AP Sports

Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old left-hander combined to go 3-0 with a 3.36 ERA last season in a career-high 75 relief appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cubs. "I pretty much let everyone know before I left there that I wanted to come back. It's a good situation for me and my family," said Grabow, who said he has a house in Arizona where the Cubs conduct spring training. Staying in the NL Central and being with a ... Read Full Story

The NFL Players Association wants the league to remove the co-chairman of the league's committee on concussions because the union believes he is biased. Dr. Ira Casson has criticized independent and league-sponsored studies linking NFL careers with heightened risk for dementia and cognitive decline, saying more research is needed. "We've expressed some serious concern about his ability to continue in his role," NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah said in a telephone interview Friday, "because of the historic comments that he's made with respect to discrediting independent research on the subject of concussions and the long-term impact of football on players." The NFLPA's stance ... Read Full Story

Alabama's Rolando McClain, Florida's Brandon Spikes and Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon are once again finalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. South Carolina's Eric Norwood and Texas' Sergia Kindle also are finalists. McClain, Spikes and Weatherspoon were finalists in 2008, when Wake Forest star Aaron Curry took home the award. Three of this year's finalists are from the Southeastern Conference, and two are from the Big 12. The winner will be announced on or before Dec. 8. The Butkus Award is selected by a 51-person panel comprised mostly of scouts, coaches and journalists. The award is named after Dick Butkus, ... Read Full Story

Federal attorneys want a judge to declare that Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Mel Blount owes more than $631,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties. The Internal Revenue Service filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh in September giving Blount 60 days to respond. Blount hasn't filed a response to the lawsuit, and the U.S. attorney's office in Pittsburgh on Thursday asked a judge to rule against him. The IRS complaint says Blount owes the money for the years 1994 to 2006. Court records don't list an attorney for Blount and he has not responded to requests for comment left at a ... Read Full Story

Daman Starring scored 27 points and David Perez added 21 in Centenary's 95-76 win over Texas College on Thursday night. Starring put the Gentlemen (2-1) ahead 20-11 on back-to-back jump shots and two free throws as they won for the fifth-straight time against the Steers (3-2). Texas College would pull within 29-21 with 5 minutes left in the half, but Centenary went on a 6-0 run, featuring four points by Starring, for a 19-point lead. Roman Tubner added 18 points, including making 10 of 12 from the free-throw line, and Maxx Nakwaasah added 12 points for the Gentlemen. Centenary shot 52.9 percent in the ... Read Full Story

Kayla Pedersen had 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and No. 2 Stanford extended its winning streak at Maples Pavilion to 30 games with a 99-50 rout of Pepperdine in its home opener Thursday night. All-American Jayne Appel added 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists. She also blocked three shots as the Cardinal (3-0) overcame a slow start to quickly break the game open. Jeanette Pohlen scored five straight points during a 31-3 first-half run and finished with 20 as one of five Cardinal players to score in double figures. Pohlen also had three steals and three assists. Miranda Ayim scored 14 ... Read Full Story

Dominique Archie scored 17 points to lead a balanced scoring effort for South Carolina as the Gamecocks cruised past La Salle 78-68 in the first round of the Charleston Classic on Thursday night. Leading by two at the half, South Carolina (3-0) started the second half with a 13-4 run and built a 17-point lead with 11:50 to play. La Salle (1-0) never made a serious run, and the Gamecocks coasted home for the victory. The Gamecocks had four players finish in double figures, including Brandis Raley-Ross with 16, Mike Holmes with 15 and Devan Downey with 10. Rodney Green led La Salle with ... Read Full Story

Tashan Newsome scored 11 points and had seven steals in Mississippi Valley State's 102-56 win over Champion Baptist on Thursday night. The Delta Devils (1-2) had six players in double figures as Julius Cheeks and D'Angelo Jackson scored 13 points each, Cor-J Cox chipped in 11 and Jason Holmes and Shannon Behling added 10 each. MVSU jumped out to an 11-3 lead on a layup by Cheeks with 16:42 left in the first half, and led 60-32 at halftime. The Delta Devils shot 59.5 percent in the first half, despite shooting 26.7 percent from 3-point range (4 of 15). The Delta Devils led by ... Read Full Story

Ariece Perkis had 17 points and seven steals to lead Grambling State to a 75-61 victory over Paul Quinn College on Thursday night. The first half was tied three times before Grambling (1-1) pulled ahead 24-23 on a Donald Qualls free throw with 4:03 left. Grambling then outscored Paul Quinn 9-1 the rest of the half. Paul Quinn (2-4) was hampered by 27 turnovers, 15 in the first half. The NAIA school pulled within 52-47 with 10:55 left, but Grambling countered with an 8-0 run. When Paul Quinn threatened again, trailing by seven with 4:41 left, Lance Fuertado hit two straight jumpers for Grambling ... Read Full Story

Kevin Murphy led five players in double figures with 24 points and Tennessee Tech held off Lipscomb 92-89 on Thursday night. Frank Davis scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half for the Golden Eagles (2-1), including two free throws with 7 seconds remaining to provide the final margin. The Bisons (0-3) could not get closer than four points in the final minutes until Brian Wright hit a 3-pointer with 9 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 90-89. The Golden Eagles lead the series 39-3 and have not lost to Lipscomb since 1956. Alfred Jones added 16 points, Elijah Muhammad scored ... Read Full Story