Off the wire

— FOOTBALL

Colts release Sanders

Bob Sanders couldn’t stay healthy and the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t afford to keep investing in the oftinjured safety. Team owner Jim Irsay released the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Friday. After winning the league’s top defensive honor, Sanders signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract but played in only nine regularseason games over the next three seasons. Sanders had 373 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 6 interceptions in seven NFL seasons.

The Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday placed the franchise tag on linebacker LaMarr Woodley. Woodley, 26, who just finished his third season with Pittsburgh, had 50 tackles, 10 sacks and 2 interceptions last season.

The NFL says the Detroit Lions have violated the league’s policy against tampering and ruled they must forfeit their seventh-round draft pick this year and exchange fifthround picks with the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued the ruling Friday for violations last year involving players under contract with the Chiefs. The league says the Lions commented publicly to the media about their desire to acquire Chiefs players under contract, and that they had impermissible contact with a player - or his agent - under contract with Kansas City.

Longtime Washington Redskins assistant Kirk Olivadotti is Georgia’s new inside linebackers coach. Coach Mark Richt said Friday he has hired Olivadotti, who was with the Redskins for 11 years. Olivadotti replaces Warren Belin, who took a job on the Carolina Panthers’ new staff.

Dave Duerson, a four-time Pro Bowl safety who played on Super Bowl winners with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, has died. He was 50. Miami-Dade Police Detective Robert Williams says the body of a Dave Duerson was found Thursday in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. Computer records show that the Duerson who lived at the address was born the same month and year as the player.Investigators have not determined the cause of death.

The Houston Texans waived starting safety Eugene Wilson on Friday. The 5-10 Wilson started 13 games last season, his third with Houston. He had four interceptions and 148 tackles for the Texans.

GOLF

Couples ahead

Fred Couples shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 66 Friday that gave him a two-shot lead in the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles. Couples was at 8-under 134 at Riviera heading into what could be a soggy weekend. The rain began to fall late in the afternoon as half of the field was trying to cope with tougher conditions. J.B. Holmes was tied for the lead until a double bogey on the last hole gave him a 69. He was at 6-under 136, along with John Senden (69).

Russ Cochran and Bernhard Langer shot 8-under-par 64s to share the lead after the first round of the ACE Group Classic on Friday in Naples, Fla. Mark O’Meara, back from playing in the Dubai Desert Classic last week, was third after a 65 that included holing out from a greenside bunker for an eagle on No. 14. Mark Calcavecchia, Keith Fergus and Olin Browne were tied for fourth at 5 under.

In-kyung Kim of South Korea birdied her final hole to card a 1-over-par 73 and hold on to the lead by a stroke over Michelle Wie and Yani Tseng at 8-under 136 midway through the LPGA Thailand in Pattaya on Friday. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) is at 141 after a 72 with three birdies and three bogeys.

BASKETBALL

Hall announces finalists

Dennis Rodman, Jamaal Wilkes and Tex Winter were among 12 finalists announced Friday for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Rodman was the flamboyant rebounder who won five NBA titles with Chicago and Detroit; Wilkes won four NBA titles with Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers after starring at UCLA, and Winter was the architect of the triangle and triple-post offense. The other finalists are former NBA stars Maurice Cheeks, Chris Mullin and Ralph Sampson, five-time Olympian Teresa Edwards, Stanford women’sCoach Tara VanDerveer, former NBA coach Dick Motta, Philadelphia University Coach Herb Magee, college referee Hank Nichols and Al Attles, the current vice president and assistant general manager of the Golden State Warriors.

The woman convicted of threatening to reveal a sexual tryst with basketball coach Rick Pitino unless he paid her millions in cash, luxury cars and a house was sentenced Friday to more than seven years in prison. Karen Cunagin Sypher was sentenced to 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III during Friday’s hearing. He also ordered two years of supervised release after she serves her prison term, and she was given $600 in fines and does not have to pay restitution. A jury convicted Sypher in August of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Pitino was not at the hearing Friday. University sports information director Kenny Klein said Pitino would have no comment and directed questions to Pitino’slawyer, Steve Pence.

The Minnesota Lynx have signed six-time All-Star center Taj Mc-Williams-Franklin. The team announced the move Friday. McWilliams-Franklin is a 12-year veteran who’s the WNBA’s second-leading all-time rebounder with career averages of 11.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

HOCKEY

Lightning acquire Brewer

St. Louis defenseman Eric Brewer dropped his no-trade clause and allowed the Blues to send him to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday in exchange for defenseman Brock Beukeboom, an unsigned draft pick, and a third-round pick in the 2011 draft.

The Toronto Maple Leafs sent defenseman Tomas Kaberle to the Boston Bruins on Friday for prospect Joe Colborne and two draft picks - their first-round selection in 2011, as well as a conditional second-round pick. To make room for Kaberle, the Bruins traded Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik.

The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Ian White from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2012. The deal was announced about 1 1/2 hours after the teams’ first trade of the day, with Carolina picking up defenseman Derek Joslin from San Jose in exchange for future considerations.

The Phoenix Coyotes have placed defenseman Ed Jovanovski on the team’s injured reserve list. Jovanovski, who underwent surgery Friday for an orbital bone fracture, was injured in the second period of Thursday night’s 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers.

The Colorado Avalanche have swapped goaltenders with Ottawa, sending Craig Anderson to the Senators in exchange for Brian Elliott.

TENNIS

Wozniacki No. 1 again

Caroline Wozniacki regained the No. 1 ranking after beating Shahar Peer of Israel to reach the semifinals of the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Championships on Friday. The 20-year-old Dane lost the top spot Monday to Kim Clijsters. Wozniacki next meets former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, who beat fourth-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4). Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated eighth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 7-6 (7), 6-3,and will play the 11th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who beat Alisa Kleybanova of Russia 6-2, 6-0.

Top-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden beat defending champion Michael Llodra 6-1, 6-4 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Open 13 in Marseille, France. Marin Cilic of Croatia also advanced, upsetting second-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4 to earn a matchup against Mikhail Youzhny.

Canadian Milos Raonic advanced to his second consecutive semifinals with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Robert Kendrick on Friday at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis. Raonic will play No. 4 seed Mardy Fish, who beat defending champion Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-4. Top seed Andy Roddick, a two-time winner in Memphis, was set to play Lleyton Hewitt with Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina facing American Michael Russell in the other quarterfinals Friday night.In the Cellular South Cup, Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the championship. She will play Canadian Rebecca Marino, a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-1 winner over Evgeniya Rodina of Russia.

Sports, Pages 20 on 02/19/2011

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