Dilfer cut by 49ers, career appears over

The San Francisco 49ers terminated quarterback Trent Dilfer's contract yesterday, possibly signaling the end of the 14-year veteran's career. Dilfer started six games for the 49ers last season, passing for 1,166 yards with 7 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 55.1 passer rating before incurring a season-ending concussion. Dilfer, the sixth overall pick in 1994 by Tampa Bay, led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory after the 2000 season . . . The Detroit Lions cut one injury-prone running back, Kevin Jones, and re-signed Tatum Bell, who was benched for the final 10 games of last season, to a one-year deal. Bell, obtained from Denver in a trade before last season, had 44 carries for 182 yards in five games. Jones, who missed the start and the end of last season with foot and knee injuries, rushed for 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons with the Lions. Detroit also signed restricted free agent safety Kalvin Pearson to a three-year deal . . . The Houston Texans signed free agent running back Chris Brown, who rushed for 462 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games last season with the Tennessee Titans. He'll join Ahman Green at running back with the Texans and his signing could mean the end of Ron Dayne's tenure in Houston . . . Browns defensive back Gary Baxter, determined to become the first NFL player to make it back from two torn patellar tendons, signed a one-year free agent contract with Cleveland . . . The new All American Football League has scrapped plans for its 2008 inaugural season and will continue to search for financial backing for 2009 . . . Mount Ida announced that Mike Landers, the former defensive coordinator at Nichols, will succeed Ed Sweeney as coach at the Division 3 college.

The NHL suspended Pittsburgh Penguins forward Georges Laraque for three games, one day after he injured Buffalo defenseman Nathan Paetsch with an elbow to the head. Paetsch is out indefinitely with a concussion, leaving the Sabres' depleted defense down a third player. The Sabres are already without veterans Jaroslav Spacek (bruised ribs) and Dmitri Kalinin (shoulder) . . . Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund will miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery to remove bone chips from his left knee. Ohlund has 24 points in 53 games, tops among the team's defensemen . . . Blackhawks forward Martin Havlat, who was able to play only 35 games this season, had surgery on his left shoulder and hopes to be ready for next season's training camp.

Greg Oden practiced with the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time since right knee surgery ended his season six months ago. Oden, the 7-foot center taken with the first pick in last year's draft, participated in offensive drills and even dunked during 45 minutes of work Wednesday.

Two-time US figure skating champion Evan Lysacek withdrew from next week's world championships after hurting his left arm in a fall during practice. Lysacek's right skate blade broke on the landing of a triple axel Wednesday, and the fall injured his left forearm, elbow, and shoulder. Former junior champ Jeremy Abbott will replace Lysacek at the worlds, which begin Tuesday in Gothenburg, Sweden . . . Finland's Mikko Ilonen and Australia's Tony Carolan shot 5-under-par 67s to share the first-round lead in the inaugural Ballantine's Championship on Jeju Island, the European Tour's first event in South Korea. American Anthony Kim was a stroke back at 68, and South Korean star K.J. Choi, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, and British Open champion Padraig Harrington opened with 71s . . . Tufts senior Kendall Swett won the 1-meter diving competition at the NCAA Division 3 championships in Oxford, Ohio . . . Canada earned a berth in the Olympic baseball tournament, defeating South Korea, 4-3, in Taichung, Taiwan. South Korea and Taiwan also qualified and joined the US, China, Cuba, Japan, and the Netherlands at the Beijing Games.

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