Sports Log

Birthday surprise: Moss wants to play

February 14, 2012

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Pro football

Wide receiver Randy Moss announced on a webchat yesterday - his 35th birthday - that he’s planning a comeback. Moss retired last August, compiling 14,858 receiving yards and 153 touchdowns in 13 seasons. He last played in 2010, when he suited up for the Patriots, Vikings, and Titans . . . Freddie Solomon, the former Dolphins and 49ers wide receiver who became known as “Fabulous Freddie’’ and committed himself to community service, died in Florida of cancer. He was 59. Obituary, B12 . . . Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said the team has had internal discussions on whether to bring back Hines Ward, the franchise’s all-time leading receiver, but no decision has been made . . . Stonehill All-American cornerback/kick returner Stephan Neville of Foxborough signed with Montreal of the Canadian Football League, becoming the first in the school’s program to sign a professional contract.

A’s sign Cuban Cespedes to $36m deal

Baseball

Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes and the A’s agreed to a $36 million, four-year deal. Cespedes, 26, played for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the outfielder is projected to be ready for the majors. The A’s expect him to report for spring training . . . Righthander Casey Janssen and the Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration, agreeing on a two-year contract worth at least $5.9 million.

Fair, No. 2 Syracuse finish off Louisville

College basketball

C.J. Fair scored 13 points and No. 2 Syracuse (26-1, 13-1 Big East) scored the final 6 points to eke out a 52-51 win over No. 19 Louisville (20-6, 8-5) at the KFC Yum! Center . . . Tyshawn Taylor had 20 points and Jeff Withey had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 blocked shots in a dominant performance, lifting No. 5 Kansas (21-5, 11-2 Big 12) past host Kansas State, 59-53 . . . Perry Jones III rediscovered his shooting touch with 18 points and No. 9 Baylor (22-4, 9-4 Big 12) rebounded from consecutive losses with a 79-64 victory over Iowa State (18-8, 8-5) in Waco, Texas . . . In women’s action, Tiffany Hayes scored 23 points and No. 2 Connecticut (24-2) beat host Oklahoma, 73-55, for its 12th straight victory . . . Meighan Simmons scored a season-high 25 points and No. 13 Tennessee (18-7, 9-3 Southeastern) ran off with a 91-54 rout of No. 7 Kentucky (21-4, 10-2) in Knoxville, Tenn. . . . Baylor junior Brittney Griner will get a chance to become the first college women’s basketball player to compete in the Olympics for the US since 1988, when Vicky Bullett (Maryland) and Bridgette Gordon (Tennessee) played. The 6-foot-8-inch phenom was among 21 finalists announced for the US team that will compete at the London Olympics . . . Baylor remained the unanimous No. 1 choice in the Associated Press women’s Top 25. The Lady Bears received all the first-place votes for the 11th straight week . . . In the AP men’s poll, Kentucky and Syracuse remained Nos. 1 and 2 while Harvard dropped out of the rankings after losing to Princeton Saturday night . . . Santa Clara guard Kevin Foster, the West Coast Conference’s leading scorer, was suspended for the remainder of the season following an arrest for driving under the influence.

Patriot League will award scholarships

Colleges

The Patriot League, which includes Holy Cross, announced it will begin offering scholarships for football beginning with the 2013 class . . . Boston College football coach Frank Spaziani restocked his coaching staff by hiring Sean Desai (running backs, special teams), Aaron Smith (wide receivers), and Al Washington (assistant special teams) . . . Judge John Cleland ruled that former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, facing multiple sexual abuse charges, can have supervised contact with most of his grandchildren, saying there was no evidence that the children’s parents wouldn’t be able to keep them safe.

CUSA, Mountain West set to join forces

Members of Conference USA and current and future members of the Mountain West are on their way to forming a new league that will begin in 2013 and have as many as 24 teams located in five time zones . . . The Colonial Athletic Association, which includes Northeastern, and NBC Sports Group have agreed to a five-year television contract that the league says will give it more television exposure than ever in football and men’s basketball . . . Boston University dropped out of the No. 1 ranking in the USCHO.com Division 1 men’s hockey poll after losing to UMass Friday. The Terriers dropped to No. 2 behind Ferris State. Boston College moved up two places to No. 3 while UMass-Lowell jumped one spot to No. 6. Merrimack slipped one place to No. 9. . . . North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education voted to sue to try to block a state law requiring the University of North Dakota’s athletics teams to be called the Fighting Sioux . . . Insidelacrosse.com is reporting that BU will announce today it is launching a Division 1 men’s program.

Revolution get Séne from German team

Miscellany

The Revolution acquired French forward Saer Séne on a free transfer from Germany’s Bayern Munich. Séne, 25, played on Bayern Munich’s reserve squad the last two seasons . . . Bulls star Derrick Rose had his sore back examined by a specialist, and general manager Gar Forman said no structural damage was found. Rose remains day to day . . . The NHL suspended Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo for two games for launching to hit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericssonin Sunday’s game . . . Mike Comrie retired from the NHL after a third hip operation in five years. Comrie, 31, played 589 regular-season games with six teams.