Miller has major problems again

Bode Miller is on the verge of being shut out for the second straight year at a major championship.

Miller hit a gate with his head during an error-filled second run on new skis in the giant slalom at the world championships Wednesday, finishing 15th in a race won by Aksel Lund Svindal in 2 minutes 19.64 seconds at Are, Sweden. Ted Ligety was fourth, but the U.S. men still lack a medal.

Daniel Albrecht (2:20.12) finished second, and his Swiss teammate, Didier Cuche (2:20.56) was third. Ligety was only 0.07 of a second behind.

Miller, who left without comment, is threatening to repeat his zero-medal effort at the 2006 Turin Olympics. The only individual event left for the men is the slalom, Miller’s weakest.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

UCLA hires Connelly to coach offensive line

UCLA hired Alabama assistant Bob Connelly to replace Jim Colletto as offensive line coach.

Connelly, who coached at Washington State for two years before spending the last four with the Crimson Tide, is considered a top recruiter.

Colletto joined the Detroit Lions last month.

-- Lonnie White

TENNIS

Roddick wins his San Jose opener

Top-seeded Andy Roddick fought his way through a difficult opening set before coasting to a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Frank Dancevic in the first round of the SAP Open at San Jose.

Roddick lost the first 17 points of the match on Dancevic’s serve and 20 of the first 21 before finally breaking through in the 12th game of the first set.

Fifth-seeded Mardy Fish won his opening-round match, beating Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 6-2.

Earlier, defending champion Andy Murray became the first player to advance to the quarterfinals, beating Kristian Pless, 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-4, in the only second-round match of the day.

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Second-seeded Kim Clijsters won in her last home tournament at Antwerp, Belgium, beating Olga Poutchkova, 6-0, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals of the Diamond Games.

BASEBALL

Outfielder Freeman signs with Dodgers

The Dodgers signed outfielder Choo Freeman to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training, and also added two administrators.

Freeman, 27, hit .237 with five stolen bases in 173 at-bats for the Colorado Rockies last season.

The Dodgers hired Kyle Wescoat as chief administrative officer and Tom Catlin as vice president of creative services.

-- Steve Henson

BOXING

Vazquez-Marquez fight set for March 3

World boxing champions Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez of Mexico will fight for Vazquez’s World Boxing Council super-bantamweight title March 3 at the Home Depot Center, promoters announced.

Vazquez (41-3, 31 knockouts) will be making his third title defense. Marquez (36-3, 32 KOs), the 31-year-old brother of featherweight Juan Manuel Marquez, is the International Boxing Federation’s bantamweight champion.

Marquez has won 15 consecutive fights, 12 by knockout.

-- Lance Pugmire

HOCKEY

Armstrong receives extension from Kings

The Kings signed center Derek Armstrong, 33, to a two-year contract extension worth $1.4 million next season and $1.6 million in 2008-09.

-- Chris Foster

The Phoenix Coyotes agreed to a five-year contract with wing Shane Doan, 30, worth between $22 million and $23 million.

MISCELLANY

UCLA softball loses Herrera for the season

UCLA senior infielder-left fielder Ashley Herrera will sit out the rest of the season after tearing a left knee ligament in Friday’s loss to Texas.

Herrera plans to apply for a medical hardship and use her final season of eligibility in 2008.

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Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said that he hates gay people but later said he regretted the remarks.

“You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people,” he said on a radio talk show. “I’m homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.”

The discussion was sparked by last week’s announcement that retired NBA center John Amaechi is gay.

Hardaway later apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with a Miami TV station.