Auto Racing
Penske drinks in Keselowski and Miller Lite through ’17
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Penske Racing signed Brad Keselowski and Miller Lite to contract extensions through the 2017 season.
It’s the second contract extension for the defending Sprint Cup Series champion in less than two years. Keselowski signed an extension after the 2011 season that ran through next year. That contract was redone to put the driver and sponsor in concurrent deals.
Miller Lite is extending a partnership with Roger Penske that spans more than three decades. The beer brand has been the primary sponsor in NASCAR of Penske’s flagship No. 2 since 1991.
NFL
Arizona trades its left tackle to the Pittsburgh Steelers
PITTSBURGH – Levi Brown failed to live up to his pedigree with the Arizona Cardinals. The winless Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping a change of scenery might help Brown turn his career – and Pittsburgh’s sagging season – around.
A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press the Steelers acquired Brown for a conditional draft pick. The deal is pending Brown passing a physical, said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade is not yet completed.
The 29-year-old Brown never appeared comfortable in Arizona after the Cardinals selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2007 draft, two spots ahead of Adrian Peterson.
Jaguars trade their left tackle to the Baltimore Ravens
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to trade starting left tackle Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens for undisclosed draft picks.
ESPN first reported the deal Tuesday night. The trade won’t be official until Monroe, the eighth overall pick in the 2009 draft, passes a physical in Baltimore.
Monroe has started 62 games over five seasons, including the team’s last 30 games.
ESPN reported that the Jaguars would receive multiple third-day picks for Monroe in the 2014 draft.
College Football
Government shutdown can’t shut down AFA and Navy
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Air Force-Navy football game will be played Saturday after receiving the approval of the Department of Defense.
The DOD suspended sports competition at the service academies Tuesday because of a partial government shutdown stemming from the budget impasse in Congress. But funding for the game on Navy’s home field is provided by nongovernment funding.
Saturday’s game is a sellout, and Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said the cancellation of the game would have cost the academy roughly $4 million.
Soccer
United beats Real Salt Lake to win the U.S. Open Cup
SANDY, Utah – Lewis Neal scored in the 45th minute, and D.C. United won its third U.S. Open Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Tuesday night.
Tennis
Australian Open follows suit, increases its prize purse
MELBOURNE, Australia – The Australian Open is increasing its prize money by $2.8 million to bring overall player compensation to $31 million next year.
Australian Open organizers did not break down the prize money awarded per round at their launch Wednesday for the tournament Jan. 13-26, but men and women will receive equal amounts as in previous years.
In keeping with player demands to see a larger slice of Grand Slam revenues, all four of the sport’s major tournaments greatly increased their prize money in the last two years:
Wimbledon now offers about $36.5 million.
The U.S. Open increased its purse to $34.3 million.
The French Open went up to $29.7 million.
Associated Press
