Fast Break

NFL

Peterson named top NFL rookie

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson is impressed with the company he is keeping as the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“It’s a great honor to join a list with names like those,” Peterson said Wednesday when told that Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson and Billy Sims also won the award. “They are guys that I looked up to growing up. It’s a goal that I set before the year started, to win rookie of the year, so it feels great to accomplish that.”

Peterson, who set the league mark for rushing in a game with 296 yards in a 35-17 victory over San Diego, also had a 224-yarder in a win against Chicago. The key to Minnesota’s improvement to an 8-8 record this season, he led the NFC with 1,341 yards rushing, second only to San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson in the league. His 78 points on 13 touchdowns were second in the conference.

Peterson received 46 1/2 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas was the only other player receiving votes, 3 1/2 .

Arena Football

Shock re-sign DB Rogers

Defensive back Nygel Rogers has re-signed with the Spokane Shock for the 2008 season.

In his rookie year in arenafootball2 Rogers finished second on the team with eight interceptions (returned for 78 yards) and 17 pass break-ups and third in total tackles (69).

Rogers, from Appalachian State, is the eighth member of the 2007 Western Division Champions to re-sign with the team.

The Shock also signed linebacker Marcus Lawrence. Lawrence was a teammate of former Shock LB Jermaine Harris at the University of South Carolina.

Linebacker Lee Foliaki, who signed with the Shock in November, has signed a contract to join the AFL’s Columbus Destroyers for the 2008 season.

NHL

Outdoor hockey a big hit on TV

More people tuned in on New Year’s Day to see the NHL play outdoors than any other regular-season game in more than a decade.

The Penguins-Sabres game in snowy Buffalo – the first regular-season outdoor NHL game in the United States – drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share on NBC. Those were the best numbers since a six-game regional telecast on Fox drew a 3.0 overnight rating and a 7 share on Feb. 3, 1996.

Pittsburgh won 2-1 in a shootout on a Sidney Crosby’s score before a crowd of more than 71,000 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The big numbers, in the stands and on TV, came three years after the NHL lockout forced the cancellation of an entire season and after last season’s Stanley Cup finals on NBC drew record-low ratings.