Bears’ Johnson gets four months in jail

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson was sentenced Thursday to four months in jail for violating probation in a 2005 gun case.

Johnson was taken into custody and will spend the next 120 days in the Cook County Jail. He could have been sentenced to up to a year behind bars. He also must pay a $2,500 fine after pleading guilty to violating his probation.

Johnson was arrested on misdemeanor weapons charges Dec. 14 after police raided his home in the Lake County town of Gurnee, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago, and found six unregistered firearms.

At the time, he was on probation in a November 2005 case in which he had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an arrest after a nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his sport utility vehicle.

Johnson’s lawyers said they had not yet decided whether to appeal the sentence.

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis agreed to a six-year contract with Philadelphia, giving the Eagles a potential replacement for Donte’ Stallworth.... Tony Graziani threw five touchdown passes -- all in the first half -- to help the Philadelphia Soul (2-0) to a 69-40 win over the Grand Rapids Rampage (1-2) in an Arena Football League game at Grand Rapids, Mich.

BASEBALL

Rangers inform Sosa

he’s on 40-man roster

Sammy Sosa’s comeback took another step when he was told he would be added to the Texas Rangers’ 40-man roster.

Sosa, 38, is fifth on the career home run list and has a hit in all 10 spring training games in which he has played.

Kris Benson will have surgery on his ailing right shoulder, and the Baltimore Orioles right-hander probably will be sidelined for the 2007 season.

WINTER SPORTS

Miller finishes fourth

but wins super-G title

Bode Miller won the super-G season title with his performance, finishing tied for fourth behind winner Aksel Lund Svindal in the World Cup finals at Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

Miller’s finish give him 304 super-G points for the season, well ahead of newly crowned downhill champion Didier Cuche of Switzerland.

Anja Paerson of Sweden won the final super-G of the season at Lenzerheide, Switzerland, and Marlies Schild finished third to keep her lead atop the overall standings. American Julia Mancuso finished seventh and is third in the standings.

SOCCER

Bradley calls in 11

World Cup veterans

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, midfielder DaMarcus Beasley and defender Oguchi Onyewu were among 11 World Cup veterans picked by interim Coach Bob Bradley for the U.S. roster for exhibition games against Ecuador and Guatemala.

Others included on the 24-man roster were forward Landon Donovan of the Galaxy and goalkeeper Brad Guzan of Chivas USA.

Brian Ching and Chris Wondolowski each scored a goal as the Houston Dynamo scored a 2-0 upset over visiting Mexican club Pachuca in a CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal match. The teams will play the return leg of the series April 5.

MISCELLANY

Holyfield unsure why

he’s linked to probe

Evander Holyfield is unsure how or why his name surfaced in an investigation of illicit sales of steroids and human growth hormone.

“I ain’t got nothing to defend,” the four-time heavyweight champion told the Associated Press. “Ain’t nobody said I did nothing. It’s a non-issue.”

Five-time world champion boxer Johnny Tapia was released from the hospital after a three-day stay that began because of an apparent cocaine overdose.

Bubba Thornton of Texas and Jeanette Bolden of UCLA have been nominated to coach the U.S. track and field team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Bill France Jr., vice chairman of NASCAR and chairman of International Speedway Corp., has been hospitalized in Daytona Beach, Fla., because of a virus. NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter did not give details.

Brandon Halsey of Cal State Bakersfield upset top-seeded Max Askren of Missouri, 5-4, at 197 pounds in the first round of the NCAA Division I wrestling championships in Auburn Hills, Mich. Halsey lost in the second round, as did Cal State Fullerton heavyweight Wade Sauer.