Off the wire

FOOTBALL

Mustain released by Talons

The San Antonio Talons have released starting quarterback Mitch Mustain and added former Houston Texans QB Shane Boyd, the team announced Wednesday. Boyd started the Arena Football League season with the expansion Portland Thunder, but was released before training camp. He spent most of last year with the AFL’s Tampa Bay Storm and was with the Texans in 2007-08. Mustain, a former University of Arkansas quarterback, struggled in the Talons’ 0-3 start, including last week’s 63-22 road loss to Jacksonville. In three games, Mustain completed just 49 of 99 passes (49.5 percent) for 539 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Chris Spencer on a one year contract. Spencer played in all 16 games for the Titans last season and made one start at center on Dec. 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. Spencer, 32, has played 121 games in his nine-year career. He’s made 63 starts at center and 27 starts at guard.

BASKETBALL Official’s streak reaches 2,633

NBA referee Dick Bavetta worked his 2,633rd consecutive game assignment Wednesday, an ironman streak even longer than the one baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. compiled. Bavetta worked the game between the Knicks and Nets at Madison Square Garden, where he began his career in 1975, extending a streak during which he has never missed an assignment. He chalked up his streak to good health, a dedication he said all officials shared, and a fear of inconveniencing someone else if he had to take a day off. “I tell you I don’t think about it, in a sense that I guess it’s a work ethic that I got from my mom and dad, and it’s always been my way of thinking, that you get a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” Bavetta said before the game.

Missouri junior guard Jabari Brown, an all-SEC pick who led the conference in scoring, announced he will enter his name in the NBA draft. Underclassmen have until April 15 to withdraw their name from consideration and retain college eligibility. Brown said Wednesday he’ll use the time to make an “educated decision.” The 6-5 Brown averaged 19.9 points and topped 20 points 19 times.

Kelvin Sampson, who committed numerous NCAA violations in past coaching jobs, is Houston’s new basketball coach. Sampson, an assistant with the Houston Rockets since 2011, replaces James Dickey (Valley Springs), who stepped down last month citing family matters. Sampson coached Oklahoma from 1994-2006 and Indiana from 2006-08. He made 11 NCAA Tournaments during his tenure at Oklahoma, reaching the round of 16 in 1999, the Final Four in 2002 and the round of eight in 2003. He received a five-year show cause order from the NCAA in 2008 after violations regarding impermissible calls to recruits at both Oklahoma and Indiana, which effectively barred him from coaching in college. That order expired in 2013.

TENNIS Venus moves on in Family Circle

Venus Williams advanced in the tournament where her top ranked sister could not, battling from behind at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C., to defeat Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 7-5 on Wednesday. It was another long day for Williams, ranked No. 28 in the world, who needed 1 hour, 50 minutes to finish the straight set victory over the South African. Williams fell behind 3-1 in the first set and trailed 4-1 in the second. On Tuesday night her sister, top ranked Serena Williams, was stunned 6-4, 6-4 by Jana Cepelova of Slovakia, ranked No. 78 in the world, in the second round. Venus Williams, who won the Family Circle a decade ago, now faces No. 20 Eugenie Bouchard. No. 8 Jelena Jankovic, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, later scored a 6-0, 6-3 victory over American Lauren Davis. Jankovic won the Family Circle back in 2007 and was runner-up last year to Serena Williams. Earlier Wednesday, American Sloane Stephens was upset 6-4, 6-4 by 19-year-old Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine, who has a career-high No. 35 ranking. It was her fourth career victory over a top 20 player, the third coming last week at the Sony Open.

HOCKEY Sabres sign McCabe to deal

Defenseman Jake McCabe has given up playing his senior year at Wisconsin by signing a three-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres announced the move on Wednesday, a day after General Manager Tim Murray raised the likelihood of signing McCabe. Buffalo selected the 20-year-old in the second round of the 2012 NHL draft. McCabe is coming off a season in which he earned first-team Big Ten honors with a career-best 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 33 games.

BASKETBALL Redskins reach out, sign Jackson

WASHINGTON - The contrast couldn’t have been greater for DeSean Jackson.

In a matter of days, he went from unwanted to wanted, from fired to hired, from discarded by the Philadelphia Eagles with reputation tarnished to rock star treatment and a new fat contract from the Washington Redskins.

Concerns about work ethic, attitude and reports about gang activity seemed miles away when he was being wooed by Robert Griffin III or enjoying his recruiting-style evening out with cornerback DeAngelo Hall, receiver Pierre Garcon and rapper Wale.

On Wednesday, Jackson closed the deal, signing a three year, $24 million contract that includes $16 million guaranteed. The terms were disclosed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Redskins did not announce the financial details.

“I feel they embraced me,” Jackson said. “RG3, DeAngelo Hall reached out to me and made it feel like it was home. After everything that was going on the past couple of days, and the last week, that’s a big step. … I think the biggest thing about this move is finding a place where I can be happy and go out there and just be myself.”

The Redskins are getting a three-time Pro Bowl receiver with speed, someone who singlehandedly can change a defense’s approach. He set career highs with 82 catches for 1,332 yards last year for the NFC East champion Eagles.And Jackson, who led the NFL in punt return average in 2009, can give a badly needed boost to Washington’s special teams, although his production in the return game has waned over the last three years.

The Redskins are also getting a player not afraid to speak his mind who isn’t shy about his talents. He had a history of off the-field issues in his six seasons with the Eagles. Among the lowlights: In 2011, he was deactivated for a game for being late for a team meeting and dropped more passes than usual, part of a season-long spillover from his unfulfilled desire for a new contract that led to an 11-day training camp holdout.

Sports, Pages 16 on 04/03/2014

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