NFL
Ex-Browns GM joins Broncos as director of pro personnel
ENGLEWOOD – Former Cleveland Browns general manager Tom Heckert is the Denver Broncos’ new director of pro personnel.
Heckert replaces Keith Kidd. He’ll work closely with Executive Vice President John Elway and Matt Russell, the Broncos’ director of player personnel.
Heckert is entering his 23rd season in the NFL. He started as a scout for the Miami Dolphins in 1991. Before his three-year stint with the Browns beginning in 2010, Heckert spent nine seasons with Philadelphia, including his final four years (2006-09) as the Eagles’ general manager.
Three of those seasons (2006-08) were spent working with Russell, who was a college scout for the Eagles during that time.
Hockey
Russia passes toughest test: The United States at worlds
HELSINKI – Russia got two late goals to beat the United States 5-3 in a hard-fought game, while Canada scored four unanswered goals en route to a 7-1 rout of Norway on Tuesday at the ice hockey world championships.
The Americans gave the defending champions their toughest test yet at this year’s tournament, leading 3-2 after two goals from captain Paul Stastny and a slapshot from the blue line by Matt Hunwick.
Russian defenseman Yevgeni Medvedev took a loose puck from in front of a crowded goal to put Russia ahead for good with 6 minutes, 25 seconds left, and Kirill Petrov then combined with Ilya Kovalchuk to set up Alexander Radulov for another score two minutes later.
Kovalchuk scored Russia’s second goal – his fifth of the tournament – and Anton Belov and Alexej Tereshenko also scored.
Auto Racing
Penske’s penalties reduced: Key crewmen will miss 2
CONCORD, N.C. – Penske Racing won a slight victory Tuesday in its final appeal of penalties to its two Sprint Cup teams, as National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook reduced seven team members’ suspensions from six to two races.
Middlebrook left intact the points penalties and fines to the teams of defending series champion Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. But now the key crewmen from the Nos. 2 and 22 only will miss Saturday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Sprint Cup All-Star Race, an exhibition May 18 at Charlotte.
Cycling
Italians dominate Stage 4 of their homeland Giro d’Italia
SERRA SAN BRUNO, Italy – Enrico Battaglin of Italy sprinted to victory on rainy, cobbled streets in the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday, while compatriot Luca Paolini kept the overall lead.
Battaglin beat fellow Italians Fabio Felline and Giovanni Visconti for his first stage victory in one of cycling’s main tours.
Overall favorite Bradley Wiggins lost 17 seconds after he was caught behind a crash near the finish on the slippery road. He dropped to sixth in the general standings, 34 seconds behind Paolini. Main rival Vincenzo Nibali moved up to fourth, 31 seconds off the pace.
Golf
Couples and Montgomerie highlight this year’s Hall
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – About the only thing Fred Couples and Colin Montgomerie had in common was a golf swing good enough to trust for a lifetime.
Couples became the first American to reach No. 1 in the world, while Montgomerie found fame on the European Tour, where he won the Order of Merit a record seven times in a row, though he never won a major on the PGA Tour.
Also inducted Monday into the World Golf Hall of Fame: former U.S. Open champion and broadcaster Ken Venturi, former European Tour executive director Ken Schofield and two-time British Open champion and architect Willie Park Jr.
Associated Press
