Seahawks agree to terms with Jackson
Seahawks agree to terms with Jackson
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks are bringing back a familiar face to compete for their backup quarterback job.
The Seahawks announced Thursday night they have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to compete with Brady Quinn for the backup role behind starter Russell Wilson.
Jackson won seven games for the Seahawks as their starting quarterback in 2011. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills during training camp last season when it became evident he would not win the starting job over Wilson and Matt Flynn.
The Bills released Jackson earlier this week after they added Kevin Kolb in free agency and selected E.J. Manuel in the first round of the NFL draft.
Fla. sports bar deck collapses
NORTH BAY VILLAGE, Fla. — A packed outdoor deck behind a popular Miami-area sports bar partially collapsed during the NBA Finals on Thursday night, sending dozens of patrons into the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief David Downey said 24 people were taken to area hospitals. Many had cuts and bruises, though one person suffered a fracture, a fire official said. Two people were in serious condition.
Authorities said about 100 people were on the deck of Shucker’s Bar & Grill in North Bay Village, north of Miami Beach, when it gave way.
Sports bar customers — and later rescuers — helped people from the water amid yelling, crying and a rush to find people who might be submerged.
Jeter cleared for baseball activities
OAKLAND, Calif. — New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter has been medically cleared to resume full baseball activities and running on his surgically repaired left ankle.
The Yankees said Thursday that Jeter was examined by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., and that he is continuing to heal. He received clearance to progress into baseball activities and running.
The 13-time All-Star hasn’t played this season after breaking his left ankle in the playoffs last fall and having surgery. Jeter sustained another fracture during his rehabilitation, and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break in mid-July.
Pirates put Burnett on 15-day DL
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates placed ace A.J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right calf and filled his roster spot by activating right-hander Charlie Morton, who returns to the majors almost a year to the day after having Tommy John surgery.
Morton, who underwent the elbow reconstruction procedure last June 14, will start Thursday night against the San Francisco Giants.
Burnett was scheduled to start Friday against the Dodgers but the 36-year-old notified manager Clint Hurdle of the calf problem Wednesday. He is 4-5 with a 3.12 ERA and is second in the National League with 99 strikeouts. Jeff Locke will start Friday.
The Pirates also released reliever Jose Contreras, who had been on the disabled list with lower back pain.
Haas, Gasquet reach Halle quarterfinals
HALLE, Germany — Defending champion Tommy Haas advanced to the quarterfinals of the Gerry Weber Open on Thursday by outlasting Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Second-seeded Richard Gasquet defeated Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-1, and Philipp Kohlschreiber stopped Tobias Kamke 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final eight in the grass-court tuneup for Wimbledon.
The oldest player in the top 100, Hass is aiming for his second title of the year. The 11th-ranked German won last year’s title by beating Roger Federer.
On Friday, Haas will face Gael Monfils, while the top-seeded Federer will play Mischa Zverev.
Kohlschreiber will take on Mikhail Youzhny, and Gasquet will face Florian Mayer, who beat Gasquet at Wimbledon last year.
Murray wins twice to reach Queen’s quarters
LONDON — Andy Murray won twice Thursday to reach the Queen’s Club quarterfinals, defeating Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 7-6 (4) in a suspended match and then beating Marinko Matosevic 6-2, 6-2.
Defending champion and fifth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia saved a match point and swept the last five games to down Spanish qualifier Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 7-6 (5) 7-5.
Also winning were second-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina and No. 4 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. But No. 6 Sam Querrey, the 2010 champion, was ousted by former four-time tournament winner Lleyton Hewitt, who won 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Top-seeded Flipkens out of Aegon Classic
BIRMINGHAM, England — Top-seeded Kirsten Flipkens lost at the Aegon Classic on Thursday, leaving four seeded players in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon tuneup. Flipkens was beaten 7-6 (5), 6-2 by 16th-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova on another rainy day in Birmingham.
Third-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania defeated Bojana Jovanovski 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 and is the highest-seeded player left in the grass-court tournament.
Fifth-seeded Sabine Lisicki, a Wimbledon finalist in 2011, beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 and former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone downed Marina Erakovic 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Daniela Hantuchova, Madison Keys, Donna Vekic and Alison Riske also made the last eight.
From wire sources