In Brief
BASEBALL
Free-agent center fielder Crisp
to get two-year deal with A's
Free-agent center fielder Coco Crisp agreed to a two-year contract to return to the Athletics, filling one key void in the Oakland outfield heading into the 2012 season.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations on Tuesday confirmed Crisp would return to the A's, a deal worth $14 million first reported by ESPN.
Crisp, who generated inquiries to varying levels from about half of the major league clubs this winter, had hoped to continue playing on the West Coast. The A's already lost left fielder and slugger Josh Willingham and right fielder David DeJesus in free agency earlier this offseason, then outfielder Ryan Sweeney was traded to the Boston Red Sox last week along with All-Star closer Andrew Bailey.
Earlier Tuesday, the A's announced they had traded outfielder Jai Miller to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations.
Also: Yu Darvish visited Texas for the first time during a 30-day window the American League champion Rangers have to negotiate a contract with the Japanese pitcher.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels confirmed reports from Japanese media that Darvish was in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He wouldn't discuss the state of negotiations with Darvish or any plans for meetings during the visit by the 25-year-old right-hander.
Outfielder Reed Johnson and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $1.15 million, one-year contract. The 35-year-old Johnson batted .309 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 111 games for Chicago last season, his second stint with the team.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Tennessee coach takes heat, reconsiders position on transfer
Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said he's willing to allow freshman wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett to transfer to either Michigan State or Michigan to be close to his ailing father.
Dooley had come under fire from fans for initially holding the Saginaw, Mich., native to the same policy he applies to any player seeking a transfer. That policy is to limit players from transferring to schools the Volunteers either play or compete against for recruits.
Arnett said in a statement emailed to reporters last week that he was told he could play at a Mid-American Conference school but not at Michigan State or Michigan, both of which are located within 100 miles of his home. Arnett said recently that his father has had multiple heart attacks and is on dialysis.
Also: Sacks leader James Dunlap on defense, veteran tight end Austin Harrington on offense, and record-setting returner Deante' Purvis and return-coverage standout Mike Horsey on special teams were named UNLV football's 2011 most valuable players as coach Bobby Hauck announced his program's season-ending awards.
Purvis and Horsey shared the special teams honor.
Dunlap started every game at defensive end and ranked second in the Mountain West and 37th in the nation with 14½ tackles for loss, including 6½ sacks. Dunlap also received the Bill "Wildcat" Morris Most Inspirational Award.
Harrington played in every game, hauling in 15 catches for 164 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown grab on a fake field goal play in a loss to Southern Utah.
Purvis became the first UNLV kick returner since 2003 to earn All-MWC honors when he was named second team. He finished as the all-time leader in school and conference history with 112 returns for 2,626 yards. He took back 41 attempts this year for exactly 1,000 yards, including a 98-yard TD that helped swing the momentum in his team's favor in a win over Colorado State.
Horsey, a redshirt freshman reserve defensive back, made his mark with 13 total tackles on kick coverage.
Former UNR running back Mike Ball said he will enter the NFL Draft this spring.
Ball was the Wolf Pack's leading rusher before he was dismissed from the team in November for repeated violation of team rules.
The Desert Pines High product has another season of college eligibility available. But he made the announcement on his Facebook page that he'll give it up to try his luck in April's draft.
MISCELLANEOUS
Serena wins, but gets injured
in Australian Open tuneup
Serena Williams injured her left ankle at the Brisbane International, which could be a major setback for her Australian Open preparations.
Williams, in her first trip Down Under since winning the 2010 Australian Open title, is playing a tournament for the first time since losing last year's U.S. Open final.
She was serving for the match with a 6-2, 5-3 lead against Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski in Brisbane, Australia, when she twisted the ankle, falling to the court on the baseline.
She needed treatment and had the ankle re-taped before losing the next point to surrender a service break. Williams limped through the next game, wincing in pain at times, before securing a 6-2, 6-4 win to advance to quarterfinals.
In other action, top-seeded Sam Stosur's first tournament on home soil since winning the U.S. Open ended in a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Iveta Benesova.
Also: Las Vegas' Kristofer Yee lost 6-2, 6-3 to Jared Hiltzik of Wilmette, Ill., in the finals of the Boys 18s division of the USTA Winter National Championships in Phoenix.
Yee was the top-seeded player in his age group and won five straight matches before falling to the second-seeded Hiltzik in the finals.
Las Vegas' Nicholas Mahlangu won three matches before losing in the round of 16.
David Beckham is set to stay with the Los Angeles Galaxy after turning down a chance to join Paris Saint-Germain, the French club said. After weeks of negotiations with PSG, the 36-year-old midfielder and former England captain decided he doesn't want to move his family from the United States.
"David Beckham is not coming," PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said. "We feel a little disappointed. But both sides agreed it would be better that we not do the deal ... maybe in the future."
Beckham's five-year contract with the Galaxy ended after he won his first MLS Cup in November. He was wooed by several clubs across Europe.
Gene Bartow, who succeeded John Wooden as UCLA basketball coach and later began Alabama-Birmingham's athletic program, has died, UAB officials said. He was 81.
Bartow, who was president of the company that owns the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx Forum, died at his home in Birmingham, Ala., after a battle with stomach cancer, said university spokesman Norm Reilly.
