Off the wire

— BASEBALL Cox to retire after 2010

Bobby Cox will retire as manager of the Atlanta Braves afternext season, ending a career in which he guided the team to 14 consecutive postseason appearances and the 1995 World Series title. The 68-year-old Cox, a four-time Manager of the Year, agreed to a one-year contract extension for2010, the Braves announced before Wednesday night's game against the New York Mets. He will start a fiveyear consulting agreement to advise the team in baseball operations after he steps down as manager. "They asked me to come back, and I said I would do it for one more year, and we'll announce the retirement along with it. It's the only way I think I'm ever going to walk away from the game, is to go ahead and say I'm going to, and then I've got to," Cox said. "There's no turning back now - win, lose or draw. Whatever happens next year is going to be it." A cigar-smoking baseball lifer, Cox managed the Braves from 1978-1981, switched to manage the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-1985, then returned to manage Atlanta in 1990. With the Braves' victory Wednesday, Cox has 2,409 regular-season victories as a manager, fourth behind Connie Mack (3,731), John Mc-Graw (2,763) and Tony La Russa (2,550). Cox and Joe McCarthy are the only managers with six 100-victory regular seasons.

FOOTBALL Cowboys' Adams fined $12,500

Dallas Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams has been fined $12,500 by the NFL for kicking two New York Giants on Sunday, making it two consecutive games he's been fined. Adams was punished not only for the second-quarter play that left Justin Tuck with a shoulder injury, but also for doing it to Osi Umenyiora in the fourth quarter. Adamswas flagged for kicking Tuck, but not for the swipe at Umenyiora. After the game, Tuck called it a "bush league play," and Adams shot back Monday, saying he didn't know Tuck was hurt, adding, "From a supposed kick? Tell him to stay up. It ain't my fault."

Chester Pitts, a left guard who has started every game in the Houston Texans' history, will miss the rest of the season after surgery on his right knee. Pitts was injured Sundayagainst the Tennessee Titans and underwent microfracture surgery Wednesday and will be placed on injured reserve. He was drafted in the second round in 2002 and when Kasey Studdard starts in his place Sunday, it will break his franchiserecord streak of 114 consecutive starts.

San Diego Chargers center Nick Hardwick has undergone surgery on his left ankle and the team says he's expected to miss eight weeks.The sixth-year veteran was hurt in the season opener at Oakland on Sept. 14, sustaining what the team said was a sprained ankle.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was limited in practice Wednesday with a back injury. The NFL's leading rusher was listed on the team's injury report, three days after rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown in the 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions. The team hosts San Francisco on Sunday. Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson did not practice because of a shoulder injury. He had eight tackles against Detroit and is the team's leading tackler this season.

The NFL has fined Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones $5,000 for unnecessarily going into a scrum during Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans. He was ejected from the game after an official said he threw a punch on the Texans' sideline during the fourth quarter. Jones denied throwing a punch, and Coach Jeff Fisher said a day later he could not see a punch thrown from the coach's film.

HOCKEY 'Olie the Goalie' retires

Veteran goaltender Olaf Kolzig is retiring after 14 seasons in the NHL. The 39-year-old former Vezina Trophy winner - known as "Olie the Goalie" - spent most of his career with the Washington Capitals. He says he plans to spend time with his family but wants to remain involved in hockey. His 303 career victories rank 21st in the NHL. He finishes his career with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. He posted 35 shutouts in 719 games.

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has pledged to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., this season if he wins an auction for the financially troubled club. The revised offer came during an emergency hearing Wednesday before bankruptcy Judge Redfield T. Baum, who called Balsillie's proposal "a fairly significant change." Balsillie does, however, still plan to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario, as part of his $242.5 million bid.

FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL One goes to hospital as players brawl at Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Two fights in two days between Kansas football and basketball players sent one basketball star to the hospital and left officials on this normally placid Midwestern campus red-faced with embarrassment.

Tyshawn Taylor, a sophomore guard on the basketball team which could be ranked as high as No. 1 in the preseason polls, was taken to a hospital Tuesday night for treatment of a hand injury that could sideline him up to a month.

Otherwise, there were no known injuries in the two incidents other than to the pride of this venerable institution, which boasts about the fact there was no vandalism and no arrests after all-night street celebrations of their 2008 NCAA basketball championship.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, there had been no arrests or charges.

"We're hoping they get themselves together and act like adults, like they're supposed to be," campus police captain Schuyler Bailey said. "We're hoping that this is done."

The first fight broke out about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday outside Burge Union, the building where athletes eat their meals. Police reports quoted witnesses as saying football and basketball players had been "baiting each other," and that "there was a big mob ofpeople outside the building and several people were fighting each other."

Then, about 10 a.m. Wednesday on another part of campus, things got uglier. Witnesses reported some players hurling insults and a basketball player shoving a football player down a few stairs.

The Kansas student newspaper said on its Web site that basketball players Marcus and Markieff Morris, Mario Little, Sherron Collins and Taylor were at the scene. The site also had a video of several basketball players, including Collins and the Morris twins, ushered into a van by associate athletic director Sean Lester.

Two football players, Chris Harris and all-Big 12 wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe, were seen talking to police.

Bailey said no police report had been issued on the second incident because no one had brought a complaint.

Taylor, the third-leading scorer for Kansas last year, said in a Facebook comment he later took down that he dislocated his finger "from throwing a punch."

Taylor's mother, Jeanell Taylor, refused to speak with reporters Wednesday as she walked out of the building that houses the Kansas coaches' offices.

Neither police nor school officials said they knew what started the fights.

Sports, Pages 20 on 09/24/2009

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