Briefs | NBA: Free-agent Brian Skinner returns to LA

NBA

Clippers add Skinner: Free-agent forward Brian Skinner, a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Clippers 10 years ago, signed with the team on Thursday. The team reached a deal with the 6-foot-9, 255-pounder, who averaged 3.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 66 games for Phoenix last season.

The 32-year-old Skinner is the latest in a long line of additions to the team this summer, joining Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis, Jason Hart and first-round draft pick Eric Gordon.

Bulls waive Curry: Chicago waived guard JamesOn Curry, its second-round pick in the 2007 draft. The former Oklahoma State standout, who spent most of last season in the Development League, was suspended for one game July 10 by the NBA after he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in Idaho.

OKC to buy Tulsa franchise: Oklahoma City's new NBA team will buy its D-League affiliate in Tulsa. In June, the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics changed its D-League affiliate from the Idaho Stampede to the 66ers.

College basketball

Booster made improper contact: Memphis reported a possible violation to the NCAA after learning that Dave Bronczek, president of Memphis-based FedEx and a school booster, telephoned a woman who is a FedEx employee and the mother of a Tacoma player being recruited by the school.

Bronczek made an early July phone call to Oseye Gaddy, mother of Bellarmine Prep point guard Abdul Gaddy. Boosters are prohibited by NCAA rules from having any contact with recruits or their parents.

Illini dismiss Smith: Illinois dismissed junior guard Jamar Smith, two days after a prosecutor asked a judge to revoke his probation for allegedly drinking alcohol. Smith is serving two years' probation after pleading guilty to felony driving under the influence. Champaign police breaking up an argument outside a bar Friday said the 21-year-old Smith smelled of alcohol.

College football

Gamecocks get Garcia back: South Carolina said redshirt freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia will be at practice today after being approved for reinstatement. He had been suspended by the university in March after he was ticketed for underage drinking. It was his third run-in with authorities since arriving on campus in January 2007.

WVU quarterback apologizes: West Virginia quarterback Pat White apologized for his comments that accused Mountaineers baseball coach Greg Van Zant of not pursuing black athletes.

White has been selected three times in baseball's amateur draft. He was asked Tuesday at the Big East football media day whether he had spoken with Van Zant about the possibility of playing college baseball. White said Van Zant "wasn't interested" in having him on the team and was "not too high" on black players. There were no blacks on the 2008 baseball roster.

NHL

Bowman joins Blackhawks: Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, a special consultant with Detroit since retiring from coaching after the 2002 season, has been named a senior adviser for hockey operations in Chicago.

"It's always a tough decision when you leave an organization like Detroit," said Bowman, who won nine Stanley Cup titles as a coach — including three with the Red Wings. "They understand the situation [is] an opportunity to come to Chicago to be with Stan."

Bowman's son, Stan, is in his eighth season with the Blackhawks and beginning his second as the team's assistant general manager.

Oilers shake up front office: Edmonton promoted general manager Kevin Lowe to president of hockey operations and named longtime Vancouver Canucks executive Steve Tambellini to replace him. Tambellini is the latest high-profile executive to leave the Canucks after the team fired GM Dave Nonis and replaced him with Mike Gillis.

Soccer

MLS to Portland? Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson says he will apply for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. The Timbers play a step below the MLS in the United Soccer League First Division.

Track and field

American record under fire: The new head of USA Track & Field wants the 1,600-meter world record set by the United States a decade ago erased because it is tainted by doping. The record of 2 minutes, 54.20 seconds was set July 22, 1998, by Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew, Tyree Washington and Michael Johnson.

In May, Pettigrew admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs dating to 1997. Young was eligible in 1998 but was banned for life for a second doping violation in 2004.

Horse racing

Big Brown favored for Haskell: Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown drew the No. 4 post and was made the 1-2 favorite for Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

A field of seven 3-year-olds was entered Thursday for the Grade I Haskell, with Big Brown set for his first start since finishing last in the Belmont Stakes in his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

Swimming

More records fall: Michael Klueh won the men's 400-meter freestyle in a meet-record 3:47.62 at the U.S. Open meet in Minneapolis. In the men's 100-meter butterfly, Kohei Kawamoto swam a meet-record 58.30, and Mary Descenza won the women's 100-meter butterfly in a meet-record 58.30.

The U.S. Open serves as the selection meet for the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.

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