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Knee pain forces OF Giles to retire (AP)
Brian Giles says the pain in his arthritic right knee is getting worse, and the 39-year-old outfielder informed the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday that he will retire. Giles is a career .291 hitter with 287 home runs and 1,078 RBI in 1,847 games. The two-time All-Star also played for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland, calling his trip to the World Series with the Indians in...
Guilty verdict in Darrent Williams trial (AP)

Suspected gang member Willie Clark was found guilty of murder Thursday in the drive-by shooting death of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams after a New Year's Eve outing three years ago. Clark showed no emotion as the verdict was read, but leaned back and looked at the ceiling once the jury was dismissed.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Olsen dies (AP)

Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman and member of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" who followed up football with a successful television career in "Little House on the Prairie," NFL broadcasts and commercials, has died. He was 69. Utah State, Olsen's alma mater, said he died outside of Los Angeles early Thursday after battling cancer.

No. 1 Kansas third team to 2,000 wins (AP)

Cole Aldrich had 12 points and 18 rebounds, and No. 1 Kansas became the third team to reach 2,000 wins by pulling out an 80-68 victory over scrappy Texas Tech on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. Kansas (30-2) was upset by Baylor in last year's Big 12 tournament and seemed headed for another with an uneven start.

Hoyas beat top-seeded Orange in quarters (AP)
Chris Wright scored 27 points and No. 22 Georgetown sailed past No. 3 Syracuse with an impressive second-half surge, beating the top-seeded Orange 91-84 in the Big East tournament quarterfinals Thursday. Though still a strong candidate for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, Syracuse (28-4) sustained a potentially costly loss when starting center Arinze Onuaku injured his right knee with 5:07...
Arizona's Webb may start season on DL (AP)
Arizona manager A.J. Hinch says there's an increasing chance that Brandon Webb will start the season on the disabled list. Webb reached what Hinch called a "plateau" in his comeback from surgery on his right shoulder. He has not thrown a bullpen session for a week after saying he felt "stagnant" and was not making the progress he expected.
Mets SS Reyes told to rest 2-to-8 weeks (AP)

All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes has been told to rest and refrain from athletic activity for 2-to-8 weeks until his thyroid levels normalize, another blow to the New York Mets before opening day. Center fielder Carlos Beltran already is expected to miss the first month of the season following right knee surgery Jan.

Cut by Panthers, Delhomme visits Browns (AP)
The Cleveland Browns are hosting Jake Delhomme and maybe dangling Brady Quinn. Released last week after seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Delhomme is visiting Thursday with the perpetually rebuilding Browns, who have been busy this week trying to improve their unstable quarterback situation. Delhomme's agent, Rick Smith, confirmed that the 35-year-old free agent QB is at the Browns'...
Rockies extend Helton for 2 years, $9.9M (AP)
First baseman Todd Helton and the Colorado Rockies agreed Thursday to $9.9 million, two-year contract extension through the 2013 season. The first baseman is earning $16.6 million this year, and he agreed to defer $13.1 million of his $19.1 million salary in 2011 over a 10-year period beginning in 2014.
Bengals re-sign DT Johnson for 4 years (AP)
Defensive tackle Tank Johnson has signed a four-year deal to stay with the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson started 13 games last season despite a case of plantar faciitis in his right foot that limited his mobility and caused a lot of pain. He felt better as the season went along, and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in a playoff loss to the Jets.
Tomlinson meeting with Vikings (AP)
LaDainian Tomlinson is in Minnesota meeting with the Vikings about joining Adrian Peterson in what would be a big-name backfield. Tomlinson arrived in the Twin Cities on Wednesday night and dined with Vikings officials. He had more meetings scheduled for Thursday to talk about how he would fit in with the Vikings.
Mavericks extend win streak to 13 (AP)

Top scorer Dirk Nowitzki was struggling, and the Dallas Mavericks needed points from other sources. Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, rookie Roddy Beaubois and Shawn Marion picked up the slack. Kidd had 20 points and nine assists, hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and the Mavericks recovered from a lethargic start to match the NBA's longest winning streak this season with their 13th straight victory,...

Cincy ousts Louisville, will face WVU (AP)

Cincinnati has rebounded quite well in getting comfortable at the Big East tournament. The 11th-seeded Bearcats again used a huge advantage on the boards to beat sixth-seeded Louisville 69-66 on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinals. They are the only team to play in the opening round still playing, and it was rebounding that keyed both close wins.

Oregon QB Masoli faces burglary charge (AP)

Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who helped lead the Ducks to the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth last season, faces a burglary charge in connection with a theft at a campus fraternity house in late January. The Lane Country district attorney's office says Masoli and former Oregon receiver Garrett Embry were each charged Wednesday with one count of burglary in the second degree.

Attorney: Cops were with Big Ben at club (AP)

Two off-duty Pennsylvania law enforcement officers were with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the Georgia nightclub where a woman accused him of sexual assault, and the two men didn't see anything inappropriate, an attorney for one of them said Wednesday. Anthony Barravecchio, an officer on the force in the Pittsburgh suburb of Coraopolis, and Pennsylvania Trooper Ed...

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