Brady a Spectator as AFC Wins the Pro Bowl, 38-30

Six days after leading the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl victory, 24-year-old Tom Brady was a third-string quarterback Saturday in the AFC’s 38-30 victory over the NFC at Honolulu.

Instead, it was Rich Gannon of Oakland who threw two touchdown passes in just more than a quarter as the AFC starter, including a 55-yard strike to Marvin Harrison for the squad’s first score after trailing 10-0.

Gannon was selected the player of the game for the second consecutive year, becoming the first two-time winner. He completed eight of 10 passes for 137 yards as the teams combined for 34 first-quarter points, the most in a Pro Bowl quarter.

Brady finally got his chance with 14:16 to play and with the AFC well on its way to winning its fifth Pro Bowl in six years. He completed two of five passes for 22 yards and had a pass intercepted by Champ Bailey of Washington.

A human rainbow of red, white and blue covered the field in a patriotic pregame ceremony that featured a bald eagle soaring through the stadium.

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One member of the Super Bowl champions did dazzle. Ty Law intercepted Donovan McNabb’s pass late in the game and ran 31 yards before pitching the ball to Ray Lewis, who went 13 yards for the AFC’s final touchdown.

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The Buffalo Bills hired former San Diego Charger coach Kevin Gilbride as their new offensive coordinator, the team said. Gilbride coached the Chargers in 1997 and part of the 1998 season, going 6-16.

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Golf

Tom Watson shot a six-under-par 66 to take a two-stroke lead over Hale Irwin after the second round of the Senior PGA Tour ACE Group Classic at Naples, Fla. Watson had a two-day tournament-record 14-under 130 on The Club at Twin Eagles course. Irwin shot a 64. Dana Quigley (68) was three strokes back at 133, and Allen Doyle (67) and Jim Thorpe (68) followed at 134. Ben Crenshaw, the two-time Masters champion making his senior debut, rebounded from an opening 76 with a 67 for a one-under 143.

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Tennis

Top-seeded Venus Williams defeated defending champion Amelie Mauresmo, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, to advance to the final of the Gaz de France tournament at Paris. Williams will play fourth-seeded Jelena Dokic, who defeated Monica Seles, 6 -3, 3-6, 6-4.

Jiri Novak and David Rikl beat Brazil’s Andre Sa and Alexandre Simoni, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5, to give the Czech Republic an insurmountable 3-0 lead at Ostrava in Davis Cup world group play. In Metz, France, Paul Haarhuis and Sjeng Schalken rallied the Netherlands to a 2-1 lead against defending champion France, beating Cedric Pioline and Fabrice Santoro, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. The other matches each stand 2-1 and will depend on today’s reverse singles as Spain leads Morocco, Britain jumped ahead of Sweden, Russia has the advantage over Switzerland, and Croatia leads Germany. In Birmingham, England, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski came from a set down to maintain their unbeaten Davis Cup doubles record, beating Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson and Jonas Bjorkman, 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3.

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Miscellany

Carolina Panther defensive back Jarrod Cooper was charged with driving while impaired and reckless driving, then released. Cooper, 23, was arrested by the North Carolina Highway Patrol early Friday near Charlotte.

Compton Dominguez High boys’ basketball Coach Mack Calvin’s wrongful termination suit against Cal State Dominguez Hills has been continued to Sept. 4 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Calvin, who is African-American, claims he was a victim of harassment and discrimination based on race while he was the coach at Dominguez Hills during the 1996-97 season. Ron Prettyman, the Dominguez Hills athletic director, was dropped as a defendant in the suit last week. The school has denied wrongdoing.

The Ice Dogs lost to the Fresno Falcons, 1-0, at the Long Beach Arena.