AFP - Lionel Messi was on Friday tipped to be the driving force behind Argentina's bid for back-to-back Olympic gold after the superstar striker shrugged off a damaging club-or-country controversy.
AP - Roger Clemens' lawyers asked a federal judge to reject attempts by Brian McNamee to dismiss the former pitcher's defamation suit or have it moved from Texas to New York. -- read full article
AP - A pro-Tibet group says three American activists have been detained after trying to protest near the venue for the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. -- read full article
AP - J.B. Holmes hung on to shoot a 2-under 68 and take a one-stroke lead into the clubhouse midway through the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday.
AP - China didn't just walk onto the world stage. It soared over it. At last playing its long-sought role as Olympic host, China opened the Summer Games in spectacular fashion Friday with an extravaganza of fireworks and pageantry dramatizing its ascendance as a global power.
AFP - Andy Roddick stepped up his US Open preparation while his rivals got in final training for the Olympics as the Beijing absentee advanced at the Los Angeles Classic late Thursday.
AP - Beer ads will continue to pay for college sports telecasts, and college fantasy leagues could become the next real moneymaker on Web sites. -- read full article
AFP - Manchester City boss Mark Hughes will be looking to put speculation about the club's future behind him with a confidence-boosting friendly victory over AC Milan this weekend.
AP - David Wright has always been the one of the players who run from the dugout, hop around anxiously behind home plate, then pile on a teammate after he's come through with a winning hit.
Reuters - Brett Favre described the whirlwind
developments that took him to New York from the Green Bay
Packers as "crazy" on Thursday, yet proclaimed himself excited
about joining the Jets.
AP - Bantamweight Gary Russell Jr. will miss the Olympics after collapsing while trying to make weight, leaving the American boxing team without one of its top medal hopes. -- read full article
AP - Clayton Kershaw worked seven dominant innings and Manny Ramirez homered for the fourth time in six games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who averted a three-game sweep by beating the St. Louis Cardinals and 13-game winner Kyle Lohse 4-1 on Thursday.
AP - Chad Pennington quickly became the odd man out once Brett Favre joined the New York Jets. Pennington was released Thursday, ending the quarterback's eight-year, injury-plagued career with the Jets. He was expected to find a new home soon: Minnesota and Miami were mentioned as possible destinations.
