SOCCER

FIORENTINA AND LAZIO WIN APPEALS, JUVENTUS PENALTY CUT A sports court allowed Fiorentina and Lazio to rejoin Italy’s top soccer division and reduced the points penalty against Juventus in Serie B after successful appeals yesterday in a match-fixing scandal. Juventus’s penalty was cut from 30 points to 17. Fiorentina will have 19 points docked next season, while Lazio will be deducted 11.The court also cut AC Milan’s points penalty in Serie A from 15 to 8.

BASEBALL

REYNOLDS OUT AS ESPN ANALYST Harold Reynolds is out at ESPN, reportedly fired from his job as a baseball analyst. Reynolds, a member of the “Baseball Tonight” team for 11 years, made his last appearance on the show Sunday night, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said yesterday. The network refused to comment on a report that said Reynolds was dismissed, or to provide any details regarding his departure. “All I can say is he is no longer working here,” Krulewitz said.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

TEXAS RUNNING BACK TO TRANSFER Texas running back Ramonce Taylor, who has struggled with academic and legal problems, said yesterday he will transfer. Taylor scored a touchdown in Texas’ win over Southern California in the national championship game. But he missed spring practice because of academic problems and in May was arrested on a marijuana possession charge.

HOCKEY

BELFOUR SIGNS ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH PANTHERS Ed Belfour, whose 457 victories rank second on the NHL list, signed a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers yesterday and likely will be the backup goalie to newly acquired Alex Auld. The 41-year-old Belfour spent the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and went 22–22 with a 3.29 goals against average during the 2005–06 campaign.

PENGUINS SIGN RECCHI FOR THIRD TIME Mark Recchi returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the third time in his career. Recchi played 63 games for the Penguins last season, scoring 24 goals and 33 assists, before he was traded to the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. He became a free agent when the Hurricanes opted not to pick up a one-year option on his contract for $2.28 million, and signed with the Penguins for that amount yesterday.

– Associated Press