FOOTBALL

PENNINGTON AGREES TO SEVEN-YEAR DEAL WITH JETS

Chad Pennington agreed to a $64 million, seven-year contract extension with the Jets yesterday that includes $23 million in guaranteed money.

A source familiar with the negotiations, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Pennington will average $9.172 million a year. The quarterback, entering his fifth season, also receives the second-largest amount of up-front money, behind only Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, who got a $34.5 million signing bonus earlier this year. The total value of Pennington’s deal is $64.197 million.

JETS RE-SIGN HENDERSON DESPITE INJURIES

Defensive back Jamie Henderson was re-signed by the Jets yesterday despite being seriously injured in an April motorcycle accident that will keep him out the entire season.

The Jets said they hope Henderson, who is on the reserve-non-football injury list, will be able to participate in the 2005 off-season workout program.

BASKETBALL

MOURNING TO ATTEMPT COMEBACK WITH NETS

Seven time All-Star Alonzo Mourning will attempt a comeback with the Nets this season, less than a year after a kidney transplant.

The center, who had signed with the Nets before last season, played only 12 games before retiring November 24 because of complications from a kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. He was diagnosed before the 2000-01 season, when he was with the Miami Heat.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS, affects the kidney filters that remove toxins from the blood. In the weeks before Mourning’s retirement, tests showed that his kidney function had deteriorated and that the chemical imbalances in his blood made it dangerous for him to play. Mourning received a kidney from a cousin on December 19.

At a Nets game in March, Mourning said that returning to the NBA had never crossed his mind. He averaged 20.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.98 blocks in 634 NBA games over 12 years, with Charlotte, Miami, and New Jersey.

MILES SIGNS DEAL WITH PORTLAND

Restricted free agent Darius Miles signed a six-year, $48 million contract with the Trail Blazers, who hope the 6-foot-9 forward will realize the potential that made the Los Angeles Clippers take him with the third overall pick in the 2000 draft.

Miles was acquired by Portland last season in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Blazers, Miles averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and two assists a game in 42 games.

HOCKEY

SWEDEN, CANADA WIN AT WORLD CUP

Peter Forsberg, Mattias Ohlund, and Henrik Zetterberg each scored power play goals for Sweden, which nearly blew a four-goal, third-period lead before holding on for a 4-3 win over the Czech Republic in the World Cup of Hockey yesterday.

The victory clinched home-ice advantage for Sweden in the quarterfinals. Sweden is 2-0 in the four-team European pool going into Saturday’s round-robin finale against archrival Finland, which shut out the Czechs 4-0 Monday.

Also yesterday, Ryan Smyth scored two goals to lead Canada to a 5-1 victory over Slovakia. Canada, which beat the United States 2-1 on Tuesday night, improved to 2-0 in the tournament and is now guaranteed a home game for the quarterfinals next Wednesday in Toronto.

Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning had a goal and an assist while Boston center Joe Thornton and Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne also scored for Canada.

Finland plays Germany in Cologne today. The Czechs close out the round-robin portion tomorrow at home in Prague against Germany. The U.S. plays Russia tonight.

BASEBALL

ANAHEIM ACTIVATES GALARRAGA

The Anaheim Angels purchased the contract of 43-year-old Andres Galarraga from Triple-A Salt Lake of the Pacific Coast League yesterday. They had signed him to a minor league contract on August 4.

Galarraga appeared in 25 games with the Stingers, batting .304 with four homers and 19 RBI. He was diagnosed with a recurrence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last November, which caused him to miss the entire 1999 season. He underwent surgery in November and had a stem cell transplant in February.

Galarraga has a career average of .288 with 398 homers and 1,423 RBI in 2,250 games.