Off the wire
SOCCER U.S. routs Honduras
Antonee Robinson and Ricardo Pepi scored their first international goals after a halftime change in formation, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget added late goals and the United States revived its World Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-1 win over Honduras in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. U.S. captain Christian Pulisic joined the lengthy American injured list, limping off in the 60th. Brayan Maya put Honduras ahead in the 27th minute of a one-sided first half as the Catrachos dominated before a horn-blowing full house at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano. Robinson scored in the 48th minute and Pepi, starting in his international debut, in the 75th. Aaronson scored off a slick pass from Pepi in the 86th, and Lletget added his eighth international goal in the third minute of stoppage as Catrachos fans cheers turned to boos and whistles.
BASKETBALL Bama guard out for season
Alabama transfer guard Nimari Burnett will miss the season after having surgery on his right knee. Coach Nate Oats said Burnett had successful surgery Tuesday, performed by Dr. Lyle Cain of Andrews Sports Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham. The 6-4, 190-pound sophomore transferred from Texas Tech, where he played in 12 games as a freshman before opting to enter the transfer portal. He was rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports. Burnett averaged 5.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 17.8 minutes per game. He shot 88.9% from the free throw line (32 of 36).
Cavs pick up guard Pangos
The Cleveland Cavaliers signed point guard Kevin Pangos to a two-year deal, his agency announced Wednesday on Twitter. The 28-year-old Canadian spent the past six years playing in Europe.
Pangos most recently played for Zenit Saint Petersburg, where he averaged 13.5 points and 6.6 assists while being named All-EuroLeague. Bulls sign five free agents
The Chicago Bulls signed former Toronto Raptors forward Stanley Johnson on Wednesday. They also announced deals with free agent forwards Tyler Cook and Alize Johnson, and guards Matt Thomas and Ethan Thompson. Stanley Johnson averaged 6.2 points for Detroit, New Orleans and Toronto since the Pistons drafted him with the eighth overall pick in 2015. He averaged 4.4 in 61 games for Toronto last season — his second with the Raptors. Cook averaged 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds over two seasons with Cleveland, Denver, Brooklyn and Detroit. Alize Johnson averaged 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in three seasons with Indiana and Brooklyn. Thomas averaged 4.0 points over two seasons with Toronto and Utah, and Thompson went undrafted out of Oregon State this year.
FOOTBALL Vikings re-sign RT O’Neill
The Minnesota Vikings signed right tackle Brian O’Neill to a contract extension on Wednesday, securing their most reliable blocker for the long term. O’Neill was drafted in the second round out of Pittsburgh in 2018 and would have been eligible for free agency next year. He cracked the lineup as a rookie and has started 42 games in his first three seasons. During his span as a starter, the Vikings have the thirdmost rushing yards in the NFL.
Texans’ kicker out vs. Jags
The Houston Texans will be without kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn because of an injury when they open the season Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fairbairn missed the final preseason game Aug. 28 against Tampa Bay with what the team called a minor pulled muscle in his leg, and Coach David Culley said Wednesday that the injury would keep him out of the opener. Culley said he wasn’t yet sure who would fill in for him, but with no other kickers on the roster, the job will likely go to Joey Slye, who was signed to the practice squad Tuesday and could be promoted to the active roster for the game. Slye spent the past two years with the Panthers, appearing in 16 games each season.
Former ND standout dies
Terry Brennan, a star halfback on three unbeaten Notre Dame teams who was hailed as a wunderkind when he succeeded Irish coaching great Frank Leahy at just 25 years old, has died. He was 93. The school announced his death Wednesday. Brennan died Tuesday, said the funeral home in Skokie, Ill., handling the arrangements. He had lived in nearby Wilmette. Brennan led the Irish in receiving and scoring as they won back-to-back national championships in 1946 (80-1) and 1947 (9-0) and went 9-0-1 and finished ranked No. 2 in 1948. His teammates included Heisman Trophy winners John Lujack and Leon Hart. In 1946, Brennan made a key interception when the second-ranked Irish played to a 0-0 tie against No. 1 Army at packed Yankee Stadium in a matchup dubbed “The Game of the Century.” Army drove to the Notre Dame 12, but Brennan picked off a pass at the 5. Brennan finished with a coaching record of 32-18, a .640 winning percentage.
HOCKEY Crosby out six weeks
Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing wrist surgery. The team made the announcement Wednesday. General Manager Ron Hextall said the surgery was necessary to address a lingering issue and that Crosby would be out a minimum of six weeks. The Penguins begin training camp later this month and open the 2021-22 season on the road against two-time defending Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay on Oct. 12.
The door for Crosby’s possible routine would likely open around Oct. 20 at the earliest. Crosby, 34, missed just one game during the covid-19 shortened 2020-21 season, finishing with 24 goals and 38 assists to help lead the Penguins to the East Division title.
OLYMPICS North Korea suspended
North Korea was formally suspended from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics by the IOC on Wednesday as punishment for refusing to send a team to the Tokyo Games while citing the covid-19 pandemic. IOC president Thomas Bach said the North Korean national Olympic body will also now forfeit money it was due from previous Olympics. The unspecified amount — potentially millions of dollars — had been withheld because of international sanctions. Individual athletes from North Korea who qualify to compete in Beijing could still be accepted by a separate decision in the future, Bach said. The suspension marks a steep drop in North Korea’s Olympic status since the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, where the International Olympic Committee tried to aid a diplomatic breakthrough.
SOFTBALL College WS expands by 2 days
The NCAA’s Division I Competition Oversight Committee has approved expanding the Women’s College World Series from seven days to nine, starting with the 2022 event. The change, announced Wednesday, will eliminate the doubleheader for teams that need to stay alive after losing on the opening day of the event. There also will be a new day of rest for the two teams that advance to the finals. The previous format limited schedule flexibility. In June, Florida State and Oklahoma State played a game that started at nearly midnight because of a rain delay and didn’t end until after 2 a.m. on Sunday.