Roger Clemens still denies drug use

Roger Clemens tried the silent treatment for more than a year and saw where that got him.

With many fans believing allegations that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used performance-enhancing drugs, he’s now attempting a different strategy. Clemens hired a firm that guides high-profile figures through public relations crises, and Tuesday he broke his silence with a radio appearance.

Clemens again denied that former personal trainer Brian McNamee injected him with performance-enhancing drugs in a phone interview on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning.”

“He’s never injected me with HGH or steroids,” Clemens said of McNamee’s assertions to baseball investigator George Mitchell.

Clemens said he chose to speak out Tuesday because it was the release date of a book about his alleged drug use.

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Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks was fined for throwing a pitch behind Texas’ Ian Kinsler last weekend. Major League Baseball imposed the penalty and did not disclose the amount. . . . Florida Marlins reliever Scott Proctor is expected to be out for a year after having reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

JURISPRUDENCE

Woman in Pitino case is indicted

The estranged wife of a longtime aide to Rick Pitino was indicted on federal charges of trying to extort money from the Louisville men’s basketball coach and lying to the FBI.

Karen Cunagin Sypher, 49, faces a combined maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $500,000 fine if convicted of the two charges, federal authorities said. Sypher is the estranged wife of Louisville equipment manager Tim Sypher.

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Phil Astin, the personal doctor to professional wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed himself, his wife and their 7-year-old son, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally prescribing painkillers and other drugs to patients.

TENNIS

Venus follows Serena out

Venus Williams joined sister Serena on the sidelines of the Madrid Open after the third-ranked American player was beaten, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, by Alisa Kleybanova.

Elsewhere, fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic overcame a stubborn challenge from Daniela Hantuchova to win 7-5, 6-2.

On the men’s side, Roger Federer began his final warmup for the French Open with a convincing 6-1, 7-5 win over Robin Soderling.

PRO FOOTBALL

NFL could be back in London

After seeing fans jam London’s Wembley Stadium to watch the NFL the last two years, the league is considering adding a second regular-season game overseas in time for the 2010 season.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said the second game could also be played in London or another location in the United Kingdom. The issue will be discussed at next week’s league meetings.

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New NFL Players Assn. Executive Director DeMaurice Smith says his contract has been completed. Smith worked for several weeks without one, after his election in March, but the union boss said the deal was done, though he did not elaborate. The NFLPA was offering Smith a three-year contract, and he was looking for a five-year deal, in line with that of his predecessor, Gene Upshaw, who died in August.

ETC.

Armstrong drops to sixth in Giro

Italy’s Danilo Di Luca won the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia in an uphill finish, and Lance Armstrong finished 15 seconds behind and dropped to sixth place overall.

Sweden’s Thomas Lovkvist of Team Columbia-High Road was seventh and took the overall leader’s pink jersey from Alessandro Petacchi of Italy.

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Mike Burden, the associate men’s basketball coach at Maine, has resigned after being charged with making sexual advances toward a member of the women’s soccer team. . . . Utah has rewarded men’s basketball Coach Jim Boylen with a new five-year contract that will pay him $850,000 annually with the potential for $1 million with incentives.

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The Japanese women’s soccer team canceled a tour in the United States because of the swine flu outbreak.