Off the wire

GOLF Haas set to return

Bill Haas returns to golf this week knowing the Valspar Championship will be unlike any of the previous 347 times he has played on the PGA Tour. The deep bruise on his left leg and the soreness in his right ankle have subsided. Still tender are memories of a friend, Mark

Gibello, who was killed Feb. 13 on a winding road outside Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles when his Ferrari clipped another car and slammed into a pole. Haas was the passenger. “There’s not many templates to go by on something like this,” Haas said in his first interview since the accident. “I was in a state of shock, disbelief. It was a tragic event, traumatic. I’m still unsure how to handle it.” The 35-year-old Haas returns with a greater appreciation of life and a level of support he never realized he had.

FOOTBALL Cowboys tag Lawrence

The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on DeMarcus Lawrence on Monday, and the Pro Bowl defensive end quickly signed the one-year contract that guarantees him $17.1 million in 2018. The Cowboys had until today to put the tag on Lawrence, who can still sign a long-term deal with the club that traded up to get him early in the second round in 2014. Lawrence’s agent, David Canter, wrote on Twitter that his client signed the deal. Lawrence tied All-Pro Calais Campbell of Jacksonville for second in the NFL with 14 ½ sacks last season. The 25-year-old’s breakout year came after he struggled with injuries most of his first three seasons. He had back surgery each of the previous two offseasons.

Cromartie retires

Veteran cornerback Antonio Cromartie announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday. The 11-year pro with four franchises posted a message on Instagram saying “after 27 years of playing

football, today I say farewell.” An All-Pro with San Diego in 2007, when he led the league with 10 interceptions, Cromartie, 33, was one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks for much of his career, making four Pro Bowls. He also scored the longest touchdown in league history, returning a missed field goal by Minnesota for a 109-yard score in 2007.

Raiders cut Smith

The Oakland Raiders released pass rusher Aldon Smith on Monday

after his latest run-in with the law. The Raiders retained Smith’s contractual rights even as he spent the past two seasons on the NFL’s suspended list. But the team decided finally to cut ties one day after San Francisco police said authorities were searching for Smith in connection with a domestic violence allegation. San Francisco police said Monday an arrest warrant has been obtained for Smith stemming from allegations he assaulted a woman on Saturday night. Smith left before police arrived to respond to the 911 call, and authorities are working with Smith’s attorney to arrange a time for him to surrender.

BASEBALL Report: Ichiro in play

Could Ichiro Suzuki return to the Seattle Mariners? With Monday’s announcement that Ben Gamel has a strained oblique and will miss 4-6 weeks, the Mariners need outfield help. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale is reporting the Mariners will bring back the 44-year-old Ichiro, a fan favorite. He played for the Mariners from 2001-2012, during which he was a 10-time All-Star selection and won 10 Gold Gloves. He was the 2001 American League MVP and Rookie of the Year, and in 2004 he set the major- league season record for hits with 262. For his career, Ichiro is a .312 hitter with 3,080 hits and 509 steals. He is the Mariners’ career leader in batting average (. 322), hits ( 2,533) and steals (438), and he is second in runs scored (1,176).

SLED DOG RACING Iditarod underway

Twenty- two mushers had reached the Rainy Pass checkpoint by midafternoon Monday after the first day of racing in the 2018 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. They were led by a rookie, Jessie Holmes of Nenana, who paused at the checkpoint for just 16 minutes before continuing up the pass with 16 dogs. Sixty-seven teams departed Sunday on the 1,000-mile race from Willow, Alaska, to Nome on the state’s west coast. The Rainy Pass checkpoint is 142 miles from the starting line. From the checkpoint, teams climb from an elevation of about 1,800 feet to the highest point of the pass at an elevation of 3,160 feet over gradual, mostly barren terrain. A sharp descent follows along a creek and a river. Reigning champion Mitch Seavey was among mushers resting at the checkpoint.