Sports Briefs: Nike says it will remain with Woods

LONDON

Nike will continue to support Tiger Woods even though Woods has taken an indefinite leave from golf to deal with personal issues.

Charlie Denson, Nike's brand president, said yesterday that he does not want Woods back on the course until he sorts out his private life, which has been in the public spotlight since Woods revealed incidents of marital infidelity last year. Woods made a public apology last week and has sought inpatient treatment.

"Under the circumstances, the more he deals with the issues and the better he deals with them, the better off he'll be when he does return," Denson told The Associated Press.

Nike's $650 million golf sector has been one of the hardest-hit segments of its business during the global recession, but Nike is standing by Woods despite any damage done to its image.

AT&T and Accenture dropped Woods from their sponsorships, and others such as Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette and Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer de-emphasized him in their marketing.

Woods said last week that he spent 45 days in treatment and he planned to seek additional therapy. He did not say when he'll return to the course.

"We've been in touch with his camp," Denson said. "We're very comfortable with where he's at, how he's dealing with it and we're looking forward to his return."

Football

● Wofford has hired James Adams, a former Wake Forest player and recruiting assistant, to coach cornerbacks, Coach Mike Ayers announced yesterday.

Adams played in 20 games at linebacker for Wake Forest, and then was a recruiting assistant in 2008 and a graduate assistant for offense last season. Ayers said that Adams will help on defense and with recruiting.

● NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, spent about 1 hour, 40 minutes working on a new collective-bargaining agreement yesterday in Indianapolis, then left without saying a word. Goodell remains hopeful the two sides can reach a deal before March 2011, when the current CBA will expire.

If the sides do not have a new deal before March 5, the league will have its first non-salary cap season since 1993, and players are anticipating a lockout before the start of the 2011 season.

● The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to a deal with nose tackle Casey Hampton and have put the franchise tag on kicker Jeff Reed. ESPN first reported the agreement with Hampton, saying the deal was for three-years and $21 million.

Hampton, a nine-year veteran, had 43 tackles and 2½ sacks last season. Reed, an eight-year veteran, made 27 of 31 field-goal attempts.

● The Oakland Raiders have placed the exclusive franchise tag on defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

The team executed the move before yesterday's deadline. Seymour, designated as the exclusive franchise player, is unable to negotiate with other teams.

Seymour will be guaranteed a salary for next season of at least $12.398 million.

Baseball

● Manager Tony La Russa of the Cardinals said he has no plans to read a new book that suggests Mark McGwire knew steroids would boost his power at the plate. The book, to be released Monday, is by McGwire's estranged brother, Jay McGwire, who said that his brother knew he became a better hitter because steroids enhanced his size and strength.

● The Texas Rangers have voided the contract of infielder Khalil Greene, who spent last season with St. Louis while missing 46 games in two stints on the disabled list because of social anxiety. The Rangers said Monday that a private matter, which they didn't identify, prevented Greene from reporting to spring training.

Also, center fielder Josh Hamilton has missed regular drills at spring training because of a sore left shoulder.

Hamilton had X-rays on his shoulder yesterday and the results were negative.

● J.P. Ricciardi, the former general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, has been hired by ESPN as an analyst for Baseball Tonight. Ricciardi was fired by the Blue Jays on the final weekend of last season after eight years as GM. Before working for the Blue Jays, he spent 16 seasons with the Oakland Athletics.

Miscellaneous

● Senior Caroline Vaughn of Wake Forest had three personal bests on her way to setting the school record in the women's pentathlon on the opening day of the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Virginia Tech.

Vaughn scored a total of 3,758 points and finished fourth overall. She broke Molly Kennedy's Wake Forest record of 3,743 points, set at the ACC Indoor Championships in 2007.

● J.C. Elder, known as "Suitcase Jake" during his long tenure as a NASCAR crew chief with star drivers David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip, has died. He was 73.

Elder died on Wednesday of natural causes at Autumn Care of Statesville, the Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home said yesterday.

Elder was the crew chief for Pearson's 1968 and 1969 series champions and directed Earnhardt to his first Cup victory in 1979 at Bristol.

A funeral service is set for Saturday at the funeral home's chapel.

● Everett Case and Wallace Wade head the second group of inductees selected for the Southern Conference Hall of Fame, and Mary Jayne Harrelson (Appalachian State), Banks McFadden (Clemson), "Hot" Rod Hundley (West Virginia), Fred Hetzel (Davidson) and J. Dallas Shirley, a longtime supervisor of officials, are also in the class.

Case coached N.C. State basketball from 1946 to 1964, starting his career when State was in the SoCon, and guided the Wolfpack to the Final Four in 1950. Wade was a successful football coach at Alabama and Duke before becoming the SoCon commissioner.

● Guy Forget, France's Davis Cup captain, has called up Richard Gasquet as a backup player to face Germany in next week's first round of competition. Gasquet joined Julien Benneteau, Michael Llodra, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the team, the French tennis federation said yesterday.

Gasquet missed the French Open and Wimbledon last year because of a suspension after a doping test showed traces of cocaine. He was cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December.

● Wayne Bridge is refusing to play for England's national soccer team in the wake of teammate John Terry's alleged affair with his former partner and said yesterday that his presence on the World Cup squad could be "divisive."

Coach Fabio Capello expected Bridge to play for England after stripping Terry of the captaincy when details of his affair with Vanessa Perroncel were published.