Michael Vick is out of prison after 19 months

Michael Vick is out of prison and headed home, penniless and reviled for running a vicious dogfighting ring. The suspended NFL quarterback served 19 months in prison on the dogfighting conviction that capped one of the most astonishing falls in sports history -- one that took his wealth and popularity.

Vick, who turns 29 in June, left the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., by car early Wednesday, undetected by hordes of reporters who had staked out the prison.

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Walt Harris could miss the upcoming season after tearing a ligament in his right knee. . . . The Jacksonville Jaguars have waived receiver D’Juan Woods and acquired cornerback Tyron Brackenridge off waivers.

NFL teams looking to hire general managers may soon be required to interview at least one minority candidate. Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league’s owners discussed expanding the Rooney Rule -- which already applies to coaching openings -- during the final session of their two-day meetings in South Florida. No vote was taken, though Goodell indicated any changes could be made soon.

A benign, baseball-size tumor has been removed from the chest of Arizona Cardinals defensive end Kenny Iwebema. The tumor was discovered during routine X-rays before the start of minicamp April 30.

TENNIS

U.S. is eliminated by Sweden

The United States has been eliminated from World Team Cup tennis after failing to advance out of round-robin play in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey defeated Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt and Robin Soderling, 2-6, 6-2, 10-3, but the U.S. couldn’t overcome losing two singles matches on Tuesday.

Maria Sharapova routed Darya Kustova, 6-2, 6-0, to reach the third round of the Warsaw Open in Poland in her first singles tournament since returning from shoulder surgery.

CYCLING

Leipheimer is involved in crash

A freak crash could hurt Levi Leipheimer’s chance of winning the marathon-like time trial today in the Giro d’Italia. Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong keeps improving and could contend for the first victory of his comeback. Both race for the Astana team.

On Wednesday, Leipheimer somersaulted off his bike when someone dropped a water bottle in front of him in the feeding zone midway through the 11th stage, which ended in Arenzano, Italy. Armstrong moved up two spots to 16th overall, 5:28 behind leader Danilo Di Luca.

BASKETBALL

Bulls promote Forman to GM

Gar Forman has been promoted to general manager of the Chicago Bulls, replacing John Paxson, who will remain with the team as executive vice president of basketball operations. Forman has been director of player personnel the last five years.

MOTOR SPORTS

NASCAR’s Long is suspended

NASCAR has suspended driver Carl Long for the next 12 Sprint Cup races and fined crew chief Charles Swing $200,000, the largest penalty in the sport’s history, for using an engine that was too big for NASCAR’s specifications last weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

SOCCER

Pontius leads D.C. United

Chris Pontius scored twice and defending champion D.C. United defeated the New York Red Bulls, 5-3, in a play-in game in the U.S. Open Cup in Washington. . . . Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukraine beat Germany’s Werder Bremen, 2-1, night to win the final UEFA Cup in Istanbul.

COLLEGES

UCLA’s Uribe has two-shot lead

UCLA’s Maria Jose Uribe shot a six-under 66 in Owings Mills, Md., to take a two-stroke lead in the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships and help the Bruins open a stroke-shot advantage in the team competition.

UCLA topped the team standing at 13 over. USC was second at 20 over.

Malik Story, a 6-foot-5, 222-pounder from Lakewood Artesia High who averaged 5.9 points and 2.2 rebounds for Indiana last season, will transfer to Nevada. Jerry Evans Jr., a 6-foot-7, 180-pound guard who averaged 15.3 points and 7.4 rebounds at Lawndale Leuzinger, has also committed to the Wolf Pack.

ETC.

Schoeneweis’ wife found dead

The wife of Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Scott Schoeneweis was found dead at her home in Fountain Hills, Ariz.

Police say the cause of death hasn’t been determined.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says deputies found the body of 39-year-old Gabrielle Dawn Schoeneweis on the floor of the master bedroom in the family’s suburban home shortly after noon Wednesday.

Qualifying begins today for the Huntington Beach Open, the fifth stop on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals’ Crocs Tour.

Gates open at 7 a.m. and qualifying rounds for men and women begin at 8 a.m.

For details visit avp.com.

-- Pete Thomas