Walker: Rejuvenated Lewis is man with a plan
Ray Lewis is working harder than ever to bring Baltimore back to prominence. He's also preparing for his life after football, writes James Walker.

Specter calls for independent inquiry into Spygate
Sen. Arlen Specter wants an independent investigation of the Patriots' taping of opposing coaches' signals similar to the Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs in baseball.

Fifth suspect, 16, charged in Sean Taylor slaying
Prosecutors in Miami say a fifth person has been charged in the slaying of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor.

Ex-center Whitley found dead in his Texas trailer
Former NFL center Curtis Whitley has been found dead in his trailer home in West Texas.

Winslow's absence felt as Browns open practices
Kellen Winslow wouldn't be practicing anyway, but his absence from the Cleveland Browns' organized team activities this week is notable.

Reports: Urlacher may skip mandatory workouts
Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will reportedly skip mandatory minicamp to protest his contract.

Ex-LSU star Perrilloux transfers to Jacksonville St.
Troubled ex-LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux won't have to wait long to play again.

USC signs new 25-year lease with Coliseum
Southern California has signed a new 25-year lease that will keep the Trojans' football team in the Los Angeles Coliseum and include improvements in the stadium.

Big Ten to vote on taking 2-week recruiting break
The Big Ten is championing a proposal that schools take two weeks off from recruiting.

Rodriguez says W. Va. officials pressed him to sign
Former WVU football coach Rich Rodriguez says Gov. Joe Manchin and three members of the university's board of governors pressured him into signing a new contract before the start of the 2007 season with a buyout clause he didn't want.

ACC to end partnership with Humanitarian Bowl
Beginning in 2009, the ACC will no longer partner with the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, league commissioner John Swofford said.

Eight is enough: ACC nixes plan for ninth game
Athletic directors of the Atlantic Coast Conference have decided to nix the possibility of adding a ninth conference game to the schedule, according to several people who attended a closed-door meeting involving the league's football coaches and ADs.

Crasnick: Starting 9
"Starting 9" focuses on players whose on-field routines through the years have irritated opponents, rival fans and occasionally even teammates.

Sabathia tosses 5-hit shutout, fans 11 in Tribe win
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Broken fingernail lands BoSox's Buchholz on DL
Clay Buchholz was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a broken nail on his right middle finger.

Yanks respond to Hank's criticism win over Rays
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Giants' owner dodges notion he'll soon step down
San Francisco Giants owner Peter Magowan dashed out of an executive council meeting about half an hour early Wednesday, then dodged questions about speculation he could announce he will step down.

Mets' Martinez throws 4 innings in simulated game
Pedro Martinez threw 55 pitches Wednesday during a simulated game in Florida, the latest step in his recuperation from a hamstring injury.

Adande: Jazz find the Lakers slightly out of tune
Kobe and the Lakers have reason to be nervous for the first time in these playoffs, J.A. Adande writes.

Windhorst: Cavs aim to ride LeBron momentum in Game 5
LeBron James and the Cavs have had an excellent recent history of Game 5s on the road. They'll be banking in Boston, Brian Windhorst writes.

Carlisle vows to pick up pace of Mavericks' offense
Rick Carlisle is ready to let Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks run. And run. And run some more.

Celtics' turnaround nets top exec award for Ainge
Danny Ainge, who engineered the trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that helped the Boston Celtics post the biggest turnaround in league history, was given the Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year award before Wednesday night's playoff game.

Marbury says he's prepping for D'Antoni's offense
Stephon Marbury attended Mike D'Antoni's introductory news conference at the Garden on Tuesday, but what remains to be seen is how Marbury fits in D'Antoni's plans.

Former Bulls coach Boylan joins Skiles' Bucks staff
Former Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylan and former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson were two of four assistants hired Wednesday by Milwaukee Bucks head coach Scott Skiles.