FOOTBALL

Tomlinson Breaks Alexander’s NFL Touchdowns Record

LaDainian Tomlinson broke Shaun Alexander’s NFL single-season touchdown record of 28 when he scored three times yesterday in the San Diego Chargers’ victory over the Denver Broncos.

With the fans chanting for Tomlinson, the star running back took a handoff from Philip Rivers and scored on a 6-yard run with 3:57 left to tie the mark. After Denver fumbled, Tomlinson got no. 29 on a 7-yard run just 47 seconds later.

Tomlinson’s teammates carried him to the sideline as he held the ball aloft in one hand. With the other hand, he held up his index finer. The crowd was chanting “L.T., L.T.,” as he was mobbed by the other Chargers, who clinched the AFC West title with the 48–20 win.

“Once I got over the pylon, my initial thought process was to bring every guy on the offensive unit over to share that moment,” Tomlinson said. “When we’re old and can’t play this game anymore, them are the moments we are going to remember, that we’ll be able to tell our kids, tell our grandchildren. We can talk about something special that we did. We made history today.”

BASEBALL

Worried for His Health, Mets Stop Reyes’s Winter Ball Bid

The Mets prohibited Jose Reyes from playing winter ball, not wanting to take any chances with the health of their star shortstop.

The 23-year-old Dominican had expressed interest in playing in the winter league for the Cibao Gigantes.

“Reyes is an important part of our team,”the Mets’ general manager, Omar Minaya, told Channel 37 in the Dominican Republic. “That’s why the Mets organization decided that he will not play.”

Reyes batted .300 with 19 home runs, 81 RBI and 68 stolen bases in 153 games last season. He also won the Silver Slugger award, given to the top offensive performer at each position.

“We want him to keep healthy for the next season,” Minaya, who is visiting the Caribbean nation, said.

HOCKEY

Bob Gainey’s Daughter Swept Off Ship

The daughter of hockey Hall of Famer Bob Gainey was swept off a Nova Scotia ship during an Atlantic storm, and Canadian and American rescuers are looking for her in an extensive ocean search.

Laura Gainey, a 25-year-old crew member whose father is the Montreal Canadiens’ general manager, was washed off the covered deck of a Caribbean-bound vessel by a large wave Friday night.

— Associated Press