In Brief

football

Brees receives new offer from
Saints, but 'no deal imminent'

The New Orleans Saints made a new contract offer to record-setting quarterback Drew Brees, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team and the quarterback have not publicly discussed the new offer. The person did not provide details about financial changes in the new offer, but added, "as always, there is a lot to get through, and no deal is imminent."

The Saints have placed their one-year franchise tag on Brees, barring him from negotiating with other teams. Brees has said he wants to remain in New Orleans, but has skipped voluntary practices and this week's minicamp while holding out for a long-term deal. If a deal were to get done over the weekend, Brees would be able to attend the Saints' final set of voluntary offseason practices next week.

Also: Scores of lawsuits involving thousands of former players touched by concussions and brain injuries have been consolidated into one master complaint, setting up a massive and potentially costly case for the NFL.

Lawyers for the players filed the complaint in Philadelphia, accusing the NFL of hiding information that linked football-related head trauma to permanent brain injuries. Among the illnesses cited were dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The plaintiffs hope to hold the NFL responsible for the care of players suffering from those health problems. Also named in the suit was helmet-maker Riddell, Inc.

The suit accuses the NFL of "mythologizing" and glorifying violence through the media, including its NFL Films division. In response, the NFL cited the many health programs it runs for current and former players, and a series of medical benefits to former NFL players to help them after football.

The New England Patriots released receiver Chad Ochocinco, cutting loose the six-time Pro Bowl selection after one season. Ochocinco, 34, played in 15 games last season and caught 15 passes for 276 yards. Also, the Patriots signed tight end Bo Scaife, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals last season.

ESPN3, the cable network's online broadcasting site, will televise two UNLV football road games this season.

The Rebels will play at Utah State at 5 p.m. PDT Sept. 29 and Louisiana Tech at 4 p.m. PDT Oct. 6 as part of the Western Athletic Conference's deal with ESPN. UNLV's game at Louisiana Tech also will be available on syndication via ESPN Regional Television.

miscellaneous

Seattle bowler Miller leads
Senior U.S. Open at Suncoast

With the help of a 300 game and 5-2-1 match-play record, two-time Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour winner Hugh Miller of Seattle moved into the fifth-round lead of the Etonic PBA Senior U.S. Open at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

Miller, 55, averaged 252 for the round to finish with a 8,456 35-game pinfall total, including match-play bonus pins, for a 52-pin lead over PBA Hall of Famer and Senior Tour rookie Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela.

After two eight-game, match-play rounds today, the top four players will meet in the stepladder finals at 3:30 p.m.

Also: Jeff Maggert and John Merrick each shot 4-under-par 66 to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour's St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Maggert had four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. Merrick matched his best round of the year with six birdies and two bogeys, the last on No. 18 when his tee shot went into the water to drop him back into a tie for the lead.

S.Y. Noh, Arjun Atwal, Jeff Overton and J.J. Henry were a stroke back. Rory McIlroy, who has missed three straight cuts, matched Padraig Harrington, Y.E. Yang and John Daly at 68.

Beatriz Recari, Ryann O'Toole and Giulia Sergas shot 3-under 69s to share the first-round lead in the LPGA Championship in Pittsford, N.Y.

Defending champion and top-ranked Yani Tseng matched her high score of the year with a 76. Tseng, a 10-stroke winner last year in the major championship, had six bogeys and two birdies on the narrow Locust Hill Country Club course.

Dan Forsman and Bill Glasson each shot 6-under 66 to share the first-round lead in the Regions Tradition, the Champions Tour's second major of the year, in Birmingham, Ala. Fred Funk was second after a 67.

Third-ranked Lee Westwood shot 8-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the second round of the European Tour's Nordea Masters in Sweden. He is at 12-under 132.

UNLV senior Amanda Bingson finished third in the hammer throw with a toss of 219 feet, 8 inches at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Southern Illinois' Jeneva McCall won with an effort of 225-3, and Illinois State's Brittany Smith was second at 224-7.