Abreu testifies in smuggling trial

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu told a Miami federal jury Wednesday that he ate a chunk of a fake passport while flying to the U.S. to cover up his illegal travel as part of a Cuban ballplayer smuggling operation.

Abreu testified he ordered a beer on an Air France flight from Haiti to Miami and consumed the page containing a false name and his photo. Abreu said he traveled illegally because he was worried he would miss an October 2013 deadline and lose the $68 million contract he later signed with Chicago.

The testimony came in the trial of Floridabased sports agent Bartolo Hernandez and baseball trainer Julio Estrada, who are accused of alien smuggling and conspiracy. They allegedly operated a ring that took Cuban players from the communist-governed island to third countries where they could sign Major League Baseball contracts once they established residency.

NFL

NFL SETS SALARY CAP » The NFL salary cap for the upcoming season will be $167 million per team, up more than $12 million over last year.

The league and the NFL Players Association compile the cap from specific revenues, and it has risen annually. It was $143.28 million two years ago.

This is the fourth consecutive year the cap has risen at least $10 million.

Olympics

BUDAPEST WITHDRAWS BID » Budapest’s assembly has approved a motion to withdraw the city’s bid for the 2024 Olympics.

The decision leaves Los Angeles and Paris as the only remaining candidates. The International Olympic Committee will choose the host city in September.

Budapest’s decision to withdraw came after a political group appeared to successfully gather enough signatures to force a citywide referendum on the bid. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government said the change of heart by politicians who supported the bid had shattered consensus on the issue.

College basketball

PARDON’S LAYUP THWARTS MICHIGAN » Dererk Pardon scored on a layup at the buzzer off a long inbound pass from Nathan Taphorn to give Northwestern a 67-65 victory over Michigan on Wednesday night.

The Wolverines’ Zak Irvin had just missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds. The ball got knocked out of bounds and, after a timeout, Taphorn threw a baseball style pass the length of the court, hitting Pardon in stride for the winning shot.

As the buzzer sounded, fans packing Welsh-Ryan Arena poured onto the court. The win was just what the Wildcats (21-9, 10-7 Big Ten), trying to make their first NCAA Tournament, needed after dropping five of seven.