NFL Suspends Williams for 2006 Season

Miami Dolphin running back Ricky Williams was suspended for the 2006 season by the NFL on Tuesday for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for the fourth time.

The league announced the suspension after Williams’ appeal of his latest positive drug test was denied. Williams met with NFL counsel Jeff Pash on April 10 in an attempt to have the league overturn the test.

“I’m disappointed with the decision, but I respect it,” Williams said in a statement released by the Dolphins. “I’m proud of my association with the National Football League and look forward to returning to the Dolphins in 2007.”

Previous positive tests were for marijuana, which Williams acknowledged using. The latest test apparently involved a drug other than marijuana.

The 1998 Heisman Trophy winner and 2002 NFL rushing champion, Williams retired and sat out the 2004 season, then returned last year to play for new Miami Coach Nick Saban.

He served a four-game suspension at the start last season for his third violation of the drug program, then ran for 743 yards and averaged 4.4 yards a carry.

“This is a league decision, and we are disappointed in what it means for Ricky and the team,” Saban said in a statement.

Quarterback Brett Favre has told the Green Bay Packers he will return for his 16th season, ESPN.com reported.

Neither the Packers nor Favre’s agent returned calls seeking confirmation.

Favre, 36, had said often that he was uncertain about returning after a 4-12 finish last season.

The Seattle Seahawks acquired veteran safety Mike Green from the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round draft pick.

TENNIS

Unequal Prize Money Remains at Wimbledon

The yearly announcement at Wimbledon seems to have a predictable story line -- an increase in prize money, a failure to offer equal prize money for women and an angered response from WTA Tour players and officials.

There will be a $53,000 difference of what will be paid to the this year’s men’s and women’s champions, meaning Wimbledon stands alone as the only of the four Grand Slam events not to offer equal prize money to the champions.

This year, the French Open will do so, but that’s only for the winner, not the finalist or in other rounds.

Larry Scott, chief executive of the WTA Tour, called the announcement by Wimbledon officials, “morally indefensible,” and characterized the action as a “Victorian-era view.”

-- Lisa Dillman

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Fifth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain defeated British teenager Andy Murray, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1, to reach the third round of the Open Seat Godo in Barcelona.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Connecticut’s Williams Declares for NBA Draft

Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams, who played at Los Angeles Crenshaw High before finishing at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, said he would forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NBA draft, joining teammates Josh Boone and Rudy Gay in making that decision.

Boone is the only one of the three who has said he won’t hire an agent, allowing him to possibly return to school next season.

Texas sophomore point guard Daniel Gibson said that he would declare for the NBA draft but would not hire an agent. He joins teammates LaMarcus Aldridge and P.J. Tucker in declaring for the draft.

St. Louis junior center Ian Vouyoukas is making himself eligible for the NBA draft but will not hire an agent.

Barry Rohrssen, a Pittsburgh assistant, was hired to succeed Bobby Gonzalez as coach at Manhattan. Rohrssen, 45, signed a five-year contract in replacing Gonzalez, who left after seven seasons for Seton Hall.

Glen Miller will leave Brown to succeed Fran Dunphy as Penn’s coach, a university official told the Associated Press.

Miller had a 93-99 record in seven seasons at Brown. Dunphy replaced the retired John Chaney at Temple.

Northern Colorado named Greeley native Tad Boyle as its new coach. Boyle, 42, spent the last six years as an assistant at Wichita State and replaces Craig Rasmuson, who resigned in late February after compiling a 63-129 record in seven seasons.

TELEVISION

Gumbel, Collinsworth Reportedly Signed

NFL Network is expected to announce today that Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth will be its broadcast team when it begins televising live games this season.

NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky declined to confirm the signings.

-- Larry Stewart

NFL Network acquired the rights to the Senior Bowl, played in Mobile, Ala., the week before the Super Bowl.

SOCCER

Arsenal Reaches Champions Final

Arsenal advanced to the final of the European Champions League for the first time, playing a 0-0 tie in Villarreal, Spain, as goalkeeper Jens Lehmann stopped Juan Roman Riquelme’s penalty kick in the 89th minute.

Arsenal won the home-and-home, total-goals series, 1-0, and will play either Barcelona or AC Milan, who play today, in the final on May 17 at Saint-Denis, France.

French midfielder Zinedine Zidane, 34, plans to retire after the World Cup in Germany.

BOXING

Mayweather Ends Deal With Arum

International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr., offered $8 million by promoter Bob Arum to fight World Boxing Organization champion Antonio Margarito, has rejected the offer and instead used a $750,000 buyout option to get out of his contract with Arum.

Mayweather hopes to convince Oscar De La Hoya to fight him if De La Hoya wins May 6 against Ricardo Mayorga.

Junior middleweight Fernando Vargas, who lost on a 10th-round TKO to Shane Mosley in February, will get a rematch. The two will meet again on July 15 in Las Vegas.

-- Steve Springer

MISCELLANY

Nevada Freshman Pitcher Dies at 18

Steve Masten, a freshman pitcher for the Nevada Wolf Pack, died at a Reno hospital after being rushed there the night before with undisclosed injuries, school officials said.

School spokeswoman Rhonda Lundin said university officials would not discuss details of Masten’s death. She referred calls to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, which did not respond to calls.

Stanford hired Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby for the same job with the Cardinal.

He will replace Ted Leland, who left to become vice president for university advancement at Pacific.

Tim Goebel, the 25-year-old 2002 Olympic bronze medalist whose trademark was the quadruple jump, announced his retirement from competitive figure skating.

The board of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation voted in Denver to accept an overhaul and temporary takeover by the U.S. Olympic Committee, a result of problems including sexual harassment allegations against former coach Tim Nardiello and the drug-related suspension of men’s racer Zach Lund for a banned substance in a hair-restoration product he was using.

U.S. Speedskating named Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek the first recipient of the Eric Heiden athlete of the year award.