Briefs | Sabres, Devils, Islanders brace for free agency

NHL

Free-agent signing period begins today: The Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders could be losing high-profile players this summer.

The league's free-agent signing period begins today, and big names include Sabres co-captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury; center Scott Gomez and defenseman Brian Rafalski of the Devils; and forwards Ryan Smyth and Jason Blake of the Islanders.

The salary cap for the 2007-08 season is $50.3 million, up $6.3 million from last season. On the eve of free agency, St. Louis signed forward Keith Tkachuk to a two-year, $8 million deal.

NFL

Policy is designed to protect Internet operations of teams: Because of a new league policy, something will soon be in short supply on news-media Web sites: video of almost anything related to the NFL or its players.

In a move designed to protect the Internet operations of its 32 teams, the league has told news organizations it will no longer permit them to carry unlimited online video clips of players, coaches or other officials, including video the news organizations gather themselves on a team's premises.

According to The Washington Post, news organizations can post no more than 45 seconds per day of video shot at a team's facilities, including news conferences, interviews and practice-field reports.

The policy, announced last month with little fanfare, has frustrated journalists, who say it constricts the public's access to information.

At the heart of the dispute is a collision between leagues and the news outlets that cover them. As the Internet becomes a premier source for video reports, teams are increasingly competing with the news media's Web sites for viewers and advertisers. By limiting access to news organizations, the teams hope to drive fans to the teams' sites for exclusive information and clips.

Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL permit unlimited use of video on Web sites apart from game footage, said Jim Jenks, The Philadelphia Inquirer's executive sports editor and outgoing president of the Associated Press Sports Editors.

Arena Football League

Columbus, Colorado win: Matt Nagy threw for five touchdowns and ran one in himself from 1 yard with seven seconds left to give the Columbus Destroyers a 56-55 wild-card playoff win over the host Tampa Bay Storm.

In another playoff game, visiting Colorado beat Kansas City 49-42.

Boxing

Holyfield takes 10-rounder: Evander Holyfield outworked and outclassed Lou Savarese, winning a 10-round unanimous decision in El Paso, Texas.

Holyfield, the 44-year-old former heavyweight champion, started and ended the fight with a hard left to the head of the 41-year-old Savarese. The judges scored the bout 98-90, 99-87 and 96-91.

Sturm keeps title: Felix Sturm retained his WBA middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Noe Tulio Gonzalez Alcoba in Stuttgart, Germany. The judges scored the bout 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112 for Sturm (28-2).

Cycling

Jaksche says he used performance-enhancing drugs since 1997: Joerg Jaksche, 30, has become the first rider to admit using blood doping prepared by a Spanish doctor in the Operation Puerto scandal.

Jaksche told Spiegel magazine he used performance-enhancing drugs since 1997, while riding for a number of teams. Jaksche, a German who lives in Austria, was suspended by his team — Tinkoff Credit Systems — in May for suspected involvement in Operation Puerto. Jaksche said he began using blood doping prepared by the Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in 2005.

Astana provisionally suspends Mazzoleni: Eddy Mazzoleni, 33, has been provisionally suspended by the Astana team. He is among a group of four riders that will be questioned this month by Italian prosecutors as part of a doping probe.

Seattle Times news services