Laurie Fine, the wife of former Syracuse basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine, announced Wednesday morning that she has filed a federal libel lawsuit against ESPN for the network’s reports claiming she was aware of child molestation accusations against her husband.

“I’m here today as a wife and a mother who has had to endure the trauma of being smeared in the public as a monster,” Laurie Fine said in a written statement. “My life has been destroyed.”

According to The Post-Standard, the lawsuit claims that, in the wake of Penn State’s sex abuse scandal, ESPN “spitefully destroyed Laurie Fine’s reputation in an attempt to capitalize financially.”

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said the network stands by its reporting and the claim doesn’t hold merit.

Kenny Dalglish is out as Liverpool manager. (AP)

Fenway Sports Group, headed by Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner, announced the firing of Liverpool soccer coach Kenny Dalglish on Wednesday morning.

Dalglish, who spent stints with Liverpool both as a player and a manager, came back to the Anfield club to manage in 2011. He led Liverpool to a Carling Cup victory but watched the team sink to eighth place in the Premier League standings.

Dalglish’s departure means Henry and Werner must search for a replacement manager for Liverpool along with handling any problems the Red Sox have. Boston is currently on a five-game winning streak, but the team has been struggling this season and is last in the AL East, 5½ games out of first place.

“Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him,” Werner said in a Liverpool release. “He didn’t ask to be manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the Club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

“However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change.”

Dalglish began playing for Liverpool in 1977, later changing his role to a player manager. He stayed with Liverpool until 1991 and returned in 2009 as an ambassador.

Appearing on Dan Le Batard‘s “Highly Questionable” show, Williams repeatedly said “I don’t buy it” when Le Batard asked him if he believes in the NFL-concussions link.

“I’m only speaking from my personal experience, because I haven’t allowed myself to buy it, and I haven’t been affected by it,” the 34-year-old said. “Yes, I’m aware that football is a rough sport, but instead of saying, ‘Oh — I’m doomed to brain trauma,” I said, ‘Well what can I do about it?’ And I just started taking care of my body. I found people, places, and things that really helped me — again, I don’t know what’s going to happen to me in 10 years, but I look at a bunch of other things I’ve learned about, and the way I see the world.”

Williams questioned the science and research stating playing in the NFL leads to concussions, saying he does not believe what doctors are saying.

“So, is science the new deity of our culture?” Williams asked. “It is, but should it be? If you look at science from 100 years ago if the things that they thought based on their science we now show that they had no idea what they were talking about.

“So, I think as time goes on, the things I’ve been saying are just going to be proven to be correct. But with the way football is looking at it now, if you just follow the trajectory it just creates the end of football. Do we want football to die? I don’t.”

Williams also said he believes the NFL is trying to prevent concussions as opposed to treating them, a factor that is rendering the league’s campaign against concussions unsuccessful.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA playoffs: Celtics at 76ers, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Lakers at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Devils at Rangers, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Red Sox at Rays, 7:10 p.m. (NESN, ESPN; WRKO)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee revealed Tuesday that he has called the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to an emergency meeting Wednesday morning to discuss financial problems at former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling‘s video game company.

Two years after relocating from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to take advantage of a $75 million taxpayer-backed loan, Schilling’s company missed a loan-guarantee payment of $1.125 million, setting off red flags.

“We’re concerned and just doing everything possible to ensure that 38 Studios stays part of the Rhode Island community,” Chafee told Providence TV station WPRI earlier this week. “We’re working on different issues with them.” Asked whether he thinks 38 Studios can be stabilized, Chafee paused and said: “We’re working on it.”

Last June, PriceWaterhouseCoopers audited 38 Studios and expressed “substantial doubt” that the company would be able to stay solvent. The company since released its first game, “Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning,” to positive reviews and decent sales, but another game, “Project: Copernicus,” appears to be facing delays.

Schilling, who also serves as an ESPN analyst, loaned his company $4 million in 2010, but that money was paid back from the package the company received from Rhode Island.

♦ The Giants will receive their Super Bowl rings Wednesday night in a ceremony at Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

“It will be exciting for everybody, no doubt,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s the symbol, you know? In your heart it’s already been established. I look forward to it, I think it’s going to be very festive. Let’s face it, now it’s twice in a lifetime. It’s a wonderful thing to do it again.”

The ring is 14k white gold with surrounding diamonds, sapphire band (representing Giants blue) and diamond footballs. It has images of the four Lombardi trophies the franchise has won, plus the team logo and the score of Super Bowl XLVI, a 21-17 victory over the Patriots.

“Big and obnoxious, that’s always the goal,” guard Kevin Boothe joked.

♦ Brian McNamee continued to testify in Roger Clemens‘ perjury trial Tuesday in Washington, but the star witness wasn’t enough to keep all the members of the jury awake, as one juror was dismissed for sleeping.

What the sleeping juror missed was McNamee claiming his wife encouraged him to keep evidence that he injected Clemens with steroids. McNamee said he did, putting a needle, swab and cotton ball in an empty beer can to sneak it out of Clemens’ apartment after an injection.

McNamee also talked about injecting Clemens’ wife, Debbie, which he insists was done with the pitcher’s approval.

♦ According to police in Oceanside, Calif., someone broke into Junior Seau‘s San Diego-area home last week, five days after Seau committed suicide in the bedroom. Lt. Leonard Mata told the North County Times that the burglar accessed the garage through a doggy door and apparently did not enter the main part of the house. The only item noticed to be missing was a bicycle that belonged to a friend of the former NFL star.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 16, 1989, Mike Milbury was hired as Bruins coach replacing which man?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Josh was the king of the hill today. Josh has things that motivate him, and he was certainly motivated today. He’s one of our big boys. He doesn’t need to follow. He can lead, and he wanted to today.” – Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, after Josh Beckett pitched the Red Sox to a 5-0 victory Tuesday over the Mariners

STAT OF THE DAY: 8 – Games in which the Angels have been shut out this season, leading to Tuesday’s firing of hitting coach Mickey Hatcher

‘NET RESULTS: Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays is called out on two poor strike calls by umpire Bill Miller, then throws his helmet and hits Miller on the bounce. Lawrie was apologetic after the game.

Rangers coach John Tortorella, legendary for his press conferences, gets the mix treatment from DJ Steve Porter.

Philippine Basketball Association All-Stars perform their “Thriller” routine.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Terry O’Reilly

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Janet Jackson turns 46 Wednesday.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Mariners at Red Sox, 4:05 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Tigers at White Sox, 2 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Yankees at Orioles, 7 p.m. (MLB)
NBA playoffs: Pacers at Heat, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Clippers at Spurs, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Kings at Coyotes, 9 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Dale Hunter quit as Capitals coach after leading the team to a first-round upset of the Bruins. (AP)

♦ Dale Hunter, who was lured to Washington in November to take over the Capitals and then led them to a first-round upset of the Bruins last month, quit as the team’s coach to return to his home and junior hockey team he owns in Canada.

“I’m going back to the farm, the team and family,” Hunter said, insisting that there’s no scenario in which he would return to the NHL.

Hunter met with general manager George McPhee two days after the Capitals lost in seven games to the top-seeded Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and McPhee said he knew he wouldn’t be able to change Hunter’s mind.

“I’d rather have him for six months than not at all, because he had quite an impact on this club,” McPhee said. “He really taught this club the ‘how’ of how to win. They all wanted to win. They just didn’t know how. The ‘how’ is being a team and sacrificing, and he sure got that out of this club.”

♦ Former trainer Brian McNamee, testifying in Roger Clemens‘ trial in Washington on Monday, detailed how he first injected Clemens with steroids in Toronto in 1998, when the pitcher was resuscitating his career with the Blue Jays and McNamee was the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

McNamee went on to describe the pair’s decade-long relationship, and he needed a moment to compose himself when he was asked about what it was like to work with such an icon.

“It was great working with the best,” he said after a long pause.

♦ Former Bengals wide receiver and current NBC Sports NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth has a daughter who is running track at Harvard. The Harvard Crimson has the story of freshman sprinter Ashley Collinsworth and her close relationship with her famous father.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 15, 1990, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted four former stars: Elvin Hayes, Neil Johnston, Earl Monroe and which seven-time All-Star guard who ended his NBA career by playing one season with the Celtics in 1977-78?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’re trying to build a foundation of confidence in our team. When Jon [Lester] is out there pitching like that, we feel very good about ourselves.” — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, after Monday’s 6-1 victory over the Mariners

STAT OF THE DAY: 11 – Points the Celtics scored in the third quarter of Monday’s loss to the 76ers, their lowest-scoring playoff quarter since 2005

‘NET RESULTS: The SMU women’s rowing team attempts to one-up the Harvard baseball team’s “Call Me Maybe” video that has gone viral.

Lakers forward Ron Artest, in his second game back since being suspended for elbowing Thunder guard James Harden, gets tangled up with Harden in Game 1 of their first-round series.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Dave Bing

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Lenny Welch turns 74 Tuesday.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA playoffs: 76ers at Celtics, 7 p.m. (TNT; WEEI)
NBA playoffs: Lakers at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Devils at Rangers, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Mariners at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WRKO)
MLB: Cubs at Cardinals, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Mark Sanchez's 2011 season might serve as a wake-up call to the beleaguered Jets quarterback. (AP)

♦ Another day, another controversy from Jets headquarters. Quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh (a former Patriots QB) talked to the New York Daily News about Mark Sanchez‘ inconsistent 2011 season and questioned Sanchez’ “decision-making.”

“There were turnovers that were not his fault that were credited to him,” Cavanaugh said. “But there were enough that playing that position he needs to cut some of those down. Most of them came from just poor decision-making.

“So I spent a lot of time with him talking about ‘Let’s get focused on managing the game,’ ” Cavanaugh added. “Taking the big plays when they’re there [and] understanding that … even though it’s drawn up to be a touchdown, not every play has to be a touchdown. Not every play has to be a completion. Sometimes throwing it away is a good thing. Sometimes taking a sack is better than throwing an interception.”

Cavanaugh suggested that the Jets’ success the previous two seasons might have made is more difficult for Sanchez to be more introspective.

“Sometimes when you have quote-unquote the success that he had the first two years, maybe it doesn’t hit home,” Cavanaugh said. “Maybe it’s like, ‘Hey, I thought I was playing pretty good. Yeah, I threw some picks and some of them were bad decisions, but we still got to the AFC championship game.’ [Last] year, I think he became much more aware [that] it’s a fragile business.”

♦ Metta World Peace is back after his seven-game suspension for elbowing Thunder guard James Harden in the head, but the controversial Laker already is stirring up trouble heading into Monday’s Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against Oklahoma City.

World Peace said Saturday night, after a first-round Game 7 victory over the Nuggets, that he won’t shake Harden’s hand because, “I don’t shake substitutes’ hands.” World Peace, who never apologized directly to Harden, went on to complain about some Thunder players’ lack of pregame courtesy, mainly targeting former Celtic Kendrick Perkins.

“I’ve been playing against Kendrick forever,” World Peace said. “Kendrick, he’ll never shake your hand, so I’d have to go and find Kendrick and shake his hand. In Boston, every game I’d have to go to him and say, ‘Hey,’ and then tap him on the butt. He don’t touch my hand. But I’m getting tired of making that walk.”

♦ Prior to Monday’s Celtics game, Boston Mayor Tom Menino will announce the winning artist who will get to design the long-awaited Bill Russell statue planned for the city. In Beijing, they move much more quickly. Less than two months after leading the Beijing Ducks to their first Chinese Basketball Association championship, Marbury was on hand Sunday outside the team’s MasterCard Center for the unveiling of a life-sized statue of the one-time Celtic.

“I don’t have words to describe this,” Marbury said, according to news accounts from China. “Beijing has given me so much, I want to return the favor to the people here. I love Beijing, I love Beijingers.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 14, 1981, the Celtics captured their 14th NBA title with a 102-91 victory over the Rockets in Game 6. Who was named finals MVP?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You start putting runs on the board and winning, everyone’s going to get excited. But we feed off that. We feed off each other. We feed off the crowd and that’s something we were able to do today.” – Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who had a home run and five RBIs in Sunday’s 12-1 victory over the Indians

STAT OF THE DAY: 3 – NBA playoff series victories in 41 years for the Clippers franchise, following Sunday’s Game 7 victory over the Grizzlies

‘NET RESULTS: A Yankees fan sings “Don’t Stop Relievin’ ” for Mariano Rivera.

Former Suns guard (and now assistant coach) Dan Majerle snags a baseball in the barbecue area at a Diamondbacks game.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Cedric Maxwell

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Bobby Darin, who died in 1973, was born on this day in 1936.

“My job is to keep all lines of communication open, for the good of the club today and tomorrow,” Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said Thursday, not specifically addressing the Blue Jays rumor. “I can’t shut any doors down. You try to be creative. And there are a lot of creative GMs out there who have different goals.”

Guerrero’s deal is said to be worth $1.3 million, prorated for his time in the majors. The 16-year veteran who hit 13 home runs for the Orioles in 2011 will report to extended spring training.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA playoffs: Grizzlies at Clippers, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB: Indians at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Angels at Rangers 8:05 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB: Cubs at Brewers, 8 pm. (WGN)

SATURDAY:
NBA playoffs: 76ers at Celtics, 8 p.m. (TNT; WEEI)
NBA playoffs: Nuggets at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Capitals at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Indians at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WRKO)
MLB: Angels at Rangers, 1 p.m. (Fox)
MLB: Royals at White Sox, 7 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Braves at Cardinals, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLS: Whitecaps at Revolution, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE)

SUNDAY:
NBA playoffs (if necessary): Clippers at Grizzlies, 1 p.m. (ABC)
NBA playoffs: Pacers at Heat, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
NHL playoffs: Kings at Coyotes, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Indians at Red Sox, 1:35 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Cubs at Brewers, 2 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Braves at Cardinals, 2:15 p.m. (TBS)
MLB: Angels at Rangers, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

New 49ers receiver Randy Moss catches a pass during Thursday's practice in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP)

♦ Randy Moss began his NFL comeback with his first formal practice for the 49ers Thursday in Santa Clara, Calif., and Niners quarterback Alex Smith said the former Patriot looked smooth.

“It’s tough to tell that he missed a year of football. I certainly don’t see any rust,” Smith said of the 35-year-old. “He’s running well, catching well. No surprise, he’s a pro and already has a good understanding of the playbook.”

Added safety Donte Whitner: “He still looks the same. He never, ever since he’s been playing football has looked like he’s been running fast. But he’s a long strider, and when you actually run against him, he’s really running really fast. He’s running the same as he’s always run. His body looks like a younger Randy Moss, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on the football field.”

Moss also showed he was in midseason form in terms of his dealings with the media, as he has little to say following the hour-long workout.

“Work is over, baby, we’re out of here,” he said as he drove away.

♦ Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, while saying reports of his rift with receiver Santonio Holmes were “ridiculous,” “out of control” and “way overblown,” said he worked out with Holmes last month after two earlier offseason visits to Holmes’ Florida residence, and the pair agreed to put the issue behind them.

“It was good to just kind of talk, away from the building, away from football, and talk about how things didn’t go so well last year, how we can move on and get better,” Sanchez said Thursday. “As soon as we came back [for offseason workouts in New Jersey last month, we said] that we’d never talk about it again and let’s just move forward. That’s exactly what he’s done. That’s what I expect him to do. He expected the same from me. It was important that we had that time, and now we’re back and you would never [think] it happened.”

Added Sanchez: “It gave us something to laugh about and move on. And we’re good.”

♦ Yankees general manager Brian Cashman testified Thursday that Roger Clemens asked for the team to hire Brian McNamee after Clemens was shelled at Fenway Park in a 1999 ALCS loss to the Red Sox. Two year later, the Yankees parted ways with McNamee, after the trainer ruffled feathers in the clubhouse.

“This particular individual, Mr. McNamee, did not get along with people,” Cashman said.

Cashman also acknowledged the Clemens continued to use McNamee — who has claimed he injected the pitcher with steroids and HGH — as his personal trainer at late as 2007.

♦ Nuggets center Chris “Birdman” Andersen missed Thursday night’s playoff win over the Lakers after police searched his home as part of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children unit.

A team-issued statement said Andersen was “excused from all team-related activities indefinitely as he deals with the reported investigation.”

Andersen is in his his seventh season in Denver and 10th in the NBA. In 2006 he was banned for violating the league’s drug policy, and he returned two years later.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 11, 1978, in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup semifinals, the Bruins beat the Flyers, 6-3. Which Bruin recorded a goal and four assists to fuel the series-clinching win?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “First off, I want to say thank you to the owner [Michael Gearon Jr.] for giving me some extra gas tonight. My only advice to him is next time he opens his mouth, actually know what he’s talking about, X’s and O’s vs. checkbooks, bottom lines.” – Kevin Garnett, after the Celtics eliminated the Hawks Thursday night

STAT OF THE DAY: 1-11 – The Red Sox’ record in their last 12 games at Fenway Park

‘NET RESULTS: BYU quarterback Riley Nelson shows how he stays sharp in the offseason.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Peter McNab

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Eric Burdon turns 71 Friday.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA playoffs: Hawks at Celtics, 8 p.m. (CSNNE, TNT; WEEI)
NBA playoffs: Bulls at 76ers, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA playoffs: Lakers at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
MLB: Indians at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WRKO)
MLB: Rays at Yankees, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Injured Yankees closer Mariano Rivera discussed his future at a Yankee Stadium press conference Wednesday night. (AP)

♦ Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who suffered a torn ACL shagging fly balls last week, also has a blood clot in his right calf and has been placed on blood-thinning medication.

“I was more concerned about the blood clot than the knee,” Rivera said at a press conference Wednesday. “For a minute I thought, ‘What else is going to happen?’ … I was scared. I never hear good things about blood clots.”

Rivera, 42, has said he wants to return to baseball after the surgery, but Wednesday he said he’ll only come back if his leg is strong enough.

“That’s what I want,” he said. “I want to do that, but I don’t know what the Lord has for me.”

Rivera said if he does return, he plans to continue shagging fly balls.

“It happened doing something I love,” he said of the injury. “After 22 years of shagging, it happened.”

Meanwhile, Rivera’s replacement had a rough outing Wednesday. Brian Robertson surrendered a three-run home run in the ninth inning and blew a save in a 4-1 loss to the Rays.

♦ Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski denied Cris Carter‘s claim that Romanowski once threatened him before a game.

“It is absolute fiction,” Romanowski said. “If he could read my mind in pregame, yeah, maybe he had it right. But I didn’t talk before games. I was in the zone.”

Carter had used Romanowski as an example of a time when the wide receiver placed a bounty on an opposing player so that his teammates would protect him.

“If he put a bounty on me, it wasn’t very good because it didn’t work,” Romanowski said. “I just think this is his way of trying to make himself relevant for what is going on now.”

♦ Oft-injured Trail Blazers center Greg Oden opened up to former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus for an article at ESPN’s Grantland website. Oden said he partied so much during his second year in Portland that he “pretty much became an alcoholic.”

He also talked about the infamous naked picture he sent to a woman. The picture ended up all over the web.

“I wish it wouldn’t have happened,” he said. “But I’m not going to apologize for it. After all, I’m human and there are worse things that 21-year-olds could do. I just caught up with women throwing themselves at me. When a girls sends me 100 pictures, I have to send something back every now and then.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 10, 1999, which Red Sox player hit three home runs — including two grand slams — and collected 10 RBI in a 12-4 rout of the Mariners at Fenway Park?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We don’t get any calls, which I know everybody always hears. But I’ll give you a stat. [Tuesday] night, we are playing this old physical team. They are old. I know what happens when you play basketball, old guys foul. [Kevin] Garnett is the dirtiest guy in the league. We are playing Boston [Tuesday] night and they had two fouls the whole first half. We had five times that and we’re athletic.” – Hawks owner Michael Gearon Jr.

STAT OF THE DAY: 6 – Years since Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester had lost to the Royals, before Wednesday’s 4-3 setback in Kansas City

‘NET RESULTS: In Wednesday night’s Knicks-Heat game, Amar’e Stoudemire fouls out when he knocks over Shane Battier, then he holds out his hand to help up Battier but pulls it back, so Battier pulls himself up by grabbing Stoudemire’s shorts.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Nomar Garciaparra

SOOTHING SOUNDS: The late Danny Rapp, leader of Danny & the Juniors, was born on this day in 1941.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at Royals, 8:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Rays at Yankees, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA playoffs: Knicks at Heat, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Clippers at Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Rangers at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Cris Carter

♦ Former Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter said that he put bounties on opposing players, offering his teammates money to keep an eye an opponent if he was concerned that player was trying to hurt him.

“I’m guilty of [bounties] — I mean, first time I’ve ever admitted it — but I put a bounty on guys before,” Carter said Tuesday night on ESPN Radio’s “Hill and Schlereth” program. “I put bounties on guys. If a guy tries to take me out, a guy takes a cheap shot on me? I put a bounty on him right now!”

As an example, Carter mentioned former Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski.

“Bill Romanowski — he told me he was going to take me out before the game, warmups,” Carter said. “No problem. [He said,] ‘I’m gonna end your career, Carter.’ No problem. “I put a little change on his head before the game. Protect myself. Protect my family. That’s the league that I grew up in.”

Carter said he wasn’t the only player to offer bounties, but he noted that the bounties he referred to weren’t for injuries.

“You have to realize the league we grew up in, the bounty was based on protection, or a big hit, excitement or for helping your team win. It wasn’t to maim or hurt the dude,” said Carter, who retired from the NFL following the 2002 season. “When a guy said he was going to hurt me, my recourse was to put a bounty on him to make sure.”

♦ Former Mets bat boy Kirk Radomski testified Tuesday that he shipped performance-enhancing drugs to Roger Clemens. Radomski, who admitted supplying steroids to major league players for more than decade, said he shipped HGH to Clemens’ Houston home in 2003, and he said he recognized needles and steroid ampoules that Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, gave investigators in 2008, saying they were used on the pitcher.

“Those are unique to what I was getting,” Radomski said. “Stuff like this comes in very small quantities into the country.”

♦ A day after Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels was suspended five games for acknowledging that he drilled Nationals rookie Bryce Harper on purpose, Washington general manager Mike RIzzo was disciplined by Major League Baseball for his comments about Hamels. Rizzo called Hamels “classless,” “gutless” and “fake tough.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 9, 1989, which Red Sox catcher dropped a foul popup, ending his major league-record errorless streak of 159 games?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I feel awful the game ended the way it ended, because I thought [Rajon] Rondo willed us back into the game.” – Celtics coach Doc Rivers, after Rondo lost the ball and failed to get off a final shot in Tuesday’s 87-86 loss to the Hawks

STAT OF THE DAY: 4 – Home runs for Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton in Tuesday’s rout of the Orioles, tying a major league record

‘NET RESULTS: Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, coming off his no-hitter vs. the Twins, helps David Letterman reveal the top 10 signs you’ll never throw a no-hitter.

Members of the Harvard baseball team have a little extra time on a road trip, which leads to this video.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Rick Cerone

SOOTHING SOUNDS: The late Dave Prater, half of Sam & Dave, was born on this day in 1937. He’s the one with the deeper voice.