In brief: Hasselbeck progressing ahead of schedule
Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will participate in the Seahawks’ first minicamp early next month, eliminating initial fears that he might not return from surgery on his non-throwing shoulder until summer.
“The St. Louis Rams acquired Dante Hall from Kansas City in exchange for a fifth-round pick in this weekend’s draft.
“Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones’ May 14 trial in Fayette, Ga., on a felony charge of obstruction has been delayed.
“BCS officials concluded three days of meetings in New Orleans with no major changes being made to the system used to crown a college football champion.
“Oregon State has extended coach Mike Riley’s contract through the 2012 season.
Basketball
Bruins stay put
UCLA starters Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute said they will return for their junior years rather than enter the NBA draft.
“Georgia Tech freshman point guard Javaris Crittenton will enter the NBA draft.
“Clemson forward James Mays made himself eligible for the NBA draft but did not hire an agent.
“Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer signed a seven-year deal worth $450,000 in base pay and could earn up to $500,000 in additional compensation.
Auto racing
Stewart rants
Two-time champion Tony Stewart likened NASCAR to pro wrestling and accused it of using bogus caution flags to shape races in comments made on his weekly radio show.
“It’s like playing God,” he said on his Sirius Satellite Radio program. “They can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it. It’s happened too many times this year.”
“Juan Pablo Montoya was fined $10,000 by NASCAR for making an obscene gesture on live TV last week.
“A lawyer for Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. entered a not guilty plea on Unser’s behalf in Henderson, Nev., to charges including driving under the influence in a January crash.
Miscellany
U.S. wins warmup
Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists to help the United States beat Sweden 5-3 in a warmup for the world hockey championships in Stockholm, Sweden.
“It took more than a year to punish anyone in the doping scandal that shook the Turin Winter Olympics. When the verdicts came down, the penalties were unprecedented.
From Beijing, six Austrian cross-country skiers and biathletes received lifetime bans from the Olympics for involvement in an organized blood-doping scheme.
“ Alan Ball, the youngest member of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup, after trying to put out a fire in his London garden. He was 61.