FOOTBALL

REPORT: EDWARDS AGREES TO CONTRACT WITH CHIEFS

The Kansas City Chiefs’ courtship of Herman Edwards has reportedly resulted in a four-year, 12-million-dollar deal with the erstwhile Jets coach. According toESPN.com, Edwards and the Chiefs have agreed to terms on a deal that will give the 51-year-old coach a raise over the $2 million a year he was making with the Jets.

The path to the deal was cleared on Friday, when the league approved a compensation agreement reached between Kansas City and the Jets, giving the Chiefs the right to hire Edwards even though he had two years left on his New York contract. The Jets received a fourth-round pick from the Chiefs in the 2006 draft.

Edwards coached the Jets for the last five seasons, guiding them to the playoffs three times. He worked in several different capacities with Kansas City from 1990-95 and maintained a close friendship with general manager Carl Peterson.

HOCKEY

RANGERS TRADE KONDRATIEV FOR SYKORA The Rangers obtained forward Petr Sykora and a 2007 fourth-round draft choice from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for defenseman Maxim Kondratiev yesterday. The 29-year-old Sykora has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last six NHL seasons. He had seven goals and 13 assists in 34 games for Anaheim this season.

The move adds yet another Czech native to the Rangers, who already have Olympic forwards Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, and rookie Petr Prucha. Sykora will be eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1 after earning $3.1 million this season.

Sykora spent his first seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils and was a member of their Stanley Cup-championship team in 2000. He has 209 goals and 481 points in 642 NHL games. The 22-year-old Kondratiev has a goal and two assists in 29 games with the Rangers this season. He was sent down to Hartford of the AHL last Monday for the second time. He was acquired from Toronto in March 2004 as part of the deal that sent defenseman Brian Leetch to the Maple Leafs.

The Rangers also announced that center Blair Betts will miss six to eight weeks because of a sprained left knee. Betts was injured less than three minutes into Saturday’s 4-0 home victory over the Florida Panthers. An MRI taken yesterday revealed a sprain of the medial collateral ligament.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WEST VIRGINIA ENDS VILLANOVA’S UNBEATEN RUN Joe Herber scored 23 points and Kevin Pittsnogle had 22, leading no. 24 West Virginia to a 91-87 upset over no. 3 Villanova yesterday. Mike Gansey added 21 points as the Mountaineers (10-3, 2-0 Big East) beat their second top-10 opponent this season. Randy Foye had 24 points and Mike Nardi scored 23 for Villanova (10-1, 1-1).

GEORGETOWN TOPS ST. JOHN’S Darrel Owens scored 24 points to lead Georgetown to its seventh straight victory, 79-65 over St. John’s last night at Madison Square Garden.

– Associated Press