Bryant's knee injury not serious

Kobe Bryant's right knee was a bit sore yesterday, but the injury isn't serious and it's possible he won't miss any playing time. "I'm all right, a little bit better today, a better mood, anyway," Bryant said after sitting out practice because of a hyperextended right knee he suffered Tuesday night in the second quarter of the Lakers' 102-98 preseason victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in San Diego . . . The Big East coaches picked Connecticut yesterday as the preseason favorite in the conference most consider the deepest in college basketball. "We're not the best team in the league right now," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said at media day at Madison Square Garden. "We could be in time . . . There is no doubt, though, that this league is as deep as it's ever been. This is one tough league." Connecticut returns its nucleus of center Hasheem Thabeet, guard A.J. Price, and forward Jeff Adrien . . . Northeastern was picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association at the annual media day in Washington, D.C., just behind Virginia Commonwealth . . . Georgia Tech senior guard D'Andre Bell will have season-ending surgery to correct a spinal condition, but he said he still hopes to complete his college career in the 2009-10 season . . . Chicago Bulls guard Larry Hughes left last night's game against the host Minnesota Timberwolves with a dislocated right shoulder. He scored 21 point before leaving as the Bulls won, 85-75.

Brown junior receiver Buddy Farnham of Andover and Tufts senior back Will Forde of Hyde Park received this week's Gold Helmet Awards from the New England Football Writers. The 6-foot, 185-pound Farnham piled up 285 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns in the Bears' 31-10 Ivy League victory over host Princeton. The 5-8, 155-pound Forde rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown, his fifth straight 100-plus yard effort, to power Tufts to its first win over Williams, 17-7, since 1986.

Brian Vickers was docked 150 driver points and crew chief Kevin Hamlin was fined $100,000 by NASCAR because the Red Bull Racing team dipped its sheet metal in acid to make it lighter than required. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz also was docked 150 owner points, while Hamlin and car chief Craig Smokstad were suspended indefinitely. Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye said the team would not appeal. The infraction was discovered after the No. 83 Toyota was randomly selected for a postrace inspection following Vickers's 11th-place finish at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Vickers was tied for a career-best 15th in the standings, but the penalty drops him to 17th . . . Ford Motor Co. extended its support of Roush Fenway Racing's NASCAR program with a five-year deal.

AC Milan is close to signing David Beckham in a loan deal that would allow the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder and former England captain to play in Italy for a few months starting in January. "We're discussing it with his agent," Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said. With the Major League Soccer season nearly over, Beckham is eager to join another club in Europe so he can remain in shape and keep his place on England's team for World Cup qualifying. England coach Fabio Capello has said he will not pick players who are not active. "We'll sign him for a few months and then he'll go back. Beckham has chosen Milan," Galliani said in Milan . . . Houston Dynamo forward Kei Kamara and FC Dallas midfielder Pablo Ricchetti will each miss two games after receiving red cards last week. Both were suspended an additional game and fined an extra $250 by the MLS Disciplinary Committee, doubling the automatic suspension and fine . . . Juan Carlos Cacho and Fernando Espinoza scored first-half goals as the UNAM Pumas dealt host Houston its first CONCACAF Champions League loss, 3-1.

Blackhawks season ticket-holders will get the first shot at tickets for Chicago's New Year's Day game against Detroit at 41,160-seat Wrigley Field. "The game is going to be sold out," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Most of the tickets, not all, are going to be going to the season ticket-holders of the Blackhawks." But Bettman, in Chicago for an NHL general managers meeting, emphasized "some tickets will be made available to the public." . . . Sabres captain Craig Rivet will miss at least two weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery.

If he's looking for a reason to skip the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong now has a big one: Mont Ventoux. In a break with tradition, the notorious mountain ascent will be featured on the race's next-to-last day in a move aimed at keeping the suspense going to the very end. The seven-time champion was notably absent from the unveiling in Paris of the 2009 route. Close friend and team manager Johan Bruyneel did attend and said there's only a "50-50" chance Armstrong will take the Tour start in July. Ordinarily, the race finishes with a time trial on the next-to-last day, deciding the overall results before what is largely a ceremonial ride into Paris on the last day. "The route of the 2009 Tour de France strikes me as innovative and very interesting," Armstrong said.