Owners say nay to playoffs reseeding

The NFL’s competition committee withdrew a proposal Wednesday in Palm Beach, Fla., to reseed teams during the playoffs.

The owners did pass several resolutions, including eliminating the forceout on receptions and making field goals and extra points subject to replay review to determine whether the ball passes over the crossbar and through the uprights. The 5-yard penalty for incidental contact with a facemask has been eliminated, with the 15-yarder remaining for any grasping or twisting of the facemask.

•Tight end L.J. Smith signed the one-year contract offered by the Philadelphia Eagles when they placed the franchise tag on him two months ago. Smith will make $4.5 million.

•Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has been accused of punching an 18-year-old in the face and breaking a car window with a beer bottle.

■Ray Smith Poole, a former New York Giants All-Pro receiver from 1947-52, died of cancer in Jackson, Miss. He was 86.

Basketball

Larranaga stays put

Jim Larranaga, who took George Mason to the men’s Final Four two years ago, signed a three-year extension to remain coach of the Patriots, turning down an offer by Providence College.

•Kent State hired assistant coach Geno Ford to be its new head men’s coach.

•Former Marquette coach Tom Crean was introduced as the new men’s coach at Indiana. Crean’s contract is for eight years, with an average salary of more than $2 million.

•Nebraska men’s coach Doc Sadler received a two-year contract extension after leading the Cornhuskers to their first 20-win season in nine years.

•Portland State players Jeremiah Dominguez and Scott Morrison were freed from a Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, jail after the person they were accused of badly beating didn’t press charges.

•Tennessee’s Candace Parker, Connecticut’s Maya Moore, Stanford’s Candice Wiggins, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris and LSU’s Sylvia Fowles are the five finalists for the women’s John R. Wooden Award. The winner will be announced April 11.

•Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said she has little doubt that Parker, who separated her left shoulder in the first half of Tuesday’s victory over Texas A&M, would be able to play in Sunday’s NCAA semifinal against LSU in Tampa, Fla.

Miscellany

Tancock sets record

Liam Tancock set a world record in the 50-meter backstroke with a time of 24.47 seconds at the British swimming championships in Sheffield, England. Germany’s Thomas Rupprath set the previous record of 24.80 in 2003.

•Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe was hired to oversee player development for the U.S. Tennis Association.

•Max Mosley, the president of auto racing’s governing body, will miss Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix because of legal issues stemming from his involvement in a sex scandal. Mosley, 67, has said he will take legal action against a British tabloid that accused him of engaging in sexual acts with five prostitutes in a scenario that involved Nazi role-playing.