Gaborik's surgery goes as expected, rehab begins

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Marian Gaborik has begun rehabilitation from surgery on his left hip.

The Minnesota Wild reported late Monday the operation to repair a torn labrum and damaged cartilage went "as expected." The star right wing started rehab immediately after the procedure in Colorado, done by the same specialist who performed a similar operation on his right hip last summer.

Groin pain persisted for Gaborik this season, and he played in only six games before being diagnosed with a deficiency in his hip.

Gaborik is estimated to need 10 to 14 weeks to return. He can begin skating in six weeks, near his 27th birthday. He is in the final year of his contract.

Harrison's gun used

in April shooting

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A gun owned by Indianapolis Colts star Marvin Harrison was used in an April shooting, but investigators still can't determine who pulled the trigger, the city's chief prosecutor said Tuesday.

Five of the six bullet casings found at the North Philadelphia shooting scene came from Harrison's weapon, but investigators have conflicting witness accounts of who fired it, Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham said.

No charges have been filed in the April 28 shooting and the investigation remains open.

MLB suspends 2 for using banned substance

NEW YORK (AP) - Phillies reliever J.C. Romero and Yankees minor league pitcher Sergio Mitre were suspended for the first 50 games of next season after testing positive for a banned substance.

Romero earned two wins in Philadelphia's World Series victory over Tampa Bay last season. He has called the penalty unfair, ESPN.com reported Monday night. He contends the supplement he took during the season was legal because he bought it over the counter at a nutrition store in the United States. An arbitrator decided against Romero in November.

Mitre is with the New York Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple A team.

The arbitrator ruled Romero was guilty of negligence. The penalty will cost the left-hander $1.25 million in salary, ESPN.com said.

Smith, Woodson first-time HOF finalists

CANTON, Ohio (AP) - Career sacks leader Bruce Smith, along with Rod Woodson, Shannon Sharpe and John Randle, are among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the only first-year eligible players to make the final round this year.

Joining them will be two contributors: former commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, as well as two senior nominees selected last August by the Senior Committee: former Atlanta defensive end Claude Humphrey and former Dallas wide receiver Bob Hayes.

Jets owner meets with Brian Schottenheimer

NEW YORK (AP) - New York Jets owner Woody Johnson formally met with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Tuesday about the team's coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press.

Johnson was out of the country last Friday when general manager Mike Tannenbaum began the first round of interviews with Schottenheimer and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

It was uncertain if Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski met with the Jets on Monday or Tuesday. The Jets declined comment Tuesday.

BCS may violate

antitrust laws

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah's attorney general is investigating the Bowl Championship Series for a possible violation of federal antitrust laws after an undefeated Utes team was left out of the national title game for the second time in five years.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff contends the BCS unfairly puts schools like Utah, which is a member of a conference without an automatic bid to the lucrative bowl games, at a competitive and financial disadvantage.

BCS administrator Bill Hancock said he couldn't comment on the investigation until he had seen something in writing from the Utah attorney general's office.

The BCS is designed to pit the top two teams against each other in a national championship game each year. It uses a complicated formula based on human polls and computer rankings to determine who plays in that game, which Shurtleff contends is biased.