Smokey IX, Tennessee's canine mascot, was accused of biting an Alabama player before the teams played.

In a related story, Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner complained Saturday that Sparty gave one of his players a wedgie.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said during a preseason conference call that he'd prefer it if the league's players leave their firearms behind when they go out.

Stern did make one exception: Dallas Mavericks players are not only allowed, but also encouraged to bring guns to any team function where Mark Cuban is present.

The Miami (Fla.) football players who were suspended for their role in a sideline-clearing brawl will participate in the Miami-Dade County police's "Join a Team, Not a Gang" program as part of their sanctioning.

The players also are responsible for creating a new motto for the program, but they were rejected when they gave their initial proposal: "As long as it's a team that gets in fights!"

After the NCAA rejected McMurry University's appeals to keep its American Indian mascot last week, the school's board of trustees decided to forgo a nickname altogether.

Now, school officials must decide which one-word name they want to go by: Pelé, Cher or Shakira.

The NCAA declared 7-foot-3 UConn freshman Hasheem Thabeet eligible to play this season.

It also declared him to be huge.

Glendale Arena, home of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, will be renamed after the online employment service Jobing.com, the team announced last week.

The team also considered selling the arena's naming rights to Facebook.com, but reconsidered when the Web site asked to keep a mini-feed of every fan in attendance.