FOOTBALL

BILLS RELEASE BLEDSOE, TURN TO LOSMAN

The Buffalo Bills said yesterday they will release Drew Bledsoe, cutting loose a quarterback unwilling to give up his starting job despite sagging numbers. The Bills, who finished 9-7 in 2004, will waive the 12-year veteran on February 22, the first day NFL teams are allowed to officially release players, head coach Mike Mularkey said.

The Bills will hand the offense to quarterback J.P. Losman, Buffalo’s second of two first-round draft picks last year. Team President Tom Donohoe said the Bills talked to some teams about a trade for Bledsoe, but “at this particular time, there was not enough interest” in a swap.Bledsoe,33,reportedly informed the team he’d rather be released and find a starting job elsewhere than become a backup. He had two years left on a contract he restructured a year ago, scheduled to pay him $4.3 million next season, including a $1.05 million bonus due next month.

GIANTS HIRE NEW LINEBACKERS COACH

The Giants hired Michigan assistant coach Bill Sheridan as their new linebackers coach. Sheridan replaces Bill Davis, who left the Giants after one season to become the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Sheridan, who is entering his 25th year of coaching, spent the last three seasons at Michigan. He was hired as a linebackers coach and switched to the defensive line the last two years. The 46-year-old began his career at Shrine High School in Royal Oak, Mich., from 1981-84, and has also coached at Maine, Cincinnati, Army, Michigan State, and Notre Dame.

BRUSCHI HOSPITALIZED WITH HEADACHES

New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston yesterday after complaining of headaches. Bruschi was to spend the night at the hospital and more tests were scheduled for today, a team spokesman said.

“He is in good condition and will be held for further evaluations,” the team said in a statement. “The Bruschi family appreciates everyone’s concern, but requests that you respect their privacy at this time.”

SEAHWAKS SIGN JONES TO SEVEN-YEAR DEAL

All-Pro offensive tackle Walter Jones may have brought some stability to the Seattle Seahawks’ turbulent off-season by signing a seven-year deal yesterday. The team still lacks a president and has a number of key unsigned free agents, but Jones’s contract, worth more than $50 million, keeps a potential marquee free agent off the market.

CYCLING

ARMSTRONG WILL ATTEMPT SEVENTH TOUR TITLE

Lance Armstrong will be back in the saddle at this year’s Tour de France, chasing title no.7. The Tour’s only six-time winner finally put an end to questions about his plans for 2005, announcing yesterday on his Discovery Channel team’s Web site that he’ll try to extend his record streak of consecutive victories in cycling’s most prestigious event.

The team Web site said Armstrong will start his 2005 season with the Paris-Nice stage race in March. He will then compete in the Tour of Flanders on April 3 before returning to defend his title at the Tour de Georgia later that month. The Texan will be nearly 34 when the Tour begins July 2.This year’s Tour de France route passes through Germany and features 21 stages over 2,222 miles from July 2-24.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BOSTON COLLEGE SURVIVES SCARE FROM RUTGERS

Sean Marshall scored 22 points and Jared Dudley had 14 points and 12 rebounds each as no. 6 Boston College escaped a mid-game scare to beat Rutgers 74-64 last night. Boston College (21-1, 10-1 Big East) led the entire game until Rutgers scored 11 of 15 points early in the second half and took its only lead on Ricky Shields’s 3-pointer with 12:19 left. But Dudley answered with a 3-pointer that made it 46-44 and Craig Smith scored 11 of BC’s next 15 points to help put the game away.

N.C. STATE BLOWS OUT MARYLAND

Ilian Evtimov and Tony Bethel each scored 17 points last night to lift North Carolina State to an 82-63 victory over no. 22 Mary land. Julius Hodge added 13 points and nine assists for the Wolfpack (15-10, 5-7 Atlantic Coast Conference), who led by 20 points in the first half. The win gives N.C. State its first regular-season sweep of the Terrapins (15-8, 6-6) since the 1988-89 season. Maryland was coming off a 99-92 overtime win against No. 7 Duke, giving the Terps their first sweep of the Blue Devils in a decade.

– Associated Press