Lawyer: Pierce ready to cooperate with authorities

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The attorney for Antonio Pierce says the Giants linebacker didn't know teammate Plaxico Burress was carrying a gun last weekend until the star receiver accidentally shot himself in the right thigh.

Michael Bachner also tells The Associated Press in a telephone interview that Pierce will cooperate with authorities and testify before a Manhattan grand jury about the incident if asked to do so. He says that's up to the district attorney's office.

Bachner says Pierce did take Burress to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center as instructed by a Giants trainer, but he did not try to cover it up by registering Burress under a false name.

He says he can't comment on a report that Pierce took Burress' gun to his home and later gave it back to Burress' wife.

Police still want to interview the people at the hospital who treated Burress and did not report the shooting, as required by law. One doctor has already been suspended for not reporting Burress' gunshot wound.

Burress has been charged with illegal weapons possession.

Authorities are trying to determine whether Pierce tried to cover up the shooting.

NFLPA taking legal action aimed at overturning recent suspensions

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The NFL Players Association is suing to block five of the six player suspensions handed out earlier this week for violating the league's anti-doping policy.

The suit filed today in federal court in Minneapolis is on behalf of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings, and Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints.

The five players were suspended for testing positive for a banned diuretic that can be used as a masking agent for steroids. The diuretic was in a supplement that did not list the diuretic as an ingredient.

The suit says both the NFL-appointed doctor and the NFL lawyer who administers the league's steroids policy knew the supplement contained the banned drug but never advised the players. It alleges they breached their duty to the players and endangered their physical well-being.

The union is asking for a hearing tomorrow for a preliminary injunction so the five players can suit up this weekend.

The two Vikings had already obtained a temporary restraining order from Hennepin County District Court blocking their suspensions.

Chargers clinging desperately to playoff hopes

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The first NFL game of the first week of December is a first-rate stinker. The 4-and-8 Chargers are preparing to host the 3-and-9 Raiders.

Despite their less-than-stellar record, the Chargers are still desperately clinging to playoff hopes. They are three games behind AFC West leader Denver with four games to play. A San Diego loss tonight and the Broncos can wrap up the division title on Sunday with a win or tie against visiting Kansas City.

The Bolts have beaten the Silver and Black in each of their past 10 meetings, including a 28-18 win in Oakland on Sept. 28.

Bulldogs will go bowling in Albuquerque...Anderson switching schools but not states

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Fresno State has accepted a bid to play in the New Mexico Bowl.

It will be the seventh postseason game in the past eight years for the 7-and-5 Bulldogs, who tied Hawaii, Louisiana Tech and Nevada for second place in the WAC. They'll meet a Mountain West team Dec. 20 in Albuquerque.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Defensive coordinator Gary Andersen is leaving Utah to become head coach at Utah State.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham issued a statement wishing Andersen luck and crediting him with a lot of the seventh-ranked Utes' success as they went 12-and-0 during the regular season.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs says he was shocked yesterday when Tommy Tuberville resigned as football coach after 10 seasons of guiding the Tigers' program.

Jacobs says he and the university president tried to talk Tuberville out of it the previous day and had never considered firing him.

Auburn has hired consultant Bill Carr to help with the search for a new coach. Jacobs says to his knowledge no university representative has been in contact with a potential candidate.

Auburn's wish list reportedly could include Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Louisiana Tech's Derek Dooley and current coaches-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher of Florida State and Will Muschamp at Texas.

Giants get Renteria...White Sox and Braves get it done

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants have announced the signing of free agent infielder Edgar Renteria .

The 13-year big league veteran is the second free agent to join the club in as many days. The Giants signed right-handed reliever Bobby Howry to a one-year contract yesterday.

Renteria batted .270 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs this year for Detroit. The Tigers declined their $11 million 2009 option for Renteria and gave him a $3 million buyout.

CHICAGO (AP) -- The White Sox have completed that much-discussed six-player trade with the Braves. Chicago sends right-hander Javier Vazquez and lefty reliever Boone Logan to Atlanta for four prospects: catcher Tyler Flowers, infielders Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge and left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez.

Vazquez was 12-and-16 with a 4.67 ERA in 33 starts for the AL Central champions this season. He surpassed 200 innings for the eighth time in nine years, but struggled down the stretch. He's under contract for the next two years at $11.5 million per season.

BOSTON (AP) -- The Red Sox have landed another Japanese pitcher, completing their contract with right-hander Junichi Tazawa .

The 22-year-old Tazawa spurned professional teams in Japan to pursue a major league career in the United States. Boston planned a Thursday news conference at Fenway Park to announce the deal.

The Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves also were believed to be interested in Tazawa.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball salaries started to slow this year even before the economy cooled.

The average salary in Major League Baseball this season was $2.93 million, the players' association said Thursday in its annual report.

The 3.6 percent increase was the smallest since 2004, when the average declined 2.5 percent from the previous season.

Western Conference has pro basketball's narrow spotlight

UNDATED (AP) -- There's not much to choose from on tonight's NBA schedule. The two-game slate begins in Dallas and ends in Denver.

The 9-and-8 Mavericks will host the 11-8 Phoenix Suns, and the 13-and-6 Nuggets will be gunning for a fourth straight win when they host a 9-and-8 San Antonio Spurs club that's looking to avoid a third straight loss.

A good college basketball matchup in the Lone Star State

UNDATED (AP) -- Tonight's big game on the college hardwood will take place in Austin. That's where No. 8 Texas awaits 12th-ranked UCLA for a matchup of teams with one loss on their early season records.

The Longhorns and Bruins are two of a half-dozen members of the AP poll preparing for action.

No. 2 Connecticut is on the road to play Buffalo, sixth-ranked Oklahoma is home to Southern California, 17th-ranked Villanova hosts Houston Baptist and Mo. 19 Arizona State entertains Jackson State.

Busy night on the ice

UNDATED (AP) -- San Jose will be looking to improve on the NHL's best start in more than six decades tonight when it hosts Columbus. The 21-3-and-1 Sharks have matched the 1943-44 Canadiens for the most points in NHL history after 25 games with 43. Montreal got to that number with a 20-2-and-3 record.

Also on the ice this evening, you've got the New York Rangers skating at Montreal, Carolina home to Pittsburgh, New Jersey at Philadelphia, Washington hosting the New York Islanders, Florida entertaining Buffalo, Vancouver at Detroit, Boston at Tampa Bay, Nashville home to Colorado and Toronto at Phoenix.

Wie in good shape at Q-school

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Michelle Wie ran off four straight birdies late in the second round for a 7-under 65 that gave her a share of the lead among early finishers at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament.

With about half the field still playing, Wie was tied with Shiho Oyama at 10-under 134.

The top 20 players when the 90-hole tournament ends on Sunday will earn their LPGA Tour cards for next season.

If no one catches the leaders, it will be the first time since the second round of the 2006 Evian Masters that Wie had at least a share of the lead after any round of any tournament.

Petty hoping to keep operating

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Associated Press has learned that Petty Enterprises is in discussions to merge its storied franchise with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

Multiple people familiar with the talks tell the AP that the two teams are discussing a deal that would merge Petty's No. 43 Dodge with GEM to become a four-car operation. They requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing.

SI.com first reported that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. But Petty Enterprises CEO David Zucker says that report is "not accurate."

He would not discuss a potential merger.

Petty, the team founded by seven-time series champion Richard Petty, has no full-time sponsorship lined up for next season. The team fields cars for Bobby Labonte , Chad McCumbee and Kyle Petty.

Too much snow to ski

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) -- Today's scheduled men's super combined at Beaver Creek, Colorado, has been canceled after seven inches of snow fell at the mountain resort overnight.

It's the second straight day that snow has interfered with the Birds of Prey competition. A downhill training run was wiped out yesterday.

The World Cup competition is scheduled to begin tomorrow with the downhill race.