FOOTBALL

PATS’ BRUSCHI MIGHT NOT PLAY NEXT SEASON

New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi is considering sitting out next season for health reasons, the Boston Globe reported yesterday.

Bruschi’s recently hired agent, Brad Blank, told the newspaper that the Pro Bowler is contemplating whether he can play next season after being treated for a mild stroke last month. The 31-year-old Bruschi was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on February 16 and released a couple of days later. However, an Arizona television station reported that Bruschi was readmitted to the hospital so doctors could repair a hole in his heart.

Bruschi’s contract would be voided if he retires, but he could earn his full salary if the team elects to place him on its physically unable to perform list.

TEAMS REJECT NEW DOWN-BY-CONTACT RULE

A proposal to make down-by-contact plays reviewable by replay was rejected by NFL teams yesterday.

The proposed change was perhaps the most important in a package of rules changes approved by the league’s competition committee. It would have allowed the referee to use replay cameras to look at fumbles even though the whistle had blown, something that currently ends the play regardless of what the cameras might see. It did get 20 of 32 possible votes but not the 24 required to implement it for the one year it was being proposed.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BIG EAST APPROVES INSTANT REPLAY

The Big East will begin using instant replay in football this fall. The system will debut when West Virginia plays Syracuse on September 3 or 4, depending on ABC’s television plans.

The Big Ten became the first conference to allow replays in the 2004 season. The Mountain West, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, and Pacific-10 conferences also approved instant replays starting in the 2005 season. The system will feature several on-field cameras, TV cameras for multiple views of plays, and a technical adviser to quickly review questionable plays, Big East spokesman Jonathan Gust said yesterday.

The Big East football conference is composed of Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, and West Virginia.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

LSU’S AUGUSTUS LEADS AP ALL-AMERICANS

LSU’s Seimone Augustus leads the Associated Press women’s basketball All-America team. She was the only player picked for the first team by all 45 members of the national media panel that also votes in the weekly AP poll.

Augustus, a 6-foot-1 junior, received the maximum 225 points in the voting and was joined on the first team by Kansas State’s Kendra Wecker, Duke’s Monique Currie, Ohio State’s Jessica Davenport, and TCU’s Sandora Irvin.

Temeka Johnson, LSU’s feisty 5-foot-3 point guard, was a second-team pick. Also on the second team were Minnesota’s Janel McCarville, Stanford freshman Candice Wiggins, Mississippi State’s Tan White, and Baylor’s Sophia Young.

Third-team selections were Notre Dame’s Jacqueline Batteast, North Carolina’s Ivory Latta, Texas’s Tiffany Jackson, Baylor’s Steffanie Blackmon, DePaul’s Khara Smith, and Penn State’s Tanisha Wright.

SWIMMING

PHELPS ENTERS SEVEN EVENTS AT WORLD TRIALS

Olympic star Michael Phelps has entered seven events in the U.S. trials for the world swimming championships. The U.S. team will be selected April 1-6 at Indiana University. The world meet will be in Montreal on July 24-31.

Phelps has the top seed in three of the events at the trials, including the world-record 4 minutes, 8.26 seconds in the 400 individual medley he set last August. He’ll swim that event and the 400 freestyle on the first day of the U.S. trials.

Phelps also has the top time in the 200 freestyle, which will be contested April 2, and the 200 IM, scheduled for April 4. He set the world record of 1:55.94 in the 200 IM in 2003.

Phelps is seeded second in the 100 butterfly behind world record-holder Ian Crocker, for whom he gave up his spot on the 400 medley relay at the Athens Games last year, and in the 200 backstroke behind world record-holder Aaron Peirsol. He’s also seeded second behind American record-holder Jason Lezak in the 100 freestyle.

Natalie Coughlin, who won five medals in Athens, is entered in the women’s 100 backstroke, 100 and 200 freestyle, and 100 butterfly. She holds the world record in the 100 backstroke at 59.58 seconds. Amanda Beard, the world record holder in the 200 breaststroke, also is scheduled to compete.

BASEBALL

REDS SEND YANKEES TO ANOTHER SPRING LOSS

Joe Randa drove in four of Cincinnati’s runs as the Reds beat the Yankees 9-4 in spring- training action yesterday. David Parrish and Ruben Sierra hit two-run homers for New York.

The Yankees were missing Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, both of whom stayed back in Tampa for treatment. Jeter has a bruised left foot, and Williams has a sore back. Both are expected back in the lineup by next week.

BENSON LOOKS GOOD IN METS LOSS

Matt Morris gave up three hits and a run in three innings, and the St. Louis Cardinals ended the Mets’ unbeaten streak at 10 games with a 3-2 victory last night. Kris Benson pitched six strong innings for the Mets, who were 8-0-2 their previous 10 games. Benson allowed two runs – one earned – and five hits.

HOCKEY

FORSBERG TO SKIP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Seven-time NHL All-Star Peter Forsberg will skip the hockey world championships in Austria because of injuries. Forsberg played for his hometown club MoDo this season during the NHL lockout. He sat out the last part of the regular season with a broken wrist and then had a concussion in his return game in the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin has also said he will sit out the worlds, along with Vancouver’s Markus Naslund and Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom. The tournament will be in Innsbruck and Vienna on April 30-May 15.

– Associated Press