The Texas Rangers are looking to add Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. The team signed former Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan last week.

Texas is trying to shore up their struggling bullpen, which failed them in their seven-game World Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. They also pursued Jonathan Broxton, but the former Los Angeles Dodger signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals.

The Rangers were interested in Bailey last season, but they were unable to land him prior to the trade deadline.

Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach has “verbally agreed” to become the next head coach of Washington State University, according to CBS Sports.

Leach will replace Paull Wulff, who was fired by the school Tuesday. Wulff had one year remaining in his five-year contract with WSU.  During his tenure, the Cougars had a 9-40 record and were 4-8 this year.

Leach, who has 23-years of coaching experience, hasn’t coached in two years.  He currently hosts college football talk shows for CBS College Sports and Sirius satellite radio. The 50-year-old coached for 10 seasons at Texas Tech where he had an 84-43 record.  Known for his pass offenses, Leach never had a losing season and took the Red Raiders to a bowl game every year.

Texas Tech fired Leach when he refused to apologize to receiver Adam James, for “…actions that put James at risk for further injury,” according to school officials.

The Seattle Seahawks will place wide receiver Sidney Rice on the injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Rice suffered a concussion in a 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins this weekend, forcing him to leave the game early in the second half. Rice had no receptions in the game, and he was unable to return. That concussion marked the second Rice had suffered in the past three weeks.

Rice has collected 32 receptions and two touchdowns in nine games in this, his first year with the Seahawks. His best season came in 2009-10 when he collected 83 receptions for 1312 yards and eight touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings.

New Jersey Nets general manager Billy King denied reports that his club was in negotiations to trade for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, the Associated Press reports.

“I’ll go on the record that I haven’t talked to Orlando about a trade since February, right before the trade deadline,” King said at a press conference, according to the Associated Press. “I have not had any conversations at all with my good friend Otis (Smith, the Magic general manager).

“So, I don’t know where that is coming from.”

It was reported earlier today by ESPN that the Nets were prepared to offer the Magic a trade for Howard that included former first-round pick  Brook Lopez as well as two future first-round picks. Howard is slotted to become a free-agent following the 2011-12 season, and it is not known whether he will be willing to return to Orlando with a long-term deal. As such, rumors have arose that the Magic may attempt to trade the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

The NFL has reportedly fined Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson $10,000 for his touchdown celebration in last weekend’s loss to the New York Jets, sources tell ESPN.com.

Johnson celebrated his touchdown by mocking Jets receiver Plaxico Burress. Johnson mimicked shooting himself in the tight after scoring in the first half. Burress served 20 months in jail stemming from a 2008 incident in which he accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York City nightclub.

Johnson continued his celebration by imitating a crashing jet. For the excessive celebration, the Bills were penalized 15 yards on the kickoff. The Jets then scored to tie the game a minute later.

Since the incident, Johnson has reportedly apologized to Burress for the celebration.

University of Michigan head coach Brady Hoke has been voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media and his fellow coaches, according to a tweet from Wolverine’s official Twitter account.

In his first year with Michigan, Hoke led his team to a 10-2 finish, including a 6-2 record in the Big Ten. He also helped coach the Wolverines to their first victory over arch-rival Ohio State University since 2002. The team finished the season ranked No. 17 overall in the AP Poll.

Last year, Michigan finished the season 7-5 after beginning the season 5-0. The late season collapse, which was capped by a 7-37 loss to Ohio State, ultimately led to the firing of then head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Hoke has previously coached at San Diego State and Ball State, and has a career 57-52 record as a head coach.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller has returned to practice for the first time since sustaining a concussion and neck injury against the Boston Bruins, NHL.com reports.

Miller’s injury occurred Nov. 12 when 6’3”, 228-pound Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic checked the 6’2”, 175-pound goaltender as he played the puck outside of the crease.

Miller missed the past eight games due to the injury and the Sabres have struggled, posting a 3-4-1 record without the 2010 Vezina Trophy winner.

Miller is just one of eight Sabres regulars out of the lineup due to injury.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin did not practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury sustained Nov. 6 against the Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPNDallas.com.

Missing Wednesday’s practice could mean Austin may miss his fourth straight game due to the injury. Austin initially believed he would be ready to play this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones echoed Austin’s sentiments earlier this week.

The hamstring injury is Austin’s second this season and the Cowboys want to remain cautious and ensure the 27-year-old wide receiver is fully recovered before he gets back in the lineup.

In six games this season, Austin has 28 receptions for 403 yards and four touchdowns.

The NBA age requirement for eligibility is expected to remain at 19-years-old as part of the new labor deal, sources tell ESPN.

The league has been open about their desire to push the age limit back from 19 to 20 in an attempt to protect both teams and potential players from entering the league too early. Under current rules, players must be at least 19-years-old to play in the NBA, and in the case of those living in the United States, must be at least one year removed from high school.

It is expected that the age limit will remain at 19 for at least the first two years of the new collective bargaining agreement, ESPN reports.

Other proposed options include the option for players to declare for the draft out of high school with option to withdraw and attend college if they do not like where they are selected, much like in Major League Baseball. Another option would be revising the rookie salary scale with added incentives for staying in college longer.

Sources speculate no changes will be made in the age requirement for eligibility in an effort to complete the new CBA in time for the start of training camp, Dec. 9. At that time, all important rules pertaining to league operations must be finalized.

Four-time former Pro Bowler and current Stanford University defensive assistant Chester McGlockton passed away early this morning at the age of 42, according to ESPN.

“Everyone in the Stanford football family is deeply saddened by the passing of Chester McGlockton,” Stanford coach David Shaw said in a statement. “For the past two seasons, Chester has been a valuable member of our football staff and a wonderful friend to us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chester’s wife, Zina, and their two children.”

McGlockton registered 51 sacks and 551 tackles over his 13-year NFL career. His best years came when he was the starting defensive tackle for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders from 1992-1997, a span where he was selected to four Pro Bowls and named an All-Pro three times. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and New York Jets.

In 1995, McGlockton was named a first-team All-Pro when he recorded 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles for the Raiders.

David DeJesus and the Chicago Cubs have agreed on a two-year contract, according to Major League Baseball’s official account. The deal includes a club option for 2014.

DeJesus, 31, is coming off a career worst season offensively in which he hit .240/.323/.376 with 10 home runs in his first year with the Oakland Athletics. The wide-ranging outfielder however posted a very strong 7.5 UZR in right field in 2011.

Over the course of his nine-year career, DeJesus has posted a career 162 game average of .284/.356/.421 with 11 home runs and 90 runs scored. The move to acquire the versatile outfielder marks the first major transaction by the Cubs new baseball operations leadership, headed by Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer.

The “top priority” of the Chicago Bulls during the league’s shortened free-agency period is to work out an agreement for an extension to Derrick Rose’s contract, according to ESPN Chicago.

Rose, who was named the NBA’s youngest-ever Most Valuable Player last season, would become a free-agent following the expiration of his rookie contract. Sources have told ESPN that Rose will likely receive the maximum extension allowable; however no formal offers can be made until Dec. 9.

The 23-year-old helped lead the Bulls to an NBA-best 62 win season in 2010-11. In 81 games he averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game in just his third year in the league.

As a result of Rose’s performance, as well as the rising trend of young players making a more immediate impact on teams, the NBA is expected to institute “The Derrick Rose Rule,” as part of its new collective bargaining agreement. The rule is designed to reward players, like Rose, to make as much as 30 percent of his team’s salary cap. The stipulations to the rule state that a player would receive such a bonus if they had been named the league MVP, made two All-NBA teams or had served as an All-Star starter two separate times while in their rookie contract.

Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has been listed as questionable for this Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

McCoy has reportedly been bothered by a sprained toe. Last week in a 20-38 loss to the New England Patriots, the star running back was only given 10 carries and collected 31 yards.

Through 11 games this season McCoy has rushed for 1050 yards and 11 touchdowns, while also collecting 38 receptions for 228 yards. He currently leads the NFL in rushing yards and is tied with Adrian Peterson for first in rushing touchdowns.

Last season the 23-year-old ran for 1080 yards and seven touchdowns for the Eagles. In 42 career games he has averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin will not play Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks, Adam Schefter reports.

Vick has been suffering with a rib injury since Week 10. The 31-year-old also did not play in the Eagles’ Sunday loss against New England Patriots. On the season, Vick has amassed 2,193 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Vince Young will get the start in Vick’s place.

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin also was out against the Patriots with a shoulder and hamstring injury, which will sideline him for the Seahawks game as well. Maclin has caught 46 passes for 612 yards and four touchdowns this season.

The 4-7 Eagles are third in the NFC East, making this week’s game a must-win for a team that had playoff hopes entering the season.

Rory McIlroy will opt to play in the Irish Open this summer instead of returning to Congressional for the AT&T National, the course where the budding young golfer won his first Major, according to the Associated Press.

The Irish Open is scheduled to be held June 28 through July 1, the same week as the AT&T National at Congressional. The 22-year-old told reporters at the Hong Kong Open this week that he will “definitely play” at the Irish Open. Last year the Irish Open had been played during the last week of July.

In 2011 McIlroy became a household name when he won the U.S. Open at Congressional in dominant fashion. The first-time winner set a U.S. Open record by posting a 72-hole aggregate score of 268, which beat out the records previously held by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

McIlroy, currently ranked second in the World, is from Northern Ireland.

Former Boston Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal believes Chris Paul is not a better point guard than Rajon Rondo and that trading Rondo for Paul would be a bad idea, CBS Boston reports.

“Everyone is tradeable, you could probably get a lot for Rajon Rondo but he is the heart and soul of the team,” O’Neal, now retired, told a Boston area sports radio network. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. If I was the general manager, I wouldn’t do it.”

“Chris Paul is not better than Rajon Rondo… Rajon Rondo is the true definition of a point guard, period,” O’Neal continued. “He gets everybody involved and he scores when he has to. Chris Paul scores a lot of points, but when was the last time they made it to the playoffs? Thank you very much.”

Shaq’s comments come as rumors spread that the Celtics are shopping the 25-year-old Rondo in hopes of finding a player with a better scoring presence. The New Orleans Hornets were reportedly not interested in a straight-up trade between Rondo and Paul. As a result, it’s been reported that Boston is now hoping to involve a third team, the Indiana Pacers, to get the deal done.

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul would not be open to signing a long-term contract extension with the Boston Celtics, reports Chris Broussard. Such an extension would be considered crucial if the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Hornets were to come to terms on a potential trade for the All-Star guard.

“Let all the CP3-to-Boston chatter cease. CP will not sign long-term ext with Celtics, according to source close to situation,” Broussard said in a tweet this morning.

Broussard originally reported yesterday that the Boston Celtics would be open to trading star point guard Rajon Rondo in return for a legitimate scoring presence. It has since been reported that the club has spoken to the New Orleans Hornets about acquiring Paul, a point guard who is considered to have a much more polished scoring game than Rondo. They have also reportedly spoken to the Indiana Pacers.

Paul can become a free-agent following this season, and has several times indicated that he would like to leave New Orleans for a team where he can be more competitive. He has been rumored to be interested in signing with the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, but not the Celtics.

The Indiana Pacers have reportedly spoken with the Boston Celtics about a possible deal for All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, sources have told Yahoo! Sports.

The two teams have reportedly discussed the framework of a deal that would send the 25-year-old to Indiana. While it is unknown what pieces the Celtics have requested in return for Rondo, Yahoo! reports that they may be working with Indiana to complete a three way trade with the New Orleans Hornets in order to acquire Chris Paul. It was reported late last night that the Celtics were interested in acquiring Paul to replace Rondo, but that the Hornets were not interested in a straight-up trade.

News broke yesterday that the Celtics would be open to trading their point guard who has turned into one of the game’s best distributors over the past several seasons. Despite his on-the-court success for Boston, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is believed to be looking for a scorer who can lighten the load for Paul Pierce. In 68 games during the 2010-11 season, Rondo averaged 10.6 points and 11.2 assists per game, where Chris Paul has averaged 18.7 points and 9.9 assists per game over his NBA career.

Last season, Pierce led the Celtics by averaging 18.9 points per game. Following him were Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett who averaged 16.5 and 14.9 points per game respectively. The Celtics, who are built around their trio of NBA veterans, finished in the bottom ten in the NBA in points scored last year, but led the league with the fewest points allowed.

The Celtics finished the regular season with the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference last year.

The New Jersey Nets are reportedly prepared to offer a trade to the Orlando Magic for star center Dwight Howard, ESPN reports.

The trade package reportedly would include Nets center and former first round pick Brook Lopez and two future first-round picks. The Nets are looking to acquire Howard before he becomes a free agent July 2012.

There has been speculation over the past few years that Howard, who has struggled to win a championship in Orlando, may leave the Magic when he becomes a free-agent after this coming season.

“There’s more you can do in a bigger place,” Howard told USA Today.  “I’m stuck in a tough position because I feel like right now, where I’m at, I’ve done so much. And I just don’t know what else I can do.”

NBA teams are not cleared to make roster moves until Dec. 9, however team executives may begin discussion with agents at 9 a.m. EST today. The free agency period will be abbreviated due to the 149-day lockout, and teams have between Dec. 9 and the Christmas Day season openers to complete all deals.

The NBA will open the season with five games on Christmas Day, the New York Times reports. The details of the schedule will be announced Friday.

Originally a tripleheader was scheduled for Christmas Day featuring the following three matchups: Celtics-Knicks, Heat-Mavericks and Lakers-Bulls.

No news was released on the teams now set to play in the opening five games of the season, but times were announced. The first game will begin at noon EST, followed by a 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. tip-offs.

Despite the lockout being partially lifted, the league and players union are still working to finalize the new collective bargaining agreement and ratification is not anticipated for another week.

Denver Broncos’ head coach had quarterback Tim Tebow address the team Saturday night before their 16-13 overtime win over San Diego.

Tebow turned to the Bible for words of inspiration, choosing a verse from Proverbs.

“He said iron sharpens iron and men sharpen other men. And I think that’s totally true,” rookie linebacker Von Miller told the Denver Post. “He gave us a great speech. We came out fired up. And that was a wrap.”

For his part, Tebow was glad he could reach his teammates.

“It was a huge honor,” Tebow told the newspaper. “I just tried to share from the heart.”

Update 11/30 – A spokesperson for Mississippi State University said that reports of head football coach Dan Mullen leaving MSU for Penn State are false. However, Mullen remains atop ESPN’s rankings as the No. 1 candidate for Penn State’s vacant head coaching position.

Original 11/29 - A Jackson, Miss. television station is reporting that sources close to the Mississippi State football program have indicated that head coach Dan Mullen is close to a deal with Penn State.

Several news outlets reported Tuesday that Mullen was the school’s top candidate to replace interim coach Tom Bradley. Joe Paterno was fired by the school earlier this month in the midst of an alleged sexual misconduct scandal by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Mullen is wrapping up his third season in Starkville, where the Bulldogs have gone 6-6. In 2010, Mississippi State finished the season 9-4 after defeating Michigan 52-14 in the Gator Bowl.

Before Mississippi State, Mullen served on Urban Meyer’s staff as the offensive coordinator at Florida. The Gators won two national championships during his tenure.

Mullen, 39, is a native of Pennsylvania.

Syracuse University chancellor Nancy Cantor gave Orange head coach Jim Boeheim her verbal support while speaking with state officials in Albany on an unrelated matter, according to a report by the Associated Press. Boeheim has been under fire after long-time assistant coach Bernie Fine was fired amidst a sexual abuse investigation.

“Coach Boeheim is our coach; he’s getting the team ready tonight,” Cantor said Tuesday. “We’re very pleased with what he said Sunday night, and we stand by it.”

Syracuse played Eastern Michigan Tuesday night. Boeheim took the floor to a standing ovation from the Carrier Dome crowd.

Boeheim initially said that the accusers were lying and in search of a cash settlement. He has since backed off those statements considerably.

“What is most important is that this matter be fully investigated and that anyone with information be supported to come forward so that the truth can be found,” Boeheim said after Fine, who has continually denied the allegations, was fired. “I deeply regret any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse.”

The Boston Red Sox and Bobby Valentine have reached a verbal agreement which would make Valentine the next manager of the team, according to WCVB TV’s Mike Lynch. ESPN has also reported that the deal is done.

Valentine and the Red Sox have been in discussions over the last few weeks, and it was previously reported that he had become the front-runner for the position. Earlier Tuesday, it was rumored that Gene Lamont was out of the running. The Red Sox denied that report.

Valentine, who managed both the New York Mets and Texas Rangers, was most recently an analyst for ESPN. He is currently in Japan but will be returning around midnight Wednesday.

The injury-plagued Houston Texans signed former quarterback Jake Delhomme, according to the Associated Press. Delhomme last played with the Cleveland Browns. He was cut from the team in July.

Delhomme will act as a backup for rookie starter T.J. Yates goes down. Houston added Kellen Clemens last week, as well, and it’s not yet clear if Delhomme will be second or third string.

“He relishes that role, and he’s looking forward to contributing to the team,” Delhomme’s agent Rick Smith told the AP. “He keeps himself in shape, he’s been throwing a bunch.”

The Texans were forced to go with their backup Matt Leinart after starter Matt Schaub was lost for the season. Leinart then went down after breaking his collarbone.

Kyle Singler will remain in Spain to play for Real Madrid rather than return to the United States and play for the Detroit Pistons, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting. Singler was the 33rd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Duke University.

Singler began his overseas career playing for Alicante, where he averaged 15 points per game. He signed with Real Madrid  Tuesday to replace Rudy Fernandez, who will be returning to play with the Dallas Mavericks.

“Real Madrid presented a really attractive package that Kyle couldn’t pass up,” Singler’s agent Greg Lawrence told Yahoo! Sports. “While playing in Alicante, Kyle fell in love with Spain, but he’s also looking forward to career in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons.”

Detroit will still own rights to Singler for the 2012-13 season, when he is expected to return to the NBA. The Pistons will have a chance to make a counter offer December 9 if they are interested in luring Singler back stateside.

Bruce Boudreau, who was fired by the Washington Capitals Monday, denied reports that he and star player Alexander Ovechkin were feuding, according to ESPN.com. He said that rumors of disagreements between the two were blown out of proportion.

“I have good relationship with him,” Ovechkin told the Washington Post Monday. “We have good relationship right away when they bring him in.”

Boudreau said that he and Ovechkin spoke by phone Tuesday after Boudreau’s firing, and Ovechkin thanked the coach for his time in Washington.

“And I told him I loved him and blah, blah, blah, all the regular stuff,” Boudreau said.

Boudreau also was explicit in his denial of a rift between coach and player.

“It’s so far from the truth,” Boudreau said. “I think we got along famously.”

Legendary pitcher Greg Maddux will reportedly leave his position as a special assistant with the  Chicago Cubs, according to ESPN Chicago.

Maddux, who played 10 seasons in two stints with the Cubs over the course of his 23-year-career, was brought on as a special assistant by Chicago’s former general manager Jim Hendry. Hendry was fired in August when the franchise acquired Theo Epstein from the Boston Red Sox to run their baseball operations.

ESPN reports that Maddux will now likely fill a similar role with the Texas Rangers, where his brother, Mike Maddux, currently serves as the team’s pitching coach.

Maddux won four consecutive Cy Young awards between1992-1995, a stretch in which he never finished the season with an ERA above 2.36. He finished his illustrious career with a 355-227 record and a 3.16 ERA.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Detroit Lions Ndamukong Suh has decided to appeal the two-game suspension he received today from the National Football League.

Suh was suspended without pay for stomping on Green Bay Packers lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith’s arm on the nationally televised Thanksgiving Day game.  Suh was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct as the Lions went on to lose 27-15. The 24-year-old did not immediately apologize for the incident in post-game interviews.

“I don’t do bad things and I had no intention to hurt somebody,” Suh said to reporters after the game. “If I want to hurt somebody, I’m going to hit his quarterback.”

He has since made an apology on his Facebook page.

The defensive tackle has compiled nine personal foul penalties, $47,500 in fines, and $165,000 in lost salary in the past two seasons as a result of his aggressive style of play.

Deron Williams played in just a handful of games for his Turkish team Besiktas before the NBA lockout ended, however that didn’t stop the team from immortalizing the New Jersey Nets point guard by retiring his number.

Williams most memorable moment overseas came when he helped his team to a 105-94 victory over Gottingen, when he scored 50 points in one of his last games with the Turkish squad. The NBA All-Star averaged just over 20 points and 6.8 assists per game during his time in Turkey.

In July, Williams became the first major star to sign with a foreign team as a result of the NBA lockout, which ended over the Thanksgiving weekend. It is believed Williams was making approximately $200,000 per month.

MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers have been in talks with free-agent infielder Adam Kennedy.

The former Mariners utility-man could serve as a backup to Dodgers starters James Loney, Mark Ellis, Dee Gordon and Juan Uribe.

This past season, Kennedy went .234/.277/.355 while playing at first, second, and third base for Seattle.  The 13-year veteran has hit .272/.326/.385 over the course of his career with stints in St. Louis, Anaheim, and Oakland.

The former first round pick was selected as the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player in 2002, where he posted .357/.357/1.00 as a member of the eventual World Series winning Angels.

Paul Wulff has been fired as the head football coach of Washington State University, athletic director Bill Moos announced today.

Wulff had one year remaining in his five-year contract with WSU.  During his tenure, the Cougars had a 9-40 record and were 4-8 this year.  The four wins include an upset of Arizona State and Colorado.

“Paul and I met at length Sunday, and then again today, after which I determined the best path for Cougar football moving forward is to have a change of leadership,” Moos said, according to the team’s official site. “I appreciate all that Paul has done for Washington State football. He was hired with the objective of rebuilding this program and establishing a solid foundation. For that I thank him.”

WSU has not yet started the process to naming a new coach.

The New York Rangers have had preliminary talks with the Anaheim Ducks about acquiring Bobby Ryan, according to a tweet from Larry Brooks of the New York Post. According to Brooks, the level of interest on both sides, as well as the ability to make a deal work is “unclear.”

Ryan, 24, has had a slow start to the 2011-12 season, having tallied just seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 23 games. Last year, the forward scored 34 goals and registered 37 points for 71 points, which ranked fourth on the team.

The Ducks selected Ryan with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. In five seasons with Anaheim, he has collected 112 goals, 101 assists, and 213 points while posting a career +30 plus/minus rating.

The Rangers are currently 12-5-3, this season which ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. The team is in need of an offensive boost, currently they rank second to last in the conference with 56 goals.

The San Francisco Giants have extended the contracts of manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean through the 2013 season, according to MLB.com.

“Brian and Bruce are certainly two of the finest professionals at their respective positions in all of baseball. They have effectively built and fostered a winning tradition at all levels of our organization. I have no doubt that they will achieve continued success for the Giants in the coming years and beyond,” said Giants CEO Larry Baer.

Bochy, 56, helped guide the Giants to a World Series trophy in 2010. In his five years as the skipper of the club, San Francisco has gone 810-409 and has posted three consecutive winning seasons. In 2011 the Giants finished with an 86-76 record, which left them four games out of the playoffs.

Sabean has been in charge of baseball operations for the Giants since 1996. In his 15 years with the club the team has won a World Series, two National League pennants, and has made the postseason five times. In 2003 he was named Executive of the Year by Sporting News.

Both contracts include club options for the 2014 season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are optimistic that Troy Polamalu will play this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to ESPN.

Polamalu suffered “concussion-like symptoms” after suffering a blow to the head early in Sunday night’s victory over the Kansas City chiefs. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin however said that the safety has not shown any typical concussion symptoms in the recent days since.

“We anticipate it being a non-issue moving forward this week,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday in Pittsburgh according to ESPN. “All things are positive in terms of his potential participation this week. Obviously, we’ll continue to err on the side of caution.”

Polamalu currently ranks second on the Steelers with 64 tackles this season. Last year in 14 games he collected 63 tackles and seven interceptions.