In brief: Tony Gwynn says he has cancer

Baseball: Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn says he has cancer in a salivary gland.

He told The San Diego Union-Tribune the cancer was discovered last month and he faces seven to eight weeks of treatment – radiation five times a week and chemotherapy once a week.

“The doctors have told me they feel they caught the cancer early and there was not much of it there,” he said in a story published Saturday.

The parotid cancer was diagnosed after the former Padres star had a third round of surgery since 1997 to remove a tumor on the parotid gland. The previous procedures found no malignancies.

Gwynn is San Diego State’s baseball coach, and the school confirmed Gwynn’s condition to The Associated Press. Gwynn plans to return to his alma mater, which he has coached since 2003.

Associated Press

It’s comeback week in the NFL

Football: Writes Ron Green Jr. of the Charlotte Observer:

The theme in Week Five is coming back.

Ben Roethlisberger is coming back to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week after serving his bad behavior/public humiliation penalty from NFL commissioner/middle linebacker Roger Goodell.

Santonio Holmes returns to the New York Jets after being suspended for four games for violating the league’s “Don’t Do That” policy.

And, you may have noticed, the Chicago Bears’ Julius Peppers returns to Charlotte for the most eagerly anticipated game a winless team can play the fifth week of the season.

There will be plenty of discussion about what kind of reception Peppers will receive upon being introduced.

Some people will boo him. Some people will cheer him. Some will be in line to get a beer. I’ll take option No. 3.

More NFL, C11