AP - England may never again rely on David Beckham's bending free kicks. Coach Steve McClaren on Friday left him off the squad that will face European champion Greece on Wednesday in an exhibition game.

AP - Justin Gatlin could escape a lifetime ban if he testifies against his coach, the United States Anti-Doping Agency said Friday.

West Ham's Dean Ashton receives his first England call-up as new coach Steve McClaren prepares his first squad to face Greece.

AP - David Beckham was dropped from the England soccer team Friday by coach Steve McClaren.

AFP - England's cricket team has gained rather than suffered from the loss of star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff in the countdown to this year's Ashes series, Australian team coach John Buchanan said.

AP - Washington Redskins rookie Kili Lefotu showed signs of improvement Thursday, and doctors were working to determine what caused him to lose consciousness in his room the day before.

AP - Washington Redskins rookie Kili Lefotu showed signs of improvement Thursday, and doctors were working to determine what caused him to lose consciousness in his room the day before.

AP - Miami Dolphins starting guard Seth McKinney underwent surgery Thursday to repair a neck disc and is expected to be sidelined two to three months.

Chelsea skipper was Thursday named England's new soccer captain succeeding David Beckham who stepped down from the role in the wake of England's World Cup quarterfinal defeat on penalties by Portugal last month. Steven Gerrard was made the vice-captain by new coach Steve McClaren....

AFP - India's coach Greg Chappell said Thursday that master batsman Sachin Tendulkar was close to regaining full fitness ahead of the triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka.

AP - Quarterback Daunte Culpepper will play in the Miami Dolphins' exhibition opener Saturday, less than 10 months after a serious knee injury ended his 2005 season, coach Nick Saban said Thursday.

AP - Knicks coach Isiah Thomas has filed court papers denying he sexually harassed a former team executive, the New York Daily News reported Thursday.

AP - Illinois coach Ron Zook considers middle linebacker J Leman a cerebral guy. "He's smart. He's tough. He's strong," the coach said. But Zook missed one adjective when describing Leman: ambitious.

AP - Donovan McNabb and the other quarterbacks fired passes on one field, linemen battled each other at the opposite end and the kickers and punters booted balls on the side.

AP - Justin Morneau hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and Johan Santana won his fourth straight decision to lead the Minnesota Twins over the Detroit Tigers 4-3 Wednesday night.

AP - Donovan McNabb and the other quarterbacks fired passes on one field, linemen battled each other at the opposite end and the kickers and punters booted balls on the side.

AP - The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will play the Buffalo Sabres as part of an Oct. 4 opening night doubleheader on the channel formerly know as OLN.

AP - The Auburn Tigers were basking in the preseason expectations and media attention. National title contenders? They were surely playing the part in 2003 — until the season opened with back-to-back losses and the buzz turned ugly.

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is recovering nicely from a recent knee injury after it was believed to have been more severe. Cole had to leave Saturday's preseason friendly against the MLS All-Star team in Chicago. Chelsea assistant coach Steve Clarke said the injury is not as significant as first...

Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells insisted to the media Tuesday that he has no issue concerning wide receiver Terrell Owens as he uses his personal trainers to recover from a nagging hamstring injury. Parcells says he has no problem with Owens and that there shouldn't be controversy....