IN BRIEF
PRO FOOTBALL
Vick meets with union chief, awaits Goodell
Michael Vick met with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith this week, after the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback finished serving 23 months in federal custody for a dogfighting conviction.
George Atallah, assistant executive director for external affairs of the players' union, says Vick and Smith met one-on-one Tuesday. Atallah gave no additional details.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Vick indefinitely, and said Tuesday he'll decide whether to reinstate Vick "in the near future." Goodell did not elaborate, but has said repeatedly in recent months that he would wait for Vick to finish serving his sentence before meeting with the 29-year-old quarterback.
NFL training camps open for veterans next week.
Also: Minnesota Vikings linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will have to wait a bit longer to find out if they will go to trial before the season begins.
A state judge said he will rule by Aug. 7 whether to put their lawsuit against the NFL on hold, as the league has requested. The two are fighting their pending suspensions for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing drugs.
NFL attorney Dan Nash asked Hennepin County (Minn.) District Judge Gary Larson to stay the proceedings in state court while the federal 8th Circuit Court of Appeals considers other issues in the complicated case. The 8th Circuit has scheduled arguments in St. Paul for Aug. 18 and indicated it could rule before the regular season begins a few weeks later.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is "optimistic and hopeful" that wide receiver Derrick Mason will come out of retirement and rejoin the team in training camp.
Mason, 35, surprised the Ravens on July 13 by abruptly ending his 12-year NFL career. He led Baltimore in catches and yards receiving last year, but said he was "ready to see what else life has to offer."
After speaking with Mason by phone Tuesday, Harbaugh maintained hope that Mason would have a change of heart soon after the start of training camp.
Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney's four brothers signed papers this week transferring majority ownership of the six-time Super Bowl champions to Rooney and son Art Rooney II, the team president.
The complicated sale, ongoing for nearly a year, is expected to close within the next several weeks.
The sale allows Dan Rooney and Art II to control 30 percent of the team's shares, as required of a principal owner under NFL rules.
A Philadelphia man who says he was shot by NFL receiver Marvin Harrison last year remains in critical condition after being shot again.
Dwight Dixon, 33, was found shot multiple times in the city's Fairmount section late Tuesday morning.
PRO HOCKEY
Blackhawks' Hossa rehabbing shoulder
The Chicago Blackhawks say recently signed winger Marian Hossa is rehabilitating a shoulder injury he suffered during the Stanley Cup playoffs while with Detroit.
The injury was first reported by the Daily Herald newspaper in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill. The extent of the injury was not disclosed.
A five-time All-Star, Hossa signed a 12-year, $62.8 million contract with the Blackhawks on July 1 after helping the Red Wings reach the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to Pittsburgh.
Hossa led Detroit with 40 goals last season and was third in points with 71.
Also: The NHL scheduled an arbitration hearing July 30 for Jiri Hudler, who said he's leaving the Detroit Red Wings to join Dynamo Moscow of Russia's Continental Hockey League.
Hudler signed a two-year, $10 million deal to play for Dynamo Moscow. The Red Wings are seeking to retain rights to the 25-year-old winger should he return to the NHL in the future.
The New York Islanders agreed to terms with goalie Martin Biron on a one-year deal.
Biron was 29-19-5 for the Flyers last season with a 2.76 goals-against average and led Philadelphia to the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh.
MISCELLANEOUS
ESPN bans Post staffers over Andrews photos
ESPN has banned staffers from the New York Post from appearing on any of its programming after the newspaper ran photos from the video showing sideline reporter Erin Andrews nude in a hotel room.
The Post published three images from the blurry video.
"While we understand the Post's decision to cover this as a news story, their running photos obtained in such a fashion went well beyond the boundaries of common decency in the interest of sensationalism," ESPN senior vice president of communications Chris LaPlaca said in a statement.
ESPN regularly uses newspaper reporters as guests for analysis and insight on its TV and radio shows.
Also: Five-time defending champion Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick are among eight Grand Slam winners leading the men's field for the U.S. Open.
All top 100 men in the rankings received direct entry into the hard-court tournament, played Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 in New York.
Federer will try to become the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win the American Grand Slam tournament six consecutive times. By winning the French Open and Wimbledon this year, Federer raised his career total to 15 major titles, breaking Pete Sampras' record of 14.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova declared her surgically repaired right shoulder fully healed and that she was ready to return to the court for the first time since a disappointing performance at Wimbledon, where she lost in the second round.
"I am a hundred percent," Sharapova said before making an appearance for the Newport Beach (Calif.) Breakers in their World Team Tennis match against Kansas City. "I mean, if I wasn't at that point, I certainly wouldn't be playing."
Sharapova played in three matches for the Breakers, winning all three.
A concussion probably will knock Jimmy Conrad out of today's Gold Cup semifinal against Honduras, soccer coach Bob Bradley said.
Conrad suffered the concussion when he was hit in the face during Saturday's quarterfinal match against Panama. The defender left the field just before the half, and Bradley said Conrad is "likely" to miss the Honduras game.
Mexico will meet Costa Rica in the other semifinal.
The West Coast Conference signed a contract extension that will keep its men's and women's basketball tournaments at the Orleans Arena through 2012.
The WCC played its tournament in Las Vegas for the first time in March and sold out all four sessions at The Orleans, setting WCC records for total attendance (33,320) and single-session attendance (7,845).
The 2010 tournament will be played March 5 to 8.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano sustained multiple facial fractures from a spill on opening day of the Del Mar meeting in California.
Bejarano fractured his jaw, nose and orbital bones in the fall during the third race. His mount, Mi Rey, broke down, unseating Bejarano, who appeared to have been clipped by a trailing horse.
A doctor who examined Bejarano at the track said he also may have injured his left shoulder.
Mi Rey was euthanized.
Mexican junior welterweight Marco Antonio Nazareth, 23, died at a hospital in Puerto Vallarta, four days after sustaining a brain hemorrhage in a loss to Omar Chavez.
