The latest surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Watkins and was successful, said Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski’s agent.

On May 20, the Patriots star had the most recent operation on the left forearm he broke Nov. 18 while blocking for an extra point in a 59-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He had an operation soon after, the first of four on his forearm.

He broke the arm again in the Patriots’ first playoff game, a 41-28 win over the Houston Texans on Jan. 13, and has had three forearm operations since then. Rosenhaus said the surgery performed last month was expected to be the last on his forearm.

The Patriots open training camp in late July and start the regular season Sept. 8 at Buffalo.

In 43 NFL games, Gronkowski has scored 39 touchdowns — 38 on passes and one on a run.

Drafted in the second round out of Arizona in 2010, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2011. In that season, he set NFL records for tight ends with 17 touchdown catches, 18 total touchdowns and 1,327 yards receiving.

In 11 games last season, Gronkowski had 55 catches for 790 yards and 11 touchdowns. He missed five regular-season games with forearm and hip injuries as well as the AFC Championship Game, a 28-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, after he re-broke his forearm.

Serena Williams

The comment is made in one paragraph of a lengthy story posted online Tuesday about Williams, a 16-time Grand Slam title winner who is ranked No. 1 heading into Wimbledon, which starts next week.

Two players from the celebrated Steubenville, Ohio, high school football team were convicted in March of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl; one of the boys was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the girl naked. The case gained widespread attention in part because of the callousness with which other students used social media to gossip about it.

According to the Rolling Stone story, Williams says the perpetrators of the crime “did something stupid,” and she asks: “Do you think it was fair, what they got?”

She adds, “I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don’t take drinks from other people.”

And Williams also is quoted as saying: “… she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”

Williams is in England preparing for Wimbledon.

Her agent, who also is in England, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday night.

The lawsuit — filed in federal court in San Jose — is disputing MLB’s exemption to federal antitrust law, which MLB has used as a “guise” to control the location of teams, according to the suit.

“It’s time for someone to take on this supposed baseball exemption from antitrust laws,” said attorney Phil Gregory of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the law firm representing the city. “The City of San Jose is a perfect candidate to make that challenge.”

The San Francisco Giants have objected to the A’s potential move on grounds they relied on territorial rights to the San Jose-area market when they built their ballpark, AT&T Park.

The A’s say those rights were only meant to support the Giants’ failed efforts in the early 1990s to build a San Jose-area ballpark themselves.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig appointed a committee more than four years ago to study the potential move.

He rejected a proposal earlier this year from San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed to sit down and talk about the A’s plans and said Reed’s reference to additional litigation at the time was “neither productive nor consistent with process that the Athletics have initiated under our rules.”

Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney declined to comment. A’s owner Lew Wolff released a brief statement.

“I have no details,” Wolff said. “However, I am not in favor of legal action or legal threats to solve business issues.”

Wolff has said he is focused on a new stadium in San Jose rather than a move outside the Bay area. Wolff is allowed to consider other sites within the A’s territory — such as downtown Oakland — but approval from MLB would be needed for a move outside the territory.

The A’s current stadium is run down. A sewage problem forced the A’s and Seattle Mariners to use the same locker room after Sunday’s game.

The pipes backed up on the lower levels of the stadium, creating a stink and pools of water in the clubhouses used by both teams and the umpires.

Gregory said Wolff is not involved in the lawsuit.

Baseball’s antitrust exemption was granted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1922, with the court ruling that baseball is not interstate commerce.

While baseball may have started as a local affair, it is “squarely in the realm of interstate commerce,” the lawsuit contends.

“MLB clubs ply their wares nationwide, games are broadcast throughout the country on satellite TV and radio, as well as cable channels and MLB clubs have fan bases that span from coast to coast,” the lawsuit says.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/O.co Coliseum

The Intellectual Property Office says it has received Bale’s application for his “Eleven of Hearts” logo, which he intends to use on clothing, footwear, headgear and jewellery.

The logo has the No. 11 — his shirt number at Spurs — inside two hands made into the shape of a heart.

The IPO says in a statement that “no decision has been made on this application yet.”

Bale, who was named English football’s player of the year last season and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid or Manchester United, said in 2010 that the goal celebration is a gesture to his girlfriend Emma, with whom he had a daughter last year.

Perhaps they discuss what it’s like to stop shot after shot at the most important time of the season.

But Rask isn’t saying.

“It’s between him and me,” he said Sunday.

In 2011, Thomas won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL postseason when he posted a 16-9 record, 1.98 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. He led the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup title since 1972 in a seven-game series against the Vancouver Canucks.

Rask’s numbers this year are even better — a 13-5 record, 1.73 GAA and .944 save percentage. And the Bruins are three wins away from another championship, tied 1-1 with the Chicago Blackhawks heading into Game 3 on Monday night.

The 39-year-old Thomas took this season off after the NHL lockout then was traded to the New York Islanders and has stayed away from the game. After three full seasons as his teammate, Rask inherited the job.

“Tim has been a great goaltender for us. When you lose a guy like that, there’s always that fear that you’re not going to be able to replace him,” coach Claude Julien said Sunday. “Tuukka’s done an outstanding job. To me, he’s been as much of a contributor to our team as Tim was two years ago.”

In the Eastern Conference finals, Rask allowed just only goals in four games as Boston swept the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the finals against Chicago, Rask has allowed five goals so far, but kept Game 2 close when he stopped 18 shots in the first period of the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime win.

“I always feel like I’m in a zone,” Rask said. “Nothing different, just another game. My job is really easy, or really simple, not easy — to stop the puck.”

Rose captured his first major championship Sunday with remarkable calm and three pure shots on the punishing closing holes at Merion. A par on the 18th hole gave him an even-par 70, and that was good enough to become the first Englishman in 43 years to win America’s national championship.

Rose hit a 5-iron to the first cut of rough, pin-high on the 17th, for an easy par. He smashed the most important tee shot of his career down the middle on the final hole, about 10 yards short of the famous Ben Hogan plaque. And his approach rolled near the pin and settled against the collar of the green.

“When I came over the hill and saw my ball laying in the fairway, I thought, ‘This is my moment.’ It was me hitting from the middle of the fairway,” Rose said.

As usual, someone’s big moment in the U.S. Open came at Mickelson’s expense.

Rose was in the scoring area a half-mile from the grandstands behind the 18th green where the fans began to chant, “Let’s go, Phil!” as Mickelson paced off a last-ditch effort to force a playoff. It was a long shot — the 18th hole didn’t yield a single birdie all weekend. From about 40 yards away, Mickelson’s chip for birdie raced by the cup, securing Rose’s victory.

Mickelson, already in the U.S. Open record book with five second-place finishes, added another that will hurt as much any of them.

Sunday was his 43rd birthday. It was the first time he had the outright lead going into the last day. His week began with a cross-country trip home to San Diego to watch his oldest daughter graduate from the eighth grade, returning just three hours before his tee time on Thursday. This was the same daughter born the day after his first runner-up finish in 1999.

All the stars were aligned. None of the putts fell in.

What hurt Mickelson even more was a wedge from about 121 yards on the 15th hole. It should have given him a good look at birdie, but it came up so short that Mickelson’s best chance was to use one of his five wedges to chip from the front of the green. He hit that one too far, 25 feet by the hole, and the bogey wound up costing him a chance at the major he covets.

Mickelson wound up with a bogey on the 18th for a 74 and tied for second with Jason Day, who closed with a 71.

“Heartbreak,” Mickelson said. “This is tough to swallow after coming so close. This was my best chance of all of them. I had a golf course I really liked. I felt this was as good an opportunity as you could ask for. It really hurts.”

It was the 1,000th victory for Ford across NASCAR’s three national series — Cup, Nationwide and Truck.

It was Biffle’s first win since he overtook Johnson to win at MIS in August. Johnson’s engine faltered with six laps left in that race. This time, he was about a second behind Biffle with three laps to go — but a tire gave way, and he dropped all the way to 28th.

“We beat [Johnson's] 48 today, and that says a lot. He was really, really fast,” Biffle said. “Once we got out in clean air, we could match up fairly well with the 48. He made a small mistake trying to catch us.”

Harvick was second, three seconds behind Biffle. Martin Truex Jr. was next, followed by Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart.

Johnson wasn’t the only big name who ran into trouble. Jeff Gordon was out of contention almost immediately when he hit a spinning Bobby Labonte less than 10 laps into the 200-lap, 400-mile race. Gordon finished 39th, one spot behind Kasey Kahne, who led at the halfway point but appeared to blow a tire and went sliding into the wall.

Kahne’s car caught fire, but he was able to climb out quickly.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won at MIS last June, finished 37th Sunday. He led for 34 laps, but his engine acted up about two-thirds of the way through the race.

There were eight cautions for 38 laps.

Pole winner Carl Edwards finished eighth. Kurt Busch qualified second but went into an early spin and finished 35th.

Biffle earned his 19th career victory and boosted his chances to reach the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He was 10th in the standings entering the day.

Biffle finished in the top 10 for the 13th time in 21 races at MIS.

Johnson still has a comfortable lead in standings, although Edwards closed the gap at the top from 51 points to 31. Johnson had a chance at his fourth victory of the year before scraping the wall late.

Johnson has still never won a Cup race at MIS.

“I thought this would be the year,” he said. “Most of the time we’re leading and something happens, but I thought, ‘OK, maybe coming from behind would be the difference.’ But something happened.”

Biffle cruised to the finish line in his No. 16 Ford. He finished second to Johnson last weekend at Pocono, but this time there was nobody left to challenge him at the end.

But he’s giving no thought to letting the injury properly heal.

“If it was the regular season, I would be resting like 10 days,” Parker said. “But now it’s the NBA Finals. If it gets a tear, it’s life.”

It would also deal a major blow to the Spurs’ chances of winning this title.

Yet despite the blunt assessment of his hamstring, the All-Star told reporters he is getting stronger on the eve of San Antonio’s final home game Sunday night. Parker said he is confident, staying disciplined with treatment and still aspires to be “close to 100 percent” by tipoff.

That’s exactly how the 31-year-old point guard looked to start Game 4 on Thursday night, two days after straining the hamstring in a blowout win. But Parker faded badly after a sizzling start, going scoreless in the second half while the Heat pulled away and tied the series 2-all, reclaiming home-court advantage.

Parker acknowledged feeling fatigued as Game 4 dragged on. His scoring average in the Finals has dipped to 13.8 points after arguably the best season of his 12-year career.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich downplayed the severity of Parker’s injury and the struggles of another of his Big Three, guard Manu Ginobili, who is shooting a career-worst 38 percent in the playoffs but whose need to pick up the slack heightens when Parker is ailing.

“They’re fine,” Popovich said Saturday.

“I’m not exactly happy with that,” Mathis said with a laugh.

The official that made the call? Sarah Thomas, who is on her way toward becoming the first permanent female official in the NFL. It could happen as early as the 2014 season.

“I’m certain I can’t make everybody happy,” Thomas said of that call on Mathis.

Thomas spent three days at the Colts minicamp as part of the NFL’s officiating development program, and league officials say she would be the first woman to reach NFL fields through the program. She’s expected to join the Colts in training camp next month and could call some preseason games this year.

Once completing the development program, Thomas could get a shot at the regular season if a spot becomes available. That wouldn’t happen until a current official retires or leaves the league.

“It’s just something that happened,” said Dean Blandino, the NFL’s vice president of officiating. “She was in our pipeline for a while.”

Last year, Shannon Eastin became the first woman to be an official in both a preseason and regular-season NFL game. She was a line judge in the Rams-Lions season opener, among the replacements hired during the officials’ lockout.

Eastin, who started officiating high school games before moving up to colleges, owns a company called SE Sports Officiating, which trains officials in football and basketball.

Last summer, the NFL Referees Association said Eastin shouldn’t be allowed to work league games because she has been in the World Series of Poker. If Eastin is hired permanently, the NFL’s gambling policy would bar her from participating in such events.

Thomas is an official with Conference USA and has been for the past eight seasons. She still has some steps to take before she can get to the NFL. There are interviews and background checks to be done, and she will be evaluated during any NFL camps and preseason games she handles — as well as during the upcoming college football season.

Just like a player, it’s a big step for an official to go to the next level.

“It’s similar from when a player jumps from college to the NFL,” Blandino said. “Getting used to that type of speed is important.”

Thomas noticed the speed right away at minicamp even when the players run with no pads. It will take some time to get used to. But she said she likes the challenge of officiating. That’s what got her interested in the job of wearing the stripes during football games, even as a high school football official in Mississippi, where she’s called state championship games.

“The speed, yes, is there,” Thomas said. “These are just phenomenal athletes on both sides of the ball. The game has a tendency to slow down the most snaps you get and repetition. So, hopefully, the more snaps I get, things will start slowing down a little bit.”

Thomas shows many of the qualities and traits the NFL looks for in an official. She’s confident and shows a command of where to go and what to do at all times. Having a female involved and the NFL showing its diversity, well, that’s just a bonus.

“It’s always a positive when there’s diversity,” Blandino said.

In all, eight members of the Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations were suspended by Major League Baseball senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr.

He cited Kennedy for intentionally throwing a pitch at the head of Zack Greinke after a warning had been issued on Tuesday night and Hinske for leaving the dugout and “aggressive actions.” Mattingly was penalized for his conduct and Gibson for Kennedy’s actions following a warning.

Dodgers pitcher J.P. Howell and infielder-outfielder Skip Schumaker were suspended two games apiece for “aggressive actions” and Los Angeles hitting coach Mark McGwire two games for his conduct.

Los Angeles pitcher Ronald Belisario was suspended one game for “aggressive actions.”

All eight were fined, as were Greinke, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, Arizona catcher Miguel Montero and Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra.

MLB fined the Dodgers for allowing players on the disabled list to leave the dugout and enter the field during the brawl. MLB also banned disabled list players on the Dodgers and Diamondbacks from sitting in their dugouts through Sunday.

Mattingly was to serve his penalty during Friday night’s series opener at Pittsburgh and Gibson during Arizona’s game at San Diego. McGwire was to miss games Friday and Saturday.

If players appeal, their penalties are held off until after hearings and decisions.

Kennedy hit Puig with a pitch that deflected off his back to his nose in the sixth, and Greinke hit Montero on the back in the seventh, drawing a warning from umpires. Both teams charged onto the field, but the scrum broke up quickly with no punches thrown.

Kennedy then hit Greinke on the upper left shoulder in the bottom half of the inning, and the ball deflected off his helmet. A prolonged and more heated scuffle ensued against a railing on the first-base side.

Kennedy, Gibson and Diamondbacks coach Turner Ward were ejected after the shoving match. Puig, McGwire and Belisario also were tossed.

Mattingly had to be restrained as he tried to get at Gibson, and they exchanged words briefly. McGwire and third base coach Matt Williams grabbed each other’s shirts in a tense standoff and shouted at each other.

He traveled about 2,400 miles in the air and 7,000 yards on the ground. He took a short nap on his private jet from San Diego and another one during a rain delay when he found a secluded corner of the library room in the Merion clubhouse. He carried five wedges but no driver.

Some 17 hours later, Mickelson had a 3-under 67 to match his best opening round in the U.S. Open.

Mickelson returned from his daughter’s eighth-grade graduation about 3 1/2 hours before his tee time. He three-putted his first hole for a bogey and didn’t give back a shot the rest of the day at Merion, which proved plenty tough by yielding only one other round under par to the 78 players who completed the first round.

Because of two rain delays, the first round won’t be completed until Friday morning. Mickelson won’t have to tee it up again for another 24 hours.

Tiger Woods faced a tougher road. He appeared to hurt his left hand after trying to gouge out of the deep rough on the opening hole. He grimaced and shook his left wrist again after hitting a 5-wood out of the rough on the fifth hole. He already had three bogeys though five holes before starting to make up ground with a 50-foot birdie putt on the par-4 sixth hole.

Woods, however, failed to take advantage on the short stretch of holes in the middle of the round, and he was shaking his hand again after shots out of the rough on the 10th and twice on the 11th. He was 2-over for his round and had a 4-foot par putt on the 11th when play was stopped for the day.

“I’ve got a lot of holes to play [Friday],” Woods said. “And, hopefully, I can play a little better than I did [Thursday].”

Luke Donald was 4-under through 13 holes, making one last birdie before leaving the course. The first round was to resume at 7:15 a.m. Friday, and the forecast called for drier weather for the rest of the week.

Masters champion Adam Scott, playing with Woods and Rory McIlroy, was 3-under through 11 holes, while defending U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson was 2-under through eight holes. McIlroy was 1-under.

It doesn’t take much — just two holes for Sergio Garcia, who found Merion far more daunting than the few wisecracks from the gallery. Garcia received mostly warm applause, with some barely audible boos from the grandstand when he started his round on No. 11. It was his first time competing in America since his public spat with Woods took a bad turn when he jokingly said he would have Woods over for dinner during the U.S. Open and serve fried chicken.

“There were a couple here and there,” Garcia said about some jeers. “But I felt the people were very nice for the whole day. I think that almost all of them were behind me and that was nice to see.”

They saw him hit his tee shot out of bounds on No. 14 right before the first rain delay, leading to a double bogey. Then, he hooked his next shot out of bounds and hit a bunker shot over the green on his way to a quadruple-bogey 8 at No. 15. Despite being 6-over on those two holes, he rallied for a 73.

Mickelson, meanwhile, looked as though he could play this golf course in his sleep. And he nearly did.

Mickelson was always going to be home before the U.S. Open because Amanda, who turns 14 next week, was chosen to be a featured speaker at her graduation. He left Merion on Monday, a day earlier than planned, when more heavy rain washed out most of the practice round. Besides, Mickelson felt like he knew the course well enough from his scouting trip last week.

“She told me that it’s fine. ‘Stay, it’s the U.S. Open. I know how much you care about it.’ And I told her that I want to be there,” Mickelson said. “I don’t want to miss her speech. I don’t want to miss her graduation. She spent nine years at that school. And she’s worked very hard and I’m very proud of her.”

The ceremony was at 6 p.m. PDT. Mickelson was on the plane two hours later, landing in Philadelphia at about 3:30 a.m EST. He had a few hours of sleep on the plane, and then played five holes before the rain delay. He found a few cushions for a makeshift bed in the clubhouse library.

Despite his four birdies, including a 25-foot putt that fell on its last turn at No. 1, Mickelson saved his round with some crucial pars.

And then, it was time to rest.

The Yankees said Thursday that Jeter was examined by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., and that he is continuing to heal. He received clearance to progress into baseball activities and running.

The 13-time All-Star hasn’t played this season after breaking his left ankle in the playoffs last fall and having surgery. Jeter sustained another fracture during his rehabilitation, and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break in mid-July.

School officials said in a news release that Winkler died unexpectedly Wednesday at his parents’ home. The native of Asker, Norway, was a third-round pick by the Stars in 2008.

The school said Winkler graduated from Colorado College on May 20 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Winkler came to the U.S. in 2007 and played for Cedar Rapids in the United States Hockey League the year he was drafted by Dallas. He later enrolled at Colorado College and compiled 63 points in 120 career games. He had career highs of 13 goals and 28 points last season.

Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@ColeAKStephens

The $76 million deal begins with the 2014-15 season and will carry an average salary cap hit of $9.5 million. The agreement comes one day after the Penguins signed coach Dan Bylsma to a two-year extension through 2016.

The 26-year-old Russian won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP a year ago after leading the league with 109 points. He struggled with a concussion and a shoulder injury during the lockout-shortened 2013 season, finishing with 31 points in 33 games.

The extension means Malkin and Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby will remain together through their primes and beyond. Crosby signed a 12-year extension last summer.

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The complaint was lodged by Raquel Amado, a state prosecutor for the northeastern region of Catalonia.

In it, Amado says that from 2006-2009 Messi “obtained significant revenue derived from the transfer to third parties of his image rights, income which should have been taxed.”

The complaint says Messi “circumvented his tax obligations” by using shell companies in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay.

The case was submitted for trial at the court in Gava, the upmarket Barcelona suburb near the Mediterranean coast where Messi lives.

The complaint names Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi.

“We are surprised,” Messi said on his Facebook account, “because we have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation.”

Messi and his father are accused of allegedly defrauding more than 4 million euros ($5.3 million) in income tax returns for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009.

A judge at the court must accept the prosecutor’s complaint before charges can be brought against Messi and his father.

Sports finance analyst at the University of Navarra, Professor Sandalio Gomez, said that if found guilty of evading tax on his image rights, Messi could be liable to a fine amounting to 150 percent of the earnings concealed. A guilty verdict would not carry a jail sentence, Gomez said.

Former Portugal star Luis Figo was last year forced to pay 2.45 million euros in income tax from his time at Barcelona. The tax authorities said the money was due from the 1997-1999 period and pertained to his image rights.

Gregor Reiter, a German attorney specializing in sports law, said Messi’s difficulties show “how important it is for athletes to have excellent and highly-trained counselors and agents” to handle their financial affairs, as player payments often travel across international borders and complicate tax assessments.

Stefan Szymanski, the Stephen J. Galetti Professor of Sport Management in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan, said the case appeared more political than football-related as tax authorities looked to make an example of Messi.

“I think it’s grandstanding,” he said. “They see it as a demonstration effect — everybody takes notice. Everybody thinks, I’d better pay my taxes.”

He noted that different tax rates and regulations across Europe could prompt Messi to consider playing for a club in a more tax-friendly country. “If Spain is going to become as strict as northern European countries, then maybe at that point he decides that he’s willing to move,” Szymanski said.

He cited a 2009 study by the London School of Economics and the University of California, Berkeley which found that top tax rates have a significant influence when a footballer chooses the country in which to play.

Barcelona declined to comment.

Messi, who is rated by Forbes as the world’s 10th highest-paid athlete, reportedly earned $41.3 million to June this year; with $20.3 coming from his club salary and $21 million in endorsements.

The complaint was filed a day after Messi played in Argentina’s 1-1 draw against Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier in Quito.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said Messi was expected to be included in the lineup for a friendly against Guatemala on Friday.

Messi signed a two-year contract extension with Barcelona in February which keeps him at the club through June 2018 — when he will be 31. He joined Barcelona when he was 13, and made his debut with the first team three years later.

The 25-year-old Messi has won four straight FIFA world player of the year awards. He has scored 133 goals for Barcelona over the last two seasons.

The forward scored 60 goals in all competitions this season, leading Barcelona to the Spanish league title.

With Messi struggling to recover from an injury, Barcelona was eliminated from the Champions League in the semifinals.

Spain has been cracking down on tax evasion as it fights to repair the country’s public finances amid recession and the collapse of its once-booming real estate sector.

Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro warned footballers in April they should make sure they are “comfortable” with their tax affairs.

General manager Ray Shero announced the deal Wednesday morning, less than a week after the Eastern Conference’s top seed was swept by Boston in the conference finals. Assistant coaches Tony Granato and Todd Reirden will also be retained. Goaltending coach Gilles Meloche will move into an advisory role with the club next season.

Bylsma is 201-92-25 in four-plus seasons with Pittsburgh and helped the franchise win its third Stanley Cup in 2009. The Penguins went 36-12-0 and won the Atlantic Division title this season. Shero says he believes Bylsma is the coach to work with stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the team moves forward.

“It felt exactly like the cartoons,” he said. “When you see people getting electrocuted on cartoons, that’s exactly what it felt like.”

Except that it’s not funny. The veteran NFL receiver suffered serious burns in the accident three months ago. He since has recovered and is expected to sign this week with the Washington Redskins after taking part in Tuesday’s minicamp practice as a tryout player.

Stallworth said a balloon ride was on his then-girlfriend’s bucket list, so he surprised her with it for her birthday. The two-hour ride was smooth until the balloon hit the power line while coming in for a landing.

“Literally, my butt caught on fire,” he said. “And she was on fire as well.”

Both were airlifted to a hospital, but not before he burst out laughing while in the ambulance, much to the bemusement of the emergency workers.

“Ten years of playing professional football, and I never been carted off the field,” he said. “And I’ve never even been helped off the field. If I had a knee injury, I was able to get up and walk away on my own. And I go on a hot air balloon, something that seems very peaceful for two hours, and I’m getting airlifted to a hospital, life on the line.”

Stallworth said it took a few weeks for the burns to heal enough for him to resume football training, and his former girlfriend is also doing fine. But the physical scars remain.

“My arm here was pretty burned,” he said, holding up his left forearm to reporters. “And I don’t think you guys want to see the other one.”

The Redskins, when they called him about a tryout, were actually more concerned about the high ankle sprain he had last year while with the New England Patriots. He passed a physical Monday, and coach Mike Shanahan said he hopes to sign the 32-year-old wideout.

“We’ll see where he’s at,” Shanahan said. “But he’s impressed me [on Wednesday].”

Stallworth also played with the Redskins in 2011. He appeared in one game with the Patriots last year before the ankle injury ended his season.

Adam Swickle asked Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh to reconsider the sentence she imposed Monday. Johnson had reached a deal with prosecutors for community service and counseling to resolve a probation violation from his no-contest plea last year to battery on his then-wife, TV star Evelyn Lozada.

McHugh, just elected last August to her first term on the bench, seemed poised to approve the plea deal until Johnson’s backside pat of Swickle triggered a wave of laughter in the court. The judge then angrily said she wouldn’t sign off and tossed the six-time Pro Bowler formerly known as Chad Ochocinco in jail.

“This isn’t a joke,” the judge said.

Swickle said the backside pat was merely Johnson’s way of showing appreciation for his attorney’s work on the case.

“Mr. Johnson has been a professional football player in the National Football League for 11 years, and patting another individual on the backside is viewed as a sign of respect and gratitude,” he said in the motion. “It is clear that the court misinterpreted Mr. Johnson’s interaction with his attorney.”

As for the courtroom laughter, Swickle added, “this is not Mr. Johnson’s fault, and he should not be punished for the actions of third parties.”

Prosecutors say they’ll leave Johnson’s sentence up to McHugh, who presides over Broward County domestic violence cases. A hearing has been set for next Monday.

A busted pipe under the infield at Rangers Ballpark created a sinkhole right behind the mound. On-field batting practice Tuesday for both the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians was canceled so the grounds crew could fix the problem.

Workers had to dig more than three feet deep to try to fix the pipe under the field that is used to water the infield. One of the workers could only been seen from the waist up after getting down into the hole.

About an hour before the game was scheduled to start, the repair was complete and the grass behind the mound had been put back in place. Workers even used a hose hooked to the repaired pipe to water the infield grass and dirt.

While the Indians entered the game with an eight-game losing streak, and 12 losses in a row on the road, Cleveland manager Terry Francona said there were no Bull Durham-like shenanigans by his team trying to get a day off.

“I didn’t do it,” Francona said with a chuckle about the reference to a scene in the Kevin Costner baseball movie. “We’re not there yet. We’re frustrated, but we’re not there.”

About three hours before the game, as usual before a home game, Rangers players went on the field for stretching and batting practice. But after stretching in the outfield as normal, they went back inside to take their pregame swings in an indoor cage.

Two weeks ago, a game between Arizona and Texas at Rangers Ballpark was postponed because of unplayable field conditions.

The infield that night was soaked during a severe thunderstorm about an hour before that scheduled start while the grounds crew struggled to get the tarp on the field.

Though the rain stopped shortly after that and more than an hour of work was put into preparing the field, that game was postponed after officials from both teams determined the dirt basepaths were too soft to play the game safely.

Arizona and Texas played the next afternoon, after the grounds crew worked into the wee hours of the night.

The NBA announced the pairing on Tuesday. The teams will play at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Oct. 20. It’s the second season the league has held preseason games in Canada.

The Wolves have been at the forefront of the influx of international players into the NBA in recent years with the likes of Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, Andrei Kirilenko and J.J. Barea.

The Celtics have a history of playing outside the United States. They played in Turkey and Italy last year and in 2007. They went to Spain in 1988.