The Toronto Raptors are reportedly in the midst of finalizing a four-year, $40 million contract extension with fourth-year swingman DeMar DeRozan, according to a tweet Wednesday evening from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Per NBA policy, the deadline for players from the 2009 Draft class was Wednesday at 5 p.m. If the deadline passes without a deal in place, the player would likely become a restricted free agent July 2013.

DeRozan, 23, was paid $3.3 million last season, so the contract, if finalized, would be a nod of confidence from the Raptors for the young guard-forward as he readies for his fourth NBA season. The news comes hours before the Raptors kick off their season Wednesday evening at home against the Indiana Pacers.

DeRozan averaged 16.7 points on 42 percent shooting in 63 games last season for the Raptors. Despite the projected pay raise, DeRozan will now have to compete for playing time with newly acquired Landry Fields from the New York Knicks, Linas Kleiza and rookie Terrence Ross.

Other notable players from his ’09 Draft class that signed a contract immediately before the deadline are Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets, who agreed to a 4-year contract worth $48 million, James Harden, the newest member of the Houston Rockets, who inked a 5-year deal worth $80 million and guard Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who signed a 4-year deal worth $44 million.

The Toronto Raptors are finalizing a four year, $40 million contract extension with DeMar DeRozan, league sources tell Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 31, 2012

Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Clippers has been suspended by the NBA for one game after pleading “nolo contendre” in September to a misdemeanor for “resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer in the discharge of his duties,” according to a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Barnes was arrested in Manhattan Beach, Calif. in July on suspicion of threatening a public official, which carries a felony charge. But the district attorney’s office in Los Angeles County ended up filing a lesser charge of a misdemeanor. The charges stem from an incident in which Barnes, 32, was approached on foot by a police officer who knew that he already had an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor traffic violation. He had been given a $26,000 traffic warrant for driving with a suspended license and had also resisted arrest. That same summer, Barnes had a $25,000 lawsuit brought against him for rear-ending a car in March 2011.

The Clippers, who signed the small forward in September, tip-off their season on Halloween at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. Barnes will not be active for the game but will be allowed to resume playing with the team on Nov. 1. Barnes had previously spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds last season.

The NBA has suspended Clippers Matt Barnes one game for pleading out in California state court to incident with police. He'll sit opener.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 30, 2012

Steve Spurrier said the Alabama Crimson Tide would beat a number of NFL teams. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Steve Spurrier, the current head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, said that based on his experience coaching multiple Div. 1 college football teams, the Washington Redskins and 10 years as an NFL player, the Alabama Crimson Tide would have a legitimate shot at beating a number of NFL teams this season, according to comments Spurrier made during an appearance Wednesday on The Dan Patrick Show:

“Alabama, gosh, they look like they could beat a couple of those NFL teams that I’ve watched on Sundays. I think a lot of the oddsmakers out there, that usually know what’s going on, I’d guess Alabama would be favored by a little bit.”

Spurrier, who went 7-9 in his first season as coach of the Redskins, was outscored 85–31 in his last three games with the team in 2003. Overall, he had a 12–20 (.375) coaching record in the NFL, a stark contrast to his 204–77–2 (.724) record coaching in the NCAA. He had won a national championship with Florida in 1996 and has been with the South Carolina Gamecocks since 2005. The team is currently 7-2 this season.

The comments from Spurrier come despite his own questionable transition from the college to pro game. He had won the 1996 National Championship under Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, who went on to play quarterback for Spurrier in 2002 as a member of the Washington Redskins. The Redskins finished that season with a losing record of 7-9, so his most recent comments about Alabama are no doubt met with skepticism.

Does this touchdown celebration qualify for a donation from Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey?

Mike Mularkey, the first-year head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, wants to get his message across that he frowns upon touchdown celebrations of any kind.

According to an Oct. 31 report from Kevin Clark of The Wall Street Journal, Mularkey instructed his players before the preseason to refrain from celebrating after a touchdown and instead take an “act-like-you-have-been-there” approach to scoring. He said it’s not that he wants to be a sort of grinch to celebrating, he’s afraid of penalties that might follow from engaging in such behavior.

So, to calm those fears, Mularkey is incentiving his players in the name of charity. If his Jags simply hand the ball over to the ref after the touchdown, he will donate $250 to a charity. In fact, the rule applies even to the team mascot:

During the team’s first preseason game, after wide receiver Cecil Shorts caught a 3-yard touchdown pass, team mascot Jaxson de Ville joyously knocked the ball out of his hands, preventing Shorts from handing it to the referee. “So the mascot actually came down and handed me $250 in cash,” Mularkey said. “He knew he screwed up something.” De Ville, an oversized yellow-and-teal jaguar, hasn’t done it since. Mularkey says he’s “very, very” surprised at how well players have taken to it.

Shorts said that the policy makes you think twice about celebrating:

It makes you think about it. At first [Mularkey] said, ‘Hand the ball to the ref,’ and I’m thinking, ‘OK, if I just toss the ball to the ref that will be fine,’” Shorts said, implying he’d be able to do a regular celebration routine. “But he actually wants you to walk over to the ref and hand it to him, so you definitely think about it and the coaching staff talks about it all the time.”

As of Week 9, there have been 16 touchdowns that Mularkey said have qualified for his monetary donation, including those scored during the preseason. The Jags’ foundation will match any donation that he makes. In working with local companies, more than $28,000 has been donated so far to the Ronald McDonald House.

As a league, the NFL has a policy regarding touchdowns, and that is players cannot engage in “prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations by an individual player…two or more players engaging in prolonged, excessive, premeditated, or choreographed celebrations or demonstrations” but individual teams have historically not chimed in with their own policy.

The ironic and perhaps unfortunate twist to this policy for the Jags is that the team is currently last in the league in scoring, at 14.7 points per game.

James Harden will reportedly sign a five-year, $80 million contract with the Rockets. (Bill Baptist/Getty Images)

James Harden will reportedly sign a five-year, $80 million contract with the Houston Rockets, less than a week after he reportedly turned down a four-year extension worth $52 million with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to tweets this afternoon from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. As per the policy for all members of the 2009 NBA Draft Class, Harden has until 5 p.m. EST today to sign the deal or risk becoming a restricted free agent July 2013.

Harden, the 2012 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, was traded to the Rockets Oct. 28 after three seasons in Oklahoma City. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 31 minutes per game last season for the Thunder. As the starting shooting guard for the Rockets, Harden will now share a backcourt with Jeremy Lin, who the Rockets acquired during the offseason from the New York Knicks. The Rockets have committed $50 million over three years for Lin and Turkish big man Omer Asik, the former Chicago Bulls center who signed with Houston this offseason, as well as the $80 million which will now be owed to Harden over the next five years.

The Rockets tip off their season tonight in Detroit against the Pistons.

James Harden has agreed to a 5 year, $80 million deal with Houston, source tells Y!—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 31, 2012

The Nets-Knicks season opener at the Barclays Center was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

The Brooklyn Nets season opener against the New York Knicks scheduled for Thursday night was postponed Wednesday because of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and damage to the city’s transit system, the New York Times reports.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg made the announcement after NBA spokesman Tim Frank said yesterday the game would go on as scheduled despite the damage to the area caused by Hurricane Sandy. Brooklyn plays host to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

Service to several subway stations leading to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn are still suspended and no make up date for the game has been announced.

Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said the team’s game against the Miami Heat will be played Friday at Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan.

SI.com reported Tuesday that the NBA is watching developments and assessing the situation as far as other games on the week’s schedule.

RT @HowardBeckNYT: Another source confirms what my colleague @richsandomir just tweeted: Mayor to announce cancellation of Knicks-Nets game—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 31, 2012

Billy King confirms game canceled.—
Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) October 31, 2012

Yankees reliever Rafael Soriano will test the free agent market after opting out of his contract. (Elsa/Getty Images)

New York Yankees relief pitcher Rafael Soriano opted out of his contract making him a free-agent, the team announced Wednesday.

Soriano’s option is worth $14 million, but will instead take a $1.5 million buyout and test the free agent market.

According to CBSSports.com, the Yankees are expected to make him a qualifying offer worth $13.3 million in order to secure draft pick compensation if he signs with another team.

Soriano reportedly wants a four-year deal. He was 2-1 with a 2.26 ERA, 42 saves and 69 strikeouts this season after filling in for the injured Mariano Rivera.

UCLA freshman guard Kyle Anderson has been declared eligible to play by the NCAA, family members told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday morning.

Anderson was being investigated for a relationship between his father, Kyle Sr., and NBA agent Thad Foucher, according to people with knowledge of the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly.

Anderson, a 6-foot-8 guard who was ranked among the top high school players, is one of UCLA’s blue-chip freshman basketball players. He’s expect to contend for a starting position this season.

UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad is also being investigated by the NCAA for potential basketball recruiting violations. Muhammad had not been cleared to play and is nursing a shoulder injury suffered in practice last week.

UCLA missed the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years after finishing with a 19-14 record last season. UCLA starts the season against Indiana State on Nov. 9.

The Baltimore Orioles declined a $11 million team option on Mark Reynolds. (Al Bello/Getty Images

The Baltimore Orioles declined third baseman Mark Reynolds’ $11 million team option for next season, the team announced Wednesday.

Reynolds will receive a $500,000 buyout and remains under team control because of the arbitration process. The Orioles have until Nov. 30 to decide whether to sign him to a contract for 2013.

Reynolds batted .221 with 23 home runs, 69 RBI in his second season with the club and struck out 159 times in 457 at-bats. Reynolds played his first four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, striking out 200 or more times in three of those seasons including a major league record of 223 in 2009.

The #Orioles have declined Mark Reynolds' $11 mm option for 2013.—
Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) October 31, 2012

The Hornets head coach has announced that Eric Gordon will be out indefinitely with recurring right knee trouble.

Monty Williams says Eric Gordon is out indefinitely.

—
WWL-TV Sports (@wwltvsports) October 31, 2012

The injured knee kept Gordon sidelined for all of training camp. Williams doesn’t expect Gordon to play until more is known about the knee issue.

“He probably does feel pain; that would be the only reason why a guy can’t play,” Williams said. “For me to try to read an MRI…I’ll find out more as we go forward. I try to not get into all that because that would just make me upset.”

Gordon is an essential piece for the Hornets, but he’s struggled to stay healthy. He will start this season sidelined, and played only nine games last season after being traded to the Hornets by the Clippers.

With Gordon sidelined, Roger Mason and rookie Austin Rivers will see increased minutes. Ryan Anderson and No. 1 draft pick Anthony Davis will be expected to carry a larger load offensively.

The Warriors and guard Stephen Curry agreed to a contract extension worth $44 million. (Rocky Widner/NBA/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors and point guard Stephen Curry reached an agreement on a contract extension Wednesday, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

The deal is for four years for $44 million and Curry is expected to sign the deal before the team’s season opener Wednesday night in Phoenix. Curry would have become a restricted free agent at the end of the season if he and the Warriors did not come to an agreement.

“Excited I got it done. Now I can move forward and focus on basketball,” Curry told Yahoo! Sports. ”My ankle was a big factor with the number. They had to protect themselves a little bit.”

Curry, 24, missed 40 of 66 games last season because of an ankle injury and averaged career lows of 14.7 points and 5.3 assists per game.

#Dubs Gameday baby. And thanks to Joe Lacob & the Warriors hopefully I can say that for the next 4 yrs. agreed on extension—
Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) October 31, 2012

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall (23) was ejected from Sunday’s game for a confrontation with an official.

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall was ejected from Sunday’s game against the Steelers for arguing with a ref. Confrontation with officials usually results in a heavy fine, but Hall insists that the ref should face punishment, too.

According to Hall, the argument was a two-way street, but the camera angle only caught half the story.

“From that particular camera angle you can’t see what that ref’s saying to me,” Hall said, via the Washington Post. “So it looks like I’m just out there giving him a piece of my mind and he’s smiling and walks away. And that’s not the case at all. He’s dishing it out just as much as I’m dishing it out.”

Hall said he hopes to find camera angles that show the ref equally engaged in the argument, though he can’t discuss it too much for the time being, as it is still under review.

“I’m not a criminal. I’ve never been in trouble with the law. I’m a great guy. Like I said, off the field I’m a different person, you know what I mean, than I am on the field,” Hall said. “We’re just trying to get every point of view, make sure we get as much proof as possible that happened in that situation and bring it to the forefront so we can come up with the right solution handed down to both sides.”

The argument between Hall and the ref initiated when Hall became upset that Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders wasn’t flagged for taking a shot at him.

Two weeks ago, the league and union swapped proposals in Toronto, resulting in an impasse that doesn’t seem to have any end in sight.

The NHL has already cancelled games through November 30th, and reports say the Winter Classic is next on the chopping block.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the league is working to submit the next proposal.

“No new news. We withdrew our most recent proposal on Friday, and now we are spending time thinking about our next proposal and how best to get closer to a resolution,” Daly said by email. “We hope the union is doing the same thing. Given the fact that the union refused even to discuss our last proposal, it would appear that we still have a large gulf to bridge.”

Even with the Winter Classic cancellation looming, players seem unaffected:

NHL Lockout 2012: Players view cancellation of Winter Classic as 'scare tactic' - Washington Times m.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/…

—
Allan Walsh (@walsha) October 31, 2012

The league has rejected three of the union’s proposals and responded by announcing two rounds of cancellations, making the Winter Classic the third.

24-year-old poker professional Greg Merson won the World Series of Poker just before dawn.

Greg Merson, a 24-year-old Maryland poker professional, won the World Series of Poker main event, a tournament that lasted roughly 12 hours and concluded just before dawn.

Merson beat out 26-year-old Jesse Sylvia for the title and pushed past Phil Hellmuth for the series’ Player of the Year honors.

Sylvia and Merson together outlasted the third-place player at the table, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State. The last amateur at the table, Jake Balsiger was eliminated 11 hours into the tournament. He won $3.8 million for his third place victory and still plans to graduate.

The final three contenders of the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament broke the series record of 364 hands early on; Balsinger was eliminated at hand 382.

The tournament began in July with 6,598 players and dwindled to the finalists, who competed on Monday night. The final three played last night for the $8.53 million first-place prize, which ultimately went to Merson.

The Nets and Knicks will play Thursday despite Hurricane Sandy. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBA/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets will play their game on Thursday as scheduled, despite Hurricane Sandy, confirms NBA spokesman Tim Frank.

The game is scheduled to be played at 7pm at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. SI.com reported Tuesday that the NBA is watching developments and assessing the situation as far as other games on the week’s schedule.

From the NBA’s perspective, all eyes are on Thursday, when the Brooklyn Nets are scheduled to host the New York Knicks in the highly-anticipated opening of the new Barclays Center. The New York Post reported last week that tickets for the game were averaging $800 on the secondary market, with a courtside seat drawing up to $8,100. USA Today reported that the Nets were forced to cancel their practice on Tuesday.

There are more than eight million households without power in 17 states including two million in New York because of the “superstorm”, according to the Associated Press. Parts of Brooklyn lost power, streets ended up under water, and part of the subway system leading to the arena are also flooded.

Knicks-Nets game will be played as scheduled this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Barclays Center—
Tim Frank (@tfrank14) October 31, 2012

NBA will continue to assess Heat-Knicks game Friday night at MSG. Heat, of course, would need a working airport at which to land.—
Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) October 31, 2012

JFK Airport will be open Wednesday, as will Newark Liberty International for limited service. #Sandy on.cnn.com/Sbtwhb—
CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 31, 2012

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant says he will play in the team’s season opener despite a right foot sprain. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images)

From 85 percent to 100 percent.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant confirmed through his Facebook page that he will play in the team’s season opener Tuesday night at home against the Dallas Mavericks. Bryant missed the Lakers’ final two preseason games with a right foot sprain.

Bryant posted this message on his Facebook page:

Feeling good enough to play tonight! I’ll use my strong midsoles for added cushion on the foot for more protection. Looking forward to this journey as I’m sure you are. It’s Go Time. Mamba out

Bryant participated in the Tuesday morning shootaround and said he was “85 percent” sure he would play against the Mavericks and would wait to make a decision after practice to see how his foot responded following the shootaround.

Just saw Kobe walk in from Staples Center VIP parking lot. How's he feeling? "I'm gettin' there," he said. Mark it down already: He'll play.—
Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) October 30, 2012

The Mets exercised team options on third baseman David Wright and pitcher R.A. Dickey. (Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

The New York Mets exercised team options on third baseman David Wright and pitcher R.A. Dickey, reports FoxSports.com.

Wright’s 2013 salary will be $16 million and Dickey will make $5 million next season.

Wright and Dickey are the Mets’ top position player and pitcher, respectively, and sources say the team remains engaged with both in discussions about long-term contracts.

Wright batted .306 with 21 home runs and 93 RBI in 156 games this season. Dickey, 38, had a record of 20-6, with a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 230 strikeouts in 233 2/3 innings and is a contender for the National League Cy Young Award.

As expected, #Mets today formally picked up contract options on David Wright and R.A. Dickey, sources told @Ken_Rosenthal and me. @MLBONFOX—
Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 30, 2012

The White Sox extended Jake Peavy for two years and $29 million. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The White Sox have announced a contract extension for pitcher Jake Peavy. It’s a two-year deal worth $29 million and includes an option for 2015.

Peavy recently hired agent Jeff Berry of CAA heading into the negotiations after contemplating representing himself.

Peavy, whose seasons with the White Sox have been diminished by injuries or ineffectiveness since being acquired in 2009, was a workhorse and anchor for Chicago’s staff in 2012. Peavy finished 11-2 with a 3.37 ERA while pitching 219 innings in 32 starts

In his 32 starts, Peavy did not fail to pitch at least five innings. He went at least six innings in 28 of those starts and at least seven innings in 16 of them.

The White Sox also announced that they have exercised the 2013 club option on pitcher Gavin Floyd, but declined 2013 club options on third baseman Kevin Youkilis and pitcher Brett Myers.

Youkilis was traded to the White Sox after a teary departure from the Red Sox in June. He hit .236 with 15 home runs, 46 RBI and 47 runs scored in 80 games with the White Sox.

Whether or not to part ways with Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski and Youkilis were just some of the tough decisions facing new White Sox GM Rich Hahn. Pierzynski filed for free agency on Tuesday.

The Jaguars traded wide receiver Mike Thomas to the Lions. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded wide receiver Mike Thomas to the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed draft pick, according to a source briefed on the deal in a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

The Lions were looking to add depth at receiver after Nate Burleson broke his right leg against the Bears. Burleson is expected to miss up to eight months after surgery. Burleson’s absence leaves the Lions with a struggling Calvin Johnson, Titus Young and rookie Ryan Broyles.

The Jaguars had signed Thomas to a five-year, $19 million deal in October 2011, but he was one of several Jacksonville receivers who have received criticism for inconsistent play and too many drops. Thomas was made more expendable by his play and off-season deals for receivers including the drafting of Justin Blackmon and the signing of free-agent Laurent Robinson.

The Lions need depth at safety after an injury to Louis Delmas. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Lions’ concern over the health of Louis Delmas has the team looking to add a safety before the NFL’s Thursday trade deadline, according to a source in a report by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Rumors of the Dodgers trading Andre Ethier are “short-lived,” according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

“Not happening,” says a person familiar with the Dodgers’ thinking.

ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted the possibility of a trade involving Ethier and unloading his contract.

Sources: Dodgers are open to the idea of dealing Andre Ethier. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract during the season.—
Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 30, 2012

However, two people familiar with the Dodgers’ thinking shot it down Tuesday. A trade for Ethier would be a little unusual in that Ethier was just signed to an $85 million, five-year extension by the Dodgers.

Ethier hit .284 with 20 home runs and 89 RBI this season and could give the Dodgers a fourth quality outfielder with Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford and possibly Shane Victorino.

The Braves announced on Tuesday that they would exercise contract options for Tim Hudson, Brian McCann and Paul Maholm for the 2013 season. Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke the news on Twitter and commented on the implications for the team’s roster:

#Braves just announced they're picking up all three options on McCann, Hudson and Maholm for 2013. No surprise.—
David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) October 30, 2012

Add the $27.5M commited to those 3 to returners and arb-eligibles, it should leave about $25M to get a CF and LF or 3B—
David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) October 30, 2012

Hudson’s option was worth $9 million, Maholm $6.5 million and McCann’s $12 million, according to the AJC’s Mark Bowman.

While it has long been assumed that Hudson and Maholm would return, there was at least some reason to wonder about McCann, who could miss the first month of next season while recovering from right shoulder surgical procedure he underwent two weeks ago.

McCann certainly did not look like himself as he hit .230 with 20 home runs and a .698 OPS this past season. Still the Braves certainly took notice of the fact that he was able to produce this much power while being limited by constant right shoulder discomfort.

Hudson, who has been with the team since 2005, has indicated that he would like to finish his career in Atlanta. He was 16-7 with a 3.62 ERA last season. Maholm was 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA with the Braves after being traded by the Cubs in July.

The Denver Nuggets and guard Ty Lawson have agreed on a contract extension, sources told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports

Nuggets guard Ty Lawson has agreed to a contract extension, sources tell Yahoo! Sports. More details to come.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) October 30, 2012

Lawson soon confirmed the extension on his Twitter account:

It Looks like im going to be a nugget for another 4 yrs..Thanks to the Kronke family, Masai, nuggets fans and everybody 4 believing In me 😎—
Ty Lawson (@TyLawson3) October 30, 2012

Lawson and the Nuggets were inching closer to a deal that would keep the 25-year-old point guard with the team for years to come, according to a report Tuesday morning from David Aldridge of NBA.com.

A report from the Journal-Times earlier this week had some in the league speculating on the Nuggets offering Lawson a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $45 million.

The Nuggets had until the Oct. 31 deadline to sign draft picks from the 2009 class.

Lawson averaged 16.4 points and 6.6 assists last seasons, his third with the Nuggets, that ended with a Game-7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

The Tigers announced on Tuesday morning that manager Jim Leyland has signed a one-year contract extension for 2013, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“Detroit is a tremendous baseball town, and I couldn’t dream of a better place to manage,” Leyland said in a released statement. “The support of Mr. Ilitch and Dave is second to none and gives this club an opportunity to win every year. Tigers fans and the people of Michigan have supported us so well during my time here, I can’t even begin to express how much that means to me.”

Leyland, 67, worked this season on a one-year contract and didn’t say whether he had planned on returning after the Tigers’ president and GM Dave Dombrowski said he was welcome back a few weeks ago.

Some indications were made that there would be slight adjustments to the coaching staff, but no details were confirmed:

Dombrowski refers vaguely to talk of shifting responsibilities with Leyland's coaching staff but won't get into specifics.—
John Niyo (@JohnNiyo) October 30, 2012

Leyland confirms they may "rearrange the furniture a little bit" with coaching staff, but again, no specifics.—
John Niyo (@JohnNiyo) October 30, 2012

Leyland, who also took Detroit to the World Series in 2006, could become the first Tigers manager in more than a century to win three American League pennants. He has been named manager of the year three times–twice with the Pirates (1990, 1992) and once with the Tigers (2006).

Tom Sermanni was named the new head coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team on Tuesday, according to a U.S. Soccer press release. Sermanni, 58, was the Australian Women’s National Team head coach for 8 years and also played more than 300 professional matches from 1971 to 1989.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to work with tremendous players and in a program that has had such a tradition of success,” said Sermanni. “U.S. Soccer has always been at the forefront of supporting the women’s game, and it’s exciting to coach the team in this next chapter of its history.”

The team’s former coach, Pia Sundhage, left in September to coach for the Swedish women’s national team, saying that the decision had a lot to do with homesickness. Sundhage had coached the team since 2008 and led them to two Olympic golds.

Olympic sports writer, Philip Hersh, thought the move was a “step back” U.S. women’s soccer:

US soccer takes step backward by hiring a man (and a foreigner) to replace Pia Sundhage as women's national team coach bit.ly/Rr76Kr—
Philip Hersh (@olyphil) October 30, 2012

Sermanni will officially join the team on January 1, 2013.

Hurricane Sandy, which left millions without power as it swept through on Monday night, won’t have an affect on the NBA’s opening night, according to a report from NBC Sports. The games scheduled for Tuesday night are in cities unaffected by the storm and include: the Wizards and Cavs in Cleveland, the Celtics and Heat in Miami, and the Mavs and Lakers in L.A.

Games later in the week, particularly those to be played in New York and Philadelphia, are still questionable. Tim Frank, the league’s Senior Vice President of Basketball Communications, tweeted:

For the many asking: Tonight's NBA games will be played. We are still assessing the situation with regards to the rest of the week.—
Tim Frank (@tfrank14) October 30, 2012

The Nuggets are scheduled to play the Sixers in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, and the Knicks kick off their season against the Nets in the new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn on Thursday; both Philadelphia and New York were hit hard by the storm. The Barclay’s Center is at least in practicing condition, according to the New York Times’s Howard Beck:

Nets will practice Wednesday at Barclays Center. Power is out at their training center in East Rutherford. (Still no word on Thurs.)—
Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) October 30, 2012

Whether or not power outages have been restored and the subway system is back up and running will affect the league’s decision on the Knicks-Nets game.

Argentine forward Lionel Messi was the AP’s top rated soccer player, and his team, FC Barcelona, the number one club according to a panel of 18 international writers. (Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP)

The Associated Press released its first global soccer rankings on Tuesday, and Lionel Messi was the top rated player, and and his club, FC Barcelona, the number 1 team. The rankings took into account performances for the week ending Oct. 29.

The rankings are determined by a panel of 18 international writers. Each panelist chooses 10 teams and players; 10 points are awarded for each first-place vote and one point is awarded for a 10th-place vote. Messi received 140 points out of the possible 180, 29 points ahead of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo in second place. Messi scored two goals in Barcelona’s 5-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

“Shame on Messi,” said Filip Bondy, a panelist who writes for the New York Daily News. “He scored only twice. At this rate, he’ll only be the best player in the world…forever.”

The top three play in Spain–Atletico Madrid’s striker, Radamel Falcao was third with 79 points–and all ten play for European clubs. All of the top teams are European also. Atletico Madrid came in second with 109 points and Manchester United was close behind with 105 points.

DeAngelo Hall could be suspended for the Redskins’ game against the Panthers on Sunday.

The NFL is considering a suspension for Washington Redskins starting cornerback DeAngelo Hall in the wake of his ejection in Sunday’s loss in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, according to Mark Maske and Mike Jones of The Washington Post:

The league is reviewing the matter and all disciplinary options will be considered, the person said Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the review is ongoing.

There’s no indication at this time whether he is more likely to face a fine, suspension or penalty for excessive arguing with the refs during Sunday’s loss.

Hall had reportedly grown irate with the refs after he believed they missed a flag on Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who Hall claims had taken a cheap shot at him. After the play, Hall approached the refs for an explanation and refused to back away after being told to go to the sideline.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan agreed with Hall that there should’ve been a flag on the play and said that while he doesn’t disagree with Hall for asking the refs for an explanation, Shanahan said it could’ve been handled more professionally:

“Until he took his helmet off, it’s exactly what I ask our guys to do,” Shanahan said. Initially I thought he did everything perfect. . . . There’s no excuse for having personal fouls, no matter what happens. . . . You still have to handle yourself the right way.”

If Hall is suspended, he would miss the Redskins’ next game at home against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 4.

John Farrell has already brought a number of members of his Blue Jays staff to the Red Sox. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Newly appointed Red Sox manager John Farrell is bringing over another member of his former Toronto Blue Jays staff as the team announced today that Brian Butterfield will come the new third base coach for the Sox, according to Aaron Gleeman of NBCSports.com.

Butterfield had spent the last decade with the Blue Jays, having worked under four different managers of the team and had spent the last three seasons as the third base coach for the team. He is the second member of the Blue Jays staff to join the Red Sox since Farrell left Toronto for Boston to become manager earlier in October; Torey Lovullo has since left the Blue Jays to become the bench coach for the Sox, replacing Tim Bogar.

The Sox parted ways with former manager Bobby Valentine immediately following the end of this past season, his first in Boston and one that had been widely regarded as one of the worst in franchise history.

Danny Granger is out indefinitely for the Pacers with knee soreness. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger is out indefinitely with continued soreness in his left knee, according to the Pacers’ Twitter account.

The news comes a day before the team tips off its season in Toronto against the Raptors. Granger did not participate on Monday in one of the last preseason practices. When he did play, head coach Frank Vogel reported that he looked “limited but fairly effective.”

Granger had missed the first five preseason games for the Pacers but made his debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 23, going 4-7 in 13 minutes of action.  He returned for one more preseason game, playing 22 minutes against the Chicago Bulls three days later. The Pacers aren’t likely to announce a timetable for his return until the results come back from the second opinion that he will be seeking.

In his absence, Paul George will slide to the small forward spot and Gerald Green should see increased minutes at shooting guard. Granger averaged 18.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 62 games last season.

Forward @dgranger33 has continued soreness in his left knee and will be out indefinitely.—
Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 30, 2012

Jrue Holiday will likely become a restricted free agent next summer. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The agent for Philadelphia 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday said the two sides would likely not come to an agreement on a contract extension ahead of Wednesday’s deadline, according to Sam Amick of USA Today Sports:

“We’ve had conversations, but I don’t feel like any progress has been made,” Tony Dutt told USA Today Sports on Monday of the talks with the Sixers. “We haven’t talked in a while.”

Holiday continues to seek a max deal despite averaging 13.7 points, 5.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in his two seasons as a starter. The deadline for signing players from the 2009 draft class is Wednesday at 5 p.m. If Holiday doesn’t reach a deal, he will become a restricted free agent in July 2013 and the Sixers would have three days to match any competing offers.

Holiday will go head-to-head with Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets as the two teams open up their season in Philadelphia on Wednesday evening. Lawson, who is from the same ’09 draft class as Holiday, is also under deadline for a contract extension with his team.

The Nuggets are hoping to sign Ty Lawson to a long-term deal before the Oct. 31 deadline. (Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images)

Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets are inching closer to a deal that would keep the point guard with the team for years to come, according to a report Tuesday morning from David Aldridge of NBA.com. The Nuggets have until the Oct. 31 deadline to sign draft picks from the 2009 class.

Lawson, who turns 25 later this week, had turned down a four-year deal with the Nuggets worth $45 million earlier in October. The deal would’ve made him one of the highest paid point guards in the league, on par with Rajon Rondo, who is set to begin the third of his five-year, $55 million contract with the Boston Celtics.

Though Aldridge reports that the Nuggets hope a deal can be reached before tomorrow, the possibility of talks extending beyond the deadline would mean Lawson would become a restricted free agent July 2013. At that point, he could sign an offer sheet with another team and the Nuggets would have three days to match any competing offers.

Last year, in his third season with the Nuggets, Lawson averaged 16.4 points and 6.6 assists and played well throughout the playoffs, leading the team all the way to a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

The Nuggets open up their season on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on Halloween. The game will mark the return to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala, who was traded to Denver during the offseason as part of the four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers.

Nine South Florida coaches and associates have been arrested for allegedly betting on little league football games, capping off an 18-month investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, according to a report Tuesday morning from Paula Lavigne of ESPN.com.

$20,000 was bet in a rivalry game between the Northwest Broward Raiders and the Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes a few weeks ago. And up to $100,000 would be bet on the youth leagues’ final championship games of the season.

The men involved in the scheme had coached football for boys ages 5 to 15 and six of those men are ex-convicts with charges ranging from assault to drug-related felonies. If convicted, they could each face up to five years in prison for organized gambling:

“They take all innocence away from the game when they involve themselves in these criminal acts,” the detective said. “And it’s just mind-blowing what we discovered in this investigation.”

According to the report, one of the coaches had reportedly accepted a “wad of cash” before the game in a handshake deal with another coach. He then took that cash, waved it in front of his own players and indicated how much money was at stake for their game.

Brandon Bivins, one of the men charged, was the coach of the Ft. Lauderdale Hurricanes. He is also the owner of a local barber shop in South Florida, where police say they witnessed more than 50 men enter on a recent Sunday morning and, instead of getting a haircut, had gone through a door in the back of the shop that led down a long hallway. At the end of the hallway were three windows where those men placed bets on everything from Major League Baseball, the National Football League and little league football.

According to police, betting was only part of the problem. Violence at the games among the coaches had also played a major role in indicting them:

“We’ve seen violence escalate at these games, we’ve seen shootings, we’ve seen fights, arguments between coaches and it’s just so unfortunate for the kids that are involved because many of them have no idea. They just want to be a part of something that’s positive.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers are “open” to a potential trade for outfielder Andre Ethier, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported Monday night via Twitter.

Sources: Dodgers are open to the idea of dealing Andre Ethier. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract during the season.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 30, 2012

Olney notes that Ethier recently signed a hefty contract extension, which would make any deal surprising. But the 30-year-old Ethier’s stats took a slight turn down after he signed the contract extension in June.

After signing the contract extension in June, Ethier hit .282 with a .780 OPS. In the two months before, his OPS was about .860. Overall last season, Ethier hit .284 with an .811 OPS.

Amar’e Stoudemire could miss six to eight weeks after re-injuring his surgically repaired knee. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

New York Knicks star forward Amar’e Stoudemire will be out at least the first six weeks of the season and possibly up to eight after re-injuring his left knee, ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reported on Monday night.

Broussard reported that Stoudemire received a second opinion on his surgically repaired knee, which determined that he would need additional time to recover. Originally, the Knicks had hoped Stoudemire could return within two to three weeks after re-injuring the knee on Oct. 19.

Broussard reported that the second opinion came from Phoenix Suns team doctor Dr. Thomas Carter, who advised Stoudemire that he would need more time to heal. According to the report, the Knicks will officially announce the news on Tuesday.

The Knicks begin the 2012-13 regular season with a Thursday game at Brooklyn.

Stoudemire’s knees were a concern when the Knicks originally signed Stoudemire to a five-year, $100 million contract as a free agent in 2010. Through his first two seasons with the Knicks, however, he has managed to stay relatively healthy. He averaged 17.5 points and nearly eight rebounds last season, playing in 47 of the Knicks’ 66 games.