Newsmakers

Wed., Sept. 28, 2011

Operated Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird underwent surgery to repair the labrum in her right hip. Bird should be able to return to playing by mid-December or soon after.

Selected U.S. captain Fred Couples used his two wild-card picks for the Presidents Cup team on Tiger Woods and Bill Haas, who won the Tour Championship on Sunday for his first win of the year. The Presidents Cup, matching the U.S. against a world team (excluding Europe), is Nov. 17-20 in Australia.

Suspended Anaheim forward Jean-Francois Jacques will miss the rest of the preseason and the Ducks’ first five regular-season games after being suspended by the NHL for leaving the bench on a legal line change to start a fight with Vancouver’s Mike Duco.

Also, Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers escaped punishment by the NHL because the league doesn’t have conclusive evidence he directed a homophobic slur at the Rangers’ Sean Avery during a game Monday night.

Released The Houston Texans released running back Steve Slaton, the NFL’s top rookie rusher in 2008, and signed Chris Ogbonnaya from the practice squad.

Fined Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves called IndyCar race director Brian Barnhart a “circus clown” during a Twitter rant last week and that cost him a $30,000 fine.

Freed A judge in Atlanta took the rare step of allowing former NBA player Javaris Crittenton, charged with murder in an Aug. 19 drive-by shooting, to go free on $230,000 bond after hearing friends and coaches testify that he was too focused on making a comeback to squander his future on a revenge killing.

Not charged Authorities in the Dominican Republic say Florida Marlins closer Leo Nunez will not face charges for using false documents to sign a professional baseball contract. A person familiar with Nunez’s immigration status told the Associated Press last week that his real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and that he is 29, a year older than listed in the team media guide.

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Newsmakers

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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