Football
EX-WILDCAT RE-SIGNS: Having signed Mark Brunell to a new contract, the Jacksonville Jaguars later in the day re-signed Jamie Martin, the six-year veteran regarded by many as one of the league's best No. 2 quarterbacks. Martin, among the players released earlier in the month to help the Jaguars squeeze under the salary cap, will sign a two-year contract worth $1.352 million.
Martin, 31, will receive a signing bonus of $75,000 and base salaries of $477,000 (for 2001) and $800,000 (2002). He had reached an agreement in principle on the deal earlier in the week and then finished off final details Friday evening.
The former Weber State standout turned down a similar offer from the Indianapolis Colts and had also visited the Kansas City Chiefs during his brief time as an unrestricted free agent.
Boxing
BOXER BAILS OUT: Ten minutes before he was to fight Saturday, middleweight Aaron Mitchell left his dressing room to go to the bathroom. He never came back.
The last-minute walkout forced the cancellation of his scheduled eight-round bout against James Coker at Bally's Park Place Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J.
Baseball
STRAWBERRY STILL MISSING: Friends of former New York Yankees slugger Darryl Strawberry expressed concern for his well being Saturday, two days after he left a drug treatment center where he was under house arrest.
"I hope he's all right," his attorney, Joe Ficarrotta, said. He said he had not heard from Strawberry and didn't know his whereabouts.
A warrant was issued for Strawberry's arrest and local police officers were alerted, but Hillsborough County sheriff's officials said there was no active search because Strawberry was not considered a violent offender. Jesse Orosco refused a minor league assignment with the Dodgers to become a free agent, and the pitcher's agent criticized Los Angeles general manager Kevin Malone.
"Jesse was promised he would be on the team if he was healthy and he's healthy," agent Alan Meersand said after Friday's roster move. "In baseball, you're only as good as your word, and I'll never be able to trust Kevin Malone again."
Malone declined comment.
Orosco, who has appeared in more games than any pitcher in baseball history, signed a minor league contract Feb. 8 and was 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA in nine spring training appearances,
Orosco had hoped to become a left-handed setup man for the Dodgers.
"I felt like something was going on the last four or five days, but I thought I'd just ride it out," Orosco said.
JETER ON DL: New York Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter will open the season on the 15-day disabled list because of a thigh strain. But because Jeter's assignment on the disabled list can be backdated, the team expects that Jeter will rejoin the lineup on April 7.
The Yankees had to do a lot of roster shuffling on Saturday before departing for New York. Henry Rodriguez, a power-hitting outfielder signed in the off-season, crumpled to his knees during batting practice on Saturday, wincing because of a lower-back problem.
Rodriguez is headed for the disabled list, and the Yankees were scrambling to identify a replacement for him early Saturday afternoon.
Tennis
WILLIAMS EDGES CAPRIATI: Venus Williams stood a single point from defeat eight times. Her game was erratic, the weather hot, the match long and the crowd firmly in Jennifer Capriati's corner.
But Williams would not fold. The past couple of weeks she endured a lot — jeers at Indian Wells, talk of fixed matches, a debate started by her father regarding fan racism — so eight pesky match points weren't about to rattle her.
She won them all, then won the last point as well Saturday to beat Jennifer Capriati 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in a sloppy but scintillating final in the Ericsson Open.
The men's final Sunday will be another all-American matchup: No. 3 Andre Agassi against No. 19 Jan-Michael Gambill. Agassi advanced by beating No. 8 Pat Rafter 6-0, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
Williams earned her third title at Key Biscayne, where she has won 18 consecutive matches since 1998.
Curling
3-WAY TIE FOR LEAD: The United States, Denmark and Sweden each had two wins Saturday to lead round-robin play after the opening day of the Curling World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. Canada opened the defense of its men's and women's titles with three losses.
Therrien, Madden sign extensions: Canadiens coach Michel Therrien and general manager Andre Savard, both hired during an early-season shakeup, signed contract extensions Saturday in Montreal.
Therrien was given a one-year extension through next season, while Savard signed on for three additional years. Assistant general manager Martin Madden got a two-year deal.
All three took their jobs Nov. 20, when former coach Alain Vigneault and GM Rejean Houle were fired with the team 5-13-2, the worst record in the 30-team NHL.
Montreal was 26-39-8-5 through Friday and will miss the playoffs for a third straight season — the first time that has happened since the 1920s.
Auto racing
Harvick wins Jani-King 300: Kevin Harvick, already with a Winston Cup win since taking over for the late Dale Earnhardt, turned a favor from his Busch teammate into a victory Saturday in the Jani-King 300 in Fort Worth, Texas.
When Mike Skinner first let Harvick by for the lead at the end of lap 66, the plan was to get Harvick the points for leading before letting his fellow Richard Childress Racing driver back in front.
But Skinner, subbing for the injured Mike Dillon, quickly dropped back to fourth, and Harvick stayed in the lead for 51 laps. He lost the lead only because of two pit stops, and came out of a restart to show the way for the final 40 laps and finish .246 seconds ahead of Jeff Burton.
Speedskating
Chinese sweep 500-meter races: Chinese Li Jiajun and Wang Chunlu won the men's and women's 500-meter finals Saturday at the World Short Track Speedskating Championships in Chonju, South Korea.
Li was timed in 43.433 seconds to win the men's gold, followed by Canada's Jonathan Guilmette in 43.465.
Italy's Maurizio Carnino came in third in 44.691, trailed by Canada's Marc Gagnon, who finished in 1 minute, 12.630 seconds.
In the women's competition, China's Wang won in 45.779, followed by compatriot Yang Yang (A) in 45.872. Another Chinese, Yang Yang (S), came in third in 45.949. Bulgaria's Evgenia Radanova was fourth in 46.003.
The races took place at the Hwasan indoor rink in Chonju, 200 miles from Seoul.
On Friday, Canada and China won the men's and women's 1,500-meter finals, respectively.
Swimming
MOSES SETS RECORD: Ed Moses set his second world record in the USA Swimming Championships, finishing the 50-meter breaststroke in 27.39 seconds Saturday in Austin, Tex.
Moses, who broke the mark of 27.49 set by Anthony Robinson on Thursday, won the 100 breaststroke in a record 1:00.29 on Wednesday. The Olympic silver medalist also won the 200 breaststroke in 2:10.46, the second fastest time in history.