Shannon Sharpe Will Retire for Job in Broadcasting

Denver Bronco tight end Shannon Sharpe, the NFL’s career leader in receptions and yards at his position, will announce his retirement today and will replace Deion Sanders on “The NFL Today” pregame show, CBS spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade confirmed Monday.

Sharpe, 35, had wavered on whether to return for a 15th NFL season before announcing last month he would be back.

The eight-time Pro Bowl selection had expressed interest in a TV analyst job in the past and changed his mind about retirement when Sanders left CBS.

Sharpe leaves the playing field as one of the best tight ends in history.

He’s the NFL’s career leader in receptions (815) and yards (10,060) for tight ends, and last season he passed Jerry Smith for most touchdowns with 62.

“I truly believe that Shannon Sharpe is the best tight end ever to have played the game,” Bronco Coach Mike Shanahan said.

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Free-agent running back Troy Hambrick signed with the Oakland Raiders less than a week after being cut by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Raiders also signed defensive back David Terrell, who spent his first four seasons with the Washington Redskins.

Terrell has 188 career tackles and six interceptions.

Tennis

Andre Agassi lost in the first round of the Raiffeisen Grand Prix at St. Poelten, Austria, to a qualifier ranked 339th in the world.

Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia and Montenegro beat Agassi, 6-2, 7-6 (6), at the clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which starts next week.

“Zimonjic played great tennis. It was very hard for me to guess what he was going to do next,” Agassi said.

Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis won tough matches, leading Australia past the United States, 2-1, at the World Team Cup at Duesseldorf, Germany.

Philippoussis beat Vince Spadea, 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (4). Hewitt edged Robby Ginepri, 7-5, 6-7 (1), 6-4.

In doubles, twins Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States beat Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley, 6-2, 6-4.

Lisa Raymond was upset, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the Vienna Grand Prix by China’s Jie Zheng.

College Sports

Cal State Los Angeles baseball Coach John Herbold announced his retirement after 21 seasons at the Division II school.

Herbold, who is the school’s winningest coach with 455 victories, has a career record of 938-841-4 over 49 years as a coach at the high school and college levels.

Russell Hicks, a 7-foot center from Westlane High in Ontario, Canada, signed with Pepperdine and is expected to contend for a starting spot next season.

Point guard Shaun Davis, who started 23 games for Pepperdine last season as a freshman, has been released from his scholarship and plans to transfer, Coach Paul Westphal said.

UCLA will try to add an NCAA women’s golf championship to its recent list of titles when it begins first-round play today at Auburn National Golf Course in Opelika, Ala.

The second-ranked Bruins, led by junior Charlotte Mayorkas and freshman Hannah Jun, have won six tournaments this spring and five consecutive 54-hole tournaments.

UCLA won the Pacific 10 Conference championship.

Seventh-ranked USC is the defending NCAA champion.

Miscellany

A pretrial hearing for former USC receiver Sandy Fletcher was continued a second time until June 10, according to Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the L.A. city attorney’s office.

Ashley McElhiney was introduced as coach of the expansion Nashville Rhythm of the American Basketball Assn., becoming the first female coach of a professional men’s basketball team.

Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick and two teammates convicted of serving alcohol to minors will be punished by the school, Athletic Director Jim Weaver said.

Virginia Tech opens the season against USC on Aug. 28.