Thursday’s Sports In Brief

SOCCER

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Landon Donovan, the most accomplished American player in the history of men’s soccer, won’t be going to his fourth World Cup.

The 32-year-old attacker, who set the national team record for goals and assists while winning five titles in Major League Soccer, was among seven players cut Thursday when coach Jurgen Klinsmann got down to the 23-man limit well before the June 2 deadline.

___

PRO FOOTBALL:

DENVER (AP) - Police issued an arrest warrant for Broncos safety T.J. Ward on an assault charge stemming from a fight at a Denver strip club on May 9.

“We have been aware of this issue and will continue to review all of the facts,” the Broncos said in a statement.

Court records show the disturbance happened at PT’s All Nude.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Half the U.S. Senate urged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the Washington Redskins’ name, saying it is a racist slur and the time is ripe to replace it.

In one letter, 49 senators cited the NBA’s quick action recently to ban Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life after he was heard on an audio recording making offensive comments about blacks. They said Goodell should formally push to rename the Redskins.

___

PRO BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana Pacers kept Paul George out of contact drills because of a concussion.

It’s uncertain whether he will be cleared to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday in Miami. George was diagnosed with a concussion, less than 24 hours after he told reporters he had “blacked out” and had blurred vision following a collision with Miami’s Dwyane Wade near the end of Game 2. The series is tied 1-1.

___

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban apologized to Trayvon Martin’s family for his choice of words in a videotaped interview in which he addressed bigotry and prejudice.

Cuban even revealed some of his own prejudices in the interview with Inc. magazine, and said he believes everyone has “prejudices and bigotries” on some level. But after his words - which came with the NBA still dealing with the fallout over racist remarks made by now-banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling - created a stir in social media and other circles, Cuban took to Twitter to offer his apology.

“In hindsight I should have used different examples,” Cuban wrote. “I didn’t consider the Trayvon Martin family, and I apologize to them for that.”

Martin was the black Florida teen who was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in February 2012.

HONOLULU (AP) - The interim chief executive of the Los Angeles Clippers responded to a report questioning his playing experience by saying he played one season of freshman basketball at the University of Hawaii and wasn’t very good.

In response to a Deadspin report questioning Parsons’ playing experience, a spokesman for interim Clippers CEO Dick Parsons said the former chairman of Citigroup and Time Warner never claimed to play varsity.

CLEVELAND (AP) - A person familiar with the situation says the Cavaliers asked the Los Angeles Clippers for permission to interview assistant coach Alvin Gentry for their head coaching position.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Memphis coach Dave Joerger met with Minnesota president of basketball operations Flip Saunders about the team’s coaching vacancy. A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that the next step in the process is to meet with team owner Glen Taylor.

NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Carter-Williams was unanimously chosen to the NBA’s all-rookie team.

Chosen 11th overall in the draft, the Philadelphia 76ers guard was the only unanimous selection to the first team, which also includes Orlando’s Victor Oladipo, Utah’s Trey Burke, Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee and New York’s Tim Hardaway Jr.

___

BASEBALL:

Prince Fielder is expected to have neck surgery next week and miss the rest of the season.

Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after another scan and a follow-up exam with Dr. Drew Dossett.

General manager Jon Daniels said the team would get second opinion about surgery, but were “expecting that to be confirmed.”

NEW YORK (AP) - Miguel Olivo was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers two days after biting off a piece of Triple-A Albuquerque teammate Alex Guerrero’s left ear during a dugout brawl.

Olivo, a veteran catcher, and Guerrero, the highly paid Cuban second base prospect, fought during the Isotopes’ game at Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The Dodgers had suspended Olivo while they conducted an investigation.

KODAK, Tenn. (AP) - Arizona farmhand Jon Griffin ran his homer streak to five at-bats, connecting leading off the second inning in the Mobile BayBears’ 6-5 loss to the Tennessee Smokies.

On Wednesday night, the 6-foot-6 Griffin homered in his final four at-bats in the BayBears’ 17-7 victory over the Smokies. In his second at-bat Thursday, he walked to end the streak.

___

HORSE RACING

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A racehorse died at Churchill Downs after a freak fall that the trainer blamed on the sound of a starting gate bell blaring on the track’s new sound system.

The 5-year-old mare Never Tell Lynda was walking toward the paddock on the track when she reared, twisted and fell, hitting her head, said her trainer, Kenneth Wirth. She died before the first race of the day at the track that’s home to the Kentucky Derby.

A heartbroken Wirth later said the horse was startled by what Wirth thinks was the sound of a starting gate bell coming from a commercial on Churchill’s massive new video board. The system includes 750 speakers.

___

AUTO RACING

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Jimmie Johnson won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.

Johnson turned a lap at 194.911 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the third round of NASCAR’s knockout qualifying format for his first pole of the Sprint Cup season.

Brad Keselowski will start alongside Johnson on the front row Sunday night in the longest Sprint Cup race of the year. It’s the seventh time this season Keselowski will start on the front row.

___

GOLF

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Dustin Johnson shot a bogey-free 5-under to lead by one stroke after the first round of the Colonial.

Hunter Mahan, playing in the group ahead of Johnson, led before a double-bogey 6 at the 433-yard 18th hole for a 66. He was tied for second with Harris English, Tim Wilkinson and Robert Streb.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Joe Durant birdied his final hole for a 6-under 65 and a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Senior PGA Championship.

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) - Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn shot a course record 10-under 62 at Wentworth to take a two-shot lead after the first-round lead of the BMW PGA Championship.

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Catriona Matthew took the first-round lead in the Airbus LPGA Classic, holing a bunker shot for an eagle and finishing with an 8-under 64.

___

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

STORRS, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut basketball coach Kevin Ollie agreed to a $15 million, five-year contract with the national champion Huskies.

The 41-year-old coach, who spent 13 years as an NBA journeyman before returning to his alma mater, had been linked to several NBA job openings, including with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Florida’s Billy Donovan has spoken to a couple of NBA teams about coaching vacancies, but adds that “I fully plan on being back” next season.

___

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Late Alabama linebacker Derrick Thomas was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, highlighting a class of 14 players that includes LaDainian Tomlinson, Sterling Sharpe and Tony Boselli.

___

TENNIS

NICE, France (AP) - Top-seeded John Isner of the United States lost 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6) to Federico Delbonis of Argentina in the Open de Nice quarterfinals as both players wasted match points.

STRASBOURG, France (AP) - Former champion Andrea Petkovic of Germany lost 6-4, 6-4 to Monica Puig of Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg International.

NUREMBERG, Germany (AP) - Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic upset top-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 7-6 (5), 6-4 to make the Nuremberg Cup semifinals.

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) - Ivo Karlovic of Croatia advanced to the Duesseldorf Open semifinals, hitting 19 aces in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over defending champion Juan Monaco of Argentina.

___

CYCLING

BAROLO, Italy (AP) - Rigoberto Uran took the overall lead of the Giro d’Italia by winning the 12th stage individual time trial.

The Colombian was 57 seconds behind Cadel Evans going into the stage, then won the 26-mile time trial from Barbaresco to Barolo in 57 minutes, 34 seconds. Evans finished 1 minute, 34 seconds behind in third.