With the Big Ten and the Pacific-10 considering expansion, Notre Dame is being forced to explore options for its future that include giving up its indepedence, he said.

Five years ago, Joe Johnson orchestrated a trade to Atlanta, and now he is generally considered a borderline maximum-salary player.

Carl Edwards has been placed on three weeks’ probation by Nascar for intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski’s car during last weekend’s race at Atlanta.

The team-authorized doctor who performed hip surgery on Alex Rodriguez last March said that he never gave approval for Anthony Galea to treat the Yankees’ slugger.

The speedy outfielder Juan Pierre is returning to a starting lineup after spending two seasons as an often-unappreciated bench player.