Favre denies ever demanding a trade

Quarterback Brett Favre acknowledged his anger over the team’s unwillingness to pull off a trade for wide receiver Randy Moss, but denied Monday he ever really wanted the Green Bay Packers to trade him.

“I was frustrated a couple weeks back when Randy Moss was traded to New England,” Favre said on the Packers’ website. “I never wanted to be traded and I don’t want to be traded. I want to be in Green Bay. I want to finish my career as a Packer.”

It’s an attempt by the three-time MVP to calm the maelstrom that started when he spent Saturday venting about the Packers’ front office in a handful of interviews at his charity golf tournament. Fox Sports’ website reported Sunday that Favre’s agent called Packers General Manager Ted Thompson shortly after last month’s NFL draft to request a trade.

That request was denied, according to the report, and Packers Coach Mike McCarthy eventually calmed Favre down and got him to admit that he never really wanted to play elsewhere.

“Sometimes when I get frustrated, I let my emotions get the better of me,” Favre said in the statement.

Packers officials have not denied that Favre’s agent requested a trade.

A decision on Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones’ appeal for leniency from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be delayed while lawyers complete paperwork.

Goodell then will review the briefs summing up the legal points and testimony from the appeal hearing before deciding whether to ease Jones’ season-long NFL suspension. The decision would come no sooner than Monday, two people close to the case told the Associated Press.

The Cincinnati Bengals released defensive tackle Sam Adams, 33, who joined the team as a free agent last season, and signed unrestricted free-agent Kenderick Allen, 28, to a one-year contract.

Allen was limited to two games with Green Bay last season because of a foot injury.

TENNIS

Federer won’t hire coach in near future

Top-ranked Roger Federer will compete in the French Open and Wimbledon without a coach.

Federer, who parted with coach Tony Roche after four straight tournaments without a title, said he wouldn’t be hiring another one in the near future.

“I’m definitely not going to take a coach for the French Open and Wimbledon because I know what it takes and I don’t want anybody interfering with my preparation and with my tournaments,” Federer said.

Marcos Baghdatis slumped to his fourth opening-round defeat in five Masters tournaments this year, losing to wild card Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-5, 6-3, at Hamburg, Germany.

Former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero defeated Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-1, 7-6 (5), and Lleyton Hewitt beat Agustin Calleri, 6-3, 6-4.

Marat Safin earned a 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory over Nicolas Massu.

In a matchup of the draw’s youngest and oldest players, qualifier Tamira Paszek, 16, rallied past 34-year-old Nicole Pratt, 6-7 (1), 6-0, 6-2, in the first round of the Italian Open.

Tenth-seeded Elena Dementieva downed Maria Elena Camerin, 6-1, 6-2, and Meghann Shaughnessy beat Emilie Loit, 6-3, 6-2, at Rome.

Sixth-seeded Vania King defeated Bahia Mouhtassine, 6-0, 6-1, to reach the second round of the Grand Prix SAR Princess Lalla Meryem at Fez, Morocco.

SOCCER

Portuguese defender set to join Galaxy

The Galaxy “agreed to terms” with Portuguese international defender Abel Xavier, a free agent who has played for Middlesbrough in the English Premier League for the last two years.

Xavier, 34, is eligible to play for the Galaxy after the European transfer window opens on June 15 and could make his Major League Soccer debut at the Home Depot Center on June 17 against Real Salt Lake.

Born in Mozambique, Xavier has played 20 times for Portugal and represented it in the 2000 European Championship and the 2002 World Cup.

Terms of his contract with MLS were not revealed.

-- Grahame L. Jones

MISCELLANY

Colangelo is selected NBA’s top executive

Bryan Colangelo, the Toronto Raptors’ president and general manager, was chosen the NBA’s executive of the year for the second time in a vote of league executives.

Colangelo, whose Raptors went from 27-55 last season to 47-35 this season, received 20 votes to nine for retiring Houston Rockets General Manager Carroll Dawson.

Colangelo also won the award with Phoenix in 2004-05.

Todd McCorkle’s sudden decision to resign as the women’s golf coach at Georgia last week followed complaints from players about his inappropriate sexual comments and jokes, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. McCorkle, a 44-year-old SEC co-coach of the year, had reportedly been told he would be suspended without pay for July.

Coming off his first season after publicly disclosing his homosexuality, Missouri men’s lacrosse coach Kyle Hawkins’ contract will not be renewed after a 6-9 record in his ninth season -- his first losing season at the school. Team leaders said Hawkins was dismissed because of his job performance, not his sexual orientation.

Clemson track Coach Marcia Noad told her athletes that becoming pregnant could jeopardize their scholarships, but the school said that no students lost their aid and the policy was later dropped.

The warnings came to light when ESPN, citing an anonymous female athlete at the school, reported that at least seven current and former Clemson athletes had abortions for fear of losing their scholarships.

Junior forward James Spencer, Wyoming’s third-leading scorer last season, is leaving the school, Coach Heath Schroyer said. Spencer, a product of Tarzana Stoneridge Prep who averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds, played one year at Wyoming after transferring from Los Angeles City College.