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From The Associated Press

Shaq gets slapped by sheriff for rap language

PHOENIX—Shaquille O’Neal is losing his special deputy’s badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center’s use of a racially derogatory word and other offensive terms left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year.

“I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.”

Shaq was seen in a video posted on the celebrity news and gossip Web site TMZ.com rapping that “Kobe couldn’t do without me.” O’Neal skewers the Lakers’ star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles, for not being able to win a championship without him.

“I was freestyling. That’s all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever,” O’Neal told ESPN.com Monday. A call to the Suns on Tuesday seeking comment from O’Neal was referred to his public relations firm, which didn’t immediately respond.

A limping Davenport advances at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England—With Wimbledon devolving into a fashion contest, former champion Lindsay Davenport’s retro getup may have trumped all other outfits.

Her sleeveless white top and pleated skirt were very 1980s, and the wrap on her right leg — with bandages extending from mid-thigh to mid-calf — looked like something out of the British Museum.

Playing her first match at Wimbledon since 2005, Davenport whacked enough winners to compensate for a sore knee Tuesday, and she hobbled past Renata Voracova 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Moving more comfortably into the second round were Maria Sharapova and her new all-white, tuxedo-style outfit, which prompted 13 fashion-related questions at her postmatch news conference. Other winners in straight sets included defending champion Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick on a second successive mild, dry day at the All England Club.

While photographers focused on Sharapova’s ensemble, and Roddick poked fun at Roger Federer’s opening-day sweater, Davenport resorted to tactics that had her winning ugly. Back on the women’s tour after a hiatus to have her first child, the 1999 Wimbledon champion showed she still possesses the grass-court game to beat anyone — even on one leg.

Fresno's big offensive night forces Game 3

OMAHA, Neb.—Fresno State kept its amazing postseason run alive Tuesday night thanks to an offensive performance that was nothing short of, well, amazing.

After spotting Georgia a five-run lead in the third inning, Fresno State struck for 15 runs over the next three innings for a 19-10 victory in Game 2 of the College World Series finals.

Tommy Mendonca put Fresno State in front with his record-tying fourth home run of the CWS in his team's six-run third inning.

The Bulldogs from Fresno State (46-31) and Bulldogs from Georgia (45-24-1) will meet in Game 3 on Wednesday night to determine college baseball's top dog.

Varitek's hit highlights big inning in Red Sox win

BOSTON—A slumping Jason Varitek capped a four-run eighth inning with a go-ahead single, and the Boston Red Sox resumed hitting just in time to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 Tuesday night.

The Red Sox had six hits in the inning, one more than their total in the first seven innings and two more than they managed in Monday night's 2-1 loss in the series opener.

It was Varitek who delivered the decisive blow, lining a single to right that scored Mike Lowell, whose two-run double tied the game. Varitek was 1-for-30 before that at-bat, dropping his batting average to .227.

Arizona led 4-1 going into the bottom of the eighth behind the pitching of Doug Davis and the hitting of Chad Tracy, who singled home a run in the second and hit a three-run homer, his third of the season, in the third.

Woods has reconstructive surgery on left knee

Tiger Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee Tuesday in Utah to repair a torn ligament, and doctors said it was “highly unlikely” there would be any long-term effects.

It was the second time in 10 weeks Woods had surgery on his knee, this time on his anterior cruciate ligament.

“We were confident going into this surgery, and I am pleased with the results,” Dr. Thomas D. Rosenberg said in a statement released by IMG, Woods’ management company.

“There were no surprises during the procedure, and as we have said, with the proper rehabilitation and training, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Woods will have any long-term effects as it relates to his career.”

The surgery came one week after Woods went 91 holes at Torrey Pines to win the U.S. Open in a playoff over Rocco Mediate, revealing later that he also had a double stress fracture in his left tibia.

Lightning hires Barry Melrose as coach

TAMPA, Fla.—When the Tampa Bay Lightning called, Barry Melrose was eager to listen.

Out of coaching for 13 years, he missed the passion and competition of the NHL. Countless hours of watching games as a television analyst intensified his desire to return to the bench, and it didn’t hurt that he’d be able to work with talent like Vincent Lecavalier and Steve Stamkos.

“They approached me. I couldn’t wait to say yes,” Melrose said Tuesday after the Lightning’s new owners made the league’s worst-kept secret official: the former Los Angeles Kings coach was the choice to replace John Tortorella.

Melrose estimates he watched about 90 percent of Tampa Bay’s games on TV last season. What he saw was a team that lost its zest under the hard-driving Tortorella, who led the club to its only Stanley Cup title four years ago.

The Lightning not only missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002, they finished last in the NHL with a league-worst 31-42-9 record.

Anthony pleads guilty to reduced DUI charge

DENVER—All-Star Carmelo Anthony may have found reassurance that the Denver Nuggets still want him around in the most unlikely of places: the courtroom where he pleaded guilty Tuesday to a reduced charge of driving while ability-impaired.

With trade rumors swirling around the beleaguered Anthony in recent weeks, coach George Karl and Mark Warkentien, the team’s vice president of basketball operations, were in the courtroom to offer their support.

Anthony was sentenced to a year probation, 24 hours of community service, and more than $1,000 in fees and court costs while prosecutors dropped a more serious DUI charge.

Anthony also pleaded guilty to failure to stay in a single lane.

The sentencing capped off a bustling two days for the 24-year-old. He was chosen for the U.S. Olympic team on Monday, only to learn he was suspended by his team for two games because of the DUI arrest.