McNabb practices ahead of schedule

NFL
Donovan McNabb took a major step forward in his return from knee surgery, practicing with the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday several weeks ahead of schedule. The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback participated in non-contact drills in his first action on the field since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last Nov. 19. McNabb hadn't been expected to take part in drills with the team until training camp opened next month . . . Buffalo defensive tackle Darwin Walker, a seven-year veteran acquired in the offseason from Philadelphia, is holding out while seeking an extension to the two years he has remaining on his contract and has not reported to the Bills' mandatory minicamp . . . A stripper is claiming she was inappropriately touched by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Police and prosecutors are reviewing the claims, said Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the Wayne County (Mich.) prosecutor's office. The complaint was made to authorities early Friday by the woman, who dances at a club on Detroit's west side.

Basketball

Chamique Holdsclaw, a six-time WNBA All-Star who re-signed with the Los Angeles Sparks in February, stunned the team by retiring. The 29-year-old forward had played in the Sparks' first five games this season, averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Holdsclaw did not give a reason for ending her pro basketball career . . . Kara Lawson scored 24 points to lead the Sacramento Monarchs to an 82-67 victory over the winless Comets in Houston. Tina Thompson scored a season-high 33 points to lead the Comets . . . A New Jersey man who was thrown from Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith's sport utility vehicle when it overturned last weekend died last night, state police said. Andre Bell, 21, was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle Smith was driving when it went through a stop sign, collided with another car, and flipped over at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Millstone Township. Bell, who was in a coma, died from head injuries at Jersey Shore University Medical Center . . . UNLV has offered men's coach Lon Kruger a contract that would guarantee him $5.2 million over the next five years . . . Chris Carlson, who spent four seasons as an assistant to Ben Howland at UCLA, was hired as the men's coach at UC San Diego . . . Ray Mears, the Tennessee basketball coach who presided over the "Ernie and Bernie show" during his 15 seasons guiding the Volunteers, died at 80. In the mid-1970s, Mears coached future NBA players Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King. (Obituary, B6) . . . Jim Killingsworth, who took over a struggling TCU basketball team in the 1980s and coached the Horned Frogs to the NCAA Tournament in 1987, died Sunday in Owasso, Okla., at 83.

Baseball

The auction house that said it would pay $1 million for Barry Bonds's record-breaking 756th home run ball canceled the offer after concerns about fan safety and possible legal liability. Heritage Auction Galleries withdrew the offer for the baseball after meeting with a security official at the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park, the Dallas-based company said in a news release . . . The former federal prosecutor who oversaw the government's investigation into alleged performance-enhancing drug use by Bonds and other professional athletes said the nearly five-year probe could come to an end "in the not-too-distant future." Kevin Ryan declined to elaborate or offer firm dates, but said that "most of the heavy lifting was done" in the investigation before he left the office in March . . . Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez was put on the 15-day disabled list and Chicago reinstated outfielder Cliff Floyd from the bereavement list. Ramirez, batting .299 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs, has tendinitis in his left knee. Floyd had been placed on the bereavement list before Friday's game because of his father's illness . . . A farmer who accused Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe of shooting him during an altercation last year in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, received a payment from the major leaguer as part of a settlement ending legal action, a lawyer for Uribe said . . . Harold Reynolds, fired by ESPN as a baseball analyst last July amid sexual harassment allegations, was hired as a broadcaster by MLB.com.

Miscellany

James Blake and Thomas Berdych advanced to the second round of the Gerry Weber Open tennis tournament in Halle, Germany. Blake defeated American teenager Sam Querrey, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Berdych spoiled Nicolas Kiefer's return from an injury with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win. Four-time champion Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament, citing fatigue after his French Open loss to Rafael Nadal Sunday . . . Top-seeded Francesca Schiavone and Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States won opening matches at the Barcelona KIA Open . . . Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland said the team will know by the end of the week whether goaltender Dominik Hasek, 42, will return next season or retire. Holland said the team is close to re-signing 45-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios . . . Costa Rica's Walter Centeno scored his third goal in the Gold Cup and the Ticos advanced out of the group stage a 1-0 victory over Guadeloupe in Miami. Costa Rica won its first Group A match and finished with 4 points, tied with Guadeloupe. Canada beat Haiti, 2-0, to top the group with 6 points. The top two teams in each group advance along with the two best third-place teams . . . Formula One driver Robert Kubica was released from a hospital in Montreal, one day after a frightening crash at the Canadian Grand Prix left him with a slight concussion and sprained ankle . . . Montana State hired Rob Ash as its football coach.