Jose Reyes Begins Running In Recovery From Sprained Ankle

Posted today at 5:14pm

Tony Firriolo/ MLB Photos via Getty Images (TORONTO) -- Jose Reyes is on the road to recovery.

The shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays ran on Friday for the first time since suffering a severely sprained ankle on April 12.

"I just started running a little bit. I'm very happy the way that I performed yesterday...Better than I expected, Reyes said. "As I said, I'm going to continue to work the hardest I can to be on the field as soon as possible."

The 29-year-old Reyes put pressure on the ankle for the first time since he was injured sliding awkwardly in a game against the Kansas City Royals.

"It was a little bit scary for me," Reyes said of his first time running. "But pain free."

After running the next steps in the recovery process for Reyes include batting practice and fielding ground balls.

He is still not expected to return to the Blue Jays until after the All-Star break.

Kyle Busch Wins 7th Nationwide Race At Charlotte

Posted today at 5:03pm

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(CONCORD, N.C.) -- Kyle Busch loves racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch dominated the field in the History 300 on Saturday afternoon on his way to his sixth Nationwide Series victory of the season and record seventh career win at the track.

He led for 186 of the 200 laps, winning for a record 57th time in the series.

"It was a great day for us," Busch said to the Performance Racing Network. "This one's special. We win a lot, but I love Charlotte it's my favorite racetrack, so I love winning here in Charlotte."

Kasey Kahne ran second, while Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five.

Nationwide Series points leader Regan Smith came in 10th.

The only win missing on Busch's resume at Charlotte is a Sprint Cup race. He'll attempt to change that Sunday when he races the Coca-Cola 600.

Robbie Rogers First Openly Gay Athlete in MLS

Posted today at 2:56pm

Michael Dodge/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Former U.S. national team winger Robbie Rogers agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Friday, making him the first active openly gay male athlete to play in an American professional team sport.

Rogers played for a year and a half with Leeds United, but retired from the sport in January. He then posted on his own blog that he was gay.

"I want to prove to everyone in this room and everyone in this world that I'm a great futbol or great soccer player," Rogers said on Saturday.

"It doesn't matter that I'm gay, it doesn't matter where I'm from. That stuff's not important," Rogers continued.

Rogers received support from several of his former U.S. teammates after he announced he was gay and believes the Galaxy has a great locker room to deal with an openly gay athlete.

"From day one the guys were very accepting and the bench and locker room is great and everyone is pushing each other," Rogers said.

Rogers said that he made the decision to come back and play on his own and that NBA free agent Jason Collins' announcement that he was gay did not have an impact.

Coca Cola 600 Preview

Posted today at 1:00pm

Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images(CONCORD, N.C.) -- NASCAR drivers are ready for the Coca Cola 600 on Sunday.

Jimmie Johnson sits atop the Sprint Cup points lead and enjoys racing on Memorial Day weekend, honoring the veterans who served the United States.

"Awesome to be a part of it and be a source of entertainment and to pay our respects as a race team," Johnson said on Friday. "We usually have an awesome paint job on our race car."

Kasey Kahne sits in sixth and is looking forward to getting out on the race track.

"Hendrick Motor Sports is really good here," Kahne said. "Should be an exciting race."

Denny Hamlin won the pole and broke the track record with a lap of 195.624.

"It's going to take wins and consistency throughout the next several months to put ourselves in position to have a chance at a championship," Hamlin said.

Kurt Busch will sit second after having the second-best time on Thursday.

Penguins Advance to Eastern Conference Finals

Posted today at 7:40am

Gregory Shamus/NHL(PITTSBURGH) -- The Penguins are moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Pittsburgh stormed past the Senators 6-2 in Game 5.

Penguins left winger James Neal recorded a hat-trick in the victory.

"We gave them the respect they deserved and we came out and I think we surprised ourselves," Neal said. "We played with a lot of speed and got it behind them and got to the net."

The Senators were blitzed by Pittsburgh in Game 4 for seven goals.

"One thing about our group is that adversity really tends to be something we can thrive on and take good things out of," Senators coach Paul MacLean said of being eliminated. "We will take good things out of this and it will make us better."

Pittsburgh will take on the winner of the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in the finals.

Pacers Beat Heat 97-93 To Even Eastern Conference Finals

Posted yesterday at 10:51pm

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images(MIAMI) -- The Indiana Pacers made clutch plays down the stretch, and it earned them home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference finals.

Roy Hibbert scored 29 points, Paul George added 22 as the Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 97-93 to even their best-of-seven series at one game each.

LeBron James led the Heat with 36 points but had two key turnovers down the stretch that ultimately cost them the game. David West made a key defensive play with under a minute left, swatting the ball away from James when he tried to drive the lane.

“This whole team is just showing great desire and heart and belief,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “They believe they can win this series, and they’re giving it all their might. They’re rising to the challenge. I’m very, very proud of them. We look like a true team.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/25/3415648/sizable-indiana-pacers-exploiting.html#storylink=cpy

Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh combined to score 31 for the defending champs, who have lost for just the fourth time in their last 50 games.

Game three is Sunday in Indianapolis.

Scoreboard Roundup - 5/24/13

Posted yesterday at 9:11pm

Getty Images/Hemera (NEW YORK) -- NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Indiana Pacers 97 - Miami Heat 93 (Series tied 1-1)

NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: Pittsburgh Penguins 6 - Ottawa Senators 2 (Penguins win series, 4-1)

MLB: Detroit Tigers 6 (27-19) - Minnesota Twins 0 (18-27)

Washington Nationals 5 (25-23) - Philadelphia Phillies 2 (23-25)

New York Yankees 9 (29-18) - Tampa Bay Rays 4 (24-23)

Baltimore Orioles 10 (26-22) - Toronto Blue Jays 6 (20-28)

Cincinnati Reds 7 (30-18) - Chicago Cubs 4 (18-29)

Boston Red Sox 8 (29-20) - Cleveland Indians 1 (27-20)

Milwaukee Brewers 2 (19-27) - Pittsburgh Pirates 1 (29-19)

Los Angeles Angels 5 (21-27) - Kansas City Royals 2 (21-24)

Chicago White Sox 4 (22-24) - Miami Marlins 3 (13-35) 11 innings

Oakland Athletics 6 (26-23) - Houston Astros 5 (14-34)

Arizona Diamondbacks 5 (27-21) - San Diego Padres 2 (21-26)

Colorado Rockies 5 (27-21) - San Francisco Giants 0 (26-22)

St. Louis Cardinals 7 (31-16) - Los Angeles Dodgers 0 (17-27)

Texas Rangers 9 (31-17) - Seattle Mariners 5 (20-28)

A Game between the Atlanta Braves (28-18) and the New York Mets (17-27) was suspended tied at five after eight innings and will resume Saturday evening at 6:10 pm ET.

Chicago Bears To Retire Mike Ditka's No. 89

Posted yesterday at 6:28pm

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images (NEW YORK) -- The Chicago Bears announced Friday that they will retire Mike Ditka's No. 89 on Dec. 9 during halftime of their game against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field.

"Mike Ditka embodies the spirit of everything the Bears are about," Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said to the team's website.

Ditka's No. 89 will be the 14th number retired by the Bears. He played for them from 1961-66 before coming back to coach the team from 1982-92. Ditka is the only person in the NFL's modern era to win a Super Bowl title for the same team both as a player and a coach.

As a player, Ditka ranks first in Bears history among tight ends and fourth overall with 4,502 receiving yards, fifth with 316 catches and 34 touchdowns. He was also a two-time All-Pro and six-time Pro-Bowler.

"To have your jersey retired, it's something that if I went through my life and it never happened, it would never change the love I had for what I had in Chicago playing for the Bears," Ditka said on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio. "But it's certainly a tremendous honor when you think about the guys who have [had their numbers] retired. "

Michael Vick Says He's Still NFL's Fastest Quarterback

Posted yesterday at 4:22pm

Rob Carr/Getty Images (PHILADELPHIA) -- Michael Vick is out to prove that he is still the NFL's fastest quarterback.

The 32-year-old Vick will be 33 when the 2013 season begins, but said that he possesses more open-field speed than the likes of young quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick.

"These guys are young and they're fast and they're quick; the thing I do have is a very quick get-up," Vick said. "I really don't feel like there's a quarterback in the league who can beat me in a 40-yard dash. If somebody wants to set something up, I'll be more than glad to accept the challenge. But as of right now I'm going to say me. But Colin Kaepernick is fast and RG III is fast as well."

Vick is the NFL's career leader among signal-callers with 5,551 rushing yards. Last season he averaged 5.4 yards per rush, the lowest total of his 10-year career.

Aaron Rodgers Wants the Packers to Welcome Back Brett Favre

Posted yesterday at 10:09am

Joe Robbins/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Brett Favre last played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 2007, and current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks it time for both sides to heal their fractured relationship.

"It's been too long," Rodgers said. "You know, our country and the state of Wisconsin, these people are a people of second and third and fourth chances. I think it's time to let the healing process begin for those who are still upset for what went down."

Back in 2008, the team traded Favre to the New York Jets after Favre once again decided to come out of retirement. He wanted to keep playing for the Packers, but the team had Rodgers waiting in the wings and the team was ready to move on.

While the relationship ended on a sour note, it is hard to overlook Favre's accomplishments with the team. For 16 seasons, Favre was one of the best quarterbacks of his era. He won a Super Bowl with the team during the 1996 season and won three MVP awards.

Favre last played for the Packers arch-rival Minnesota Vikings and retired following the 2010 season.

Program Schedule

Monday - Friday

Saturday

Sunday