Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2:45 PM ET on Tues., July 15

Reuters

July 15 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2:45 PM ET on Tuesday: - - - - The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427 - - - - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Tight end Graham staying with Saints Jimmy Graham will stay in New Orleans after signing a contract extension with the Saints that reportedly will make him the highest paid tight end ever in the National Football League. (NFL-SAINTS/GRAHAM, moved, 234 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Bears must improve defense for 2014 LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- After finishing 30th in defense among the NFL's 32 teams, it is no secret that the Chicago Bears will be focused on that side of the ball when they line up for their first training camp practice July 25 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. (FBN-BEARS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,880 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Caldwell must demand discipline from Lions ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Discipline in Detroit. That is what Lions fans are expecting out of new head coach Jim Caldwell, who inherits an impressive, but under-achieving, defensive line that includes Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Ziggy Ansah. (FBN-LIONS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,200 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Packers hit camp with plenty on their plate GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- With a defense streamlined by coordinator Dom Capers and an offense looking for help to support star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, head coach Mike McCarthy has plenty of issues to address when the Green Bay Packers begin training camp practice July 26 at St. Norbert College. (FBN-PACKERS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,230 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Vikings spin a crowded QB carousel EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Make no mistake, most attention and probably all the hype will be focused on the quarterback situation when new head coach Mike Zimmer leads the Minnesota Vikings in their first training camp practice July 25 at Minnesota State University in Mankato. (FBN-VIKINGS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,800 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Ravens hope to add deep pass to offense OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- As the Baltimore Ravens prepare for training camp at their facility in Owings Mills, their goals remain unchanged. Upgrade the passing game, rebuild the running game, protect quarterback Joe Flacco and identify a starting right offensive tackle. They will begin trying to do all that with the first practice set for July 24. (FBN-RAVENS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,350 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: All eyes on Dalton in Bengals camp CINCINNATI -- The transition to two new coordinators led the charge during the Cincinnati Bengals offseason program. Hue Jackson at offensive coordinator and Paul Guenther at defensive coordinator merged continuity and new personality to establish what will be expected when training camp opens July 24 at Paul Brown Stadium. (FBN-BENGALS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,420 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Browns' center of attention? Manziel For the third time in four years a new head coach will lead the Cleveland Browns into training camp at their facility. In other words, last year doesn't matter. Mike Pettine will have open competition at several positions when the first practice occurs on July 26. Minicamp and the OTAs that preceded it convinced Pettine that Brian Hoyer is ahead of rookie Johnny Manziel at quarterback, but he added "the lead isn't insurmountable." (FBN-BROWNS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,500 words) -- NFL Camp Preview: Speed on display at Steelers camp PITTSBURGH -- The theme of the 2014 offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers was getting younger and faster. The Steelers chose not to re-sign many aging veterans such as defensive end Brett Keisel, safety Ryan Clark, linebacker Larry Foote and receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Their replacements were signed in free agency and selected in the draft, and they all have one thing in common: speed. (FBN-STEELERS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 1,491 words) -- Former P Kluwe to sue Vikings for discrimination Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe plans to sue the team for discrimination, defamation and torturous interference because he claims the team has completed an independent investigation into the player's allegations against his former position coach but refuses to release the information publicly. (FBN-VIKINGS-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 550 words) - - - - COLLEGE FOOTBALL A&M embarks on life minus Manziel Coach Kevin Sumlin has a way about him when it comes to quarterbacks. He's not replacing just any old passer this time. (FBC-TEXASAM-NEWS, expect by 5 p.m. ET, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) -- South Carolina's Spurrier still enjoying ball at 68 Steve Spurrier is still 'enjoying it' as he hits the 10-year mark as head coach at a second SEC school. He won the 1996 national title as Florida head coach and has the same goal with the Gamecocks. To get there, South Carolina will have to unseat Alabama and Auburn. The Tigers are 5-0 against Spurrier in his SC tenure. (FBC-SOUTHCAROLINA-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 700 words) -- QB Prescott gives Bulldogs underdog bite Mississippi State is a popular dark horse in the Southeastern Conference, which is essentially an endorsement of head coach Dan Mullen's latest quarterback prospect, all-purpose dynamo Dak Prescott. (FBC-MISSISSIPPISTATE-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 570 words) - - - - NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Heat, Wade near deal Miami Heat mainstay Dwyane Wade is expected to sign a deal worth at least $15 million per season to remain with the only pro team he has known. (BKN-HEAT-NEWS, expect by 5 p.m. ET, The Sports Xchange, 455 words) Telfair returns to NBA with Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder signed free agent point guard Sebastian Telfair. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (BKN-THUNDER-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, 150 words) - - - - GOLF Back surgery has given returning Woods a fresh perspective HOYLAKE, England - Tiger Woods's back operation in March robbed the former world number one of a quarter of the golf season but at least it has given him a fresh outlook on his career. (GOLF-OPEN/WOODS (PIX), moved, by Tony Jimenez, 600 words) -- British Open, Royal Liverpool Golf Club McIlroy needs to banish that sinking Friday feeling HOYLAKE, England - Rory McIlroy needs to start playing a few tricks on his mind in order to eliminate that sinking Friday feeling he has been experiencing, the former world number one said. (GOLF-OPEN/MCILROY (PIX), moved, by Tony Jimenez, 500 words) - - - - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Jeter to make 14th and final All-Star appearance New York Yankees evergreen shortstop Derek Jeter makes his 14th and final appearance in the Midsummer Classic as AL starter Felix Hernandez (11-2) toes the rubber against NL starter Adam Wainwright (12-4) at Target Field in Minneapolis with home field advantage in the World Series on the line. (BASEBALL-ALLSTARS/ (PIX), expect by 11:30 PM ET, 400 words) -- 2014 All-Star Game MINNEAPOLIS - Baseball's greats share the stage at Target Field in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. (BBO-NEWS, expect first lede ASAP after 8 p.m. ET start, The Sports Xchange, by John Perrotto, 400 words; 750-word write-thru ASAP) -- Tigers' Cabrera not fully healthy MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera said he is still not fully healthy after offseason groin surgery. (BBO-TIGERS-NEWS, 340 words, The Sports Xchange, moved) -- MLB midterm grades The Sports Xchange correspondents provide a midterm grade and analysis for all 30 MLB teams. With baseball at the ceremonial midpoint of the season, the biggest overachievers and underachievers are division rivals. (BBO-NEWS, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Rick Kaplan, 3,400 words) - - - - NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE No surgery for Penguins' Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will not have arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist, the National Hockey League team said on Tuesday. Crosby, the NHL's most valuable player, had been considering surgery to repair the injury he sustained during the regular season but instead will continue to have treatment on the wrist. (NHL-PENGUINS/CROSBY, moved, 183 words) -- NHL Roundup The latest moves and news from the NHL. (HKN-NOTEBOOK, expect by 6 p.m. ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - - - CYCLING Tour de France (to 27) Nibali has tragic Pantani in mind as he eyes Tour title BESANCON, France- Vincenzo Nibali already has a decent set of Tour de France leader's yellow jerseys, but he has one put one aside for Marco Pantani's mother. Should he prevail on the French roads, Nibali would become the first Italian rider to win the race since the late Pantani, the 1998 winner who died of a cocaine overdose 10 years ago. (CYCLING-TOUR/ (PIX), by Julien Pretot, 401 words) -- Contador hoping to be fit in time for Vuelta BESANCON, France - Alberto Contador flew to Madrid a day after crashing out of the Tour de France to receive treatment on his broken shinbone and faces a race against time to regain full fitness for next month's Vuelta. (CYCLING-CONTADOR/, moved, 185 words) -- UCI boss Cookson comes under fire amid more wrangling BESANCON, France - Less than a year after taking over from Pat McQuaid in farcical circumstances, International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson is facing a barrage of criticism of his handling of the governing body (CYCLING-UCI/, moved, by Julien Pretot, 900 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (Expect by 0000 GMT/8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)