Preds agree to terms with Nichol, Henry

Nashville center Scott Nichol and defenseman Alex Henry have agreed to contract terms with the Predators. Nichol signed a two-year deal that will pay him $750,000 each season, general manager David Poile said Saturday. Henry signed a one-year contract that will pay him $100,000 at the minor-league level and $475,000 at the NHL level.

Panthers ink Stumpel to 2-year extension

The Florida Panthers signed center Jozef Stumpel to a two-year contract extension Friday. The 34-year-old Stumpel has played in 147 games for the Panthers in the past two seasons and had 38 goals and 71 assists. He scored 23 goals last season — a career high. “Jozef is a proven playmaker who has fit in very well playing along with our core nucleus of forwards over the past two seasons,” coach and…

NFL European league folds after 16 years

After 15 years in Europe, the NFL shut down its developmental league Friday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it was strictly business, insisting that after “significant investment” it was time to close NFL Europa and concentrate internationally on regular-season games outside the United States. “A foundation of American football fans in key European markets has been created and the time is…

‘Mr. Irrelevant’ agrees with Lions

Mr. Irrelevant Ramzee Robinson, the last player selected in the NFL draft, agreed to a three-year deal with the Detroit Lions. Robinson agreed in principle to the deal on Thursday, his agent Andrew Benedict said Friday. The 5-foot-10, 186-pound cornerback from Alabama became the 23rd player to be recognized as Mr.

Dolphins release DT Evans after arrest

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Fred Evans, arrested over the weekend for refusing to leave a taxi on South Beach and for fighting with officers, was released by the team Thursday. Evans played in one game as a rookie last season with the Dolphins. Police twice used a Taser gun Saturday on Evans in an attempt to subdue the 6-foot-4, 305-pound player, according to the arrest report.

Thompson, 12, at 12-over at Women’s Open

Alexis Thompson made it to the weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open, but not exactly in the way she wanted to. The 12-year-old Thompson — the youngest player in history to qualify for the Open — had a round cut short because of severe weather for the second straight day Friday at 12-over 134 through 31 holes.

Roberts leads Romero at Commerce Bank

Loren Roberts and Eduardo Romero have been seeing their names next to each other a lot lately on leaderboards, and it’s not just for alphabetical reasons. Roberts, who leads the Champions Tour in scoring average, had his low round of the year, a 7-under 64 Friday, to take a one-stroke lead over Romero after the first round of the Commerce Bank Championship.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes – Saturday, June 30

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Woods returns next week for his tourney

Tiger Woods’ new PGA Tour event is already off to a great start. Two weeks after becoming a father, Woods will return to competition at the AT&T National. The tournament got another boost Wednesday when three-time major champion Phil Mickelson said his recovery from a wrist injury is ahead of schedule and he will join the field at Congressional Country Club on July 5-8.

Harvick captures pole for Busch Camping World 200

Florida AD Foley gets big raise

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, who hired basketball coach Billy Donovan and football coach Urban Meyer, is getting a big raise following the school’s third national championship in 12 months. The 54-year-old Foley has agreed to an 11-year deal worth up to $1.2 million annually with bonuses, making him the highest paid athletic director in the country and keeping him in Gainesville until…

Coach K looks to rebuild Duke, U.S. team

Mike Krzyzewski has big plans for the next few months. He wants to lead two once-dominant teams back to the tops of their basketball worlds. Duke’s Hall of Fame coach hopes to guide the U.S. national team through a qualifying tournament and into the 2008 Olympics while helping the Blue Devils rebound from their worst season in more than a decade.