In Brief

FOOTBALL

Penn State: No top candidate
yet to replace Paterno as coach

Penn State president Rodney Erickson said no one has been hired to replace fired football coach Joe Paterno, and the administrator leading the search says there's no top candidate.

USA Today and ESPN reported Sunday that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is the top candidate for the Nittany Lions job.

At a Penn State pep rally for Monday's TicketCity Bowl in Dallas, acting athletic director David Joyner cut off a reporter's question about the reports and said, "No, don't believe anything you read in the newspapers." He answered "No," when asked if anyone could be classified as a leading candidate.

University trustees fired Paterno on Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Also: Mississippi State junior wide receiver Chad Bumphis was arrested Sunday morning in Tupelo, Miss., on charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Department.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported that Bumphis, 22, was arrested at 1:31 a.m. by Tupelo police and booked at 2:25. He was released on his own recognizance and has a Jan. 12 hearing in Tupelo Municipal Court.

Bumphis made 25 catches for 339 yards this season. In Friday's 23-17 win over Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl, he had one catch for minus-3 yards and two rushes for minus-4 yards.

Record-setting tight end Tony Gonzalez, 35, signed a one-year contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons, ending speculation he would retire after the season. The extension was announced before Sunday's blowout victory against Tampa Bay.

PRO BASKETBALL

Heat star James gets engaged
to longtime girlfriend Brinson

LeBron James and longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson are engaged.

A representative for James confirmed the news to The Associated Press on Sunday morning, a few hours after close friend Chris Paul and Miami Heat owner Micky Arison were among those tweeting their congratulations.

The Miami Heat forward popped the question to his high school sweetheart on Saturday night, at a party to celebrate both New Year's Eve and his 27th birthday, which was Friday.

James and Brinson are the parents of two sons.

No wedding date was announced.

Also: The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a $225,000 judgment former Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley in a lawsuit involving a bar fight.

The three-judge panel issued the ruling Friday, sending the case back to a Marion County court.

A judge had issued a ruling in favor of a woman who claimed to have been injured when she was knocked down in a February 2007 fight over an allegedly stolen coat. Judge Thomas Carroll issued a default ruling against Tinsley after he failed to respond to the suit.

Tinsley, who now plays for the Utah Jazz, said he never received letters notifying him of the lawsuit and asked Carroll to set aside his ruling.

MISCELLANEOUS

Outfielder Jones signs deal
to remain with Yankees

Outfielder Andruw Jones is staying with the New York Yankees, agreeing to a $2 million, one-year contract that allows him to earn another $1.45 million in performance bonuses.

The deal, agreed to Friday, is subject to a physical.

Jones signed with the Yankees last winter to provide a right-handed bat off the bench and hit .247 with 13 homers and 33 RBIs in 222 plate appearances. A five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove, he played 39 games in left, 19 in right and 16 at designated hitter,

Also: Manchester City gave its title rivals renewed hope by slumping to a second English Premier League defeat, conceding a goal with four seconds left in stoppage time in a 1-0 loss at Sunderland that capped a weekend of upsets.

At the season's halfway point, Manchester City leads on goal difference over Manchester United (both 14-2-3 and 45 points). Tottenham (13-3-3) is third with 39 points, followed by Arsenal (13-5-3) with 36.

Serena Williams won in her first match since losing the U.S. Open final last September, beating Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 6-2, 6-3 at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia.

Kim Clijsters began preparation for defense of her Australian Open title with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Romania's Simona Halep.

The death of Argentine motorcycle rider Jorge Martinez Boero on the first day of the Dakar Rally focused attention on the hazards of one of motor sports' most dangerous events.

Organizers said the 38-year-old died from head and chest injuries during a crash on the first stage, from Mar del Plata to Santa Rosa, Argentina.