Burress out after two-year stay in prison

NFL: Clad nearly all in black – hooded sweat shirt, athletic shorts, sneakers – and a white T-shirt, the tall, lanky man walked alone through a gate in a chain-link fence topped by swirls of barbed wire.

Plaxico Burress looked around for something familiar, and his agent Drew Rosenhaus ran up and jumped into his arms as both men smiled broadly.

Freedom at last for Burress, the former New York Giants receiver. He was released from prison around 9 a.m. Monday after spending nearly two years behind bars on a gun charge in Rome, N.Y.

“I just want to thank God for bringing me through one of the most trying times in my life,” Burress said in a brief exchange with reporters outside Oneida Correctional Facility in central New York. “It’s a beautiful day. It’s a beautiful day to be reunited with my family. I want to go home and spend some quality time with them.”

Burress pleaded guilty in August 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was released about three months early for good behavior.

Burress will be on parole for two years. He has to get and keep a job, undergo substance abuse testing, obey any curfew established by his Florida parole officer, support his family and undergo any anger counseling or other conditions required by his parole officer.

Because he was a high-profile inmate, Burress was placed in a protective custody unit at the prison, which has 930 inmates, 20 in protective custody. While in prison, he completed an aggression management program and worked as a lawn and grounds laborer, according the state’s Department of Correctional Services.

The 6-foot-5 receiver had the world at his feet after catching a 13-yard pass from Eli Manning with 35 seconds to play to give the Giants a stunning 17-14 win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl.

His world fell apart nine months later when he walked into a Manhattan nightclub with a handgun tucked in the waistband of his pants. The weapon slipped down and discharged as Burress tried to grab it, injuring him in the thigh.

• NFL owners file motion: NFL owners are asking a federal court in Minnesota to dismiss the players’ antitrust lawsuit against the league.

Attorneys for the owners filed the motion in Minneapolis, the same day their response to the players’ lawsuit was due.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson has scheduled a hearing on the motion for Sept. 12, which is four days after the scheduled start of the NFL regular season.

The NFL and its players held settlement discussions in Chicago last week, but there is no sign that a new collective bargaining agreement is imminent.

Woods to stick with agent Steinberg

Golf: For all the upheaval in Tiger Woods’ life in recent months, a change of agents won’t be among them.

To no one’s surprise, Woods declared that he’ll continue his 12-year affiliation with Mark Steinberg, even though Steinberg no longer is employed by superagency IMG.

“Staying with Mark Steinberg,” Woods said via his Twitter outlet.

Woods became an IMG client upon turning professional in 1996, and Steinberg took over his account in 1999. Steinberg later rose to become head of IMG’s golf division, while continuing to manage the game’s biggest draw.

However, Steinberg and IMG parted ways as part of a May 24 shakeup when the two sides couldn’t agree on a contract renewal.

• Montgomerie could miss first British Open in 22 years: Colin Montgomerie could miss the British Open for the first time in 22 years after finishing last in a qualifying event on Monday.

The Scot has played in 21 straight British Opens since making his debut in 1990. He could still qualify for this year’s event by finishing in the top five at either the French or Scottish Opens, and there are also two spots available through a mini-money list on the European Tour which continues at this week’s Italian Open.

Nadal stays atop tennis rankings

Miscellany: Rafael Nadal’s record-tying sixth French Open title has helped him hold onto his No. 1 ranking, just ahead of No. 2 Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer stays at No. 3, followed by Andy Murray and Robin Soderling.

French Open champion Li Na moved three places to a career-best No. 4 in the WTA rankings.

The top three women remain the same: Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva.

• Belgian takes first stage in France: Jurgen Van den Broeck of Belgium held off a late charge from a small group of riders in the final climb to win the first stage of the Criterium du Dauphine at Saint-Pierre-De-Chartreuse, France, while Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan took the yellow jersey.

Van den Broeck, who finished fifth in last year’s Tour de France, completed the 89-mile stage in 3 hours, 36 minutes, 42 seconds.