Off the wire

FOOTBALL

Ravens’ LB McClain retires

Linebacker Rolando McClain has told the Baltimore Ravens that he’s retiring from the NFL. Mc-Clain, 23, played three seasons with the Oakland Raiders before signing a one-year contract with Baltimore as a free agent April 12. “Rolando let me know that he plans to retire from the NFL,” Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said Wednesday. “We have placed him on the reserve/retired list.” Ten days after signing with the Ravens, McClain was arrested in Decatur, Ala., and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. It was the third time McClain was arrested in Decatur since 2011. He was previously charged in a 2011 shooting, and police arrested him in January on charges of having his car windows tinted too darkly and trying to lie about his identity.McClain was sentenced to jail on an assault charge after the shooting, but prosecutors later dismissed the case. A city judge dismissed the January charge against McClain of trying to lie about his identity. He pleaded guilty to the window tint violation and paid a $182 fine. Before joining the Ravens, McClain spent his first three NFL seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He was the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Alabama.

Running back DeAngelo Williams (Wynne) has agreed to a restructured contract that ensures he’ll remain with the Carolina Panthers this season, said a person familiar with the situation. Williams, who turned 30 last month, is Carolina’s all-time leading rusher with 5,784 yards and 43 touchdowns. Williams started 10 games last season and had 737 yards rushing and scored 5 TDs on the ground. He also caught two touchdown passes. By restructuring Williams’ contract, the source said the Panthers will save $3.2 million under the NFL salary cap in both 2013 and 2014, and $3.87 million in 2015.

The New England Patriots have released starting defensive tackle Kyle Love after he was diagnosed with diabetes. The three-year veteran started 11 regular-season games last year and one of two postseason games. He joined the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Mississippi State in 2010 and started 25 of the 41 regular-season games in which he played.

The Tennessee Titans have signed running back Alvester Alexander and linebacker Greg Jones. Both moves were announced Wednesday in a team release. Jones, a sixth-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 2011, has played in 22 games over the past two seasons. He started five games and made 25 tackles for the Giants in 2011. He played six games with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. He was selected as a first-team All-America linebacker by The Associated Press each of his last two years at Michigan State. Alexander was part of the practice squads for the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee last season.

The Oakland Raiders have signed free-agent kick returner Josh Cribbs to a one-year contract. Cribbs’ agent, John Rickert, confirmed the deal Wednesday. He declined to disclose financial terms. Rickert said Cribbs drew interest from several teams but felt the Raiders were the right fit after a visit to the team’s headquarters last Monday. Cribbs, who turns 30 next month, had been with the Cleveland Browns since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2005. He averaged 27.4 yards on kick returns and 12 yards per punt return last season but did not have a touchdown. He also had seven receptions for 63 yards.

The Houston Texans have signed free-agent center Tyler Horn and released running back George Winn and tackle Dann O’Neill. The team also said Wednesday it had signed running back/kick returner Deji Karim, announced earlier this week by his agent on Twitter. Like Karim, Horn tried out at the Texans rookie mini-camp. Horn, signed out of Miami as a free agent by Atlanta in 2012, spent the final nine weeks of last season on the Tennessee Titans practice squad.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a contract with fourth-round draft pick Akeem Spence, leaving the club with two unsigned rookies. Spence was the 100th overall selection in last month’s draft. The 6-1, 307-pound defensive tackle had 17½ tackles for loss, including 3½ sacks, during his college career at Illinois.

TENNIS

Murray out with back pain

Back pain forced Andy Murray to retire midway through his second-round match at the Italian Open on Wednesday. He may have to sit out the French Open, too. Rafael Nadal began his bid for a seventh Rome title by cruising past local hope Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 6-3 in just 61 minutes, and two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova eased past Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-2. Rising Polish player Jerzy Janowicz upset eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 7-6 (5) then celebrated by ripping his shirt apart, showing off his muscular physique. Murray, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, walked off the court after winning the second set against Spanish opponent Marcel Granollers. Granollers won the first set 6-3 and Murray won the second 7-6 (5). This tournament is a key clay court warm-up for Roland Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam, which starts on May 26. Nadal will next face Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis, who reached the semifinals in 2010.

BASKETBALL NBA snubs Seattle again, denies Kings move

After nearly four months of awaiting a decision on the return of professional basketball, Seattle was left Wednesday feeling jilted again and wondering when, and if, the NBA will ever reappear in the city.

The NBA Board of Governors rejected the prospective relocation of the Sacramento Kings, voting 22-8 in Dallas to deny the move of the franchise and with no promise of a future team for fans in the Puget Sound region.

That led to angry and frustrated reactions from NBA fans in Seattle who spent several months thinking they might see the return of the Super Sonics with investor Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as owners.

“I share the disappointment of Sonics fans about today’s vote, but we are in this for the long haul,” Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said. “The memorandum of understanding we have with Chris Hansen is for five years, and we will continue working to bring the NBA back to Seattle.”

Fans of the league and supporters of Hansen’s efforts believed this was the best opportunity to bring the NBA back. Political and public support was at its peak since the messy and ugly departure of the Sonics for Oklahoma City following the 2008 season.

Now all that support is thrown back into limbo with little clarity about a future path toward acquiring another franchise.

“This was not an anti-Seattle vote, but a pro-Sacramento vote,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said.