Off the wire

FOOTBALL

Former Hog QB waived

The Tennessee Titans have waived quarterback Tyler Wilson (Arkansas Razorbacks) and agreed to terms with two players including tight end Chase Coffman. The Titans announced the moves Wednesday before practice. Wilson was signed last December, but the Titans traded up in the sixth round to draft Zach Mettenberger of LSU to help back up Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst. Wilson was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft, but they waived him after training camp. The Titans signed Wilson off Oakland's practice squad in December. In his career at Arkansas, Wilson completed 593 of 948 passes (62.6 percent) and threw for 7,765 yards in his five seasons. Coffman, who played at Missouri, has been with Cincinnati and Atlanta in the NFL and has four career catches. He replaces tight end Dorin Dickerson, who hurt a leg in practice Sunday and has been placed on injured reserve. The Titans also agreed to terms with defensive tackle Lanier Coleman, who took part in the team's rookie minicamp in May.

• Quarterback Brian Hoyer will start over rookie Johnny Manziel when the Cleveland Browns visit the Detroit Lions on Saturday night for their preseason opener. Coach Mike Pettine made the announcement Wednesday after practice. Pettine also said it's a "possibility" that Manziel could receive some snaps with the first-team offense against the Lions. Pettine said playing time for his starters Saturday will be "slightly above what the average is." Starters typically play about two series in exhibition openers. Pettine said the decision about who'll start at quarterback for the regular-season opener Sept. 7 at Pittsburgh will "more than likely" be determined by the first two exhibition games. Pettine said he still wants to name a starter before the third preseason game Aug. 23 against St. Louis.

Tim Tebow still wants -- and trains for -- another NFL opportunity. However, while the 26-year-old free agent quarterback waits for the call to play professional football again, he isn't about to let a potential dream job pass him by. Tebow says he's embracing his latest passion: working as a football analyst for ESPN's new SEC Network, which debuts Aug. 14. An enthusiastic Tebow told The Associated Press on Wednesday, "I love talking football and I love being around it." Tebow says his agent has fielded some calls from interested NFL teams -- he declined to name which teams -- but added no deal is imminent. He says he's working out five to six times a week trying to stay in shape.

• Like backup quarterbacks? Then the Dallas Cowboys-San Diego Chargers exhibition opener tonight is one to watch. With Tony Romo sitting out to rest his surgically repaired back, Brandon Weeden will get the start for the Cowboys. Philip Rivers likely will take a seat after the opening series, allowing Kellen Clemens to make his Chargers debut after Charlie Whitehurst took his clipboard and signed with Tennessee. Weeden got all the first-team reps during offseason workouts and more first-team work in training camp with Romo essentially sitting out every third practice. He signed with the Cowboys after the Browns released him just two years after making him the 22nd pick of the first round -- the same pick as Johnny Manziel this year. He's the clear front-runner to be the backup after Kyle Orton was released just before camp. Caleb Hanie seems a distant third. Chargers coach Mike McCoy wouldn't say what his QB rotation will be. It's expected that Rivers will get a series and then hand off to Clemens. Clemens spent the last two seasons with the St. Louis Rams as a backup to starter Sam Bradford. Clemens started the last nine games after Bradford went down with a knee injury, completing 142 of 242 passes for 1,673 yards and eight touchdowns, with seven interceptions.

• The Jacksonville Jaguars can't seem to go a day without getting a receiver hurt. Mike Brown was the latest addition to the injury report Wednesday. The second-year pro left training camp practice with tightness in his right hamstring. Although the initial diagnosis sounds minor, it's the same thing first reported with receiver Cecil Shorts III (hamstring) and running back Toby Gerhart (hip). Shorts has missed nearly two weeks, and Gerhart sat out the last five practices. Both have been ruled out for Friday's preseason opener against Tampa Bay. The Jaguars also said rookie receiver Nathan Slaughter will miss time with a sprained left foot. Slaughter injured his foot Tuesday. Jacksonville already was without receivers Allen Robinson (hamstring), Tandon Doss (ankle) and Ace Sanders (leave of absence).

• After being hospitalized for difficulty breathing and dehydration twice in the past two weeks, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson left training camp in West Virginia early. Team spokesman Greg Bensel says the 87-year-old Benson is doing well and on Wednesday had returned to work at team offices in suburban New Orleans. On Tuesday, Benson was taken to a hospital in Lewisburg and was released after being given oxygen and a series of tests. Bensel says Benson had a good night at The Greenbrier resort and "woke up feeling great." Benson also was hospitalized with similar symptoms on July 29. Bensel says Benson apparently struggled with the altitude in the Allegheny Mountains. The Saints' practice fields are at an elevation of about 2,000 feet, whereas New Orleans is at sea level.

BASEBALL

Successor vote coming

Commissioner Bud Selig says he expects baseball owners to vote next week from a list of three candidates for his successor. Selig said Wednesday that the seven-member panel appointed earlier this year has worked independently and came up with the list on its own. The panel is headed by St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. Owners meet in Baltimore next week. Selig is retiring in January. There have been several reports that the three finalists are Rob Manfred, MLB's chief operating officer; Tim Brosnan, MLB's executive vice president for business; and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner. When asked about those names, Selig said "the list is accurate." A candidate has to be approved by 23 of the 30 teams to be elected.

GOLF

Stricker to assist at Cup

Steve Stricker will be one of Tom Watson's assistants at the Ryder Cup. Watson made the announcement Wednesday on the eve of the PGA Championship. Stricker will be one of three U.S. assistant captains working under Watson, who had previously announced Andy North and Raymond Floyd. Stricker has been a stalwart in team competitions, playing three times in the Ryder Cup and five times at the Presidents Cup. He quickly accepted Watson's offer as the U.S. tries to reclaim the Ryder Cup from Europe Sept. 26-28 at Gleneagles in Scotland. Stricker says he's a bit concerned about the U.S. missing some of its top players. He was able to get a close look at Tiger Woods and his ailing back, playing a practice round with him on Wednesday.

• The PGA Championship will shift to late July instead of its usual early August start in 2016 as golf prepares to return to the Summer Olympics. The move was announced by the PGA of America, which will stage the 2016 edition July 28-31 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. The British Open is set for July 14-17 at Royal Troon, leaving only 11 days between the final two majors of the year. The Summer Olympics are set for Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The men and women golf competitors in those games will be determined by the World Golf Rankings as of July 11 that year.

TENNIS

Djokovic, Murray advance

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic edged Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) Wednesday at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. After finishing the lopsided tiebreaker, Djokovic fist-pumped and yelled at the end of the match that lasted 2 hours, 40 minutes. Andy Murray had little trouble winning his opener, defeating 19-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios 6-2, 6-2 in the first match of the day on center court. Murray will face either Ivo Kalovic or Richard Gasquet in the next round. Murray could play Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (4), 6-4 to set up a match with Djokovic.

• British qualifier Heather Watson upset 12th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5) Wednesday in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Watson let a 5-2 lead slip away in the third set before rallying. The 22-year-old will face No. 11 Victoria Azarenka in the third round today. No. 13 Caroline Wozniacki cruised past Klara Koukalova 6-1, 6-2 and will meet American qualifier Shelby Rogers in the third round. Rogers had upset eighth-ranked Canadian Eugenie Bouchard 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 on Tuesday. Angelique Kerber ousted Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-1.

SOCCER

All-Stars top Bayern

Landon Donovan scored the winning goal as the Major League Soccer All-Stars came from behind to beat German champion Bayern Munich 2-1 on Wednesday in Portland, Ore. Donovan, who formerly played in Germany for Bayer Leverkusen, dribbled the ball to the top of the box before blasting it past German World Cup goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 70th minute. The Bundesliga champions had seven members of the World Cup-winning German national team, but most of them remained on the bench until about the final 10 minutes. Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for the Bavarian club early in the first half before Bradley Wright-Philips equalized early in the second.

Sports on 08/07/2014

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