FOOTBALL

MRI ON MARTIN’S KNEE COMES BACK NEGATIVE

Jets running back Curtis Martin should be able to play this weekend against Jacksonville after an MRI on his strained right knee came back negative yesterday. Martin was injured in a 17-7 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Though he played the entire game, Martin woke up feeling sore Monday and went in for the MRI. The 32-year-old Martin, who won the NFL rushing title last season, hasn’t missed a game since 1998.

JAGUARS LOSE DARIUS FOR SEASON

Jaguars safety Donovin Darius will miss the rest of the season after tearing a knee ligament against Indianapolis. Darius tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Sunday during a punt return, and the team said yesterday he will have season-ending surgery. A first-round pick by the Jaguars in 1998, Darius has started 103 games and averaged 80 tackles over seven seasons. He had a career-high 87 tackles and five interceptions last year and holds franchise records with 798 tackles and 19 takeaways. His injury comes nearly two months after he signed a three-year contract extension, a deal he desperately sought while being designated the team’s franchise player for three consecutive years.

BOLLER LIKELY TO MISS AT LEAST ANOTHER MONTH

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller is likely to be out until the end of October with his injured right toe. Team officials said yesterday that Boller will not need surgery on the toe, but will need at least another three weeks to heal. The earliest he could return is October 16 against the Cleveland Browns.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

SUGAR BOWL TO BE PLAYED IN BATON ROUGE OR ATLANTA

The Sugar Bowl will be played in either Baton Rouge, La., or Atlanta after being forced out of the Superdome in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Sugar Bowl officials said yesterday they will know in about three weeks whether Louisiana has recovered sufficiently to keep the game in the state where it has been played every year since it was established in 1935.

Tiger Stadium on the LSU campus holds almost 92,000, but the city of Baton Rouge has insufficient hotel rooms and infrastructure to host an event that would attract thousands on January 2.That means New Orleans would need to be ready to house most of the fans, participants, and media going to the game.

Atlanta already has given Sugar Bowl officials the okay to use the Georgia Dome, which hosts the Southeastern Conference championship game in December.

– Associated Press