NHL’s Bill Daly says deal needed by mid-January to salvage season

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in radio interviews Wednesday he expects more games will be canceled this week and said mid-January is the latest the league and the NHL Players’ Assn. can forge a new collective bargaining agreement and play a season of at least 48 games.

NHLPA leader Donald Fehr, who spoke to a Toronto radio station and to reporters attending a charity hockey game in Toronto, said he’s ready to resume negotiations “whenever the owners want to try to resolve this and end the lockout,” but said owners haven’t shown they’re ready to talk again.

Games have been canceled through Dec. 30 and no negotiations have been scheduled. Players are in the midst of voting whether to authorize their executive board to file a disclaimer of interest and dissolve the union. The voting will end Friday.

— Helene Elliott

NFL

RGIII practices with first team

Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins went through a regular full practice with first-team receivers for the first time since spraining his right knee against Baltimore on Dec. 9.

Coach Mike Shanahan said doctors will see how Griffin’s knee responds to the practice, particularly as to whether there’s any swelling when the rookie shows up at work Thursday.

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It all began as an intriguing idea, the thought of Tim Tebow running around as an exciting spark for the New York Jets’ offense. Then it all fizzled — before it really even started.

Coach Rex Ryan acknowledged Wednesday that he had higher expectations for the seldom-used Tebow in the Jets’ wildcat-style offense. And, so did the NFL’s most popular and maligned backup quarterback.

“For some reason, it hasn’t panned out to my expectations and maybe Tim’s, either,” Ryan said. “Defenses have attacked us a little differently. Maybe that’s a contributing factor to it.”

Ryan would not go into detail about why he chose Greg McElroy over Tebow to replace the struggling Mark Sanchez as the team’s starting quarterback with two games left in a lost season. He reiterated his comments from Tuesday that it was his decision — and his alone — saying it was a “gut” call.

It was one that didn’t sit well with Tebow.

“Obviously, I’m a little disappointed,” he said. “You try to handle it the best you can.”

Tebow paused for a second when asked if he felt passed over by Ryan choosing McElroy instead of him.

“All you can ask for and all you want is a chance,” he said. “A chance to go out there and play the game you love, and help this team win football games. That’s all I wanted.” The Jets placed rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill on injured reserve because of a knee injury, ending his season.

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LeSean McCoy will start at running back for the Philadelphia Eagles against Washington in his first game back after missing four because of a concussion.

Michael Vick will be the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Nick Foles and Trent Edwards because of his extended layoff. Vick has missed five games because of a concussion.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger apologized to offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Coach Mike Tomlin for his postgame criticism of the play-calling during the team’s 27-24 overtime loss Sunday in Dallas.

Minutes after the game — which ended two plays after he threw a interception in overtime — Roethlisberger made it clear he was unhappy that he didn’t run the no-huddle offense more in the second half. He also was displeased that tight end Heath Miller wasn’t targeted more in the second half.

Roethlisberger’s remarks drew national attention because it was the first time he had gone on record criticizing Haley, who succeeded the quarterback’s good friend, Bruce Arians, as offensive coordinator this season.

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Buffalo center Eric Wood wasn’t laughing when referring to the Bills’ playing so-called home games in Toronto as “a joke.”

That was the opinion Wood expressed during his weekly show on Buffalo’s WGRF-Radio on Monday, a day after a 50-17 loss to Seattle at Toronto. He stuck by his comments Wednesday, saying he believes the Bills are giving away their home-field edge by playing under a dome and in front of ambivalent crowds north of the border.

Wood was also unhappy the Seahawks got the chance to play inside the Rogers Centre, as opposed to outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the elements usually play a factor in December.

ETC.

Diamondbacks hire Steve Sax as first base coach

The Arizona Diamondbacks hired Steve Sax as their first base coach and added Turner Ward as their assistant hitting coach.

The 52-year-old Sax was a five-time All-Star second baseman. He has been a professional speaker on motivation and leadership since his playing days. Sax and Arizona Manager Kirk Gibson were teammates on the Dodgers.

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The Yankees and Ichiro Suzuki finalized a $13-million, two-year contract that keeps the 10-time All-Star in the Bronx.

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Jeff Francis completed a $1.5-million, one-year contract to remain with the Colorado Rockies, a deal that allows the 31-year-old left-hander to double his income if he pitches 210 innings.

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The Detroit Tigers released left-hander Adam Wilk and sent left-hander Matt Hoffman outright to triple-A Toledo. The Tigers let Wilk go after selling his contract to a team from the Korean Baseball League.

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Dirk Nowitzki went through his first full practice with the Dallas Mavericks since undergoing the knee surgery that has forced the 11-time All-Star to miss every game so far this season. After the practice Wednesday, Nowitzki gave no timetable on when he might make his season debut, except to say “maybe any time after Christmas.”

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Serena Williams had surgery on her big toes to deal with a chronic foot disorder and withdrew from an exhibition match against Victoria Azarenka in Thailand this month.

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Barcelona soccer Coach Tito Vilanova will undergo surgery for a recurrence of a throat gland ailment. The club said the operation will take place Thursday and Vilanova probably will undergo six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.

The 44-year-old had a tumor removed from a saliva gland in November 2011. He took over as Barcelona’s coach from Pep Guardiola this season after passing medical checks. Under Vilanova’s guidance, Barcelona is off to the best start in Spanish league history at 15-0-1.