Newsmakers

Suspended The NBA has suspended Denver’s J.R. Smith and Phoenix’s Jason Richardson after both were recently convicted of driving offenses. Smith will sit out the Nuggets’ first seven games for reckless driving in New Jersey. Richardson will miss two games for drunken driving in Arizona.

•Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, openly unhappy with the Denver Broncos, was suspended by the team for the rest of the preseason for what coach Josh McDaniels called “detrimental” conduct. McDaniels did not single out a specific episode but said the suspension resulted from a series of incidents.

Sued A former president of Madison Square Garden has sued New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, saying Steinbrenner reneged on a promise to make him a major part of the Yankees-operated television network after he suggested creating it more than a decade ago. Robert Gutkowski accused the principal owner of the Yankees of breach of contract, fraud and unjust enrichment. He asked for at least $43 million in damages.

Deal The Pacific-10 Conference reached a four-year deal with the Alamo Bowl that will match the league’s No. 2 football team against a Big 12 opponent. “We view it as a significant enhancement to the conference bowl lineup,” first-year Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement.

Moves The San Jose Sharks traded veteran defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich to the Vancouver Canucks for two prospects. Vancouver also signed 40-year-old free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a one-year contract.

Released IndyCar driver Will Power has been released from the hospital and returned home to Indianapolis after multiple injuries during a crash in Sonoma, Calif. last Saturday. Power fractured two vertebrae and suffered a concussion in his crash with Nelson Philippe during a practice session.

Launched The Seattle Sounders have launched a new Spanish-language Web site to reach their growing Latino fan base. Traffic to the team site has increased from Central and South America since the team signed players like Colombians Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy, and Costa Rican Leo Gonzalez.