PRO FOOTBALL
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – The New York Giants will be minus Michael Strahan for a while.
A sprained ligament in his right foot will keep the Pro Bowl defensive end off his feet for at least a week and out of the lineup for two weeks to a month – and possibly longer.
Tests on Strahan’s foot revealed a sprain to the Lis Franc ligament, one of the main stabilizers in the middle of the foot. He was injured in the second quarter of Sunday’s 14-10 win over Houston.
Strahan told FOXSports.com that the recovery period might last up to two months.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher sprained the big toe on his left foot during a 31-13 loss to Miami and his status for Sunday night’s game against the Giants is undetermined.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) – Atlanta Falcons defensive back Kevin Mathis suffered a season-ending neck injury Sunday that is not expected to require surgery.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Joe Paterno wants to coach this weekend, but don’t look for him to pace the sidelines in his blue Penn State jacket and rolled-up khakis.
The 79-year-old coach was listed in good condition at Mount Nittany Medical Center following an 80-minute operation a day earlier on his fractured shin bone and two torn knee ligaments. The injuries stemmed from a sideline collision during last week’s loss to Wisconsin.
He was expected to be remain in the hospital through Tuesday, assistant athletic director Jeff Nelson said.
Paterno plans to coach Saturday against Temple, though it’s unclear if that means from the sidelines or a coach’s box.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Three Tennessee players were suspended following their arrests for disorderly conduct and underage drinking at a nightclub after the Vols’ loss to LSU.
Starting tailback Arian Foster, safety Antonio Wardlow and fullback David Holbert, all 20 years old, were charged with disorderly conduct and underage consumption of alcohol. Wardlow also was charged with public intoxication.
Authorities said Holbert and Wardlow were fighting each other outside of the Good Fellas nightclub when they were confronted by the police.
Foster will sit out the first half of Saturday’s matchup against Arkansas, and Holbert for the game. Wardlow will not play against the 11th-ranked Razorbacks and also is suspended for Tennessee’s game against Vanderbilt on Nov. 18.
BASEBALL
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Ron Washington was hired as manager of the Texas Rangers after serving as coach of the Oakland Athletics the past 11 seasons.
Chosen over four other candidates to replace Buck Showalter, the 54-year-old Washington inherits a team that has had only one winning season since last making the playoffs in 1999. He is the Rangers’ 17th full-time manager and first black manager.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The same starting five that left the court in Indianapolis with Florida’s first national championship will start this season with the No. 1 ranking.
The Gators were the runaway choice in The Associated Press’ preseason college basketball poll – no surprise, since they have everyone back for a run at being the first repeat national champion since Duke in 1992.
Florida received 63 first-place votes and 1,788 points from the 72-member national media panel to easily outdistance North Carolina, which got the other nine No. 1 votes and 1,704 points.
Third-ranked Kansas will face Florida in Las Vegas on Nov. 25.
Pittsburgh was fourth, matching its highest preseason ranking ever in 1987-88.
LSU, a Final Four team last season, and UCLA, which lost to Florida in the championship game were fifth and sixth. George Mason, the first mid-major to reach the Final Four and the team the Gators beat in the national semifinals, received just one point, a single 25th-place vote.
Ohio State is seventh, followed by Georgetown, Wisconsin and Arizona.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) – Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech’s leading scorer, returned to practice after being dismissed from the team last week.
Coach Bob Knight said last week that Jackson had been dismissed for academic reasons. He left open the possibility that Jackson could return to the team at a later date.
GOLF
Paul Azinger, a former PGA champion and cancer survivor, was introduced as Ryder Cup captain for a U.S. team that has lost a record three straight times.
His first order of business was to revamp the selection process, announcing a criteria that essentially goes off the PGA Tour money list. One point will be awarded for every $1,000 earned at the four majors in 2007 and tour events in 2008, with double points for the 2008 majors.
Opposite-field events will be worth only a half-point for every $1,000.
The other major change is that Azinger will get four captain’s picks instead of two. But it was unclear when he would make those picks.
HORSE RACING
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) – Nearly six months after a horrifying accident at the Preakness, Barbaro had the cast removed from his lower right hind leg and is walking freely.
The Kentucky Derby winner was in the cast since having surgery on May 21, a day after the second race of the Triple Crown series.
Barbaro’s left hind hoof, which was stricken with a severe case of laminitis, hasn’t shown signs of any new problems.
PRO BASKETBALL
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Sacramento Kings center Brad Miller’s injured left foot will sideline him at least four weeks.
HOCKEY
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Phoenix center Mike Comrie, the Coyotes’ leading scorer, is expected to have surgery on a fractured foot and could miss at least four weeks.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Blue Jackets defenseman Duvie Westcott will miss six to eight weeks with a broken joint in his left index finger.