Hockey
GRIZZLIES PLAY TONIGHT: The Utah Grizzlies begin their exhibition schedule tonight in Kansas City as they kick off a pair of games against the Blades.
Tonight's contest begins at 6:30 p.m. at Kemper, but there will be no radio broadcast. The two teams will play again tomorrow night at the same time.
The preseason games are especially important to hopefuls trying to nab a spot on the roster. Currently the Grizz only have six signed players in camp, with another two just having been assigned to Utah from the parent club New York Islanders.
The Grizz return for their first home preseason game on Tuesday against the Manitoba Moose, which relocated over the summer from Minnesota. That game begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Ogden Ice Sheet.
Football
KELLY LIKELY WON'T PLAY SUNDAY: The Buffalo Bills were struggling with Jim Kelly, so one can imagine how they will be without him.
Kelly sustained a hamstring injury in practice Thursday and is likely to miss Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Inexperienced backup Todd Collins would start in Kelly's place.
It spells trouble for the Bills.
"Jim Kelly is obviously an important part of this team," Collins said. "When somebody like that goes down, it's up to the new guy to come in and step up. It's up to the other guys to step up, too, and make up for his loss."
FAVRE APPEALING HIS STATUS: Brett Favre is appealing his status in the NFL's substance abuse program, claiming he shouldn't have to abstain from alcohol, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.
The Green Packers quarterback said he came forward with his addiction to painkillers voluntarily, so he shouldn't be subject to the league's stringent aftercare program.
Favre, the NFL's MVP last season, spent 46 days at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kan., last summer after acknowledging he was addicted to Vicodin.
Because Favre is "behavioral-referred" to the league's substance abuse program, the NFL requires him to subject himself up to 10 random drug tests each week and that he abstain from alcohol for two years.
His appeal is being reviewed by NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who could reach a decision as early as week's end.
CARDS SIGN JOHNSON: The Arizona Cardinals signed cornerback D.J. Johnson to a one-year contract, and waived defensive back Ben Smith. A 1989 seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh, Johnson started 90 of 94 games since his rookie year. He left the Steelers in March 1994 to join the Atlanta Falcons, and has 431 career tackles and 19 interceptions.
Baseball
MITCHELL UNFAZED BY DEATH THREAT: Outfielder Kevin Mitchell told teammates he was not concerned by a death threat he received last week while the Cincinnati Reds were in Los Angeles.
Mitchell's relatives and teammates are still unsure why he failed to rejoin the team in Pittsburgh this week. The Reds suspended him for the rest of the season.
Mitchell, 34, developed a viral infection while the team was in San Diego for a three-game series last weekend. He was given permission to stay behind in his hometown when the team headed to Pittsburgh.
He was fined when he failed to rejoin the team before the start of a game Tuesday against the Pirates, then was suspended a day later.
The Dayton Daily News, citing unidentified sources, reported that a "contract hit" had been taken out on Mitchell. The FBI in Los Angeles was tipped off by an informant last week, the newspaper said.
However, the newspaper said the threat had no connection to Mitchell's absence from the team.
SCHOTT VIOLATING AGREEMENT? Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott may be violating an agreement with major league baseball by continuing to have a hand in day-to-day operations, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The newspaper, citing sources it did not identify, said Schott interrupted a meeting to talk with a Reds employee.
On another occasion, Schott called the Reds' ticket office to complain after temporary chief executive John Allen hired a new employee in the department, the newspaper said.
In June, Schott agreed to give up day-to-day control of her team through the end of the 1998 season because of remarks baseball considered unacceptable.
Motorsports
PETTY ADMITS BREAKING TRAFFIC LAWS: In Raleigh, N.C., retired stock-car star and aspiring politician Richard Petty admitted he broke traffic laws when he followed too closely behind a speeding car, a practice he used on the track to capture 200 career racing victories.
Petty admitted his 1996 Dodge truck was tailgating the 1996 Mazda driven by James Rassette on Interstate 85 as Petty drove home from the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sept. 11.
He blamed Rassette for causing the two vehicles to bump by jamming on his brakes as both traveled about 70 mph.
Petty is a Republican running for Secretary of State. A Republican prosecutor and members of a Democratic governor's administration grappled over what charges Petty would face just weeks before his first election for statewide office.
FORMER GLOBETROTTER DIES: Clarence H. "Cave" Wilson, who was a player-captain and coach of the Harlem Globetrotters, is dead of a stroke. He was 70. Wilson, who was born in Horse Cave, Ky., died Wednesday in Louisville.
Cycling
TOUR OF SPAIN: In Oviedo, Spain, Italy's Daniele Nardello won a 118-mile climb while Alex Zulle of Switzerland widened his overall lead in the Tour of Spain. Nardello took the race's 12th stage in 4 hours, 30 minutes, 19 seconds, after winning a four-way sprint up the Alto de Naranco mountain against countrymen Andrea Peron and Angelo Canzonieri, and Denmark's Peter Meinert.
Soccer
BURN CLINCH WEST TITLE: Greg Vanney scored in the 48th minute Thursday night as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the Dallas Burn 2-1 to clinch the Major League Soccer's Western Conference title.
Eduardo Hurtado opened the scoring for Los Angeles in the 11th minute, and Hugo Sanchez tied it in the 23rd minute. Los Angeles has 46 points with 14 regulation victories, four shootout victories and 13 losses.