Recordpub.com - Bengals release DT Sam Adams

Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals released defensive tackle Sam Adams, who joined the team as a free agent last season, and signed unrestricted free agent Kenderick Allen to a one-year contract on Monday.

The Bengals had brought in the 360-pound Adams to help shore up their defense against the run, but finished 15th in the league on rush defense and 30th overall, allowing 355 yards a game.

Adams, a 14th-year player, joined the Bengals last season as an unrestricted free agent from Buffalo and started 16 games, with 25 tackles and two sacks.

"Releasing Sam is a very difficult decision, but the timing is such that it provides Sam the opportunity to obtain a roster spot with another team," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

Allen, a fifth-year unrestricted free agent, was limited to two games with Green Bay last season, going on the injured-reserve list Oct. 2 with a foot injury.

He was signed by New Orleans in 2003 as a college free agent and was acquired on waivers the following year by the New York Giants, where he spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Favre: I never really wanted to be traded

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By CHRIS JENKINS

AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE -- Brett Favre acknowledged his anger over the team's unwillingness to pull off a trade for wide receiver Randy Moss, but denied Monday he ever really wanted the Green Bay Packers to trade him.

"I was frustrated a couple weeks back when Randy Moss was traded to New England," Favre said on the Packers' Web site. "I never wanted to be traded and I don't want to be traded. I want to be in Green Bay. I want to finish my career as a Packer."

It's an attempt by the three-time MVP to calm the maelstrom that started when he spent Saturday venting about the Packers' front office in a handful of interviews at his charity golf tournament. Fox Sports' Web site reported Sunday that Favre's agent called Packers general manager Ted Thompson shortly after last month's NFL draft to request a trade.

That request was denied, according to the report, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy eventually calmed Favre down and got him to admit that he never really wanted to play elsewhere.

"Sometimes when I get frustrated, I let my emotions got the better of me," Favre said in the statement.

Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, did not return a call from The Associated Press.

Packers officials have not denied that Favre's agent requested a trade. Packers general manager Ted Thompson said on Sunday he was not willing to divulge details of talks the team has had with players or agents.

"We try to encourage open and honest dialogue with players and their agents," Thompson said, in a statement posted on the Packers' Web site. "But if those talks later are shared with third parties, the willingness of players to be open in future conversations may be compromised."

Thompson acknowledged Favre's frustration, but said he expected the Packers to be successful in 2007.

"I think it's natural for a player to be frustrated from time to time -- that's simply being human," Thompson said. "Everyone knows that Brett Favre is all about winning. As an organization, we share that commitment. And we want to win now."

The Packers have signed several of their own key defensive players to long-term contracts this offseason, including cornerback Al Harris, linebacker Nick Barnett and defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins.

But Green Bay has been among the least active teams in free agency and did not pull off a long-rumored trade for Moss on draft weekend, spurring criticism from Favre during his charity golf tournament in Tunica, Miss., on Saturday.

Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun-Herald that he was frustrated that the team passed on a chance to make what he called a "steal" of a deal to get Moss, and wonders whether the Packers won't become a contender again until after he retires.

"Our offense struggled last season," Favre told the paper. "If it were not for our defense, we would not have won eight games. Right now, it's hard to be optimistic. I'm not getting any younger and I think everyone knows that. I don't have five years to rebuild. No one in Green Bay is saying rebuild but it's hard to look at where we are going and say, 'How can they not be rebuilding?"'

But Favre, who told the team in February that he was returning for his 17th NFL season, reiterated his commitment to Green Bay on Monday.

The Packers have a three-day mandatory minicamp beginning Friday, and it remains unclear whether Favre, who had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle in late February, will attend.

"As I said in February when I announced that I was coming back, I am excited about the young talent on our team and the improvements we're going to see from one year to the next," Favre said. "I really enjoy the young guys I'm playing with. I'm working hard down in Mississippi right now, rehabbing, and I plan to be in the best shape of my life. I look forward to playing with this team and seeing what we can do. I think we can be pretty good."

Michigan hires former Beilein assistant as associate coach

AP Photo DT101

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan said Monday it hired former West Virginia assistant coach Jerry Dunn to be the Wolverines' new associate head coach.

The move reunites Dunn with John Beilein, the former Mountaineers coach who was hired as head coach at Michigan April 3. Dunn had served as an assistant at West Virginia since 2004.

"With his vast knowledge and work ethic he will help us with our immediate goals as well as the future goal of making the Wolverine program one of the tops in the country," Beilein said in a statement.

Prior to his time with the Mountaineers, Dunn served 20 years on the sidelines at Penn State, including eight years as head coach. Four of his teams made postseason play, including appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1996 and 2001, when the Nittany Lions reached the Sweet 16.

Dunn also served as an assistant coach at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. from 1977-83.

Ahmaad to leave Ball State

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State has gained three players and lost one.

Ahmaad Cook, who played in 21 games with four starts as a true freshman, will leave after one season, coach Ronny Thompson said Monday in a statement. The 6-foot guard averaged 3.4 points in eight minutes per game.

Thompson said Cook wanted to be closer to his family in Inglewood, Calif.

The Cardinals signed C.J. Clark, Laron Frazier and Deontay Twyman.

Clark, a 6-7 forward, spent last season at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, where he averaged 14 points per game.

Frazier, a 6-foot point guard, led Highland Community College (Illinois) to the NJCAA Division I national tournament last season. He averaged 14 points and six assists.

Twyman, a 6-foot guard, led Sherwood High School (Maryland) to a Class 4-A state championship. He made the Washington Post's All-Metro team in both football and basketball.

Purdue-NC rematch part of 1st women's Big Ten/ACC Challenge

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A rematch of the NCAA Regional Finals between Purdue and North Carolina will be part of the first women's Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The challenge will last at least four years and match 11 teams from each conference, officials announced Monday. The games will traditionally be on the first Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after Thanksgiving, following the men's format.

The Boilermakers on Nov. 29 will play at the Tar Heels, trying to avenge their 84-72 loss in the Dallas Regional Finals.

Other games are Florida State at Indiana; Michigan at Miami; Wake Forest at Northwestern; Georgia Tech at Iowa; Clemson at Michigan State; Illinois at North Carolina State; Ohio State at Maryland; Minnesota at Virginia Tech; Wisconsin at Virginia and Duke at Penn State.

"We're excited about the creation of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the women," Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said in a statement. "Playing at North Carolina adds another tough game to our already difficult schedule, but these are the kinds of matchups that as a player you want to play in."

The Big Ten and ACC conference offices will coordinate the 11-game schedule each season, which may include rematches. Game times and television and broadband coverage will be announced later.

The ACC is 29-28 against the Big Ten since the 1999-2000 season.

Alabama group says team can't play Sunday game against Ohio team

HOOVER, Ala. -- The Alabama High School Athletic Association, citing a ban on Sunday games, has put in jeopardy plans by Hoover High to play an Ohio prep football power on ESPN2.

The AHSAA Central Board of Control voted unanimously Wednesday in denying Hoover's request to play Colerain High in a Sept. 2 game at Nippert Stadium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. The Labor Day Weekend matchup was to be aired live on ESPN2 at 12:37 p.m. as part of the third annual Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge.

"Sunday is a day of worship," AHSAA executive director Dan Washburn said when citing the reason for denying Hoover's application to play an out-of-state opponent.

Hoover, which had won four straight state Class 6A football championships before losing in the finals last season, is familiar with national television exposure. It was featured on MTV's reality show "Two-A-Days."

Washburn said there's no specific written rule that prohibits games from being played on a Sunday, but it's a policy established through practice.

He said a game could be played on Sunday only under emergency circumstances. Washburn cited Sunday's game three in a Class 6A semifinal baseball series as an example. Bad weather forced suspension of play Friday, and the teams played a doubleheader Saturday.

Hoover coach Rush Propst told The Birmingham News in a story Monday that it's uncertain if the game can be moved to a Friday or Saturday or if ESPN2 would be able to air it on a different date. He said any change would create logistical problems for fans and would be a big financial loss without TV revenue.

He said the ruling was unfair and that the lack of a solid rule prohibiting Sunday play bothered him.

"It looks to me, it's an anti-Hoover move," Propst said.

Washburn said that comment was "way out of line" and not worthy of response.

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Information from: The Birmingham News

Landis wears yellow, attorneys see red in Day 1 of arbitration

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AP Photos

By EDDIE PELLS

AP National Writer

MALIBU, Calif. -- Floyd Landis began a most unusual defense of his Tour de France title Monday, trading his yellow jersey for a yellow necktie and doing it in an open courtroom instead of the open road.

Striding into the law building at Pepperdine University, Landis said he was confident he'll retain his title if the arbitrators rule fairly and "on the facts."

His mother and father, Arlene and Paul, and his wife, Amber, sat behind the defense table. Before the proceedings began, Arlene Landis stepped to the front of the room to snap a picture of her son and the team of lawyers leading his multimillion-dollar defense.

Then, it was showtime.

Landis' lead attorney, Maurice Suh, didn't disappoint.

"Make no mistake about it," Suh said in his opening statement, "this case is an utter disaster."

The disaster, Suh said, is the way the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has gone about prosecuting the case, which could result in a two-year suspension for Landis and make him the first cyclist in the 104-year history of the Tour de France to be stripped of his title.

"I'm excited to get the case under way," Landis said before the hearing began. "I hope the arbitrators rule fairly and on the facts. I'm confident if they do, I'll retain my title and be racing again."

Richard Young, the lead attorney presenting the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's case, said in his opening statement that despite the publicity, this was simply another in a long list of cases USADA handles -- one in which the cold, hard scientific data would prove an athlete had used synthetic testosterone.

"There's nothing unique about what the panel has to decide," Young said. "It's one of dozens of cases in which a high testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio is confirmed by" a carbon-isotope ratio test.

Suh, however, said it was more than just another case.

"It's a historic case, and it needs to be done right," he said.

Accused of using banned synthetic testosterone during his win last year, Landis insisted on turning his arbitration hearing into a public process, in part to expose what he says is the fraudulent way USADA and its partners in the industry do business.

Landis generated lots of support and raised about $500,000 through the Floyd Fairness Fund, but that public support didn't translate into attendance at the hearing.

About 100 people -- including attorneys, family, media, witnesses and folks from the university -- showed up. Only two people made use of an overflow room that had been set up especially for extra spectators.

The hearing is expected to last through next Wednesday with dozens of scientific experts scheduled to testify before a three-man panel of arbitrators who will decide Landis' fate.

Opening day included plenty of hostile exchanges between the lawyers, who spent 10 minutes before opening statements arguing with the arbitrators over what, exactly, could be said.

The first witness, Cedric Shackleton of the Oakland Research Institute, was subject to a long, unfriendly cross-examination, one that began in the morning, picked up again after lunch and included some testy interplay.

"This is about the 15th time that the witness hasn't been allowed to answer the question," Young said while objecting during Suh's cross-examination.

"This is about the 15th time that the witness has answered some other question" than what he had asked, Suh replied.

Through it all, Landis looked mildly amused, at some points looking to friends and smiling as he sat at the corner of the defense table. He is expected to testify later in the hearing.

"We believe in his innocence, so this hasn't been a stress to us," Arlene Landis said.

The crux of USADA's argument is to provide evidence of Landis' testosterone use by looking at results from two tests.

The first, called the testosterone-to-epitestosterone test, showed Landis had an 11-1 ratio in the urine sample taken after Stage 17. Anything higher than 4-1 can be considered a positive test.

The second, called a carbon-isotope ratio test, is a more complex analysis of the urine and debates about that figure to fill up much of the next eight days of testimony.

The Landis plan is to question the credibility of the process used at the French lab where the urine was analyzed. That evidence then will be used to impeach USADA's science. Suh's opening statement included visuals that repeated the word "incompetence" in bold, red letters six times.

"This is science?" Suh said while discussing one piece of USADA evidence. "This is an embarrassment."