Report says Roy, Blazers agreed to deal

NBA

Report says Roy, Blazers agreed to deal

PORTLAND, Ore. - Brandon Roy reportedly has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers planned a news conference with Roy today to announce the deal, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports that cited unidentified league sources.

The extension is expected to be worth between $78 million and $82 million, the report said.

Roy led the Blazers with 22.6 points and 5.1 assists per game last season, his third in the league.

In other NBA news:

• Houston signed rookie guard Jermaine Taylor to a multiyear contract. The 6-4 Taylor was drafted by Washington in the second round and Houston acquired his rights in exchange for cash. Taylor was the 32nd overall pick. Taylor scored 1,979 points at Central Florida and made a school-record 251 3-pointers.

• The Detroit Pistons signed first-round draft pick Austin Daye. The Gonzaga forward signed a two-year guaranteed contract, and the team holds an option in each of the following two seasons. Daye averaged 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds as a sophomore.

TRACK AND FIELD

Jesse Owens to be honored in Berlin

As a kid, Marlene Hemphill Dortch watched the grainy, black-and-white film footage from the 1936 Berlin Olympics in amazement, wondering how her grandfather was so much faster than everyone else. There was Jesse Owens, darting down the track to win the 100-meter title, then smiling and waving at the cheering German crowd.

Now when she views that vintage footage, Dortch, 45, does so in a different light, wondering how her grandfather prospered under such pressure.

In a stadium built by Adolf Hitler as a celebration of the Third Reich, Owens stole the show in 1936 and made a mockery of Nazi claims of Aryan supremacy. He became the first American track athlete to win four gold medals at one Olympics.

Nearly 73 years later, Berlin is about to be the scene of another major international track meet, this time the world championships taking place Aug. 15-23 at Olympic Stadium - the site of Owens' achievements.

Dortch will be there as USA Track and Field, along with the IAAF and the Berlin Organizing Committee, pay tribute to Owens, who died in 1980 of lung cancer. The U.S. squad plans to wear a uniform that sports Owens' initials.

TENNIS

Roddick rolls in return

WASHINGTON - Andy Roddick showed little rust following a monthlong break. The top-seeded Roddick beat Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-2 at the Legg Mason Tennis Championship, his first match since losing the Wimbledon final to Roger Federer on July 5. Roddick took the extended break to recover from a right hip flexor injury sustained in that match.

Although Roddick easily advanced, four seeds were knocked out. Two of the upsets were by former No. 1-ranked players - Juan Carlos Ferrero defeated seventh-seeded Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2, and Lleyton Hewitt beat No. 15-seed Dudi Sela 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. No. 9 seed Mardy Fish fell to Philipp Petzschner 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.

NHL

Numminen to retire after 20 seasons

TORONTO - Veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen will retire after 20 seasons in the NHL. Finn, 41, was an unrestricted free agent after playing the past four seasons in Buffalo. He also had stops in Winnipeg, Phoenix and Dallas during his career.

In other NHL news:

• Brendan Shanahan is back for another season in the NHL. The 40-year-old forward signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, keeping him with the team that drafted him second overall in 1987.

• In Phoenix, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has expanded bidding for the Phoenix Coyotes to include potential buyers who would move the team. Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled that all bids, those to keep the team in Arizona or to move it elsewhere, would be accepted for the Sept. 10 auction.

SPORTS BETTING

Judge refuses to block Delaware plan

WILMINGTON, Del. - A federal judge denied a request by professional sports leagues and the NCAA to halt Delaware's planned sports betting lottery until a legal challenge is resolved. Chief District Judge Gregory Sleet set a Dec. 7 trial date on the plaintiffs' claims that the sports betting plan violates a federal ban on sports gambling, as well as Delaware's state constitution.

ELSEWHERE

• The Arena Football League has shut down, this time indefinitely. The league, which previously called off play for the 2009 season but said it planned to return in 2010, announced it has suspended operations. The AFL said it had been "unable to reach any consensus on restructuring the league over the past eight months."

• In Atlanta, a 20-year-old man charged with killing ex-boxing champion Vernon Forrest had his first appearance in court. Demario Ware, who turned himself in to authorities Tuesday night, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He is being held without bond. Later, a man believed to be the getaway driver was arrested. Jquante Crews, 25, of Dallas, Ga., faces several charges including murder, possession of a firearm during a commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

AROUND THE STATE

Hampton University has established a hall of fame and plans to enshrine its first class on Nov. 20. A committee is accepting nominations through Aug. 31 for the inaugural induction class, which will include up to 15 individuals. - From Wire Reports