Eagles Decide It Is Time to Release Mitchell

The Philadelphia Eagles released Freddie Mitchell on Friday, cutting ties with the wide receiver after four seasons in which he never lived up to his promise as a first-round draft choice.

“We appreciate everything Freddie has contributed to the Eagles organization over the last four years,” Coach Andy Reid said. “By releasing him now, it gives him the opportunity for a new start with another team in the NFL.”

Mitchell, picked in the first round out of UCLA in 2001, made more news off the field than on it, labeling himself with a list of self-promoting nicknames such as “The People’s Champ,” “FredEx,” and “First-Down Freddie.”

Before the Super Bowl, Mitchell offended some of the New England Patriots when he disparaged their secondary in a television interview.

Mitchell said he just knew the numbers -- not the names -- of New England’s cornerbacks. He singled out Rodney Harrison, saying he “has something” for the veteran strong safety. Mitchell also called out New England Coach Bill Belichick.

Unhappy over his role and overshadowed by Terrell Owens, Mitchell criticized his teammates for not backing him up when he trash-talked the Patriots and blasted Donovan McNabb for lacking confidence in him.

Mitchell played in 63 games and had 90 catches for 1,263 yards and five touchdowns.

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Receiver Joe Horn signed a six-year contract extension with the New Orleans Saints. The deal, worth about $42 million, includes a $7-million signing bonus.

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With the sale of the Minnesota Vikings still pending but nearing probable completion, there are strong indications Arizona businessman Reggie Fowler is relinquishing his role as lead investor in his group.

Zygmunt Wilf, a New Jersey real estate developer initially identified as one of Fowler’s four limited partners, is apparently in the process of taking over as general partner to ensure the deal goes through.

NFL owners are expected to vote on the purchase of the team from Red McCombs at the league’s spring meetings May 24-25 in Washington.

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Former Buffalo Bill quarterback Joe Ferguson is being treated for cancer at a Houston hospital.

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In an Arena league game at Phoenix, the Rattlers, behind eight touchdown passes from Sherdrick Bonner, defeated the Chicago Rush, 61-43.

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Tennis

Maria Sharapova’s bid to become the top-ranked player by winning the German Open in Berlin ended with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals.

The second-seeded Sharapova was trying to overtake Lindsay Davenport for the No. 1 spot, but she ran into one of the world’s best clay-court players, who extended her winning streak to 14 matches.

Second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo lost to Nadia Petrova, 6-2, 6-3, and fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova was defeated by Patty Schnyder, 6-2, 6-2.

Sixth-seeded Andre Agassi defeated Dominik Hrbaty, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of the Italian Masters in Rome.

He will play ninth-seeded Guillermo Coria, who beat Fernando Verdasco, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal defeated 15th-seeded Radek Stepanek, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. He will play David Ferrer, who beat Alberto Martin, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

The Seal Beach Tennis Club will be the venue for qualifying for the upcoming JPMorgan Chase Open tournament. Qualifying dates are set for Aug. 6-7, and admission will be free. The JPMorgan Chase is Aug. 8-14 at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

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Motor Racing

Kasey Kahne drove to his second NASCAR Nextel Cup pole in three tries at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, easily beating Ryan Newman during qualifying for tonight’s Dodge Charger 500.

Kahne, driving a Dodge, had a fast lap of 170.024 mph. Newman made it an all-Dodge front row with a lap of 169.555.

Matt Kenseth pulled away to a convincing victory in a NASCAR Busch Series race at Darlington, S.C.

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Golf

Blustery winds fooled some of the world’s best players and turned the Wachovia Championship into a test of patience at Charlotte, N.C.

Sergio Garcia survived by playing bogey-free on the back nine for a one-under-par 71 and a seven-under 137 total, giving him a two-shot lead over Vijay Singh (69), Joey Sindelar (71) and D.J. Trahan (67). Tiger Woods (72) is at two under.

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Hockey

Mark Parrish scored with 40 seconds left when the puck bounced into the net off his skate, giving the U.S. a 4-4 tie with Finland in the second round of the world hockey championships at Innsbruck, Austria.

The goal was allowed to stand when a video replay showed that Parrish didn’t kick the puck.

After negotiating for eight hours over two days in Toronto, representatives from the National Hockey League Players’ Assn. will meet with the union’s executive committee Monday to discuss a proposal by the NHL, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

The league proposal was similar to a plan the union presented in the last round of meetings, which revolved around a club-by-club salary cap that would be tied to league revenues. However, they have not agreed on the range for the cap or on other key issues. NHLPA representatives were mainly interested in discussing the luxury tax mechanism with the executive committee, the source said.

Bill Daly, the NHL’s chief legal officer, said that both sides “intend to spend the next several days continuing to work internally.”

Separately, the Labor Relations Board of British Columbia denied a request by the NHL to adjourn proceedings on an application by the NHLPA for certification in that Canadian province. The NHLPA is seeking certification there and in Quebec as a means to block any attempt by the NHL to use replacement players.

Bob Wagner, vice president and chief marketing officer for the Arrowhead Pond, is expected to take over business operations for the Mighty Ducks after the new ownership is approved, a source familiar with the operation said.

Henry Samueli and his wife, Susan, who have agreed to buy the Ducks from the Walt Disney Co., own the management group that runs the Pond.

The NHL is likely to approve the Samuelis as owners next week, the source said, although that decision could be postponed if league labor issues need to be addressed.

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College Football

A meeting between USC discipline officials and cornerback Eric Wright scheduled for next week will be delayed, possibly until June, Wright’s attorney Carmen Trutanich said.

Wright, 19, faces possible suspension or expulsion by the school for his alleged role in an incident on March 26.

Wright was arrested on suspicion of rape after an alleged incident involving an 18-year-old female USC student, but the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence.

Police also found 136 Ecstasy pills in Wright’s room, according to documents, but no charges were filed. Wright, a redshirt sophomore, remains suspended from the team.

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College Basketball

Illinois junior guard Dee Brown, the Big Ten player of the year, will make himself available for the NBA draft but has not signed with an agent.... As expected, North Carolina freshman Marvin Williams signed with an agent.