In brief: Animal lovers want focus on dogs, not Vick
Football: Philadelphia Eagles tailgaters will be out in force long before Michael Vick takes the field on Thursday. So will animal advocates – on the other side of town.
Dog lovers are throwing a competing tailgate party for the 2nd Chance Dogs campaign – a pointed reference to Vick’s second chance in the NFL – to increase awareness of dogfighting and encourage adoption of rescued pit bulls.
The initiative, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was launched after the Eagles signed Vick, who served 18 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring.
“As a lot of people have pointed out, (Vick’s) animals never got a second chance,” SPCA chief executive Sue Cosby said. “We need to speak for them.”
Dogfighting is still very much a problem in Philadelphia, where authorities broke up another ring on Sunday after finding two dead pit bulls and several others injured during a house raid.
The Eagles appear to have made strides with animal rights groups by hosting a discussion before Vick’s first game.
•Lions sign free agents to bolster depth: The Detroit Lions have signed defensive end Orion Martin and kicker Billy Cundiff.
Martin was cut earlier this week by the Dolphins. The Lions will give the rookie from Virginia Tech a chance, perhaps as soon as Saturday in a preseason game against Indianapolis, because they desperately need pass-rushing help.
Cundiff, who will kick against the Colts in place of the injured Jason Hanson, played for Dallas from 2002-05 and was in five games with New Orleans in 2006.
Hanson (Mead High, WSU), one of six players in NFL history with 400 field goals, has said he’s on schedule to play in the opener at New Orleans.
Texas moves on at Little League WS
Baseball: San Antonio, Texas escaped with a win at the Little League World Series at South Williamsport, Pa. The Texans escaped three bases-loaded threats with double plays and John Shull had two RBIs in a 4-1 win over Staten Island, N.Y.
Texas next plays Saturday in the U.S. final against either Georgia or California, while New York was eliminated.
•Mexico advances past Japan: Reynosa, Mexico shut out Japan 6-0 to advance to the international final against either Taiwan or Curacao.
Raymundo Berrones and Raul Rojas combined Wednesday on a one-hitter, and Rojas’ two-run blast highlighted a five-run first inning of a win that eliminated Chiba City.
No resolution yet in Rubio case
Basketball: Minnesota Timberwolves president David Kahn disputed a Spanish report that point guard Ricky Rubio will be staying in Spain for another two years.
The Spanish Web site Marca.com reported that Regal Barcelona reached a buyout agreement with Rubio’s team, DKV Joventut for $5.3 million. The report said Rubio would sign a six-year deal with the team that included a buyout in 2011 that would allow him to come to the NBA.
Kahn later issued a statement saying no deal was reached.
•Former Wizards to return to China: Thirty years after the Washington Wizards became the first NBA team to visit China, veterans of the team plan a return trip next month to the country where basketball’s popularity is now soaring.
Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld, a star of the 1979 team then known as the Bullets, will be joined on the visit Sept. 5-15 by current Wizards players Caron Butler and Randy Foye, the team said. Joining them will be another former Bullet, 7-foot-7 Gheorghe Muresan of Romania.
The trip will include a series of clinics, and the visitors will travel to Beijing, Shanghai and parts of the Sichuan province that were devastated by last year’s massive earthquake.
Cauley, Jackson win U.S. Amateur matches
Miscellany: Bud Cauley made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole in a 3 and 1 victory over Rickie Fowler in the first round of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Tulsa, Okla.
Fifty-year-old medalist Tim Jackson beat John Kostis 5 and 4.
•Querrey wins U.S. Open Series championship: Hard- serving Sam Querrey won the U.S. Open Series championship by moving into the quarterfinals of the Pilot Pen tennis tournament with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Bjorn Phau of Germany at New Haven, Conn.
The title gives Querrey a chance to earn a bonus of between $15,000 and $1 million, depending on his Open finish.
•Team RadioShack to debut Down Under: Team RadioShack, Lance Armstrong’s new cycling team, will debut at the 2010 Tour Down Under in Australia, which runs Jan. 17-24.
Armstrong, who finished third in the Tour de France in July while racing for Team Astana, made the announcement on his Twitter page.