In Brief

FOOTBALL

New York City rivals to meet in
second week of NFL preseason

The Super Bowl champion New York Giants will face Tim Tebow, Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.

The league released the 65-game exhibition schedule Wednesday, noting that all 12 playoff teams from last season will appear on national television this preseason.

That includes Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Eli Manning's Giants, of course, whose game against the visiting Chicago Bears on Aug. 24 will be shown on CBS. Exact days and times for most games will be announced later.

Manning's older brother Peyton gets his first chance to suit up wearing No. 18 for the Broncos in a Week 1 game, when Denver plays at Chicago between Aug. 9 and Aug. 13. Peyton Manning, cut after 14 years with the Indianapolis Colts, could play against two teams that courted him in free agency, because the Broncos host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 and are at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.

In Week 3, the Colts, who are expected to take quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall choice in the draft, will be at the Washington Redskins, who are expected to take Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the second pick.

Also: The Carolina Panthers added more competition in their defensive backfield, signing free-agent safety Reggie Smith from the San Francisco 49ers. Terms of the deal were not announced.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound Smith played in all 16 regular-season games and both playoff games for the 49ers in 2011. He recorded 16 tackles and one interception in the regular season.

The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a five-year contract with Demetress Bell, hoping the former Buffalo Bills left tackle can fill in for injured All-Pro Jason Peters.

Bell, 6-5 and 311 pounds, started 30 games in four seasons in Buffalo.

Wide receiver Torry Holt signed a one-day contract so he could retire with the St. Louis Rams, where he was a key part of a Super Bowl champion and the "Greatest Show on Turf."

Holt, 35, was a seven-time Pro Bowler with St. Louis from 1999 through 2008 and was selected to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s, setting a league record with six consecutive seasons of at least 1,300 yards receiving.

A federal judge sided with Nike, saying Reebok can't sell Tim Tebow New York Jets jerseys.

Reebok International Ltd. wanted the judge to lift his ban on apparel sales, but the judge decided to continue it.

Hawaii quarterback Cayman Shutter was suspended indefinitely after his arrest in Honolulu on suspicion of drunken driving.

Shutter was arrested last week and released after posting $500 bail.

BASKETBALL

Struggling Cavaliers will be
minus Irving one week longer

The Cleveland Cavaliers learned they will be without rookie Kyrie Irving for at least one week after the point guard reinjured his sprained right shoulder during a 35-point home loss to San Antonio on Tuesday.

Irving had returned after missing one game with the injury and played 30 minutes against the Spurs. The team said in a release that the 20-year-old guard worsened his injury after contact and did not accompany the team to Milwaukee for Wednesday's game.

The Cavs, who have lost 11 of 12 and 17 of 21, said Irving underwent an MRI, which revealed a bruise and sprain.

Also: Commissioner David Stern said the NBA is close to finalizing a deal to keep the Hornets in New Orleans with a favorable lease, important capital improvements, intense tax benefits and a new TV deal.

Stern prefaced his comments by telling a joke and saying "soon" when asked about the Hornets' deal.

Basketball's world governing body said Mohammad El Akkari has joined the elite century club after scoring 113 points in a Lebanese league game.

The guard led Moutahed to a 173-141 victory over Bejjeh in a Division A league game in Beirut on Tuesday.

The FIBA website said El Akkari is the first player to score more than 100 points in an official league game in any of its Asian national federations.

MISCELLANEOUS

Unbeaten Gemologist made
favorite for Wood Memorial

Unbeaten Gemologist was made the 8-5 early favorite in a field of eight entered for Saturday's $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York.

The 1 1/8-mile race is New York's major prep race before the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

Also: Creative Cause is the 6-5 early favorite for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, the West's major prep for the Kentucky Derby.

The gray colt will break from the No. 1 post under Joel Rosario in the field of 10 for Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Venus Williams looked strong in powering past Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-0 at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C.

Williams had fallen to 87th in the world after missing more than six months because of a fatigue-causing autoimmune disease.

Chelsea defeated Benfica 2-1 on goals by Frank Lampard and Raul Meireles for a 3-1 aggregate win and will play defending champion Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals.

Real Madrid romped to a 5-2 victory over APOEL Nicosia as Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice. With an 8-2 aggregate victory, Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich in the semis.

The UNLV softball team defeated Fresno State 8-5 and 12-2 in six innings in nonconference action at Fresno, Calif.

In the first game, Jaexie Balilea went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, and Tayler Aleman homered and drove in two runs for the Rebels. In the second game, UNLV (19-16) stroked 17 hits, with the first four hitters in the lineup -- Paige Emerson, Balilea, Aleman and Pauline Monreal -- combining to go 10-for-17 with nine RBIs and six runs.

UNLV's Lucia Batta was named Mountain West Conference Co-Women's Tennis Player of the Week after going 2-1 in singles last week, improving 27-8 on the season.