Sports

In a move that was a long time coming, Brodie Croyle will start for the Kansas City Chiefs at quarterback in Sunday’s game against the Colts in Indianapolis. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday that Croyle, who came in for a shaken-up Damon Huard against Denver on Sunday, would start this week as the Chiefs try to snap a two-game losing streak and revive one of the NFL's weakest offenses. “You need a spark,’’ Edwards said. “We’ve been in some contests now where we haven’t had the ability to score points. That’s part of your job as a quarterback, to put points on the board and move the football team. We’ve moved at times but we’ve also been very ...

It’s been a rough week or so for the Indianapolis Colts. They’ve lost two games, can’t get WR Marvin Harrison back on the field and now have lost star DE Dwight Freeney for a month. Freeney, who has registered a franchise-record 60 sacks in six NFL seasons - including 3.5 this season - sustained a foot injury late in the Colts' loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night. “We anticipate that Dwight will miss some significant amount of time – three, four games, maybe more,” Colts president Polian said Monday night on his weekly radio show. To replace Freeney, the Colts claimed off waivers defensive end Simeon Rice, a player Colts coach Tony Dungy knows ...

Sherron Collins, No. 4 Kansas’ leading scorer this season with 16 points per game, underwent surgery Monday to correct a stress fracture in his left foot. The fracture was discovered after Collins sprained his left ankle in Sunday night’s victory over Missouri-Kansas City. Kansas coach Bill Self expects Collins, a sophomore point guard, to be back in about six weeks — just in time for the Big 12 schedule. Kansas is next in action Thursday against Washburn (go to inspin.com for game odds).“It’s still going to be a standout year for him,” Self said. “It is a setback, but a lot of people have setbacks. He should be 100 percent when it counts the most.” For the ...

An older lady recently overheard me discussing wagering strategy and politely inquired: "I wonder if you could answer a question for me - what's the difference between a Pick 3 and a trifecta?" "Do you go to the races often?" I asked. "Only for the big ones," she replied, touching the brim of her hat. So I explained: In order to cash a Pick 3 ticket you must have the winner in each leg while in order to win a trifecta your horses must finish 1-2-3 in the same race. Then I got to thinking - there are quite a few people who don't know about all the exotic wagers that have been introduced since ...

Minnesota rookie running back Adrian Peterson, who was hurt in Sunday’s loss against the Packers, has a torn ligament in his right knee and will not play this Sunday, coach Brad Childress said. Childress said that on a scale of 1 to 3, Peterson's tear is a 2-plus. "He's got a tear there," Childress said. "The knee is otherwise stable." "The good news is that the knee is otherwise stable and the injury is isolated to that ligament," Childress said. "I'm told that's a good healing ligament." Childress said this is not a season-ending injury and wouldn't require surgery, but he did not talk about when Peterson might be back other than saying he won’t play Sunday ...

Normally it's not a big deal when a highly ranked tennis player drops a match. It's normal, as no one is unbeatable. Well, no one other than Roger Federer.That's why the top-ranked Federer's loss to No. 7 Fernando Gonzalez 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 Monday at the Masters Cup is a tad worrisome: It was the Swiss star's first time losing consecutive matches in 4 1/2 years. The defending Masters Cup champion lost for the first time in 11 meetings against Gonzalez, and it snapped Federer's 15-0 record in round-robin play at the season-ending tournament, which features the top eight men's singles players and doubles pairs. "It was a tough loss," Federer said. "I thought I played pretty good. I wish I ...

The Detroit Tigers missed the playoffs this season, a year removed from going to the World Series. Well, they aren’t standing pat in trying to get back there. Earlier this offseason, Detroit made a splash in getting shortstop Edgar Renteria from the Braves, and now Detroit is filling a hole in the outfield by getting Jacque Jones from the Chicago Cubs for infielder/outfielder Omar Infante. Jones, who is due to make $5.5 million in 2008, would play left field for the Tigers, although he could platoon some and can play every outfield position. Jones, a left-handed hitter, batted .285 with five home runs and 66 RBIs in 135 games this past season. He will be a ...

Wyoming coach Joe Glenn didn't like that Utah tried an onside kick with a 43-point lead in Saturday’s loss, and he let Utes coach Kyle Whittingham know by giving him the finger. Mountain West Conference officials planned Monday to review tape of the game in Salt Lake City. The nationally televised incident could prompt the conference to publicly reprimand Glenn. "Usually on Monday morning is when we get into the office and review anything that happened over the weekend," league spokesman Javan Hedlund said. Glenn had guaranteed a win over Utah; he was only slightly wrong - the final score was 50-0. According to the conference handbook, obscene gestures or language are subject to at least ...

Entering Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs had given up the most goals in the NHL, and that cause won't be helped with the news that one of the team's top defensemen, Pavel Kubina, will be out indefinitely with a medial collateral ligament injury to his right knee. OnKubina was injured during Toronto's 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night. The 30-year-old is in his second season with the Maple Leafs. He had one goal and 11 points in 18 games this season.Kubina missed significant time last season after suffering a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.Non-hockey fans may know Kubina as the former boyfriend of tennis star Martina Hingis.Bet on the NHL at WagerWeb.com

While the Florida Marlins have made no secret in their intention to unload star third baseman Miguel Cabrera, apparently they want to keep pitcher Dontrelle Willis.With Josh Johnson (elbow surgery) out possibly until 2009 and Anibal Sanchez (shoulder surgery) uncertain for opening day, the Marlins are leaning toward having Willis once again anchor their rotation, according to the Palm Beach Post.That could change if Florida is blown away by a trade offer. But most of the organization's top pitching prospects aren't ready yet, and Willis is one of the most durable starters to pitch for the franchise."It's definitely a concern,'' Marlins Baseball Operations President Larry Beinfest said of the team's pitching.It's always harder to acquire a top pitcher than a ...