Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. ó The Memphis Grizzlies re-signed forward Darius Miles on Saturday despite a threat of legal action by the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Trail Blazers sent an e-mail to executives around the NBA this week concerning Miles. On Friday, team president Larry Miller said the Blazers took action because of talk that teams were considering signing the forward to hurt Portland financially.
Miles is coming back from major knee surgery. If he plays two more games, Portland will be on the hook for the $18 million left on his contract. That would count against its salary cap and force the team to pay luxury tax.
GOLF
KAPALUA, Hawaii ó Geoff Ogilvy ran off three straight birdies on the back nine and shot an 8-under 65 on Saturday to make the rest of the winners-only field at the Mercedes-Benz Championship feel as though they were playing for second.
Leading by one shot to start the third round, Ogilvy played bogey-free for the second time in three rounds and wound up with a six-shot lead over Justin Leonard and D.J. Trahan as he tries to win the PGA Tour’s season-opening event.
– ORLANDO, Fla. ó Annika Sorenstam and Mike McGee were married Saturday, four weeks after the Swedish golf star ended her Hall of Fame career.
Sorenstam retired last month after winning 72 times on the LPGA Tour.
Sorenstam will be honored at the “Annika Celebration” onFeb. 1-3 at Ginn Reunion Resort, which will feature a skins game among Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis.
BASEBALL
LOS ANGELES ó Pitcher Shawn Estes has agreed to terms of a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers that could be worth as much as $1.55 million.
– NEW YORK ó The New York Mets moved to add a pitcher while still negotiating with higher-profile free agents, reaching a preliminary agreement with Tim Redding on a $2.25 million, one-year contract.
NASCAR
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ó The skidding economy was the main topic at the fourth annual Sound and Speed Fan Festival combining drivers and country music stars in a two-day event.
“The economy will be the white elephant in the room wherever we go with the Cup series this year,” Kyle Petty said. “Anybody that says it is not is full of crap.”
Fans paid $20 for the annual kickoff of the NASCAR season Saturday, which included autograph sessions with a number of drivers and country music artists. Not surprisingly, the biggest draw was Dale Earnhardt Jr.
No attendance figures were given, but T-shirts for the event were marked down an hour before closing time. Fans were given the opportunity to have question and-answer sessions with the drivers and artists. Money issues were a major part of the discussions.