Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Updated: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 10:01 AM CDT

Here's a look at Tuesday's sports in brief around the country.

NFL

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans plan to play their home opener at hurricane damaged Reliant Stadium on Oct. 5.

“I can’t say with absolute certainty,” Texans owner Bob McNair told The Associated Press. “But let’s put it this way, I’d be shocked if we did not play there.”

The stadium’s retractable roof lost five pieces in the storm and officials said large pieces of debris had fallen into the stadium during Hurricane Ike. The roof probably won’t be fixed in time for the game against Indianapolis, but McNair said that game and the remaining home games could be played with the roof open.

The Texans are playing their first three games on the road after their scheduled home opener against Baltimore was moved to Nov. 9 because of the storm. McNair said returning home to play in their own stadium should be a bright spot for an area reeling from the devastation caused by the hurricane.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marc Bulger is out as the St. Louis Rams starting quarterback after throwing only two touchdown passes in three games and will be replaced by 38-year-old Trent Green for Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

The benching of the Rams’ highest-paid player, announced by coach Scott Linehan in a terse, two-paragraph release, signals just how desperate times have become for the sagging franchise. Linehan is 11-24 in his third season, including 0-3 this year with none of the games competitive.

Last week, Linehan was told by new owner Chip Rosenbloom that improvements need to be made or that changes would be forthcoming. This is Linehan’s first head coaching job at any level, earned off success as an offensive coordinator with the Dolphins and Vikings. He was a quarterback in college at Idaho. BASEBALL

BOSTON (AP) — The World Series champion Boston Red Sox are back in the playoffs, thanks to a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians that clinched at least a wild-card berth.

With the win, the Red Sox moved 6 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees in the wild-card race with five games left. Boston still has a chance to catch Tampa Bay in the AL East.

NEW YORK (AP) — Spring training is expanding by nearly a week next year because of the World Baseball Classic.

Players will start reporting to training camps on Feb. 14, under an agreement between the players’ association and the commissioner’s office. Exhibition games will start about Feb. 25.

In most years, pitchers and catchers open workouts 45 days before opening day followed by position players five days later. Under that schedule, workouts would not have begun until Feb. 20.

Under the new schedule, all players on WBC rosters of China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and pitchers and catchers from other WBC teams must report to their major league clubs on Feb. 14, which will be the voluntary report date for all other pitchers, catchers and injured players.

Remaining WBC position players must report by Feb. 17, which will be the voluntary report date for all other major league position players.

The mandatory reporting date for non-WBC players was moved up to Feb. 22 from March 5.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wally Joyner quit as hitting coach of the San Diego Padres.

San Diego began Tuesday with a .250 batting average, 27th in the major leagues and ahead of only Cincinnati, Oakland and Washington. At 61-95, the Padres have their worst record since 2003.

Joyner played for San Diego from 1996-99 and took over as hitting coach from Merv Rettenmund on July 31 last year.

NBA

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has reported to a federal prison camp to begin his 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal.

Donaghy’s attorney, John Lauro, says his client arrived at the Saufley Field minimum-security prison about 1 p.m.

A New York judge sentenced Donaghy in July after the 41-year-old referee said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on games — including games he worked. Donaghy said he was a gambling addict who needs treatment, not incarceration.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce in the tips-for-payoffs scheme.

AUTO RACING

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — AJ Allmendinger lost his ride at Red Bull Racing, paving the way for former Formula One driver Scott Speed to replace him next season.

Allmendinger is in his second season driving the No. 84 Toyota, but Red Bull opted not to renew his contract for the 2009 season. The team also pulled him from the car for the two-day test session that began Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Speed, meanwhile, was testing a third Red Bull entry in the session and is scheduled to make his Sprint Cup Series debut next month at Lowe’s. He said during the dinner break he’s not sure if he’ll fill Allmendinger’s seat next season, but will do whatever Red Bull officials ask of him.

COLLEGE SPORTS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The NCAA upheld sanctions against Arkansas’ track and field program, although the school still hopes to keep two national titles in question.

Arkansas will ask an NCAA committee handling track and field scoring to clarify how many points the Razorbacks must vacate from the 2004 and 2005 men’s outdoor national championships. The Razorbacks won the title both years.

Arkansas was penalized for violations involving sprint star Tyson Gay and a former assistant coach. The NCAA handed down its decision last October, taking away the two national titles and giving the school three years’ probation.

The school appealed, calling the penalties excessive. The NCAA said it had denied Arkansas’ attempt to change the start date of its probationary period — and that meet results from when Gay competed should still be vacated.