Daily sport news

AFP - Daniele Bennati of Liquigas won the third stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Friday after a 159km ride from San Miniato to Monsumanno Terme

AP - Olympic downhill gold medalist Lindsey Vonn capped a historic season with her third straight overall World Cup title on Friday.

AFP - Liquigas racer Peter Sagan won the fifth stage of the Paris-Nice race on Friday, a 157km ride from Pernes-les-Fontaines to Aix-en-Provence, as the 20-year-old notched his second success of the week.

AP - Ted Ligety of the United States won the World Cup giant slalom title Friday and Carlo Janka became the first Swiss man to earn the overall title since 1992.

AP - Vikings coach Brad Childress says he is "absolutely not" the source who leaked the positive results of a doping test involving two of his players two years ago.

AP - Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach began giving sworn testimony Friday in the lawsuit he filed against the school after he was fired for allegedly mistreating a receiver suffering from the effects of a concussion.

AFP - Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be without Germany striker Mario Gomez and French midfielder Franck Ribery for Saturday's visit of Freiburg, the club announced Friday.

AP - Detroit Mayor Dave Bing would like to lure the Pistons back downtown, where they played when he was on the team.

AP - The Cleveland Browns filled a gaping offensive hole, signing free agent tight end Ben Watson to a multiyear contract.

AFP - Carlos Moya withstood a determined challenge from qualifier Tim Smyczek in the first round Thursday at Indian Wells, the tournament where he seized the world number-one ranking in 1999.

AP - Jimmer Fredette wanted to be aggressive and get to the free throw line.

AFP - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he would reject any offer from Real Madrid to take charge at the Bernabeu.

AP - Carlos Gomez is into fast things. The Brewers center fielder quickly jumps from subject to subject and lists a bevy of hobbies that include watching world class sprinters and shooting guns at firing ranges.

AP - Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who helped form one of the NFL's greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 69.

AP - Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said he intends to sign a new contract with the school he has led to two national championships.

AP - Kansas State is one win away from getting one last shot at its archrival.

AFP - Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez praised his side's attitude despite seeing them fall to a 1-0 defeat at French side Lille in the away leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday.

AP - The group of Denver Broncos players arrived at the Safari nightclub to celebrate New Year's Eve and was whisked inside by bouncers. One of the dozens of people waiting in line to get in — an alleged Tre-Tre Crips gang member — took exception.

AP - It was a bad day to be a favorite at the Big East tournament.

AP - Brian McKeever is turning his focus to another Paralympic Games less than two weeks after having his Olympic dreams dashed.