In Brief

FOOTBALL

Former Giants standout Barber
suffered yearlong depression

Tiki Barber says failures off the field after his retirement from football in 2006 led to a yearlong bout with depression.

The 36-year-old Barber, the New York Giants' career leading rusher, acknowledged in an HBO report to be aired Tuesday that he now needs football more than it needs him.

Barber has spent the past four months working out in an attempt to make a comeback, although his chances rest on the league and its players reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

Barber said football represents a necessary anchor in a life turned upside down by the depressive aftermath of a scandalous divorce and disintegration of his television career.

"The game never needs you because there's always someone else to come and take your place," he said. "But right now, I need the game."

"I need to prove to myself that I can be successful at something," told HBO. "I know I'm going to be successful as a football player. I don't know why. The odds say 'No.' I'm 36 and I haven't played in four years. But I just know."

The report recounts the downward spiral Barber's life took shortly after his retirement. What started as a promising career as an NBC football analyst ended in his firing. His marriage to his college sweetheart collapsed. And his relationship with a 23-year-old NBC intern which continues today soiled a well-honed, family-man image.

Also: A two-year contract extension for UNR football coach Chris Ault that will carry him through the 2013 season was approved late Friday by the Nevada Board of Regents.

Ault led the Wolf Pack to their best season in school history in 2010 with a 13-1 record and a No. 11 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

MISCELLANEOUS

Long shot Pool Play captures
Stephen Foster Handicap

Long shot Pool Play won the $561,300 Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., beating Mission Impazible by a neck.

Pool Play, the longest shot at 36-1 odds, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute, 50.82 seconds and paid $75.20, $29.40 and $14.60. Ridden by Miguel Mena and trained by Mark Casse, Pool Play was making his first career start on dirt after winning five times in 27 starts on turf and synthetic surfaces. Casse said he plans to keep the horse on dirt in preparation for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Mission Impazible returned $8.40 and $5, and Apart paid $4.40 to show.

Also: Michael Phelps found a new event to dominate, easily winning the 200-meter backstroke at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix in Santa Clara, Calif., after rival Ryan Lochte was a healthy scratch.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist led the entire way and touched the wall more than three seconds ahead of the competition at 1 minute, 57.05 seconds.

The Washington Wizards picked up the third-year options on the rookie contracts of John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin.

Janko Tipsarevic might have to miss Wimbledon after slipping and injuring his groin during the Eastbourne final in Eastbourne, England. The match was won by unseeded Andreas Seppi of Italy when the third-seeded Serbian retired while trailing, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 5-3.

Marion Bartoli of France beat Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the women's final.

Roberta Vinci of Italy rallied from a set down to beat Jelena Dokic of Australia 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the Unicef Open in Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Dmitry Tursunov of Russia won the men's final, defeating Ivan Dodig of Croatia, 6-3, 6-2.

Matthew Zions of Australia shot 4-under 67 to build a three-stroke lead after the third round of the European PGA Tour's Saint-Omer Open in Saint-Omer, France.

The 32-year-old Zions birdied the last two holes for a 6-under 207 total.

George Coetzee of South Africa, who led after the first round, shared second place with Italy's Federico Colombo and England's Daniel Denison.