NFL
Rams' DE to undergo surgery
St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long will undergo surgery and is expected to miss most of the season after injuring his left ankle in the opening loss to the Vikings. Coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday he'd not been optimistic about Long, who was hurt tackling Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in the third quarter. Apparently, Long was stepped on from behind. "I've been here a few years now and it's not good when he doesn't get up," Fisher said. "He's never on the ground." It's the second major hit dealt to the Rams, who lost quarterback Sam Bradford for the year with a knee injury in the preseason. Bradford underwent surgery Monday. Long, the second overall pick in 2008, has never missed a game and has started 85 of 97 in his career. He had 8 1/2 sacks last season and 11 1/2 in 2013 and gave no sign of a serious injury while meeting with media after the opening loss.
• Outside linebacker John Abraham has left the Arizona Cardinals and is considering retiring from the game. Cardinals Coach Bruce Arians said on Wednesday that Abraham, the game's active sacks leader and ninth on the NFL's career list with 133 ½, has been granted a leave of absence. The team obtained a roster exemption, using it to re-sign linebacker Marcus Benard. The 36-year-old Abraham sustained a concussion in Monday night's 18-17 season-opening victory over San Diego. But Arians said he had a long talk with Abraham on Tuesday and the concussion was not the main reason the player was considering leaving the game. Arians said that while Abraham goes through the NFL-mandated concussion protocol, he "will determine if he wants to continue playing football, whether his heart's still in it and he has the fire and desire to do it." Abraham, in his 15th NFL season, has five days under NFL rules before the Cardinals must either reinstate him or declare him out for the season.
• The San Diego Chargers have lost veteran center Nick Hardwick for the season with a recurring neck stinger. Hardwick was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, four days before the Chargers play their home opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Hardwick left Monday night's loss at Arizona with a sprained ankle. There was no word at that time about a neck injury. Hardwick had been the starter since his rookie season of 2004. He started all 136 games he has played in while in the NFL and the last 67 in a row. Rich Ohrnberger replaced Hardwick on Monday night.
• The Detroit Lions have signed offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds, who has played the last four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Reynolds has started 23 games as a pro, including 10 last season. He lost his starting job for the Falcons, who released him in February. The Falcons selected Reynolds, from North Carolina, in the fifth round of the 2009 draft.
• Washington Coach Jay Gruden says tight end Jordan Reed has "very little" chance of playing Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gruden said Reed didn't practice Wednesday and will be evaluated on a "week-to-week basis." Reed pulled his left hamstring on a 4-yard reception late in the first quarter of the season-opening 17-6 loss to the Houston Texans. Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen would get extra playing time in Reed's spot.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars have another receiver on the injury report. Rookie Marqise Lee, a second-round draft pick from USC, left practice Wednesday with tightness in a hamstring. Lee's absence added to the team's receiver woes. Ace Sanders is suspended the first four games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, and Cecil Shorts III missed the opener with a hamstring injury. Like Lee, Shorts took limited repetitions in practice. Coach Gus Bradley says getting Shorts some work "was a good step."
HOCKEY
Koivu, 18-year veteran, retires
Saku Koivu retired Wednesday after an 18-year NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and the Montreal Canadiens. The four-time Finnish Olympic medalist and cancer survivor announced his decision through the NHL players' association. The Ducks decided they wouldn't attempt to re-sign Koivu earlier in the summer. The 39-year-old Koivu spent his first 13 NHL seasons with Montreal, becoming the first European-born captain in the Original Six franchise's history in 1999. He signed with the Ducks in 2009, playing five seasons on the West Coast before joining longtime friend Teemu Selanne in retirement.
• Coach Bruce Boudreau and the Anaheim Ducks have agreed to a two-year contract extension through the 2016-17 season. Boudreau is 111-55-22 in nearly three seasons with the Ducks, transforming an underachieving club into a championship contender. Anaheim won the Pacific Division title in each of the past two seasons. The Ducks finished last season with the Western Conference's best record at 54-20-8 before losing a seven-game series in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Boudreau also led the Washington Capitals to four division titles, winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year in 2008. He has the NHL's top winning percentage among active coaches at .663 (312-143-62).
BASKETBALL
Warriors sign Barbosa
The Golden State Warriors have signed guard Leandro Barbosa. The Warriors announced the deal Wednesday. Barbosa appeared in 20 games with the Phoenix Suns last season. He averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 18.4 minutes per game. He spent the first part of the year playing in his native Sao Paulo in the Brazilian League. Barbosa also played for Brazil in the FIBA Basketball World Cup before signing with the Warriors. Barbosa is averaging 11.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds over his 11-year NBA career. He also has played for the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics.
Sports on 09/11/2014