Miller, a prime candidate for the Pro Bowl and team MVP

Among those who won't play for the Steelers (7-8) against the ClevelandBrowns (5-10) is tight end Heath Miller, who sustained multiple torn ligaments in his right knee during the loss to the Bengals.

Miller, a prime candidate for the Pro Bowl and team MVP, has torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments as well as a possible tear in his posterior cruciate ligament.

Typical recovery time would extend well into next season's training camp. Just this past year, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, offensive tackle Max Starks and nose tackle Casey Hampton began camp on the physically unable to perform list after sustaining torn ACLs over the first eight days of January.

Kobe Bryant remains optimistic that Howard will eventually overcome

However, the Lakers center said he's already fed up with all of these shooting drills and it's time to solve his shooting woes without help from anybody.

"My mind cannot get clouded with everybody telling me how to shoot a free throw. I just have to go up there and shoot it my way and not get caught up in what everybody else is saying, because that's when I miss."

Howard, who averaged 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, is only shooting .469 from the free-throw line this season. His struggle from the free-throw line was often capitalized by other teams, who managed to topple the Lakerslate due to Howard's ineffectiveness from the charity stripe.

Still, Kobe Bryant remains optimistic that Howard will eventually overcome his problem on his own.

"I think it's just facing the issue and dealing with it and taking it on head first," Bryant told ESPN. "'This is something that I have to conquer. This is something that I have to master.' And I think he will."

It's bad enough watching a rookie quarterback such as Seattle's Russell Wilson

However, it stands in stark contrast with Goodell's stated intent to get an 18-game season, which would exasperate every health issue. And it doesn't jibe with the move to stage a Thursday night game each week – requiring players to go on three days of rest.

How much fans really care about the health and safety of the players is debatable. Long-term concerns are easily voiced, but, in reality, the fans want the game to go on. Short-term concerns are a different deal; they affect the product on the field. The Thursday experiment is yielding troubling results.

It's bad enough watching a rookie quarterback such as Seattle's Russell Wilson look completely unprepared against San Francisco on Thursday after such a short week of prep. It's another when the 49ers sit running back Frank Gore in the fourth quarter for being essentially beaten to a pulp over the course of two brutally violent games in five days. The Thursday game is great for fan interest and revenue, but what of the players? What of the quality of play? Why not a second bye week, one of which is required before each Thursday game? Or why have the Thursday games at all? 

The Giants knew they’d be getting a quality opponent regardless

In what ways do the Reds pose a challenge?

"Good bullpen, good starting rotation and good hitting," Pagansaid. "They're a good team. That's why they won the Central. But we believe we're good too, so they should be asking the same questions about us."

The Giants knew they'd be getting a quality opponent regardless of whether it ended up being the Reds or Washington Nationals. The Reds entered their final regular-season game already at 97 victories – their most in the regular season since the tail end of the Big Red Machine days in 1976.

They have left-handed power in Jay Bruce, right-handed power in Ryan Ludwick and threats on the bases in almost everyone else.

Players and analysts alike seem to agree that the replacement refs are losing control

Players and analysts alike seem to agree that the replacement refs are losing control of games.

Why? Pick a gripe: They're indecisive. They're blowing calls. They don't know the rules. They're swallowing their whistles. They're not very alert. Or, all of the above, said FOX analyst Mike Periera, the former head of NFL officiating.

"You can't expect replacements to know the intricacies of the NFL rule book in two weeks on the job. It takes years," Periera wrote on his blog for Fox Sports. "But it doesn't take long -- two weeks -- to see this is not working."

Sunday night, when a second pass interference penalty was called on Pittsburgh cornerback Ike Taylor and the replay showed little if any contact with a New York Jets receiver, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin threw off his headset and appeared to be livid with the officials.

When asked in the postgame press conference about the officiating, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a one-word reply: "Next."

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Serena Williams gets a Golden Slam

Serena Williams gets a Golden Slam, beats Sharapova in tennis final.

When it was over, Michael Phelps hugged his teammates, then headed off the deck for the final time.

Reclaiming the lead with his trademark butterfly stroke, Phelps won the 18th gold of an unparalleled career when he helped the U.S. win the 4x100-meter medley relay Saturday night.

Phelps retires with twice as many golds as any other Olympian, and his total of 22 medals is easily the best mark, too.

"It's been a great career," he said. "It's been a great journey. I can't be any more happy than I am."

The whole nation was caught up in the drama of a wonderful match

The whole nation was caught up in the drama of a wonderful match, and that has to be encouraging for the future of the sport.

The final eclipse of Murray's dreams did not stop the Lawn Tennis Association's chief executive, Roger Draper, from crowing that "club membership is booming right now", or his management company XIX from receiving a wave of interest from new sponsors.

"It is nice for tennis to be the main story," Murray said on Monday. "With me reaching the finals and Jonny Marray winning the doubles, it has been the best Wimbledon for a long time from a British perspective." 

anet Evans will be back later in the week to swim her better event

The standing ovation from an appreciative crowd – both before and after the race – wasn't for the swimmer Evans is now. It was for the relentless little dynamo Evans was in 1980s (she won three gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics), and the fearless middle-aged competitor she is today.

"It was so sweet," Evans said. "Afterward was really lovely. … I was actually more nervous than ever before the race. It was very different, just swimming to swim, feeling no pressure, just to be here to enjoy it."

Body willing, Janet Evans will be back later in the week to swim her better event, the 800 freestyle. Nobody expects her to make the Olympic team. Everyone expects her to get another heartfelt ovation from an appreciative audience. 

Pence and Papelbon have arguably been the only Phillies star

After three straight soft singles to start the game against P.J. Walters (2-2), Thome smacked one to right field to drive in two runs and prompt Twins manager Ron Gardenhire to visit the mound. Walters wasn't able to get loose, the team later announced, and left with no outs and stiffness and pain in his shoulder.

Jeff Manship entered, and two batters after an RBI single by Ruiz, Mayberry cleared the bases with his three-run shot.

Hamels, Pence and Papelbon have arguably been the only Phillies stars performing up to expectations in this injury-ravaged season, and even Hamels has been off his game lately. After going 5-0 in May, Hamels has fallen into his usual June swoon. It's the worst month of his career; he's 11-16 all time. After blowing leads in each of his last two starts and allowing a total of nine runs over 12 2/3 innings, Hamels failed to retire a batter in the seventh.

Hartnell and Matt Carle scored power-play goals

Hartnell and Matt Carle scored power-play goals in the first period for Philadelphia, but the Flyers failed to close out Pittsburgh for the second straight game. Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 20 shots, playing much steadier two days after getting yanked in the second period of a 10-3 loss in Game 4.

Staal had a hat trick in the rout, but his goal Friday might have been more important. The Flyers had the lead and momentum when Staal beat Bryzgalov over the glove 6:15 into the second period to tie it and give the Penguins an energy boost in front of the largest crowd in the Consol Energy Center's brief history.

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Maddon let Hellickson try for the complete game

Both Molina and Peña were impressed with Hellickson's poise.

"Just ice cold," Peña said. "I'm looking at him on the bench and I'm like, 'Are you alive buddy? Are you OK there?' You just leave him alone. I like that. I like the fact he's able to keep himself under control despite the situation, despite the stage. I think that makes him so good because he's able to do that."

Hellickson did such a good job keeping the Yankees' bats at bay that the only question was whether he could finish the job.

Maddon let Hellickson try for the complete game but called for Fernando Rodney after Hellickson walked Swisher with two outs in the ninth on his 118th pitch.

Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick had no idea his team

A fourth team from Ohio, Cincinnati's crosstown rival Xavier, beat Lehigh 70-58 on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C., to advance to the round of 16 for the fourth time in five years.
Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick had no idea his team was the fourth from the Buckeye State to advance.
"We were just so amped about being in the Sweet 16," he said. "I'll just say we're quite worried about Cincinnati on what we've got to do and what we've got to focus on to win the next game."

The Stars rallied from a 2-0 second-period

A week ago, the Stars had most of us convinced Nieuwendyk should trade anyone and everyone because of their consistently lethargic play. Then, they started playing like they cared.

Finally.

Now, they've won four consecutive games for the first time since November. A month from now we might look back at their win Sunday afternoon over Vancouver, the Western Conference's best team, as the victory that propelled them into the playoffs.

The Stars rallied from a 2-0 second-period deficit to defeat Vancouver, 3-2, in overtime behind goals from Mike Ribeiro, Michael Ryder and Loui Eriksson.

"We didn't want to make his job easy," Ribeiro said of Nieuwendyk . "We wanted him to have to make some tough decisions."

Vancouver had been 26-0-0 when leading