Pennington finds new home with the Dolphins

Chad Pennington, cut by the New York Jets after they signed Brett Favre, signed with the Miami Dolphins on Friday.

The 32-year-old Pennington, expected to be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins, agreed to a deal worth $11.5 million over two years, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move hasn’t been officially announced.

“We are neither confirming nor denying the report,” Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said.

Running back Brian Westbrook and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed on a new contract. Terms of the deal were not announced.

The 28-year-old Westbrook was in the third year of a $25-million, five-year contract he signed in 2005. He was scheduled to earn $3 million this season with a roster bonus of $1.5 million.

Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch broke his right collarbone during their exhibition opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Batch was hurt on a broken play midway through the second quarter of the Steelers’ 16-10 victory at Pittsburgh.

Batch scrambled for six yards off left tackle after running back Mewelde Moore didn’t take a handoff.

Matt Hasselbeck completed seven of eight passes for 70 yards and a touchdown and the Seattle Seahawks gained 187 total yards in three series against the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive starters in a 34-17 victory at Minneapolis.

Michael Bush scored on a five-yard run in his first game since breaking his leg in college more than 23 months ago, leading the Oakland Raiders to an 18-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Oakland.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Mauk’s third appeal rejected by NCAA

Quarterback Ben Mauk, one of the key components in Cincinnati’s rise to top-25 prominence last season, had his final appeal for another year of eligibility turned down by the NCAA.

It was the third time that Mauk’s request for another season has been rejected.

Mauk broke his right arm and separated his shoulder in the season opener for Wake Forest in 2006, then transferred to Cincinnati.

He appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility because of the injuries but was turned down. He appealed again, pointing out that he redshirted his freshman year because of different injuries. The NCAA again turned him down.

Mauk took his appeal to the NCAA’s reinstatement committee, which decided that there wasn’t enough medical documentation to support his claim that he missed his freshman year because of injury.

Ohio State suspended starting cornerback Donald Washington and backup safety Jamario O’Neal for the first two games of the season for violating team policy.

PRO BASKETBALL

Atlanta’s Smith signs Memphis offer sheet

The Memphis Grizzlies signed restricted free-agent forward Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks to an offer sheet. Friday.

Atlanta has seven days to match the offer. Neither Smith’s agent nor the Grizzlies would give details.

GOLF

Blumenherst to play Lee in semifinals

Duke star Amanda Blumenherst advanced to U.S. Women’s Amateur semifinals at Eugene, Ore., with a 4 and 3 victory over Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.

Blumenherst, the three-time national college player of the year, will face 15-year-old Erynn Lee of Silverdale, Wash., a 4 and 3 winner over Chelsea Stelzmiller of Placerville, Calif.

Azahara Munoz, the NCAA champion from Arizona State, and Belen Mozo also advanced, setting up an all-Spanish semifinal. Munoz defeated Australia’s Stephanie Na, 7 and 6, and Mozo beat Whitney Neuhauser of Barboursville, Va., 6 and 5.

Rain and a flooded course postponed second-round play and shortened the Scandinavian TPC at Stockholm to a 54-hole event.

Annika Sorenstam held a one-shot lead after a six-under-par 66 Thursday.

MOTOR RACING

Dixon easily wins pole for IRL race

Scott Dixon easily earned his fifth Indy Racing League pole of the season, averaging 218.968 mph during his four-lap run around the 1.5-mile oval at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta for today’s Meijer Indy 300. Vitor Meira will start outside the front row with a four-lap average of 218.409.

PASSINGS

Orville Moody, 74, U.S. Open champion

Orville Moody, who won the 1969 U.S. Open for his only PGA Tour title, died Friday. He was 74. The PGA Tour said Moody, from Chickasha, Okla., died in Texas. Section B.