Robert Griffin III: My 'Knee Feels Great'

Posted today at 2:13pm

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Washington Redskins franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III returned to the field to work out with some of his teammates on Thursday.

Griffin returned just four and a half months after surgery that reconstructed torn ligaments in his right knee. He appeared in a heavy black-brace.

"The knee feels great," Griffin said. "I'm able to do all the stuff out there without any hesitation, that's the best part about it. I'm excited about that."

"It's all about having that confidence and if you put the work in, you'll have that confidence when you get back out there on the field. It's about playing like you were never injured," he added.

Griffin said he still plans on being ready for the Sept. 9 season opener -- a Monday night game at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I stand behind that," Griffin said. "That's always been the goal, but once again, I'm not going to risk my career to play in one game."

Griffin also said he wants to limit hits from opposing teams and that he has learned a lot after playing one season in the NFL.

Dale Jarrett Leads NASCAR Hall of Fame Class

Posted today at 9:00am

Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images(CHARLOTTE, N.C) -- NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett, mechanic Maurice "Chief" Petty, two-time premier series champion Tim Flock, driver Jack Ingram, and Fireball Roberts are members of NASCAR's Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

NASCAR made the announcement of its newest members on Wednesday. Jarrett got in on his first time on the ballot.

"I've always felt like it was an honor and a privilege to drive for NASCAR, and this sport has been such a huge part of the Jarrett life," Dale said. "Now to be part of something that my father is a part of, it just means the world to me." His father, Ned, is in the Hall.

Jarrett is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 and is 21st on the career list with 32 victories.

Petty became the fourth member of the family to get the call, joining older brother, Richard Petty; their father, championship driver Lee Petty; and cousin Dale Inman, Richard's longtime crew chief.

"It makes me happy because that means all of us are in. So I'm tickled to death with it," Maurice said.

Jets' Geno Smith Hires Jay-Z's Roc Nation Agency

Posted today at 8:40am

Joe Robbins/Getty Images(FLORHAM PARK, N.J.) -- New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith announced on Wednesday that he has hired Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports to represent him.

Smith, who was drafted by the Jets in the second round of April's draft and fired his original agents after falling out of the first round, is happy to have Jay-Z represent him.

"When you talk about being in New York from a standpoint of what they can do in the city, the connections that they have, I think it's a good move," said Smith, who became Roc Nation's first NFL client.

Roc Nation Sports hired its first NFLPA-certified agent, Kim Miale, and she will represent Smith.

"I'm sure he's done a lot of work and preparation on who he thinks is the best person to represent him," Jets head coach Rex Ryan said. "I don't think there will be a loss of focus or anything else. I can tell you this right now, he knows he has to focus on the job at hand. I'm confident that will happen. I don't even think about who represents him."

Smith currently finds himself in a quarterback battle with Mark Sanchez.

Penguins Explode for Seven Goals to Top Ottawa

Posted today at 5:05am

Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images(OTTAWA) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for four goals in the third period en route to a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Wednesday.

The Penguins now lead the series 3-1.

While the Penguins ended up winning big, it looked like Ottawa had the edge early. Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris each scored for the Senators in the opening period, giving Ottawa a 2-1 lead heading into the second.

“That was the first time in regulation we’ve been behind,” Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma said. “There was some good emotion going in the building for their team. We were able to do that, get some good chances and shoot the puck quite a bit. It looked like it was going to be tough to get it by (Anderson). There was a sense that this might take 50 or as many shots as it takes to break this guy. Fortunately we kept on that mindset.”

And it payed off.

Pittsburgh peppered Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson with 38 shots, scoring six times before Anderson was pulled in the third period.

Jerome Iginla and James Neal both scored twice for the Penguins, while Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis each scored their 7th goal of the playoffs in the win.

Game 5 is Friday night in Pittsburgh. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

LeBron's Buzzer-Beater Pushes Heat Past Pacers in OT

Posted today at 3:02am

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images(MIAMI) -- Who has help defense on Lebron?...Apparently nobody.

With two seconds left in overtime, LeBron James caught the inbounds pass quickly made his way around Paul George where he found himself with a clear path to the game wining layup, as the Miami Heat topped the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in overtime of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday.

LeBron finished the game with his ninth career playoff triple-double scoring 30 points, grabbing 10 boards and dishing out 10 assists.

Still, the talk after the game was about a man who wasn't in the game.

Pacers head coach Frank Vogel pulled 7-foot-2, 280 pound center Roy Hibbert for the final play. Hibbert's presence in the lane could have at least made it difficult for James to score.

Vogel says Chris Bosh's offensive ability is why he chose to sit the big man.

"If Roy were in the game he probably would have been a first or second option (Bosh)," Vogel said when explaining why Hibbert wasn't in the game. "If it didn't come to LeBron, or if LeBron one bounced it and drew Roy to the rim to have Bosh spot it up. It's the dilemma that they present. Obviously with the way it worked out it would have been better to have Roy in the game."

Paul George scored 27 points in the loss, and hit three key free throws to give the Pacers a one point lead before James hit the winning shot.

Game 2 is Friday night in Miami. Tip-off scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

Canucks Fire Vigneault

Posted today at 2:54am

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty (VANCOUVER, British Columbia) -- After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs the past two seasons, the Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Alain Vigneault Wednesday.

Vigneault, who is the Canucks' all-time leader in coaching wins, watched as the San Jose Sharks swept his Canucks out of the playoffs this season.

"We're in a results-oriented business and if you look at the last two playoffs we've been in, we were the higher-seeded team but lost the first two games at home," Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis said Wednesday. "We lost consecutive games in the last two playoff years, and there comes a point in time where the message has to change and we have to be better. And we simply didn't get the result we expected."

Vigneault finishes his seven seasons in Vancouver with a 313-170-57 record. He also led the Canucks to six division titles, two Presidents' Trophy titles and a trip to the 2011 Stanley Cup finals.

As of now there is no candidate to replace Vigneault.

Krzyzewski Coming Back as Team USA Coach

Posted today at 2:52am

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Mike Krzyzewski will return as the head coach of the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team.

Duke University told ESPN.com of the news Wednesday, and USA Basketball is expected to make a formal announcement at a news conference scheduled for Thursday at 10:40 a.m. Eastern.

Krzyzewski has coached the team since 2005, leading the Americans' to gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Krzyzewski said multiple times that he would step down from his position of head coach after he led the Americans' to gold last summer in London. Still, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo didn't interview any other candidates for the job because he wasn't' ready to give up on Krzyzewski returning. It sounds like he made the right move.

First up for Krzyzewski, a trip to the World Cup of Basketball in Spain next summer. If the Americans win, they would qualify for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil.

Scoreboard Roundup - 5/22/13

Posted yesterday at 10:17pm

Getty Images/Hemera(NEW YORK) -- NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference Semi-Finals: Pittsburgh Penguins 7 – Ottawa Senators 3 (Penguins lead series, 3-1)

NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat 103 - Indiana Pacers 102 OT (Heat lead series, 1-0)

MLB: Atlanta Braves 3 (30-17) – Oakland Athletics 1 (25-23)

Toronto Blue Jays 4 (19-27) – Tampa Bay Rays 3 (24-22) 10 Innings

Los Angeles Angels 7 (19-27) – Seattle Mariners 1 (20-27)

Baltimore Orioles 6 (25-21) – New York Yankees 3 (28-18)

Boston Red Sox 6 (28-19) - Chicago White Sox 2 (21-24)

Houston Astros 3 (14-33) - Kansas City Royals 1 (21-22)

Detroit Tigers 11 (25-19) - Cleveland Indians 7 (26-19)

Los Angeles Dodgers 9 (19-26) – Milwaukee Brewers 2 (18-27)

Cincinnati Reds 7 (29-18) – New York Mets 4 (17-27)

Washington Nations 2 (24-23) – San Francisco Giants 1 (26-21) 10 Innings

Colorado Rockies 4 (26-21) – Arizona Diamondbacks 1 (26-21)

Pittsburgh Pirates 1 (28-18) – Chicago Cubs 0 (18-27)

Philadelphia Phillies 3 (23-24) – Miami Marlins 0 (13-34)

St. Louis Cardinals 5 (30-16) - San Diego Padres 3 (21-25)

49ers WR Crabtree Has Surgery On Torn Achilles

Posted yesterday at 5:57pm

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images(SAN FRANCISCO) -- San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, a day after suffering the injury during OTA’s. No timetable has been given for his return.

The 49ers drafted Crabtree out of Texas Tech with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. In 58 games with San Francisco, the 25-year-old has 260 receptions for 3,345 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He was an integral part of the 49ers winning the NFC Championship this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. In their 34-31 Super Bowl XLVII loss to the Baltimore Ravens, he had five receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Gattis Powers Atlanta Past Minnesota, 8-3

Posted yesterday at 5:54pm

Tony Firriolo/MLB Photos via Getty Images(ATLANTA) -- Less than 24 hours after hitting a pinch-hit, two-out homer in the bottom of the ninth, Braves catcher Evan Gattis belted a grand slam on Wednesday in Atlanta’s 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

With Atlanta leading 4-0 in the fourth inning, the 26-year-old Gattis took a 3-0 pitch from Twins starter Vance Worley (1-5) and sent it just inside the right-field foul pole. He now has 10 home runs in 121 at-bats.

Braves starter Paul Maholm (6-4) allowed seven hits and no earned runs in 7 1-3 innings of work.

With the win, Atlanta improves to 28-18 while Minnesota falls to 18-25 on the season.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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