Off the wire

BASKETBALL NBA vet says he’s gay

NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to announce he’s gay. The 34-year-old center, who has played for six teams in 12 seasons, wrote a first-person account that was posted on Sports Illustrated’s website Monday. Collins finished the season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. He said he wants to keep playing. Collins played in a Final Four for Stanford and reached two NBA Finals. His twin brother, Jarron, also was a longtime NBA center. Collins said he told his brother he was gay last summer. Mostly a backup in his career, Jason Collins has averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the then-New Jersey Nets, Memphis, Minnesota, Atanta, Boston and the Wizards. He was traded from Boston to Washington in February. Collins was the 18th pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft.

A former NBA All-Star is facing several criminal charges after a police report said he squatted in a Paradise Valley, Ariz., home and then tried to list the place for rent on Craigslist. KPHO -TV reported Chris Gatling is accused of breaking into a key box and living in the home from July 2010 to August 2011. A police report said the homeowners lived in California but had left the power on. The station reported he later listed the four-bedroom house for rent for $800 and called it an “Ex-NBA” home online. Court records said Gatling got a down payment from one potential renter, but another got suspicious and contacted police. Gatling’s attorney, Michael Alarid, told KPHO the case is a “misunderstanding.” Gatling played for eight NBA teams in 1991-2002, going to the 1997 All-Star Game for the Dallas Mavericks a few days before being traded to the then-New Jersey Nets.

FOOTBALL LSU’s Hill suspended

LSU has indefinitely suspended its leading running back, Jeremy Hill, following his weekend arrest in connection with an alleged bar fight near the campus. Hill already was on probation after he pleaded guilty in January 2012 to misdemeanor carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Following the early Saturday incident, he was charged with simple battery, also a misdemeanor. LSU Coach Les Miles announced the suspension Monday in a brief e-mailed news release. He said he would let the case “play out through the legal system” before commenting further. The 20-yearold Hill, was LSU’s leading rusher with 755 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2012, his freshman season.

The Buffalo Bills traded Kelvin Sheppard to the Indianapolis Colts for Jerry Hughes on Monday in a swap of linebackers two days after the NFL Draft. Sheppard, a 2011 second-round pick from LSU, has been inconsistent in two seasons in Buffalo. He had 138 tackles and two sacks in 31 games, including 24 starts. Hughes was the Colts’ 2010 first-round draft pick from TCU. He’s had 62 tackles and five sacks in 40 games, including seven starts.

The Arizona Cardinals have released guard Adam Snyder after taking two players at his position in last week’s draft. Snyder, who started 14 games last season, became expendable after the Cardinals used the No. 7 overall pick to take North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper and used a fourth-round pick on James Madison’s Earl Watford.Snyder signed as a free agent before the 2012 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have parted ways with three front office personnel, including director of player personnel Terry Mc-Donough. The others dismissed by new General Manager Dave Caldwell were Louis Clark, the team’s director of pro personnel, and regional scout Chris Prescott. McDonough served as former GM Gene Smith’s right-hand man the past four years.

GOLF Vans collide, 3 dead

A minivan carrying six members of a Michigan high school boys’ golf team collided with another van on a rural road, killing the 30-year-old coach and a 17-year-old golfer, and a 27-year-old woman in the other vehicle. Four other members of the Grayling High School golf team were in critical condition after Monday morning’s crash in Kalkaska County’s Excelsior Township, 25 miles east of Traverse City, Mich. The condition of a fifth golfer was not immediately available. The names of the victims were not released. Michigan State Police Sgt. Don Bailey told The Associated Press he came upon the crash shortly after it occurred about 11:30 a.m. Monday in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. He had to use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire in one of the vehicles. The golf team was headed to Traverse City for an invitational tournament.

ATHLETICS Hart gets extension

Tennessee Athletic Director Dave Hart has received a one-year contract extension. Hart’s salary will remain $592,250, though he also earns $150,000 annually for media appearances. Hart’s contract now runs through Sept. 18, 2018. His deal also provides for an additional year with a $50,000 retention bonus.

HOCKEY Avalanche win lottery

The Colorado Avalanche have won the NHL Draft lottery. The Florida Panthers own the second pick for June’s draft, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have the third selection. Colorado had an 18.8 percent chance of winning Monday’s lottery after finishing the regular season with a 16-25-7 record, worst in the Western Conference. The Panthers, who finished last in the NHL with a 15-27-6 mark, had the best odds of winning the lottery at 25 percent. The lottery adopted a different format this year, with all of the 14 non playoff teams having a shot at the first overall pick. The remaining 13 squads will be slotted in reverse order of their regular-season points.

FOOTBALL Tebow released by New York Jets

NEW YORK - Quarterback Tim Tebow was waived by the New York Jets on Monday, the end of an unsuccessful one-season experiment in New York that had been expected for months.

“Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped,” Coach Rex Ryan said in a statement by the team in announcing the move.

The Heisman Trophy winner attempted just eight passes after his ballyhooed arrival in a surprising trade from the Denver Broncos in March 2012. He threw for 39 yards and rushed 32 times for 102 yards - and had no touchdowns as a member of the Jets.

Meanwhile, starter Mark Sanchez struggled amid constant questions about Tebow’s playing time, and still Tebow remained mostly on the sideline. Ryan refused to start Tebow in place of Sanchez late in the season, choosing instead to go with third-stringer Greg McElroy ahead of him for one game

The Jets and new General Manager John Idzik drafted former West Virginia star Geno Smith in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday, giving New York six quarterbacks on its roster.

Tebow arrived at the team’s facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Monday morning and was told he had been cut.

“I think it’s fair to say,” Tebow said, “that I’m a little disappointed.”

Tebow led the Broncos to the playoffs in 2011, but became expendable when Denver signed Peyton Manning as a free agent. The former Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion with Florida was acquired by the Jets for a four thround draft pick and $1.5 million in salary.

In another roster move, the Jets signed veteran guard Stephen Peterman. Peterman, who adds depth to the Jets’ revamped offensive line, was a third-round draft pick by Dallas in 2004 and played the past seven seasons with Detroit. He has appeared in 90 career games with 86 starts.