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Tech defensive end Chris Ellis and split end Josh Morgan have been suspended for violating team rules and will miss Saturday’s game against No. 24 Georgia Tech.
BASEBALL
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) _ Randy Johnson will miss his final regular-season turn for the New York Yankees because of back spasms.
The left-hander had been scheduled to start Thursday night against Baltimore. The AL East champions hope he will be ready for the postseason.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Doctors removed a bullet fragment from the head of Sam Ashaolu, the most seriously injured of five Duquesne University basketball players shot on campus.
The fragment, initially believed to be an intact slug, was removed from behind his left ear, Duquesne officials said. The player’s medical team now believes Ashaolu, a junior forward from Toronto, Canada, has three bullet fragments remaining in his head.
HOCKEY
PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Evgeni Malkin, re-examined by doctors, will not need surgery on his dislocated left shoulder but still could be sidelined up to six weeks.
Malkin, expected to team with Sidney Crosby to give the Penguins one of the NHL’s top center combinations, was injured during his first exhibition game Wednesday.
DETROIT (AP) _ Steve Yzerman joined the Detroit front office , becoming the vice president of the Red Wings.
TENNIS
MUMBAI, India (AP) _ Second-seeded Mario Ancic defeated Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-2 at the ATP Tour’s inaugural Mumbai Open.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Catalina Castano cruised into the second round of the Korea Open with a 6-3, 6-2 win over teenager Sanja Ancic.
PALERMO, Sicily (AP) _ Albert Montanes advanced to the second round of the Palermo International when Luis Horna retired with a right shoulder injury.