Tagged The New Orleans Saints placed the franchise tag on Drew Brees – giving them exclusive negotiating rights with their Pro Bowl quarterback for the next year. Brees has been involved in lengthy contract talks with the Saints and, without the tag, could have negotiated with other teams as a free agent.

Returned Rookie guard Kyrie Irving was in the starting lineup for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game at Washington a day after he rested with an illness. Irving missed Friday’s game against Chicago. Cleveland coach Byron Scott says Irving caught “a bug” during the All-Star weekend in Orlando and needed a day to recover, but the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft says he is fine now.

• Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche returned against the Cavaliers after missing more than a month with a strained left calf. Blatche is not in the Wizards’ starting lineup for Saturday’s game, but coach Randy Wittman says he will play.

Hospitalized St. Louis coach Rick Majerus was hospitalized overnight for precautionary reasons after he missed the Billikens’ 75-60 win over Duquesne earlier.The school said the 64-year-old Majerus took the wrong medication after his routine morning swim.

Injured Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask left Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders with an injury in the second period. Rask, attempting to kick out his left pad on a shot midway into the second period, went down to the ice in pain.

Declined West Ham declined its option to purchase George John and is returning the defender to the Major League Soccer team. John signed with West Ham on Jan. 13 on a two-month loan, and the League Championship team had an option to buy.

Approved Goal-line technology could be introduced in soccer by the end of the year after two systems were approved for a final round of testing ahead of a vote in July. The International Football Association Board chose Hawk-Eye and GoalRef to help provide fast and accurate rulings on disputed goals. English Football Association general secretary Alex Horne said the two high-tech aids will be “tested to destruction.”

Sold The shirt off Paul Henderson’s back that sold for more than $1.2 million has made Guinness World Records. A Montreal auction house says it received a certificate from Guinness about the jersey Henderson wore when he scored the winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets. Classic Auctions says it was informed that Guinness has classified it as the most expensive hockey jersey sold at auction.