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"I knew a couple of months ago I was going to have the surgery," Woods said. "The knee has been bugging me for a while. The only decision was do you miss the Masters or play in the Masters? I decided to play. Even if I had won, I still would have had the surgery."

Woods had arthroscopic surgery April 15, two days after he finished three shots behind Trevor Immelman in the Masters. It was the second time in five years Woods had surgery on his left knee, this time to clean out some cartilage.

He used crutches last week in Las Vegas at "Tiger Jam XI," a charity concert that raised more than $1.5 million for his foundation, and now is in a knee brace. He said he hopes to start rehabilitation soon.

"Needless to say, I'm a little stir crazy," Woods said. "Although I've been through this before and understand the need for patience, I don't enjoy sitting around. I really don't have a timetable for returning to competition. The doctors have said I should be able to play again in four to six weeks, but nothing is certain. I'm just going to do what they tell me to do."

However, sophomores Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington will declare for the NBA Draft, but will not hire agents — leaving open the possibility of their return.

Hansbrough, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. He led the Tar Heels (36-3) to the winningest season in school history and the Final Four while sweeping the major national player of the year awards. He already has qualified to become the eighth player in school history to have his jersey retired.

Hansbrough’s return wasn’t a big surprise considering he has long talked about his determination to win a national championship before he leaves school. He enters next season ranked second on the program’s career list with 2,168 points, putting him 122 behind Phil Ford for the record. He also is within reach of the Atlantic Coast Conference career mark set by Duke’s J.J. Redick (2,769 points) in 2006.

But Hansbrough will have to wait to find out whether the team’s second- and third-leading scorers last season will join him in Chapel Hill for another title run.

The Lexington Christian Academy swing player spoke with Coach Matthew Mitchell Thursday night and told him that she was headed to UK.

“Coach Mitchell solidified the deal for us,” Ross Barnette said. “He’s shown a lot of class in all of our dealings with him and we felt really comfortable with him and UK.”

Several schools around the country were showing interest in the 6-foot-2 Barnette, including Duke, Louisville, Western Kentucky and Arkansas, her father said.

But she had her heart set on Kentucky, Lexington Christian Coach Jason Seamands said.

Flemings, a junior college All-American for Weatherford (Texas) College, met with UK Coach Billy Gillispie on Wednesday night.

“It went pretty well,” Weatherford Coach Mark Osina said. “The kid seems pretty excited.”

Flemings visited Hawaii last weekend and plans to visit UK. That date has not been set, Osina said.

When asked if Kentucky should be considered the favorite for Flemings, Osina said, “That’s what I think.

Jack McKeon had just been chosen NL Manager of the Year for leading the Cincinnati Reds to within one victory of the playoffs. General manager Jim Bowden was talking about champagne celebrations in the near future.

McKeon? Gone. Bowden? Gone. Those giddy days? Ancient history.

Since his high-profile homecoming, Griffey has played for six managers, four general managers and two owners. That's a lot of change in a little more than eight years.

One more numbing number. Over that span, the Reds have managed only one winning season.

Imagine going to a job interview and having the potential employer ask, "What was heroin like the first time you tried it?"

Or better yet, "when was the last time you used cocaine?" That's the question Hurricanes safety Kenny Phillips, who swears he's always been drug-free, got at the NFL Combine.

How about if the would-be employer probed you on your relationships with all your "baby mommas," and why you decided not to use protection during sex? Is it that you're a risk taker? Never mind that you might not have any children.

For most job seekers, those questions would cross the line. But for NFL prospects seeking a million-dollar payday, they're routine. As are insults, confrontations and silly questions like: Which would you prefer to be, a cat or a dog?

When it comes to the Celtics-Hawks matchup — specifically the point guards — in the NBA playoffs, suffice to say Rajon Rondo's former high school coach and Mike Bibby's first cousin feels strongly both ways.

"It's weird, really weird," says Doug Bibby, who coached Louisville's Central High School to its first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 30 years in 2008.

In his time as head coach at Louisville's Eastern High, Doug Bibby took a skinny kid with unusually large hands and convinced him he had a special gift for playing basketball.

The relationship between him and Rondo grew deeper than player/coach. Bibby became a life mentor for the Louisville product who became a McDonald's All-American and, for two up-and-down years, a Kentucky Wildcat.

Race 7 saw Gomez disqualified from winning on Accredit. In the same race, Arnold had cause for concern when the colt he trains, Veiled Prophet, tried to climb the rail soon after the start, dislodging jockey Miguel Mena.

Race 8 found Arnold suggesting to Gomez, "mine ran through the fence and you got taken down, so maybe something good will happen here."

Arnold called that one right. Minutes later, Gomez rode Communique to a slight upset victory in the $150,000 Grey Goose Bewitch Stakes for Arnold and the filly's owner, G. Watts Humphrey Jr.

The good moment replaced the bad of the previous race in a heartbeat. That's the short time it took for Communique to catch the leader and win the stakes by half a length.

"I check out everybody's mock drafts," the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback said. "I kind of make my own mental mock draft. I've researched a lot of players, watched a lot of film and have a good idea who I think are the best guys at each position."

Who would he like the Bengals to pick at No. 9 overall?

"I hope it's Sedrick Ellis," Palmer said. "I hope he's still there."

There's a college connection and a bit of history. Both of them went to Southern California, which is a big plus in Palmer's mind. Ellis also plays one of the positions that Coach Marvin Lewis has failed to fill during his five seasons in Cincinnati.

Brown has been a winner at almost every team from the ABA to the NBA to the college ranks, yet hasn't coached since a bitter split with the Knicks and then-team president Isiah Thomas after one dismal season in New York in 2005-06.

"He has the taste of coaching back in his mouth," said Brown's agent, Joe Glass. "It would be refreshing to have a situation going that he could enjoy, rather than the last one, to say the least."

Glass said Brown, who won an NBA title with Detroit and a college title with Kansas, would not rule out returning to either level.

Brown rejoined the Sixers last season as consultant and was hired in January 2007 as a VP more than three years after he quit his coaching job to take the same position in Detroit. The 67-year-old Brown resigned as coach of the 76ers in 2003 after six often-turbulent seasons in which he helped rebuild a struggling franchise.

The Associated Press national player of the year said Friday that he will return for his senior year. However, sophomores Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington will declare for the NBA draft, though they won't hire agents - leaving open the possibility of their return.

Hansbrough, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. He led the Tar Heels (36-3) to the winningest season in school history and the Final Four while sweeping the major national player of the year awards. He already has qualified to become the eighth player in school history to have his jersey retired and can add several more records to his resume in his final season.

He will be the first returning AP national player of the year since LSU's Shaquille O'Neal in 1991.

"I love my collegiate experience and want to finish my four years here, then move on to my next dream of playing in the NBA," Hansbrough said in a statement. "I am very relieved that this decision is behind us and I can concentrate on my academic work and improving my game for next season."

How fast that clock is ticking depends on who you talk to.

The deal still wasn't finalized Friday, two days after the teams agreed in principle and the eve of the NFL draft. The Titans are supposed to get Dallas' fourth-round pick and another pick next year for the rights to the suspended cornerback.

"Clearly it's got to be done tomorrow or else it becomes academic," said Jones' agent, Manny Arora.

Not so fast, says Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple. He said the teams were still working out details and that the deal didn't have to be complete before the draft.

Kim, who was one of three first-round leaders, completed two rounds at seven- under-par 134. Annika Sorenstam also shot four-under 67 and is one stroke back at minus-six.

The event is being played on the par-71 Soffer course and the par-70 Miller course at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club. Kim and Sorenstam both played the Soffer course Friday.

Paula Creamer, who shared the first-round lead with Kim and Momoko Ueda, struggled to a one-over 71 on the Miller course in round two. She fell into a share of third at two-under-par 139, where she stands alongside Angela Stanford (70 Soffer).

Ueda stumbled to a two-over 72 on the Miller course and is tied for fifth with Meena Lee at minus-one.

General manager Ted Thompson says the move is procedural in advance of the NFL draft. The 38-year-old Favre announced his retirement March 6 in an emotional news conference. The team has announced it will retire the three-time MVP's No. 4 when the season starts in September.

Thompson also says the team has waived three offensive linemen - Tony Palmer, Chris Patrick and Cliff Washburn - to reduce the active roster to 68 players.

Palmer played in a pair of games in 2007 before sustaining a season-ending neck injury. Patrick and Washburn were on the team's practice squad before signing contracts for 2008.

Wolski was hurt in Detroit's 4-3 win Thursday night.

Star forward Peter Forsberg, who was scratched from the series opener with a groin injury, is questionable for Game 2.

Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville expects Jose Theodore to play Saturday after being pulled and sent to the hotel during Game 1 because he was sick.

"You want to make the most of this event for everybody: the team, the sponsors, the league and everybody," Patrick said Friday at Kansas Speedway, where she will try to make it two wins in a row on Sunday.

Patrick appeared relaxed and confident after a whirlwind of publicity following her win in Japan last weekend. The frenetic week included a series of TV appearances, dozens of interviews, attending a movie premiere and an outpouring of adulation from her fans and the general public.

"Yeah, I worked my butt off for a week," Patrick said, grinning. "I feel pretty good, though. I think that everything happens for a reason and, if this would have come three years ago on the heels of Indy or something like that, maybe I wouldn't have been so calm and prepared."

The then-22-year-old Patrick exploded into the consciousness of the American public as an IRL IndyCar Series rookie in 2005 when she qualified second and finished fourth at a race in Motegi, Japan. She then qualified fourth for the Indianapolis 500 and led the race before finishing fourth - all firsts for a woman at the famed Brickyard.

Watson and North teamed to birdie the first seven holes en route to a better-ball 13-under 59 on Friday for a three-shot lead after the first round of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament at The Club at Savannah Harbor.

"For a while there, we said, 'Let's birdie them all,'" North said. "That's sort of what you have to do. You make three pars in an event like this and eight teams go past you."

During the opening run of birdies, Watson sank a 25-foot putt at No. 3 and North chipped in at the sixth.

"You have to make a lot of birdies to win this thing," Watson said. "You'll probably have to shoot about 62 every day."

Favre is the first retired player to have his visage on the video game. And yes, he is retired, despite the rumblings that nothing is final - the Packers filed papers with the league to make it official on Friday.

"There are always second thoughts, but that's not saying I am coming back," Favre said. "It's never a clear-cut decision. It's something I can't expect everyone to understand. No, there's no perfect time.

"First of all, I won't keep myself in shape. I'm sure after training camp is over and all that hard work is done, it might be 'OK, now.' It might be nice to dream about it, but no."

Favre indicated he'd like to stay close to the game, although he wasn't specific. Perhaps some mentoring for high school players.

"One hundred percent, right?" he confirmed as Pierce was talking to reporters.

Pierce had no problems during practice and was expected to play without restrictions on Saturday night in Game 3 of Boston's first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. Pierce, who was body-slammed to the floor in Game 2 on Wednesday, said his back was stiff the next day but fine on Friday.

"I went through a full practice, so there shouldn't be any complications from the other night," Pierce said. "Shoot, I'll be ready for Game 3."

After missing a total of 19 games in his first eight NBA seasons, Pierce played in a career-low 47 last year because of a foot injury and elbow infection - and because the Celtics were destined for the draft lottery and they didn't really care.

Arenas started and played only 10 minutes in Washington's Game 3 victory Thursday night. He limped off the court in the second quarter and did not return.

The three-time All-Star revealed Friday he missed two days of practice before Game 3, and an MRI taken before the game revealed that his surgically repaired left knee has a bone bruise and a pinched nerve.

"I knew I wasn't going to play more than 10, 15 minutes," Arenas said. "While I was out there, I was just trying to energize the crowd, get everybody excited about being home and get some people involved until my time was up."

Arenas said he started the game - his first start since returning from surgery earlier this month - because the knee stiffens up when he sits on the bench. He tried to keep the knee warm by riding an exercise bike when he wasn't in the game during the first half.

Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy noted that 20-year-old Jason Scott Mitchell and three other suspects allegedly hatched their plot in the Fort Myers area and drove across the state intending to burglarize Taylor's Miami-area home.

"Youth and guns have been such a prevalent issue of concern in our community. Now we're getting it imported from other parts of the state," Murphy said at a hearing. "I'm not sure any form of release would adequately protect the public."

Like many other cities, Miami has seen a recent rise in murders. The most recent complete FBI data shows there were 77 murders in the city in 2006 compared with 54 the year before - and nearly three-quarters of all homicides nationally involve guns.

Murphy's denial of bail for Mitchell came after the suspect's mother, Louise Robertson, and several other relatives came to court wearing T-shirts bearing his picture. Robertson's black shirt said "Mama's Baby" on the front and "Free My Son" on the back.

None is worried where he winds up.

"This isn't a recruiting process to me," said Chris Long, an All-America defensive end for Virginia and the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long. "Wherever you go, you go. The process is not competitive. The draft is an achievement, but the real achievements you make on the field."

The accomplishments of this defensive trio were impressive: Gholston played for the past two national championships at Ohio State; Dorsey helped LSU win the 2007 title; Chris Long might have been the best all-around defensive lineman in the nation.

The St. Louis Rams are up next and are considering all three defenders.