This sport — every sport — needs rivalries to keep fans interested.

The penalties, assessed Wednesday, stemmed from a post-race tangle at Bristol Saturday night that had Busch bumping Edwards' car because of a late-race nudge Edwards applied to pass and win the race. Edwards retaliated to Busch's bang by spinning Busch's car. After the incident, both drivers — currently running No. 1 and 2 in points — stood by their actions and vowed they would race hard until the season ended.

Now, it should be clear that NASCAR officials are right in trying to stop the "actions detrimental to the sport," which they have always done in the past in similar issues.

But, one can hope, perhaps pray, that being on probation doesn't temper either driver.

Many Sprint Cup veterans don't think it's good for the sport for such raw drivers to instantly take over the circuit's top rides without paying their dues. After all, they will have to race fender-to-fender with these youngsters at places such as Daytona and Talladega, where one little mistake can turn into one huge disaster.

Jeff Burton is one driver who can see the benefits of having young drivers such as Logano pay their dues at the lower rungs of the competition ladder such as the Craftsman Truck or Nationwide circuits. After all, Burton ran five full seasons on the Nationwide (then Busch) circuit before moving into the Cup Series, much like most of the veteran drivers had to do when they were coming up.

"The way that I did it I think was better than the way it's done today," Burton said. "Me having time to grow up as a race car driver but more importantly as a person I think was better than throwing a kid 19-, 20-years-old into this. I'm not saying it's wrong doing that, I just think it served me personally fine to do it the way I did it. "I thought running the Nationwide Series allowed me a chance to mature. I ran it full-time for like four or five years and that was a great experience. I learned a lot. It enabled me to mature and made me a better race car driver. It made me a more mature person before I moved up into this."

Burton is not alone in his thinking.

Sprint Cup drivers just have to look at the extreme growing pains that drivers like Kurt and Kyle Busch have gone through after being tossed into the fire in their early 20s. Even though the Busch brothers both appear to have survived the public relations nightmares that came along with their early entry into Cup racing, it wasn't easy. This era of young drivers might have unmistakable talent on the race track, but they might not be ready to handle the pressure from the media and the fans that comes along with it.

Parker, signed by the Panthers on Tuesday after injuries continued to plow through the team's receiver and kick returning corps, caught 110 passes for 1,529 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

He didn't need to return punts or kickoffs, since the Chiefs had one of the game's best — Dante Hall — doing that.

Jones called a brief team meeting before batting practice, hugged his teammates, was emotional because he always is, and returned to Pell City, his Alabama home, to see if his rehab program will allow him to pitch again.

"At this point," said manager Jim Leyland, limiting the scope of his comments to the rest of the year, "I don't foresee him pitching."

Jones is 40, no longer part of the Tigers' future. He gave it everything he had this year, saved 18 games -- pretty darn good for someone admitting to doing it with "smoke and mirrors".

But it was everything he had.

We'll see Jones again. We'll hear from him again. As a pitcher, though? Unlikely.

"It feels good man, you know, to get a second chance and I just have to take advantage of it," said Jones. "First and foremost, I don't want to let myself down, definitely my little girl down. I'm thankful for Jerry [Jones], the fans in Dallas and my teammates for believing in me. I need to keep doing what I've been doing to get reinstated, staying with myself and my teammates and staying away from those knuckleheads and just stay focused."

Jones was asked if he ever thought this day would come.

"I never thought it would take this long, but I'm just glad I'm getting another chance."

Jones, who sent Goodell a letter on Aug. 15 asking to be reinstated, will open the season as the No. 3 cornerback behind Terence Newman and Anthony Henry.

"Adam has worked hard to get to this point, but he also knows that there is still a lot of work ahead of him," said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. "He is fully aware of the opportunity that he has been given, and he knows that this is an ongoing process."

"Ultimately it came down to the fact that I still enjoy playing and competing," the 39-year-old captain said in a statement released by the team. "I'm comfortable with my conditioning and my overall health. I'm ready for the start of camp and am looking forward to the upcoming season."

Because the Democratic National Convention is taking place this week at the Pepsi Center, the Avs' home, the team said it wouldn't hold a news conference until next week.

Sakic's teammates had started to fear he wasn't coming back, and the announcement was a relief.

"Everybody was starting to worry what Joe was going to do," forward Ian Laperriere said. "It's great news for more than one reason.

Saturday could not be reached for comment, and the Colts offered no update on his status. But Saturday's agent, Ralph Cindrich, confirmed his client faces a long road back after tearing his medial collateral ligament in Sunday's preseason loss to Buffalo.

If Saturday opts against surgery, "I don't think he'll be able to get back on the field for at least six or seven weeks,'' Cindrich said. "He's down for a while.''

If Saturday has surgery, his recovery might last 11 weeks, Cindrich said. "But from all reports,'' he added, "he could be back before the end of the season.''

Saturday, 33, has started every game — 59 straight including the playoffs — since late in the 2004 season. In his absence, rookie Steve Justice likely will start at center.

Complicating matters further for Saturday and the Colts is he is in the final year of his contract.

"Right now he's just biding time,'' Cindrich said. "Jeff wants (the knee) to settle down and we'll do a little more research on it, a little more talking to make sure we're on solid ground (with any decision).''

Not so, according to Braun.

"I just had a bad day," he said. "It can happen to anybody."

Braun proved he was feeling fine by going 3 for 5 with a big two-run homer Tuesday night in the Brewers' 12-0 romp over St. Louis. It continued the season-long torment of the Cardinals by Braun, who was batting .491 against them with seven homers and 13 RBI.

Manager Ned Yost said he never was concerned that Braun's health would remain an issue for the remainder of the season.

"They told me it was something that was minor," said Yost. "He said he feels great. It wasn't much to it. It makes the trainers nervous when it gets stiff because that's the precursor to pulling it. That's why we sat him out a week, so it wouldn't be a nagging thing."

Yost said he had no plans to give Braun days off the rest of the season other than days off on the schedule.

"There's no concern at all about the running game," said running back Adrian Peterson, whose 1,341 yards rushing led the NFC last year. "I think we did pretty good. We were able to move the chains. We came out in the second half and were able to keep the drive alive and get a field goal for a [10-3] lead before we came out."

Pittsburgh had the league's No. 1- ranked defense a year ago. But the Steelers' inability to stop the run helped them lose four of their last five games. Jacksonville ran for 224 yards on 42 carries (5.3) in Pittsburgh in Week 15. A month later, the Jaguars returned for a wild-card playoff game, ran for 135 yards on 29 carries (4.7) and bounced the Steelers from the postseason.

On Saturday, the Vikings' first-team unit rushed for only 27 yards on 17 carries before being pulled after one series in the third quarter. Peterson had just 21 yards on 12 carries (1.8). And Pittsburgh was without safety Troy Polamalu, one of its best players.

"I guess he did us a favor. He woke up a sleeping giant, obviously," said first baseman Albert Pujols.

The Brewers were only six outs shy of kicking the Cardinals deeper into third place when center fielder Joe Mather fouled out to end the seventh inning. Rather than coolly walk to his dugout, Villanueva struck a flex pose that did not escape Pujols' notice. Villanueva further inflamed the situation, according to Pujols and several teammates, by pointing and screaming at the home dugout. Pujols quickly rose from a crouch in the on-deck circle and responded to Villanueva, who replied by cursing Pujols in Spanish.

The situation almost escalated further when catcher Yadier Molina heard Villanueva's comments to Pujols. Molina moved toward Villanueva but was intercepted.

"I have no comment. Adam pitched a great game," Molina said, referring only to Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright.

"I don't care when a player does whatever he wants," Pujols said. "But when a player starts pointing into the dugout like he was doing and saying the things he was saying, a guy who respects the game like myself doesn't appreciate it. I had to let him know."

"It sounds like he's made some significant strides in the last few days," Melvin said.

But it doesn't appear Melvin is ready for a wholesale overhaul of his defense - such as moving Chad Tracy to third base and Mark Reynolds to second - to get his most lethal bats all in the lineup. He is, however, looking for something better than the three-hit effort against the Padres Tuesday, which led to a shake-up on Wednesday. Conor Jackson moved up to the No. 2 spot while Chris Young was dropped to seventh along with rest days for Chris Snyder (replaced by Miguel Montero) and Augie Ojeda (replaced by Chris Burke).

"A couple of days of not-so-great results and not a great feeling, it was time to shake things up," Melvin said.

But after saying Reynolds has the defensive tools to play second, Melvin made it clear that "I like him at third.''

Shawn Riggans got the start Wednesday, but Navarro was available if needed in a late-game situation. Maddon indicated Navarro might get an additional day off tonight.

"It must have been a cramp, just like we thought it was initially," Maddon said. "He actually caught one where it was post-cramp, but after that it was getting a little bit sore, so we decided to get him out of there."

For the next two days, the bare bulb was shined in the direction of setup man Jon Rauch, whose struggles continued with two more subpar appearances against the Padres.

Wednesday? Chad Qualls, come on down.

Qualls, who hadn't allowed a run in his last nine appearances and had gone a long way toward erasing a miserable May and June, was handed a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning but promptly gave up singles to Brian Giles, Chase Headley and series hero Jody Gerut in a 5-4 loss to the Padres.

Thursday, Brown should be ready to go when the Dolphins visit New Orleans for their final exhibition game, coach Tony Sparano said.

"We're just going to take him out there, go through pre-game warm-ups, do those kinds of things, and then I'd like to try to play him," Sparano said. "And we'll see whether or not we can get some carries."

Brown injured his thumb Aug. 16 at Jacksonville. He has been adamant that the injury is not serious and that he wouldn't have missed any time if this were the regular season. In the meantime, Brown has been able to further strengthen his surgically repaired right knee in preparation for the regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the New York Jets. Since he hurt his thumb, Brown has slipped down the depth chart behind Ricky Williams, but Sparano said he is not ready to anoint Williams the starter.

Linebacker/blogger Kevin Burnett doesn't claim any inside info on this, but he has a hunch that Jones is going after Boldin. Jones has long coveted a big-play receiver to compliment Terrell Owens.

Wilford has just three catches for 12 yards in three exhibition games. He has lost the starting job - Derek Hagan is the other first-string wideout - despite solid credentials earned during four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Even though Wilford has a significant contract, there is a remote chance he could be waived Saturday when NFL rosters must be reduced to 53 players.

Among Miami's 71 current players, seven are receivers. The Dolphins are likely to keep five or six.

Wilford is the most accomplished Miami receiver. His 518 receiving yards and three touchdowns last year with Jacksonville would have been tops for Miami.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said financial considerations might be taken into account when determining the final roster. He also said he would consider Wilford's previous production and not judge him solely on his performance in training camp.

Still, Wilford, 29, is feeling some heat.

Barnes will take Ulf Dahlen's place in the mix, but he will definitely have a less prominent role -- which might, in a strange way, be a good thing for the Stars. Dahlen (who this season will be the head coach for Frolunda in Sweden) very much wanted to play a big role on the Stars, and would often leave the press box during a game to come down to the bench in the third period. That probably put too many voices on the bench for the players. Barnes will stay in the press box and learn the role of assistant.

He is expected to go to Traverse City for the prospects tournament Sept. 13-17 and hang out with the front office and the scouts and learn how to "see a game'' from the stands. That's tougher than it sounds for a player, because it takes some getting used to when you've been on the ice your entire career.

Barnes says he is clear of conussion symptoms that ended his season, but that he really hasn't pushed himself to get his heart rate where it needed to be for him to play again. He said he will probably push harder during the season just to see if the symptoms come back. But right now, he's feeling good and ready to take the next step.

Harrington gives his perspective as someone whose star faded after early promise turned into unfulfilled expectations. They were expectations that might have been too high. Now, seven years into his career, he is fighting for a roster spot with the Falcons, his third team.

"My first start was against Green Bay, at home, our home opener," Harrington said. "I threw four picks, maybe two, three touchdowns and we almost came back. The next week we played New Orleans and I had a good game. The headline on one of the papers the next day was, ‘Joey to the World For He Has Come.' It was immediate and unrealistic when those expectations were put on me. Being naïve and not knowing, I embraced it and I took it as my job to be the one person to change a franchise. When it didn't happen overnight, I worked harder and pressed and did it to the point where it was ultimately my demise there."

The Falcons have tried their best to marginalize expectations of Ryan. Though they paid him $72 million and called him their franchise quarterback, he has not been tabbed as the answer or missing piece. Instead, he's part of a process.

That kind of scene is common in the major leagues. This one is not: Torre talked to Sturtze again a few minutes later, this time to tell him the Dodgers would not cut him Wednesday, leaving him in limbo beyond then.

Sturtze declined to comment. Torre described Sturtze's reaction to the developments this way: "He's not OK."

Torre had said for several days that the team would activate reliever Cory Wade on Wednesday. The Dodgers initially told Sturtze they would designate him for assignment to clear a roster spot for Wade. After a few minutes, they changed their minds.

"It's something that didn't just change in five minutes," Torre said. "We were wrestling with it."

Fantasy football is a wildly popular pastime in which fans draft their favorite players to create teams, then score points based on how those players perform. Until now, commercial leagues have been limited to the NFL. A recent court ruling in Missouri prompted CBS Sports to launch the first fantasy college football league that includes names of players. It's a potential money maker for the network and could lead to increased television ratings for the sport. But the NCAA is fighting CBS, arguing that the organization's rules bar the use of players' likenesses for commercial use.

"We still believe that we have the responsibility to protect and act on behalf of student-athletes," NCAA spokesman Bob Williams said. "There are marked differences between professional leagues and college athletics."

A Miami Dolphins fan can purchase a Chad Pennington jersey at any sports outlet, imitate Ronnie Brown's moves in a video game or draft Ricky Williams for his fantasy team. Until now, however, college athletes have been protected. Jerseys, video games and fantasy games can use college athletes' numbers but not their names.

CBS says it has the right to use players' names based on a federal court ruling against Major League Baseball. The league had claimed exclusive rights to its own players' likenesses, but it came down to a First Amendment debate, with the 8th District Court of Appeal finding that statistics are part of the public domain.

Elizabeth Rowe, a University of Florida law professor who specializes in copyright infringement and trademark law, believes that courts treat sports figures differently than other public figures, including film and music stars whose likenesses are almost always protected.

As NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series arrives for the Pepsi 500 on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, the sluggish economy already is making it tough for the series, race teams and tracks to attract all the corporate sponsors to help pay their bills. GM is reeling from huge financial losses and the giant automaker plans to slash annual spending by $10 billion. Its support of NASCAR and other auto racing is not exempt from possible cuts. GM's slump added to economic problems now buffeting NASCAR stock-car racing, the IndyCar Series, the NHRA drag-racing circuit and smaller niche circuits such as sports-car racing.

The tough economic times, combined with high gas prices, also are keeping many fans from attending races. That's causing problems not only for the series and teams, but for the top two operators of U.S. race tracks, International Speedway Corp. — whose properties include the Fontana venue -- and Speedway Motorsports Inc.

In addition, two other major U.S. automakers, Ford and Chrysler (Dodge), are struggling as well and reportedly are weighing whether to cut back their motor sports activities.

"The Detroit manufacturers have been dissecting their involvement in NASCAR with a fervor not seen since, well, ever," Peter M. De Lorenzo, a former auto advertising executive, recently wrote on his website Autoextremist.com.

Imagine his surprise, then, when he went back to work the following week to learn that he was now a fullback. And that's what he remains as the Eagles go into tonight's exhibition game against the New York Jets at the Linc.

Staying with a tradition that started in 2002, coach Andy Reid isn't expected to play his starters in the preseason finale, which creates a problem at the fullback position. According to the team depth chart, Hunt is the No. 1 fullback. According to the coaching staff, the Eagles don't have a No. 1 fullback.

"I need to see him be better than he was last week," Reid said when asked what Hunt needs to do to solidify his role as the starting fullback. "I'm not going to say he was poor last week, but I want to see improvement. He is on his second week here, so there should be marked improvement there."

Hunt doesn't think that the Eagles should expect the second coming of Tom Rathman or Daryl "Moose" Johnston in two weeks. He still considers this an experiment, rather than a concrete position move.

"I think scary is probably a good word for it," Beckett said. "I've had some sleepless nights thinking about all kinds of stuff. You generally think the worst."

It doesn't matter if you're a librarian, a television sports reporter, or a big league pitcher — a tingling sensation in the fingers is not good. It can make you wonder about all sorts of things, some of them life-threatening. If you throw baseballs for a living, it's potentially a career-ender.

That is why the best Red Sox moment in New York this week came when Beckett threw a 58-pitch, tingle-free bullpen session under the supervision of pitching coach John Farrell Tuesday afternoon.

"It went really well," Beckett reported. "I was excited afterward."

The Nation should be doubly excited. Face it, Sox fans, you can make a lot of noise about Jason Bay over Manny, middle-relief issues, the health of Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew, the acquisition of Mark Kotsay, and NESN's ratings for that awful "Sox Appeal," but nothing matters if Beckett goes on the shelf for September and October. Beckett is the reason the Sox won the World Series last year and he is their best bet if they hope to compete against the likes of the Angels and Cubs this year.

"I thought I jammed the thumb on the dive, but the X-ray seems to show a chipped bone in the thumb," Hairston said.

Hairston will have an MRI exam Thursday morning.

"It feels terrible, so I don't think the MRI is going to be good news," Hairston said.

Since Chase Headley was promoted in June, Hairston has shared center field with Gerut, playing mostly against left-handed starters.

Hairston hit eight of his 17 homers in July but is only 9-for-43 with three doubles and no RBI this month as the streaking Gerut has seen more playing time.

What a beating.

Jack Nicholson was on hand to watch the blood drain out of the Yankees' season. Who says he can't handle the truth?

The Yankees came into this series hoping for a sweep, announcing they needed at least two out of three. When they dropped the opener Tuesday, they were forced to put their season into the jittery hands of one Sidney Ponson. It's not a good sign when the only thing standing between you and virtual elimination is Sidney Ponson. The Yankees would have been better served by Sidney Wicks. Or Sydney Greenstreet. The Tub of Goo was gone before the end of the fifth, and the Yankees are gone before the end of August. Ponson is now 3-13 in 22 career starts against Boston. The humanity.

Today, the Sox play their final game ever in Yankee Stadium, and they have a chance to drive another nail into the Pinstripe coffin. With 30 games remaining, the Yankees are 10½ games out of first place in the American League East and seven games behind the Sox in the wild-card hunt.

Merriman is young, big, fast, strong, mean, talented, dedicated and, at the same time, outgoing, stubborn and philanthropic, with a big dash of vanity in his personal cocktail. He may be the NFL's most dangerous on-the-field terror. But, despite being all of the above, he also has a bum left knee, which he says has two torn ligaments. Surgery will be needed, sooner or later. The Chargers' All-Pro outside linebacker is putting his stock in later, hoping that he remains more pilot than wingman as the team makes moves on a big season. He's a star, and as we know, it's difficult for some stars to fade even when they're not at their brightest.

Egos can be large enough to get in the way, although it's always been my contention that it's difficult to be good at anything without one. There is "me" to Merriman, and that no doubt has come into play here, but there also is respect for the game and for his teammates. He senses a possible Super Bowl, and he doesn't want the team going to Tampa without him. After traveling around the country getting second, third and fourth opinions from doctors the team did not provide - San Diego's physicians already had cleared him to play — Merriman Wednesday announced he'll be a go for opening day vs. Carolina here Sept. 7. Maybe he'll only last a quarter, maybe a game, maybe 16 games, maybe into February.

Is he risking his career? Isn't every player every down? The more I'm around this thing, the more I think it's overblown. If it's that bad, how could he possibly play football? This isn't Tiger Woods playing golf.

Kendrick and the Phillies had no choice. As that first game with New York lurched deep into extra innings, all other pitching options had been exhausted. While Kendrick was busy warming up, fans, reporters and the Phillies wondered whether the unexpected activity would prevent him from facing Mets ace Johan Santana in the series finale. The Phils won that first matchup with the Mets in the 13th inning, and the dramatic finish saved Kendrick from being forced to pitch in relief. Still, having to get loose well in advance of a scheduled start isn't exactly an ideal scenario for a pitcher.

Wednesday night, Kendrick ended up throwing a robust 101 pitches over five-plus innings, allowing two earned runs and eight hits. Up until the disastrous top of the eighth inning, in which the Mets scored four runs off the Phillies' bullpen to take the lead, Kendrick's numbers looked good enough to give the righthander his 12th win of the season. Instead, the Phils lost, 6-3, and Kendrick had to settle for a no-decision.

"I think he took us to a good place in the game," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

As Kendrick took the mound last night, questions abounded: How would the odd, extemporized workout just hours earlier affect his stuff? Would he be tired or sore or unable to go at all?

"Not at all," Kendrick said when asked whether the early-morning warm-up bothered him. "I felt fine."

"The officer informed me that I had to wait until the song was over," Campeau-Lampion, an information technology director from Astoria who roots for the Red Sox, told the Daily News Wednesday. "I said, 'I don't care about 'God Bless America,'" he said. "Next thing I know he was pinning my arm behind my back."

Campeau-Lampion said two officers then escorted him from the upper deck out of the Stadium.

"I've never seen anyone handled like that unless they've thrown a punch," he said. "It was a complete overreaction."

The NYPD told a different story.

A police spokesman said Campeau-Lampion was thrown out because he was "standing on his seat cursing, using inappropriate language and acting in a disrespectful manner while reeking of alcohol."

Campeau-Lampion, who filed a complaint with the NYPD's Civilian Complaint Review Board and called the New York Civil Liberties Union for advice, denies he was drunk.

A call to Yankee Stadium wasn't returned yesterday, but the team began restricting fans movements during the song after 9/11 out of respect for U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"All I can think about is this game at this point," Steinbrenner said when asked if his team's playoff hopes were finished. "We'll see what happens (today), but the bottom line is they sucked."

Steinbrenner, who has preached for weeks about the Yankees' hard-luck injuries, was still clearly disgusted with his team's performance last night as he exited the stadium.

"It's very disappointing," Steinbrenner said. "Even without having our two best pitchers, so forth and so on, they still stunk. That's the bottom line."

With their postseason dreams on life support, the Yankees will take the field this afternoon looking to avoid a sweep, one that would leave them eight games out of the wild-card spot with 29 to play.

John Danks described his outing as awful, and the numbers back it up: four innings, four runs, seven hits, four walks and 93 pitches. Lance Broadway allowed seven runs and nine hits, including three homers, but eased the load on the rest of the bullpen. As the Sox move into the stretch run, they needed a better showing from Danks, who has been one of their most pleasant surprises during a surprising season. But Danks was battered for four runs and seven hits. He walked three, struck out one and labored through 93 pitches.

''Wish I had an answer; I was pretty bad,'' Danks said. ''There was no other way of putting it. I was just flat-out bad. I didn't even give us a chance to win.''

Considering the workload on Danks' arm, is manager Ozzie Guillen worried?

''I don't worry, but we are going to take a pretty close look,'' Guillen said. ''One thing is his velocity is there. Even the last pitch was 91 [mph]. He wasn't getting important strikes.''

''That says a lot about this team,'' said pitcher Jason Marquis (9-7), who brought some sanity to the close of the stretch Wednesday with seven shutout innings in a 2-0 victory at PNC Park, ''how good we feel we're going, how good we feel we can be and how we're not going to let up until the season's over.''

Also-rans can be dangerous spoilers this time of year, particularly young teams with players trying to prove something.

''Guys are out there battling for jobs next year. They want to make a name for themselves,'' Marquis said. ''Sometimes as a team in first place, you could have a mental letdown, feeling that these guys are out of it and they just want to get out of here. You have to make sure you take the same approach every pitch, every at-bat, every game and not let the mental area and the mental mistakes get to you.''

"I think pretty soon we'll wonder how we get along with it and it won't be noticed," Solomon said.

Once the replay system debuts with games played on Thursday, there will be as many as three people monitoring every game at the Advanced Media offices. When an umpire crew chief decides he needs to see a replay for a call, he will leave the field and use a telephone that links to one of the game's monitors in Manhattan. Because the center has access to every broadcast feed of a game, it will usually have two or three replays of a play from each network that is televising it. Three seconds after a replay is shown by a network, the center will be able to deliver it to a crew chief. The umpire can ask to have the replay paused, repeated or frozen. Solomon said any uncertainty about a call was expected to take about 2 minutes 30 seconds to resolve through a replay.

Some networks, like the YES Network (Yankees), SportsNet New York (Mets) and NESN (Boston Red Sox), are affiliated with the teams they cover. Solomon was asked about the possibility that a network would withhold a replay if it showed something that worked against the team it is aligned with.

"We don't expect anybody is going to impact the game in that fashion," Solomon said.

Jason Bay has proven to be an amazing perk. Bay was the other left fielder in the three-way trade that sent Ramírez to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the guy who came from the Pittsburgh Pirates and was not expected to fill Ramírez's cleats. Bay provided a Ramírez-like performance Wednesday night, when he doubled, tripled and drove in four runs to help Boston smother the Yankees, 11-3. When the Red Sox unloaded Ramírez, the Yankees were relieved that they would not have to see his booming bat anymore. Now that Bay has driven in six runs in the last two games, the Yankees are weary of him, too.

While the Ramírez trade is less than a month old, it looks rewarding for the Red Sox. With a .368 average, 4 home runs and 24 runs batted in across 23 games, Bay has knocked in more runs with Boston than Ramírez has for the Dodgers. Ramírez is batting .380 with 6 homers and 21 R.B.I. in 25 games.

"It's been a month and I'm not writing a Hall of Fame career," Bay said. "But it's been nice to get off to the start I'm getting off to. It's taken some of the pressure off."

Trying to replace Ramírez's offense is not an easy task. Bay said he was not trying to do that, but the comparisons to Ramírez will follow him like an autograph seeker outside Fenway Park. Even Bay acknowledged that he peeks at Ramírez's statistics.

"I don't Google him or anything to find out his exact stuff," Bay said. "I know he's doing well. I hope he does well."

Bush worked at fullback Monday for the first time in his career, and talked with reporters about his position change afterward. But after practice Tuesday, Kiffin said Bush is not changing positions.

"Michael Bush is a tailback here," Kiffin said. "We're going to look at some things in some certain personnels to utilize him because he catches the ball so well and he is a bigger tailback. But don't mistake that.

"Michael Bush isn't here to be a fullback. (He) has a chance to be a spectacular tailback in this league and that's what he's here to play."

Williams can't practice with the team while on the PUP list. The move is not a surprise given the seriousness of his injury and a crowded backfield that includes Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett.

In the meantime, perhaps more accurately Kyle Busch could be recognized for the "natural" talent he really is. In every generation of racing, there are "naturals" who come along and tantalize the fans with their incredible ability to drive anything (when given the chance) to a successful finish. Yet, all the natural talent in the world will not overcome a lousy personality or an obnoxious "bad boy" attitude of entitlement. To this end, Joe Gibbs Racing has another makeover on their hands much like they did with Tony Stewart. I suggest we remember to keep a clear perspective when comparing athletes. Kyle Busch is a "natural" in our sport, but he's not a phenomenon to be compared to an amazing, incredible, truly phenomenal Olympic Champion like Michael Phelps. Furthermore, Kyle Busch should take lessons from Michael Phelps on how to behave like a champion with grace and gratitude. Now, that would be a phenomenal change!

Fans parking in the blue lots — those outside the VIP lots — can no longer pull up early, throw out a grill, plop down some chairs, and pump up their pride wherever they want. Instead, tailgating will only be allowed in parking spots on the perimeter of each of eight blue lots. All interior parking spots will be reserved for fans who want to park and head directly into the stadium.

The parking spots where tailgating is allowed are now marked with blue lines. Cowboys officials said fans will be expected to keep all tailgating activities within those lines

This would not be unprecedented, of course. The organization put all five of its cars in the Chase in 2005 — when the Chase group included just 10 drivers. Putting four cars in this year's playoff would give Roush Fenway a one-in-three shot of fielding a champion. And while those odds aren't as good as 2005 when Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart crashed the Roush party and captured the title, the result might be different this time.

No driver right now is hotter than Edwards. And though the Roush cars of Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and David Ragan have yet to win this season, the law of averages would have us believe that all three are due for a trip to victory lane. If Edwards continues his winning ways or any of his playoff-contending teammates peak in the Chase, any driver without Roush Fenway Racing on his firesuit is going to have to climb a steep hill to become the 2008 Sprint Cup series champion.

Quarterback Jon Kitna might not play and the Lions want to limit the playing time of Dan Orlovsky so as not to risk injury. The Lions would then have to sign another quarterback because a thumb injury to Drew Stanton will force him to miss a month.

"I am now closer to 30 than 20," Henson said. "You start thinking about things I could do after football. You start becoming a regular person and you look at things that might be interesting to you after football. But I enjoy being an athlete."

Henson grew up in nearby Brighton and played at the University of Michigan. However, he turned away from football and played baseball in the Yankees farm system. When baseball didn't work out, he bounced around the NFL with the Texans, Cowboys and Vikings.

No one invited him to training camp this fall and Henson was contemplating his future.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

If this action stays hot, as we hope it des, this could be one awesome Chase. Think I am wrong? Did you not hear the crowd cheering as the two cars got together? Fns want and need something to root for - we need a rivalry of this proportion n NASCAR once again.

The only thing better than this would be for Earnhardt to get in the mix. Or Gordon. Then the fur would fly. But Kyle and Carl are going to be so far ahead of the other Chase drivers that they will be duking it out for top spot in the final ten races while the other ten guys all race for third place. Momentum and set-ups are what will determine the final ten races, mark my words. These two guys have the guts, the will, and the hard-headedness to get out there in front and let no one pass them. You think you have a better car, then bring it. I dare ya.

Now THAT is racing.

Harvey will get $17.175 million in guaranteed money, $23.8 million in base package and $33.4 million in max package, including incentives and escalators. The incentives were originally tied to 70 percent play time but now range from 55 percent to 75 percent.

Harvey is driving to Jacksonville and hopes to fly to Washington with the team today.

He was the only rookie holding out.

Also, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, who will change manufacturers from Toyota and Dodge, respectively, to Chevy under the Stewart-Haas Racing banner in 2009, will not compete because their Chevys — racing this season under the Haas CNC Racing flag — will not finish in the top six of owner points.

And, Clint Bowyer, who is moving from the No. 07 Richard Childress Racing ride to the new No. 33, which does not have sufficient owner points, will not compete. Casey Mears moves to the No. 07 and could compete if the No. 07 finishes in the top six, as could whoever replaces Newman in the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge.

Ditto for 18-year-old Joey Logano, who replaces Stewart in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Logano could compete should his car finish in the top six in owner points for Toyota.

The earliest Jurevicius could play would be Week 7, Oct. 19 at Washington. During that time, he'll be able to rehab in Berea and attend meetings, but won't be allowed to practice with the team. After the sixth week, the Browns have a three-week window to allow Jurevicius to practice. Once he does that, they'll have another three weeks to decide on his roster status.

At any point from Week 6 through the end of the practice window, they can add Jurevicius to the 53-man roster, place him on injured reserve for the season or keep him on PUP.

According to coach Romeo Crennel, Jurevicius, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January and then three more procedures to excise a staph infection from the knee, is still determined to try to play this season.

But Packers coach Mike McCarthy won't allow it, not in a meaningless game like this and especially not in Grant's first live action since running into the unyielding arms of the New York Giants' defense seven months ago. He, like the rest of the Packers' starters, will be in the game for about 10 snaps. As eager as Grant is to prove he's not a one-year wonder, he might have to get used to the concept of moderation because if McCarthy has his way, there won't be many 30-carry nights for his starting halfback. As good as Grant was in his first season as a starter, McCarthy doesn't want to see a premature end to his career.

"I don't think he needs to carry it 30 times for us," McCarthy said. "I don't think he needs to carry it 25. I think 20 would be great. You have to be smart with a guy. You get him 20 carries a game, that's being smart and productive. You can get him the ball some other ways through the passing game. I don't want the guy to be a one- or two-year flash and be done with him. History supports that."

At least the overall numbers do. A National Football League Players Association study released several years ago reported that the average career of an NFL player was 3.5 years in length. For a running back, it was only 2.6 years.

If it's going to happen and it's not an issue, then why not just announce that Trembley's 2009 option has been picked up and be done with it? What good purpose is served by letting the situation ferment for two or three more weeks? I mean, is somebody waiting to see whether Dave's head is going to explode the next time Daniel Cabrera needs 96 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings?

Trembley has done a fine job under difficult circumstances, but those circumstances are going to get even more difficult during the next four weeks, and it would make a lot of sense to send a message to the fans and the players — right now — that the organization is still on course, even if the team turns hard in the wrong direction as it closes out the 2008 season.

It's going to be easy to forget all the positive things that happened during the first half of the season when the Orioles march a parade of minorleague pitchers to the mound in September against a parade of winning teams. It's not going to take long for the fans to get frustrated and focus that frustration on the manager. It's already starting to happen. That's just the way things go in this game, but the Orioles can blunt those poison arrows by announcing loudly and clearly — and soon — that Trembley is still the man.

I'm searching for an analogy here; I guess this is sort of like when the boxer, Larry Holmes, used to serve as Muhammad Ali's sparring partner and take his lumps in the gym as Ali trained for the next big fight. And then one day Ali wasn't quite Ali anymore, and Holmes was now the dominant fighter, and when they met in the ring, Holmes routed the fading Ali. Just punished him all night, until the ref stopped the fight with Ali sitting on his stool in the corner.

No, the Cardinals aren't finished, even if the Brewers now have a 4.5 game lead in the wild card with 29 games remaining. Manager Tony La Russa's team will rise again, and try to find a way to launch a counterattack. They'd better do it Wednesday night, with Adam Wainwright seeking to ward the Brewers off and at least temporarily staunch the bleeding. At best, the Cardinals will be 3.5 games out when they head onto the road for visits to Houston and Arizona. At worst, they'll lose again to Milwaukee and be 5.5 out as they fly into the night, en route to Texas. This is a huge game for the Cardinals on Wednesday. And oh, by the way: the Cardinals are also tied with the Mets in the wild card race.

The facts are evident. The Cardinals won the season series from the Brewers for eight consecutive years (2000-2007), but the cycle has reached the end. The Cardinals are only 4-10 against Milwaukee this season, and have stunningly lost seven in a row to the Brewers. Cardinals pitchers have been rocked for 13 homers in those 7 losses. And the Cardinals have scrimped for an average of 2.18 runs in those seven bangups.

Tony Romo talked vaguely about being in a "good situation" when asked about his dad's Jessica approval. He eluded a question about marriage being a possibility.

Here's the kicker: King has the Cowboys losing to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, 30-16.

Look at it this way. At least he has the Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl.

However, Brady had a good reason to be absent. He was on the West Coast attending to a personal matter. That was the explanation given at the Patriots Kickoff Gala last night at Gillette Stadium for Brady's absence from that event.

Adding intrigue — and possibly horseplay — to the situation was a set of crutches that had been propped up in Brady's locker, one day after reporters spied a walking boot there. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday night that Brady is dealing with a deep bone bruise on his right foot. Before panic sets in among the Foxborough Faithful, keep in mind that Brady and his offensive linemen have been known to play practical jokes, though Matt Light sheepishly denied responsibility for the crutches.

"No, no, no. I stopped all that," said Light. "I'm turning over a new leaf."

Of course, if Brady, who has not taken a snap in a preseason game, does actually need the crutches, it's no laughing matter, and would call into question what he said Monday, when he told WEEI that he expects to be ready for the season opener Sept. 7 against the Chiefs. On the immediate front is whether Brady will suit up tomorrow when the Patriots close the preseason against the Giants. Bill Belichick wasn't tipping his hand.

"Tom is in the same boat as everybody else," said Belichick. "Each player has his own situation and they are not all the same. Tom obviously has a lot of playing experience and has a lot of experience in this system. If they are able to play, then they will play. If they are not able to play, or we don't want to play them, then we won't. We really haven't made those decisions yet on the Giants game."

"I've seen teams play like this when they're 30 games out," Bowa said Monday. "There's no excuse for it."

Torre said he did not agree with Bowa's assessment.

"He's a tough-love guy," Torre said. "I see where his emotions are. He's frustrated by it, just like a lot of the players."

Said Bowa on Tuesday: "I'm not frustrated. I don't like losing. You've got to treat every game like it's a playoff game. When you're three games out with 30 games to go, every game should be like a playoff game. That's all I'm saying."

In last week's preseason victory over the Houston Texans, Romo overthrew a deep ball to an open Owens in the first quarter, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a field goal instead of a 35-yard touchdown. A few ticks into the play, Romo pump-faked to Owens, causing cornerback Jacques Reeves to freeze. Romo then looked to the other side of the field to move a safety and give Owens more room. When Romo came back to Owens, he threw more on feel than actually trying to hit a target.

"The next time, the rhythm of it, you put a little more air, you put a little more touch," Romo said. "The second time it's a lot easier."

Romo is not worried about missing Owens against Houston or the on-a-dime deep ball that eluded Sam Hurd at Denver.

"At the end of the day, you're trying to improve on something," Romo said. "One ball that you might not do a certain way tomorrow that I did yesterday. I feel like the best thing that happens to me are the mistakes that I make, because very seldom do I make the same mistake twice."

There is an art to throwing the deep ball. There is more touch involved than many think, because it's not just a heave. Receivers prefer to reach for the ball to keep their stride. It should be to the outside shoulder so receivers can ward off defenders. Of passes thrown 21 yards or deeper in 2007, Romo completed 25 of 62 throws for 11 touchdowns and six interceptions, according to STATS Inc. Only New England's Tom Brady had more touchdowns (13), eight to Randy Moss. The Romo-to-Owens tandem connected for a league-high 10 touchdowns on passes of 21 yards or longer in 2007.

John Lackey's status as staff ace makes him a lock to start, and Jon Garland's postseason success gives him a decided edge, so the final two spots probably will come down to the three younger pitchers, Santana, Saunders and Weaver.

"I couldn't make that decision," Saunders said. "That's going to be tough. It could come down to whoever is hot in late September, or who is most comfortable coming out of the bullpen. . . . I'll be down to do whatever is best for the team."

Neither Saunders nor Weaver has pitched in relief in the big leagues. Santana made two relief appearances in 2007 and two in the 2005 playoffs, including a 5¹⁄³-inning, three-run, five-hit effort in relief of injured Bartolo Colon in the Angels' division series-clinching win over the Yankees. Santana's stuff — he has a 96-mph fastball, nasty slider and changeup — would fit nicely in a setup role, but the Angels also like the way it plays out over six or seven innings. Saunders is the only left-hander, and that could increase his chances of starting.

Scioscia and Butcher haven't broached the subject with their starters, "but they know it's there, it's no secret," Butcher said. "It's going to be tough, but we've done it as a team all year. We have to let it play out and see what happens."

Will Moyer, 45 and a free agent after the season, be back with the Phillies?

"We've chatted with him, but we thought it was most appropriate to kind of wait until the end of the season to move forward on anything," Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "But he has expressed that he is pitching next year, and beyond, probably. But we'd be crazy not to think that he'd be able to help us next year. But again, that doesn't mean he's going to be back."

Leftfielder Pat Burrell is in a similar situation. The Phillies have talked informally with Burrell, who will be a free agent. They also will wait until after the season to talk to him about a possible contract.

Yet local football fans say in Favre's case, it's a no-brainer: the quarterback trumps the curse.

"Doesn't mean a thing to me," said Brian Tubman, 22, of East Brunswick, N.J. "No foolish curse can affect a man who has a double-barreled shotgun as a throwing arm."

Tubman, one of several fans playing "Madden" in a Manhattan arcade, was echoed by fellow gamers.

"It's Brett Favre. He's way too durable," said Jermaine Hampton, 24, a messenger from Staten Island. "He's a legend. He's not old, he's just older. And he's not in a wheelchair yet."

The unshakable Favre turns 39 in October; the last game he missed was during the Bush administration — the father's, back in 1992. When he was selected to grace the game's 20th anniversary edition, Favre seemed a sure bet to break the curse — he was retired. Not anymore.

So does that mean he joins the ranks of injured Madden men: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander? Last year's selection, Vince Young of the Titans, avoided major injury but suffered a mediocre season.

But one source last night indicated it was unlikely the Phils would acquire Kotsay. ESPN.com reported later that the Boston Red Sox were close to acquiring him. The Phils would have to get him by Sunday to make him eligible for the postseason roster.

The lefthanded-hitting Kotsay has a .289 average with six home runs and 37 RBIs in 318 at-bats.

In one corner is Kyle Busch, the 23-year-old whose cocky, aggressive manner and series-high eight wins this season have made the Las Vegas native the driver many NASCAR fans love to hate. In the other is Carl Edwards, 29, a cheerful Missourian who earned his sixth win Saturday night after bumping Busch out of the lead in the closing stages of the race in Bristol, Tenn.

An angry Busch then turned his No. 18 Toyota into Edwards' No. 99 Ford on the cool-down lap, Edwards retaliated by spinning out Busch and the Bristol crowd roared its approval of Edwards' payback. Then Busch chastised Edwards' bumping maneuver in post-race interviews, and Edwards shot back that he was not about to apologize because Busch had pulled the same move on him earlier in the year.

Sports-talk shows and Internet chat rooms lit up as fans nationwide dissected the latest in a long history of driver rivalries in NASCAR, especially with the series about to start its late-season championship playoff.

And the rivalry resumes at a track Busch and Edwards know well — the Auto Club Speedway, a fast, two-mile oval that stages two Cup races a year, one on Labor Day weekend and one in late February. Busch scored his first series win there as a rookie in 2005. Edwards, known for his victory back flips off his Roush Fenway Racing car, won the most recent race in Fontana, in February.

"This is just one of those injuries that you have to take your time with," Brown said. "If you don't take your time with it, you'll have it the whole year."

Brown intends to be back at practice next week as the Eagles prepare for the Sept. 7 season opener against the Rams. He's targeting Monday, but said next Wednesday probably is more realistic.

Brown's uncertainty leaves the Eagles short in experience at wide receiver. With Kevin Curtis already out indefinitely after sports-hernia surgery, the Birds are down their top two from last season. Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett are decent complimentary options, but neither has ever been a No. 1. Head coach Andy Reid said he has some maneuverability.

"You've got Greg, you've got Hank and we even worked Jason [Avant] in there a little bit this past game," Reid said. "They can all play there."

Brown hasn't missed a game in his first three seasons and said the plan is to err on the side of caution.

Minaya is in the fourth season of five-year, $4 million deal.

With Mets brass focusing on a playoff push, any extension will wait, if it materializes at all in the next few months. A source familiar with the relationship between chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and Minaya said that even if the GM was working without a contract, which wouldn't be the case until after the 2009 season, he'd be secure.

Meanwhile, manager Jerry Manuel appears to be going a long way toward shedding his interim tag. But with Manuel signed through Oct. 31, no contracts talks will occur now.

In a change to the game that some compared to the introduction of the designated hitter in the American League in the 1970s and wild-card playoff teams last decade, baseball officials said umpire crew chiefs can signal for a timeout in cases when they need to review a play. The crew chief will then review the "most appropriate video footage" from "all possible [television] feeds," through Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLB.com) in New York to determine the proper ruling.

Reversing an on-field call will require "clear and convincing evidence," MLB officials said in a news release.

Selig said he expected replay to be used on only "a very limited basis," and contended that reviews might take less time than when umpires convene to discuss a disputed call without the benefit of replay.

A baseball official said 18 plays have occurred this season where replay would have been consulted.