(Undated)  --  Oregon is in the top five of the preseason "USA Today" Coaches' Poll that was released.  The Ducks were voted fifth.  The defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes start the season atop the rankings at one, followed by TCU, Alabama and Baylor.
 

(Burbank, CA)  --  Media voters have USC winning the Pac-12 narrowly over the Oregon Ducks.  USC earned 21 of 45 votes, compared to 17 for Oregon.  Oregon was the runaway choice to win the Pac-12 North, finishing 31 votes ahead of runner-up Stanford.  Arizona State finished a distant third to win the conference with three votes.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Blazers have cut ties with center Brendan Haywood four days after acquiring him from Cleveland.  The Cavs traded Haywood to save money, and Portland was never expected to keep him.  The Blazers are also likely to reach a buyout with forward Mike Miller, who was acquired in the same trade.  The 35-year-old Haywood played in 22 games for the Cavs last season, averaging just five minutes per game.

(Eugene, OR)  --  Highly touted transfer quarterback Vernon Adams is expected to join the Oregon Ducks on August 13th.  Ducks' camp begins on the 10th.  Adams has had some academic transfer problems, but is expected to be cleared to play.  Adams will battle Jeff Lockie for the starting QB job vacated by Heisman winner Marcus Mariota.  The Ducks open the season on September 5th against Adams' former school, Eastern Washington.

(San Jose, CA)  --  The Timbers head to San Jose for a match with the Earthquakes at Anaya Stadium on Sunday.  Portland is sixth in the Western Conference with 32 points, seven more than the ninth place Earthquakes.  Portland returns home on August 7th to face the Chicago Fire at Providence Park.  The Portland Thorns FC return to action on August 5th at Providence Park against the Boston Breakers.

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  Mariners left-fielder Dustin Ackley is headed to the New York Yankees.  Ackley, who's hitting only .215 this season with six home runs and 19 RBI, is being traded in exchange for reliever Jose Ramirez and outfielder Ramon Flores.  The swap happened the day before the Major League trade deadline.
 

(Burbank, CA)  --  Pac-12 media days begin today at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.  Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen, running back Storm Barrs-Woods and cornerback Larry Scott meet with the media late this morning.  Oregon won't speak until tomorrow.  Head coach Mark Helfrich, running back Royce Freeman and linebacker Rodney Hardrick are representing the Ducks.

(Undated)  --  Ace Cole Hamels is reportedly on his way to the American League.  Multiple sources says the Phillies have traded Hamels to the Rangers in exchange for pitcher Matt Harrison and four prospects.  Hamels threw a no-hitter in what proved to be his final start for the Phils on Saturday.
 

(Undated)  --  The Pac-12 announced a three-year partnership with Adidas.  Adidas is now the official athletic apparel and footwear partner of the conference.  Only UCLA and Arizona State are represented by the brand within the Pac-12.  Nine schools have Nike and Under Armor is with Utah.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners are on a three-game losing streak, after an 8-2 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Felix Hernandez was pounded yesterday for seven runs on 12 hits over six-and-two-thirds innings.  Arizona pitchers recorded ten strikeouts against Seattle.  The Mariners will travel to Minnesota for a four-game series, starting this evening.

(Toronto, Ontario)  --  Troy Tulowitzki put on a show in his debut with the Blue Jays last night.  "Tulo" hit lead-off and went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs and three RBI in Toronto's 8-2 rout of the Phillies.  The Jays acquired Tulowitzki from the Rockies earlier this week.

(Flushing, NY)  --  A deal that would have sent Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Mets is off.  FOX Sports reports the Mets backed out of the deal because of a hip issue in Gomez's medical report.  Milwaukee would have acquired infielder Wilmer Flores, who teared up on the field after learning of the potential deal during the Mets' game against the Padres last night.
 

The Bend Elks returned home after after 14 days away from Vince Genna stadium and they snapped a 3-game losing streak.  The Elks battled the defending West Coast league champion Bellingham Bells through 3 lead changes to come away with a 6-5 win.  Bend exploded for 3 runs in the 7th inning as catcher Cooper Hummel started the rally with a 1-out triple. Then Tyler Davis knocked in 2 runs with a single after the bells walked two elks.  Bend's West Tunnell added another run with an RBI single and Bend holds off Bellingham for the Elks 31st win of the year.  Bend and Bellingham play a doubleheader today beginning at 4:30pm with the first pitch. It's free kids Wednesday, and all kids ages 12 and under are admitted free.

(Burbank, CA)  --  The Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers are set to participate in Pac-12 Media Day tomorrow in Burbank, California.  Both programs enter the Media Day with several questions.  The Ducks look to fill the void left by quarterback Marcus Mariota leaving for the NFL, and the Beavers entering the season under new head coach Gary Anderson.
 

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Sonny Gray fired a three-hitter to lead the A's to a 2-0 win over the Dodgers in LA.  Gray struck out nine and walked only one to move to 11-and-4.  Josh Reddick hit a solo homer to help Oakland end a four-game losing streak.  Brett Anderson allowed both runs in seven innings to fall to 5-and-6.  Howie Kendrick had two of the three hits for the Dodgers, who have dropped three in-a-row.

(Flushing, NY)  --  Noah Syndergaard took a perfect game into the seventh as the Mets blanked the Padres, 4-0, in New York.  Syndergaard allowed only three hits and no walks while striking out nine to even his record at 5-and-5.  Curtis Granderson bookended Lucas Duda's two-run homer in the first with his own two-run blast in the eighth.  The Mets have won three straight.  James Shields was charged for three runs in seven-plus innings to fall to 8-and-4.  The Padres had won their previous three.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners are assured of a series loss, after dropping last night's game to Arizona, 8-4.  Starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma got slammed for six runs on ten hits over five-and-two-thirds innings.  Mike Zunino and Nelson Cruz had solo homers for the Mariners.  Seattle will wrap up its three-game series with the Diamondbacks at Safeco Field at 12:40 this afternoon.

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Brandon Crawford belted a two-run homer as the red-hot Giants doubled up the Brewers, 4-2, in San Francisco.  Gregor Blanco and Brandon Belt plated a run apiece for the Giants, who have won six straight to move to within a half-game of the first-place Dodgers.  Chris Heston went seven innings to improve to 11-and-5.  Sergio Romo secured his second save.  Jonathan Lucroy knocked in a run and scored in the sixth for Milwaukee, which has dropped three in-a-row.  Kyle Lohse [[ lowsh ]] allowed all four runs to fall to 5-and-12.

(Chicago, IL)  --  Kris Bryant's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Cubs a wild 9-8 win over the Rockies.  Bryant's blast came after Colorado scored four in the top of the ninth, punctuated by Carlos Gonzalez's go-ahead two-run homer.  Bryant had two hits, two runs and three RBI for the Cubs, who scored six in the fourth en route to stopping a three-game skid.  Rafael Soriano earned his first win.  Gonzalez homered twice for the second straight day for Colorado.  John Axford blew his fourth save chance and suffered his fourth loss.  After the game, FOX Sports reported that Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was traded to the Blue Jays.

(Seattle, WA)  --  Jake Lamb plated the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning as the Diamondbacks edged the Mariners, 4-3, at Safeco Field.  Paul Goldschmidt and former Mariner Welington Castillo both clubbed solo homers for Arizona, which let a 3-0 lead slip away before pulling out its third straight win.  Oliver Perez got the win and Andrew Chafin earned his second save.  Mike Zunino singled in the tying run in the ninth for the M's, who have dropped two of three.  Robinson Cano went deep in the setback.  Carson Smith suffered the loss.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Trail Blazer are bringing in veterans Brendan Haywood and Mike Miller.  The Blazers sent two trade exceptions and cash in exchange for the two players.  Haywood's contract is non-guaranteed for next season, and Portland is expected to waive him and Miller.  The move saves the Cavs millions in luxury tax money.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Winterhawks are adding two players they selected in the CHL Import Draft last month.  The Hawks have signed Rodrigo Abols of Latvia and Carl Ericson of Sweden.  Both players are set to come to camp.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe is nearing obtaining United States citizenship.  The "Washington Post" reports the paperwork should be completed sometime in September.  The Timbers star, in his fifth season in MLS after playing collegiately at Akron University for Caleb Porter, was born in Liberia and after being uprooted by the civil war in that country, eventually moved to Ohio as a child.  He says he would have interest in playing for the US national team.
 

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners will begin a three-game series against Arizona tonight, after winning two of three from Toronto.  The M's defeated the Blue Jays yesterday, 6-5, on a walk-off home run in the tenth inning by Franklin Gutierrez.  Austin Jackson and Nelson Cruz also homered for Seattle.  The Mariners and Diamondbacks will get going tonight at 7:10 p.m. at Safeco Field.

(Flushing, NY)  --  Juan Uribe delivered a walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th to lift the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers at Citi Field.  Michael Conforto plated a run in the win and Jacob deGrom recorded an RBI.  deGrom struck out eight and allowed two hits in seven-and-two-thirds innings for the no-decision.  Jenrry Mejia improved to 1-and-0 in relief as the Mets picked up back-to-back wins.  Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal drove in a run each as the Dodgers split the four-game set with New York.  Juan Nicasio took the loss in relief of Zack Greinke, who had his scoreless inning streak snapped in the third at 45-and-two-thirds innings.

(Undated)  --  The Cavaliers are trying to create more roster flexibility.  According to Yahoo! Sports, Cleveland traded center Brendan Haywood and wing Mike Miller to the Trail Blazers in return for a 10.5-million-dollar trade exception and a 2.85-million-dollar trade exception.  They have a year to use the exceptions.  Haywood's contract isn't guaranteed and will be waived by Portland.  There's the possibility Miller also gets bought out.  Portland received second round picks in 2019 and 2020.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  Blazers big man Mason Plumlee is expected to attend the Team USA minicamp in preparation for next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.  He will join Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Stephen Curry among many others.  Point guard Damian Lillard also received an invite but stated in an interview he likely won't join his new teammate.  The minicamp begins in Las Vegas next month.

(Frisco, TX)  --  The Timbers couldn't get anything going offensively as they fell to FC Dallas, 2-nil, at Toyota Stadium.  Portland is tied with the Sounders in the Western Conference at 32 points.  The Timbers look to bounce back Sunday when they visit the Earthquakes.
 

(San Diego, CA)  --  Odrisamer Despaigne tossed six innings of one-run ball to help guide the Padres past the Marlins, 3-2, at Petco Park.  Despaigne gave up just two hits en route to his fourth win and Craig Kimbrel closed the door on his 29th save.  Justin Upton clubbed a solo homer and Matt Kemp plated a run for San Diego, which took three of four against Miami.  Mat Latos gave up all three runs over six-plus innings to slip to 4-and-7 for the Marlins, who totaled just four hits.  J.T. Realmuto belted a solo shot in defeat.  The Fish have dropped seven of 10 since the All-Star break.

(Flushing, NY)  --  Clayton Kershaw fired a three-hitter as the Dodgers blanked the Mets, 3-0, in the opener of a four-game set in New York.  Kershaw took a perfect game into the seventh and finished with 11 strikeouts to improve to 8-and-6.  Kershaw has thrown 29 straight scoreless innings.

(Pittsburgh, PA)  --  Third baseman Aramis Ramirez is headed back to the Steel City.  The Brewers have traded the 37-year-old slugger to the Pirates for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios.  The trade came 12 years to the day the Pirates dealt Ramirez to the Cubs.
 

(Houston, TX)  --  The Astros are bolstering their starting rotation for the stretch run.  Houston has acquired pitcher Scott Kazmir from the A's in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers.  Kazmir is 5-and-5 with a 2.38 ERA this season.
 

(Detroit, MI)  --  The Seattle Mariners will be back home tonight, after splitting a four-game series with Detroit.  Seattle won yesterday in 12 innings, 3-2, on an RBI double by Mike Zunino.  Kyle Seager had a solo home run for the M's in the first inning.  The Mariners will begin a three-game series with Toronto tonight at Safeco Field.
 

(New York, NY)  --  An effort by the union to settle Tom Brady's "Deflategate" case is apparently falling on deaf ears with the NFL.  ESPN.com reports a settlement offer from the Players Association last week that would result in a large fine, but no suspension has been met with silence.

(Dallas, TX)  --  The Timbers head to Texas tomorrow for a road date with FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium.  The Timbers are sixth in the Western Conference with 32 points.  FC Dallas sits in first with 35 points.  Portland is coming off a 1-all draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
 

(Undated)  --  Prep running back Elijah Holyfield, son of former world heavyweight champion boxer Evander Holyfield, is a highly-touted recruit considering the Ducks.  The four-star recruit is scheduled to trim his list of 10 schools down to five after making an announcement on Twitter yesterday.  Holyfield is a College Park, Georgia native, and has yet to visit Eugene.

(Atlanta, GA)  --  Jamaica stuns the United States with a 2-1 win in the Gold Cup semifinals in Atlanta.  Jamaica scored five minutes apart in the first half to jump out to a 2-0 lead.  Team USA suffered its first loss in a Gold Cup semifinal match since 2003.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers look for their first victory in their last three matches on Saturday at FC Dallas.  Portland is 9-7-and-5 after its draw with Vancouver over the weekend.  The Timbers trail Dallas by three points in the MLS Western Conference standings.  Opening kick is set for 6:00 on Saturday.

(Newark, NJ)  --  Teams that win their division may not be guaranteed a playoff spot if the NBA goes ahead with a proposed format change.  Commissioner Adam Silver says no decision has been made, but the league is leaning toward having the top eight records in each conference qualify for the postseason regardless of division standing.  Division winners are currently guaranteed to be no worse than the fourth seed.  Portland was seeded fourth this past season in the Western Conference after winning the Northwest Division, but the Trail Blazers would have been the sixth seed based on their win-loss record.

(Anaheim, CA)  --  The red-hot Angels ran their winning streak to seven with a 5-2 win over the Twins.  The AL West-leading Angels are unbeaten since returning from the All-Star break and have won 17 of their last 20 overall.

(Newark, NJ)  --  MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says baseball may need to rethink its July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.  He points to the addition of a second Wild Card team in each league as keeping more teams in the race beyond the current deadline.

(Detroit, MI)  --  The Seattle Mariners will try to salvage a split in their four-game series with Detroit tonight.  The Mariners' 9-4 loss last night happened despite two home runs by Nelson Cruz.  The Tigers' Nick Castellanos launched a grand slam homer off Seattle starter Mike Montgomery in the third inning.  The final game of the series will get underway in Detroit this morning at 10:08.

(Washington, DC)  --  Jacob deGrom tossed six strong innings as the Mets knocked off the Nationals, 7-2, in Washington.  deGrom allowed two runs on three hits while striking out eight and walking none to improve to 10-and-6.  Eric Campbell smacked a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run single in the seventh for the Mets, who are two games behind the Nats in the NL East.  Wilson Ramos launched a two-run homer for Washington.  Joe Ross took the loss.
 

(Detroit, MI)  --  Franklin Gutierrez hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth to give Seattle the lead and an eventual 11-9 win over Detroit at Comerica Park.  The Mariners collected 14 hits, with Robinson Cano going 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Nelson Cruz tagged a solo shot for Seattle, which finished 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position.  Joe Beimel improved to 1-and-1 in relief and Carson Smith notched his eighth save.  The Mariners snapped a short two-game skid.  Neftali Feliz was rocked for five runs in an inning of work to fall to 1-and-3.  J.D. Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes each hit two-run homers, while Nick Castellanos added a solo shot.  Detroit has dropped three of four.
 

(Atlanta, GA)  --  Juan Uribe's RBI single in the fifth was the difference as the Braves edged the Dodgers, 4-3, in Atlanta.  Chris Johnson went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Braves, who will look to sweep the three-game set on Wednesday.  Alex Wood went six-and-two-thirds to improve to 7-and-6.  Jim Johnson worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save.  Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig hit solo homers for the Dodgers.  Starter Brett Anderson left in the third with Achilles irritation.  Chin-Hui Tsao took his first loss.
 

(Nashville, TN)  --  The Tennessee Titans finally have Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota in the fold.  The former Oregon quarterback finalized his rookie-scale contract with the team.  Tennessee selected Mariota second overall in the NFL Draft.  He threw for over 44-hundred-yard and 42 touchdowns last season while leading UO to the College Football Playoff Final.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers look for their first victory in their last three matches on Saturday at FC Dallas.  Portland is 9-7-and-5 after their draw with Vancouver over the weekend.  The Timbers trail Dallas by three points in the MLS Western Conference standings.  Opening kick set for 6:00 on Saturday.

(St. Andrews, Scotland)  --  American Zach Johnson is the winner of the 2015 Open Championship in Scotland.  Johnson beat Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in a four-hole playoff on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Jordan Spieth finished just one shot out of the playoff at the British Open.  The 21-year-old Spieth missed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to end his bid for a third straight major victory.

(Detroit, MI)  --  The Seattle Mariners are off to a one-and-three start since the All-Star break, after losing to the Detroit Tigers, 5-4.  Ian Kinsler hit two home runs in the game and had three RBI for Detroit.  Robinson Cano had a solo homer in the fifth inning for Seattle.  The Mariners and Tigers will play again this afternoon beginning at 4:08.
 

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  The Spurs held on for a 93-90 win over the Suns in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game.  The Spurs were guided by former WNBA star Becky Hammon, who was the first female to serve as a head coach in Summer League history.

(Anaheim, CA)  --  The Angels completed a four-game sweep of the Red Sox by winning both ends of a doubleheader in Anaheim.  Angels slugger Albert Pujols passed Mike Schmidt for 15th on the all-time home run list by going deep in each game.  Pujols homered twice in game two.

(Portland, OR)  --  Lucas Melano could join the Portland Timbers as early as the club's match against FC Dallas.  The Timbers officially announced that they had signed Melano to a designated player contract last Friday.  Coach Caleb Porter says depending on Melano's fitness, he could suit up and play Saturday.  
 

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Timbers will not appeal team captain Will Johnson's red card following their draw with Vancouver over the weekend.  Johnson started arguing with referee Juan Guzman after the final whistle.  Timbers were unhappy with the red card, but the club would be unable to appeal a red card of that nature.  Johnson will be suspended for Portland's upcoming game against FC Dallas on July 25th.

(Redwood City, CA)  --  A member of the Women's World Cup champion team and Portland Thorns is breaking a gender barrier for video games.  Alex Morgan is sharing the cover of the latest FIFA video game with soccer star Lionel Messi.  Morgan appears on the cover of the American version of the game, while her Thorns teammate and Canadian Women's National Team Captain Christine Sinclair will be on the covers in Canada.

(Portland, OR)  --  Diego Valeri netted the Timbers' lone goal as they played the Whitecaps to a 1-1 draw at Providence Park on Saturday.  Portland is tied with the Sounders for fifth place in the Western Conference at 32 points.  The Timbers hit the road this weekend to face FC Dallas.

(Washington, DC)  --  Zack Greinke ran his scoreless innings streak to 43-and-two-thirds in the Dodgers' 5-0 win over the Nationals.  Greinke's run is the longest in the bigs since former Dodger Orel Hershiser set the MLB record of 59 straight shutout innings in 1988.

(Baltimore, MD)  --  Clint Dempsey netted a hat trick to lead the U.S. mens soccer team to a 6-nil thumping of Cuba in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday.  Aron Johannsson, Gyasi Zardes and Omar Gonzalez all found the back of the net as well to help the U.S. build a 4-nil halftime lead.  The Americans will square off against Jamaica in the semifinals Wednesday at the Georgia Dome.

(Undated)  --  Rain forced the rare postponements of a pair of games in Southern California.  The Padres were rained out in San Diego for the first time since 2006, while the Angels were washed out in Anaheim for the first time since 1995.

(St. Louis, MO)  --  The Mets scored two runs in the top of the 18th to capture a 3-1 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis.  Ruben Tejada and Eric Campbell plated runs in the 18th for New York, which salvaged the finale of the three-game set despite leaving 25 men on base.

(Jeffreys Bay, South Africa)  --  A professional surfer survived a dramatic shark attack that was broadcast on live television on Sunday.  Australian surfer Mick Fanning was able to escape the attack without injury during the J-Bay Open in South Africa.  Fanning could be seen fighting off the shark before being rescued.

(Pittsburgh, PA)  --  The Steelers and defensive end Cam Heyward have agreed to a new six-year deal.  Multiple sources report the pact is worth just under 60-million dollars.  The 26-year-old Heyward had 53 tackles and seven-and-a-half sacks last season.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Veteran forward Josh Smith has signed a free-agent deal with the Clippers.  Smith inked a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum of 1.5-million dollars.  Smith will also be paid over five-million by the Pistons, who waived him last December.
 

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  The Blazers have been eliminated in the Las Vegas Summer League tournament after falling to the Celtics, 91-85.  Ra'Shad James had 20 points and Noah Vonleh added 18 points and eight boards.  The Blazers were demoted to the consolation bracket, where they'll play their final game against Toronto tonight.

(Undated)  --  The second half of the Major League Baseball season kicks off today with all 30 clubs in action.  The Yankees, Royals, Angels, Nationals, Cardinals and Dodgers open the second half of the year in first place in their respective divisions.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  Allen Crabbe will miss the rest of the Las Vegas Summer League after suffering a severe ankle sprain in Wednesday's win over the Timberwolves.  Crabbe appeared in 51 games for the Blazers last season, averaging 3.3 points off the bench.  The 23-year-old wing is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.
 

(Undated)  --  Former Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota still hasn't signed a contract as Titans' training camp approaches.  The Titans and Mariota are in a standoff over offset language, which essentially allows the Titans to recoup guaranteed money if Mariota is released within four years and signs with another team.  Mariota, who won an ESPY for best male college athlete, is the only unsigned first-round pick in the NFL.  He won't be allowed to practice in training camp without being under contract.
 

(Baltimore, MD)  --  Portland Timbers defender Alvas Powell is returning to Portland after walking out on the Jamaican national team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.  Powell was reportedly unhappy with his playing time.  The 20-year-old forward started the first 19 games of the season for the Timbers, who are facing Whitecaps FC in Vancouver on Saturday.

(San Jose, CA)  --  The Portland Thunder face the Sabercats on Saturday in San Jose.  The Thunder look to get their first road win of the year against the 14-and-1 Sabercats.  The Thunder are 4-and-10 on the year.  They'll visit the Spokane Shock next Saturday before hosting the Las Vegas Outlaws on August 1st in their final home game.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Former Oregon Duck and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota is a recipient of a 2015 ESPY Award.  During yesterday's ceremony, Mariota won the award for best male collegiate athlete.  Mariota is no stranger to awards, as he won the Heisman, the Maxwell, the Davey O'Brien, and the Unitas awards during his college career at Oregon.  He left Eugene after his junior season and was drafted second overall by the NFL's Tennessee Titans.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Seahawks are ranked by "Forbes" magazine as the 35th-most valuable sports franchise in the world.  Even though the Seahawks' value has risen 249-million dollars from last year, the ranking is down seven spots from 2014.  Forbes's Kurt Badenhausen [[ BODD-en-how-zen ]] says the probable reason for the lower ranking is higher revenue for sports franchises from television contracts.  Forbes ranks Real [[ ray-ALL ]] Madrid as the highest-valued sports franchise in the world, with the Dallas Cowboys coming in second.

(Irving, TX)  --  The Cowboys and wide receiver Dez Bryant agreed to a long-term deal just before the NFL's deadline.  Multiple reports say the five-year pact is worth 70-million dollars, with 45-million guaranteed.  Bryant had threatened to miss games without a new deal.
 

(Undated)  --  In other NFL news, the Chiefs and linebacker Justin Houston agreed to a reported six-year, 101-million-dollar deal.  The Patriots and kicker Stephen Gostkowski also reached a four-year pact, while the Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul did not come to terms on a long-term deal before the deadline.

(Englewood, CO)  --  The Broncos and fellow wide out Demaryius Thomas also came to terms on a new contract before yesterday's deal.  The five-year contract is also reportedly worth 70-million dollars, with just over 43-million guaranteed.

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still and Caitlyn Jenner headlined the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles.  Still accepted the Jimmy V. Perseverance Award on behalf of daughter Leah, who has spent the last 13 months battling cancer.  Jenner made her first big public TV appearance to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

(San Jose, CA)  --  The Portland Thunder take on the San Jose Sabercats this weekend at the SAP Center.  The 4-and-10 Thunder are 0-and-6 on the road this year.  They'll look to upset the 14-and-1 Sabercats, whose only loss came in June to the L.A. Kiss in overtime.
 

(Vancouver, British Columbia)  --  The Portland Timbers head to Canada to take on Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place this weekend.  At 31 points, the Timbers are one point behind Vancouver in the Western Conference standings.  The Timbers have won six of their past eight games.
 

(Cincinnati, OH)  --  Prince Fielder plated a pair of runs as the American League knocked off the National League, 6-3, in the 86th MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati.  Mike Trout led off the game with a homer and Brian Dozier added a solo shot for the AL, which will have home-field advantage in this year's World Series.  Trout won his second straight MVP Award, becoming the first player ever to take home the honor in back-to-back years.  David Price tossed a perfect inning to get the win.  Andrew McCutchen crushed a solo homer for the National League.  Clayton Kershaw allowed two runs in the fifth inning to take the loss.  The NL has lost the last three Midsummer Classics.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  Noah Vonleh scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers fell to the San Antonio Spurs 79-75 in the Las Vegas Summer League.  Allen Crabbe and Malcolm Thomas each scored 15 points apiece.  The Blazers are back in action tonight against Minnesota in the Summer League tournament.
 

(New Orleans, LA)  --  Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard has reached another milestone.  Lillard released his new song on his Soundcloud page titled "Soldier in the Game."  In his music, he harkens back to his roots in Oakland, a common theme for his music.  Lillard began rapping when he was 14-years-old with his brother Houston.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Trail Blazers are adding Maurice Harkless to their roster.  The team sent a 2020 second round pick to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Harkless.  The 21-year-old averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game last season for the Magic.

(San Antonio, TX)  --  Former Portland Trail Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge is being welcomed to his new team in an odd fashion.  A Spurs fan was so excited about the addition of Aldridge, he had a detailed likeness of the four-time All-Star designed into the back of his head as part of a recent haircut.  "L.A." left the Blazers after nine seasons to sign a big money contract with San Antonio.

(Indianapolis, IN)  --  The Indiana Pacers are locking up former Oregon Ducks guard Joseph Young.  Real GM.com reports the two sides have agreed to a four-year, four-million-dollar rookie contract.  The first two seasons of the deal are guaranteed.  The second-round pick by the Pacers in the 2015 NBA draft had an impressive outing during summer league, leading all scorers in Orlando with 22.5 points per game.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  Allen Crabbe dropped 24 points as the Trail Blazers rolled past the Mavericks, 93-80, in Summer League action in Las Vegas.  Tim Frazier added 14 points and Noah Vonleh scored 13 in the victory.  The Blazers return to action tomorrow against the Spurs.
 

The Bend Elks rebounded from a rare loss on Saturday to take the rubber game of their 3 game series verse the Medford Rogues 4-3.
With the win, the Elks maintain the best record in the West Coast League at 27-6.  And, Bend owns a 10 1/2 game lead over Corvallis in the South Division.
The Elks will play host to Salem Monday & Tuesday July 13-14 in a pair of Non-League exhibitions, and resume WCL action Thursday, July 16th at Walla Walla to begin a 6-game road trip ending in Yakima.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Trail Blazers are bringing in small forward Moe Harkless.  Portland acquired the 22-year-old from the Magic in exchange for a future second-round pick.  Harkless averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in three seasons for Orlando.
 

(Oklahoma City, OK)  --  The Oklahoma City Thunder are not letting center Enes Kanter go elsewhere.  The Thunder have reportedly matched the Trail Blazers' offer sheet for the 23-year-old big man.  Kanter signed a four-year 70-million-dollar max-deal with a player option in the final year last week.  Being a restricted free agent, Oklahoma City had three days to match the offer. They did so on the final day.
 

(Chester, PA)  --  The Timbers gave up three second-half goals as they fell to the Union 3-nil at PPL Park on Saturday.  Portland remains tied with the LA Galaxy in the Western Conference at 31 points.  Three clubs are tied atop the conference at 32 points.  The Timbers look to bounce back Saturday at home against the Whitecaps.

(Seattle, WA)  --  The Seattle Mariners are heading into the All-Star break seven games below .500, after losing to the Angels, 10-3.  Los Angeles took advantage of an error-prone performance by Seattle to take over first place in the AL West.  Seth Smith had a solo homer for the M's in the ninth inning.  The 2015 All-Star Game will be played Tuesday night in Cincinnati.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Thunder ended a six-game losing skid with a 72-48 victory over the Sharks at Moda Center on Saturday.  Kyle Rowley tossed for 235 yards and six touchdowns and ran for another score while V'Keon Lacey and Jared Perry each caught a pair of TDs.  Portland now sits at 4-and-10 and is tied with the Spokane Shock for the second wild card spot in the National Conference.  The Thunder play the SaberCats Saturday.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Trailblazers will reportedly miss out on restricted free agent Enes Kanter.  The six-eleven center agreed to a 70-million-dollar deal with Portland yesterday, according to Yahoo Sports.  Since Kanter is a restricted free agent, the team he played for, the Oklahoma City Thunder, will have the opportunity to match the deal and sign Kanter.  Thunder general manager Sam Presti has reportedly said they intend to give Kanter an identical deal which means Kanter would stay in Oklahoma.

(Portland, OR)  --  With the NBA moratorium coming to a close, the Trail Blazers have a completely different roster.  The team brings back one remaining starter in point guard Damion Lillard, who officially signed his 120-million-dollar contract extension.  The Blazers added forwards Mason Plumlee, Al-Farouq Aminu, Noah Vonleh and Ed Davis after losing four-fifths of their starting lineup.

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  The Trail Blazers tip their Summer League schedule off tomorrow from Las Vegas.  Meyers Leonard, Noah Vonleh and rookie Pat Connaughton highlight the team that faces Boston in their first matchup.  Portland will play the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday before tournament play begins.

(Corvallis, OR)  --  Oregon State running back Storm Woods is changing his name to honor his mother.  He will now go by Storm Barrs-Woods.  When Storm was a kid, Barrs worked three jobs in the Austin, Texas area to support him.  It was announced Wednesday, Barrs-Woods was added to the Maxwell award watch list.

(Eugene, OR)  --  Oregon's top in-state football prospect is staying home to attend college.  Athlete La'Mar Winston committed to the Ducks over Stanford and UCLA.  UO already landed two of the top three prospects in the state of Oregon with commitments from safety Brady Breeze and tight end Cam McCormick.

(Chester, PA)  --  The Portland Timbers and Philadelphia Union meet for the only time this season when the clubs face off in an interconference clash tomorrow evening at PPL Park.  The Timbers won their second consecutive match in a dramatic 1-0 home victory against the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend to move within a point of the top in the Western Conference.  Opening kick at 4:00.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Trail Blazers are announcing their roster for the upcoming Las Vegas Summer League.  Newly acquired forward Noah Vonleh [[ von-LAY ]] and rookie guard Pat Connaughton are headed to Sin City.  Point guard  Tim Frazier and third-year wing Allen Crabbe are also on the roster.  Meyers Leonard will make his fourth straight summer appearance.  The Blazers open their schedule on Saturday against Boston.

The Bend Elks notched their 14th win of the year Wednesday night at Vince Genna Stadium crushing the Corvallis Knights, 11-5.  The Elk’s bats came alive in the 2nd inning after falling down 1-0 to the Knights, when RF Patrick Flynn (Fr. U of Utah) smacked a 2 run home run, driving in  Cooper Hummel (So. U of Portland).  Next, DH Billy King (Fr. Oregon State) scored on a Cadyn Gerneir (Fr. Oregon State) double. At the end of the 2nd, the Elks had a 3-1 lead.
The Elks put the game out of reach in the 7th on a Flynn 2 run single. West Tunnell matched Flynn with a 2 run single as well. At the end of the 7th, the Elks were up 11-4.

P Jordan Wilcox (Sr. U of Portland) worked 5 1/3 innings, giving up 3 earned runs to get the win.

Bend looks for their second sweep of the Knights this year tonight (Thursday) as they play game 3 of their series 635pm at Vince Genna Stadium.
 

(Everett, WA)  --  The Hops gave up three runs in the eighth inning and lost 7-4 at Everett.  That came after Hillsboro scored twice in the top of the eighth to tie the game.  Zach Nehrir homered for the Hops, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.  The series wraps up today at 11:05.

(Corvallis, OR)  --  Oregon State running back Storm Woods is being selected to a prestigious watch list for the upcoming college football season.  Woods is on the watch list for the Maxwell Award given annually to the nation's best player.  He led the Beavers with 766 rushing yards with five touchdowns last season while splitting carries with Terron Ward.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley expects the team to back at full strength for the team's game against the Seattle Reign.  Riley says all eight of the Thorns' national team players are beginning to arrive back in Portland.  The team takes on the Reign on July 22nd.

(Portland, OR)  --  Portland Thorns midfielder Sinead Farrelly is the NWSL Player of the Week.  Farrelly scored the game-winning goal last Friday to lead the Thorns to a 2-1 victory over Sky Blue FC.  She headed-home a cross from Alyssa Kleiner in the 79th minute.  Farrelly is the second Thorns player to win the honor.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Thunder were off this week.  They currently sit at 3-and-10 on the year and are on a six-game losing streak.  They return to action Saturday against the visiting Jacksonville Sharks.

(Eugene, OR)  --  Vernon Adams Junior can officially begin his competition for the starting quarterback role of the Oregon Ducks.  Adams has been admitted and is eligible to enroll in Oregon's graduate school.  He is finishing up his studies at Eastern Washington, and will compete for the Ducks QB position this fall.

(Everett, WA)  --  Trevor Mitsui homered and knocked in both runs to power the Hillsboro Hops to a 2-1 win over AquaSox in Everett.  Cody Reed tossed six scoreless innings to earn the win for the Hops, who have won four straight.  The teams meet again at 7:05 tonight.
 

(Beaverton, OR)  --  Will Johnson is choosing to remain with the Portland Timbers over joining the Canadian national team for the Gold Cup.  Johnson says the decision was partly his doing, due to the condensed tournament schedule and the fact that he's still not quite 100-percent fit.  Portland is 5-and-0 with Johnson in the lineup, who is returning from a knee injury.
 

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Thunder were off this week.  They currently sit at 3-and-10 on the year and are on a six-game losing streak.  They return to action Saturday against the visiting Jacksonville Sharks.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Blazers fired assistant coach Kim Hughes over the weekend for comments regarding LaMarcus Aldridge's impending free agency.  In an interview on June 27th, Hughes stated that Aldridge would be playing elsewhere next season.  This contrasted what general manager Neil Olshey's in an interview two days earlier in which he said rumors that Aldridge was leaving was not true.

(San Antonio, TX)  --  LaMarcus Aldridge is taking his talents to the Lone Star State.  The 29-year-old big man agreed to a four-year 80-million-dollar contract with the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend.  The four-time All-Star and Dallas native spent his first nine years in the NBA with the Blazers.  He averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 71 games for Portland last season.

(Portland, OR)  --  Jack Jewsbury scored the late goal to give the Timbers a 1-nil win over the Earthquakes at Providence Park.  With 31 points in the standings, Portland is tied for third place in the Western Conference.  The Timbers are back in action Saturday on the road against the Philadelphia Union.

(Everett, WA)  --  The Hops clubbed 16 hits in an 11-4 win over the AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium.  Luis Veras plated three runs for the Hops.  Fernery Ozuna and Nate Robertson went long for Hillsboro.  Jared Miller earned the win with six innings of two-run ball.  The five-game set continues tonight.

(Corvallis, OR)  --  Oregon State added another player to its 2016 football recruiting class over the weekend.  Three-star wide receiver Tyson Penn from Bellevue, Washington celebrated his Fourth of July by committing to the Beavers.  Penn is a five-time Washington state champion in Track and Field, competing in the high jump and triple jump.  OSU now has eight commitments for its 2016 class.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Portland Thunder were off this week.  They currently sit at 3-and-10 on the year and are on a six-game losing streak.  They return to action Saturday against the visiting Jacksonville Sharks.

(Vancouver, British Columbia)  --  Team USA routed Japan, 5-2, in the Women's World Cup Final in Vancouver.  Carli Lloyd completed a hat trick in the first 16 minutes for the Americans, who avenged their loss to Japan in the 2011 Final.  Lloyd put the U.S. on the board just three minutes into the match.  Lauren Holiday and Tobin Heath also found the back of the net for the Americans in the highest-scoring Final in Women's World Cup history.

(San Diego, CA)  --  The Seattle Mariners will begin a four-game series at Oakland tonight, after completing a two-game sweep of the Padres in San Diego.  Seattle's 7-0 win yesterday was the second straight shutout for the Mariners, with Taijuan Walker pitching a one-hitter through six innings.  Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz each had a round tripper for the M's.  Seattle and Oakland will get going at 7:10 tonight.

(Portland, OR)  --  The Blazers are nearing a record-breaking deal with Damian Lillard.  ESPN reports that the two sides are close to agreeing on a five-year, 120-million-dollar contract extension that would keep Lillard in Portland until 2021.  The 120-million-dollar deal would be the richest in franchise history.  Lillard is entering the final year of his rookie contract after being drafted by the Blazers in 2012.  He averaged 21.2 points and 6.2 assists for Portland last season.
 

(undated)  --  The race to sign free agent big man LaMarcus Aldridge is on.  The Lakers are reportedly out of the running after Aldridge was not impressed during a meeting between the two parties.  The Blazers along with the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks all reportedly remain in contention.  Aldridge averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in his ninth year in Portland last season.

(Nashville, TN)  --  Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota remains the only unsigned first-round pick in the NFL Draft.  According to the Oregonian one of the roadblocks in signing a deal with the Tennessee Titans includes a clause which bans Mariota from surfing.  Surfing is the official state individual sport of Mariota's home state of Hawaii.  The Titans also reportedly want to include a clause in which they recover some of his guaranteed money if he signs with another team after three seasons.

(Undated)  --  Free agent shooting guard Wesley Matthews met with a pair of teams in free agency's opening day.  Matthews sat down with the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks in hopes of agreeing to a deal that would land him a 15-million-dollar yearly salary.  The 28-year-old averaged 15.9 points while shooting 38.9-percent from deep for the Blazers before tearing his Achilles last season.  
 

(Hillsboro, OR)  --  Cody Reed gave up six runs in five-and-a-third innings as the Hops suffered a 6-2 loss to the Emeralds at Ron Tonkin Field.  Reed dropped to 1-and-1 with the loss for Hillsboro, which dropped to 7-and-7 on the year.  Dane McFarland went 2-for-4 with an RBI-double in defeat.  The series continues tonight.

(Sandy, UT)  --  The Timbers are out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  Portland was eliminated from the tournament in the Round of 16 after a 2-nil loss to Real Salt Lake in Utah.  The Timbers return to MLS action Sunday against the Earthquakes.

(Portland, OR)  --  A pair of key players for the Portland Trail Blazers are highly coveted on the NBA free agent market.  Big man LaMarcus Aldridge and guard Wesley Matthews are expected to meet with several suitors.  Aldridge is reportedly set to meet with seven teams, while the Raptors and Mavericks have interest in Matthews.

(San Diego, CA)  --  Rookie pitcher Mike Montgomery now has two straight shutouts to his credit, following the Seattle Mariners' 5-0 win over San Diego.  Montgomery threw a one-hit gem last night to open a two-game road series with the Padres.  Mike Zunino and Brad Miller each homered for Seattle.  The Mariners and Padres will play again this afternoon.

(Portland, OR)  --  Chris Kaman is returning to the Trail Blazers next season.  CSNNW.com reports the big man's salary became fully guaranteed for the upcoming campaign.  Kaman averaged 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest in 74 games last season.

(Portland, OR)  --  Al-Farouq Aminu is on his way to a new home as NBA free agency is off to a fast start.  According to Yahoo! Sports, the Blazers have agreed to a four-year, 30-million-dollar contract with Aminu.  He spent last season with the Mavericks and averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.5 minutes.

(Eugene, OR)  --  A historic sports venue in Oregon history has burned to the ground.  Civic Stadium in Eugene went up in flames Monday night, and the 78-year-old structure burned down.  The abandoned stadium was the home most recently in 2009 to the Eugene Emeralds.  No injuries were reported, and the fire was declared under control about 7:30 p.m.

(Sandy, UT)  --  The Portland Timbers visit Real Salt Lake tonight in the Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  The Timbers had a dramatic win over Seattle Sounders FC in the only matchup in the fourth round between the rivals.  This will be the second match between Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers in the last three years in the Open Cup tournament.  RSL topped Portland 2-1 in the semifinal round in 2013.  Kickoff from Rio Tinto Stadium at 8:00.

(Montreal, Quebec)  --  Portland Thorns' Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath and Team USA has advanced to the Final at the Women's World Cup.  The Americans scored twice in the second half to notch a 2-0 win over Germany in the semifinals in Montreal.  The U.S. will next face either Japan or England, who will square off in the other semifinal tonight.  The championship match will take place in Vancouver on Sunday.

(Vancouver, British Columbia)  --  Nate Robertson plated the winning run in the 11th inning as the Hops clipped the Canadians 3-2 in Vancouver.  Dane McFarland also knocked in a run for Hillsboro, which won the final two of the five-game series.  The Hops are back home tonight to host the Eugene Emeralds.