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Liverpool, England - Liverpool unveiled its plan for a new stadium in Stanley Park on Wednesday.

The 60,000 seat stadium, is scheduled to open in 2010, will have the ability to increase its capacity to more than 75,000.

“We’re creating a stadium that not only the club and supporters can be proud of, but something the whole city can be proud of,” said chief executive Rick Parry. “Liverpool as a city is on the move and deserves world class developments like this.”

The organization hired HKS to design the stadium, the same company which is designing the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium.

Liverpool will leave Anfield, which has been its home since the club’s first year of existence in 1892.

The new design for Stanley Park is said to be unique and a step away from the traditional bowl model.

“Liverpool is famous for the atmosphere generated by its fans and from looking at the pictures I’m sure the new stadium will be just as atmospheric, if not more so, said Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso. “Anfield is really special, we all know that, but the new stadium will be a great one and I’m looking forward to playing there.”

Indianapolis Tennis Championships Men’s Tennis Update - Jul 25 Indianapolis, Indiana

Total Prize Money: $575,000

WEDNESDAY’S SECOND ROUND MATCHES Andy Roddick (1) leads Evgeny Korolev, 6-3, 1-1 Igor Kunitsyn def. Mardy Fish (4), 6-4, retired Hyung-Taik Lee (6) def. Paul Goldstein, 6-3, 6-3 Frank Dancevic def. Juan Martin del Potro, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4

THURSDAY’S SECOND ROUND MATCHES

James Blake (2) vs. Ricardo Mello Dmitry Tursunov (3) vs. Teimuraz Gabashvili Ivo Karlovic (5) vs. Sam Querrey Michael Berrer vs. Kei Nishikori

Notes James Blake is the defending champion.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

COX CLASSIC, Champions Run, Omaha, Nebraska - The Nationwide Tour remains in the nation’s heartland this week for the Cox Classic.

Johnson Wagner, last year’s winner, has moved on to the PGA Tour. However, he has missed the cut in 13 of his last 15 starts, but he does stands 126th on the money list thanks in large part to tying for ninth at the Houston Open.

Wagner closed with rounds of 64-63 to win by four strokes over Craig Bowden.

Bowden put together a strong effort despite the fact that his young daughter had gotten sick earlier in the week. Due to that, he nearly missed the event. Instead, Bowden birdied the 18th for a solo second place finish.

The Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds from Champions Run. Next up for the Nationwide Tour is the Wichita Open, where Kevin Johnson won last year.

SENIOR BRITISH OPEN - SENIOR BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Muirfield Golf Club, Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland - The Senior circuit heads across the pond this week for the Senior British Open as the golf world remains focused on the British Isles.

The middle of July brings three straight weeks of British Opens. Irishman Padraig Harrington won the British Open last week, this week is the Senior British and next week will be the Women’s British Open.

Loren Roberts headed to Scotland last week to begin preparation for his title defense at the Senior British Open. He played 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie, but after rounds of 74-75 missed the cut.

Loren Roberts is the defending Senior British Open Champion. Last year, Roberts entered the final round four strokes clear of Eduardo Romero, but both struggled Sunday. Roberts could only manage a five-over 75, while Romero shot 71. That left them tied at six-under-par 274.

Things would have been more interesting if Tim Simpson hadn’t struggled to a four-over 74 to end at minus-one. Dick Mast tried to make it a three-man playoff, but his Sunday-best, three-under 67 left him one stroke back.

Roberts needed only a par on the 18th in the playoff at Turnberry to win his second Champions Tour major.

Romero was denied his first Champions Tour win, but he didn’t wait long to collect it. He claimed the final major in 2006, the JELD-WEN Tradition, as he erased a five-shot deficit then birdied the first playoff hole for the title.

This week’s host course, Muirfield, has hosted its fair share of top-flight events, including the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and British Amateur. Muirfield has also hosted more Open Championships, 15, than any other course.

Bob Charles and Tom Watson are the only two players to have won the British Open and Senior British Opens at the same venue.

Three players are scheduled to tee it up this week who have a chance to match that feat. The one likely with the least chance is Gary Player. He does own 19 Champions Tour wins, but the 71-year-old has not won on tour since 1998.

Tom Watson, who owns five British Open and two Senior British Open crowns, won at Muirfield in 1980. He has won nine Champions Tour events, with this year’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am title being his last.

The last of the three players with a chance to win the Open and Senior Open on the same course is Nick Faldo.

Faldo, who turns 50 on Wednesday, will look to win for a third time at Muirfield. Faldo won the British Open at Muirfield in 1987 and 1992. He played at Carnoustie last week, but missed the cut by six strokes.

This will be just the 21st playing of this championship, while it is just the fifth year on the Champions Tour schedule.

The winners of the first two majors this year were both first-time winners. Denis Watson, the Senior PGA champion, and Brad Bryant, the U.S. Senior Open winner, will both try to collect their second major title at Muirfield.

TNT will have two hours of coverage of the first two rounds. ABC will cover the weekend action with 90 minutes of coverage Saturday and two hours of action on Sunday.

The Champions Tour will be back in action next week with the 3M Championship, where David Edwards earned the 2006 title.

PGA TOUR

CANADIAN OPEN, Angus Glen Golf Club (North Course), Markham, Ontario, Canada - The PGA returns to North America, but remains outside the U.S. as the tour heads to Ontario for the Canadian Open.

With the new PGA Tour schedule, this event was moved up a little more than a month from September 7-10 last year. Thanks to the new schedule, there is less star power than normal heading to Angus Glen.

Jim Furyk heads the field at the Canadian Open. World No. 3 Jim Furyk heads the field, but the next highest-ranked player is Canadian Mike Weir, who is ranked 38th. The only other players in the top 50 are No. 38 Stephen Ames, a naturalized Canadian citizen who was born in Trinidad, and No. 46 John Rollins.

Furyk, the defending champion, closed with rounds of 67-65 to fend off Bart Bryant by one and Sean O’Hair by two last year at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Furyk trailed Justin Rose by two entering the final round, but Rose went the wrong way. He closed with a four-over 74 to drop into a share of 14th.

The event rotates over several different courses with 38 different venues hosting throughout tournament history. The North Course at Angus Glen is hosting the event for the first time since 2002.

The Golf Channel will broadcast action of the opening two rounds, while CBS takes over for the weekend.

Next up for the PGA Tour is a pair of events. Many of the top players in the game will be in Akron, Ohio, for the World Golf Championships - Bridgestone Invitational, where Tiger Woods is the defending champion. The opposite event is the Reno-Tahoe Open, where Will Mackenzie claimed the title in ‘06.

EUROPEAN TOUR

DEUTSCHE BANK PLAYERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE, Gut Kaden, Hamburg, Germany - The European Tour has its second straight big event as the field heads to Germany for the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe.

Several players who teed it up last week at Carnoustie have made the trek to Gut Kaden this week.

Anders Romero is still looking to secure his first tour win. Anders Romero had the lead on the back nine at the British Open, but his double bogey-bogey finish left him in third place, one stroke out of the playoff.

Romero will go to Gut Kaden looking to secure his first tour win. He had four top-10 finishes this year and had four last year as well. Romero posted 20- under par last year at this event, but that was just good enough for a tie for fourth place.

Last year, Robert Karlsson fired four rounds in the 60s and set a new tournament scoring record of 263. That gave him a four-shot win over Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood.

Several players for the U.S. PGA Tour remained in Europe to play Gut Kaden this week. That list includes Americans J.B. Holmes and Brett Wetterich, as well as South African Rory Sabbatini and Australia’s Rod Pampling.

The German contingent will be led as usual by Bernhard Langer, a three-time winner here. Other Germans in the field include Martin Kaymer, Marcel Siem and Sven Struver.

The Golf Channel will have three hours of coverage all four days.

Next week, the European Tour also offers two events. The biggest and brightest stars will be at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, while the remainder of the field plays the Russian Open Golf Championship, where Alejandro Canizares won last year.

St Louis, MO - The St. Louis Blues re-signed forward Lee Stempniak to a multi-year contract on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Stempniak had the best season of his young career last year, recording a team-high 27 goals and 25 assists, in all 82 games for the Blues.

“Lee has been a terrific player since breaking in with the Blues two seasons ago and we are excited to watch him grow wearing the Bluenote,” said St. Louis president John Davidson. “He’s a young player with tremendous skills and he will continue to be a valued asset for our hockey club as we move forward.”

In 139 career NHL games, the West Seneca, New York native has totaled 41 goals, 38 assists and 55 penalty minutes with the Blues.

“I’m appreciative of the Blues ownership and thrilled that they have made a long term commitment to me,” said Stempniak. “I enjoyed playing last season under Andy Murray and I’m happy to continue my career with the team. St. Louis is an outstanding sports town and it’s been great to play in front of our great fans.”

Arlington, VA - The Washington Capitals re-signed center Brooks Laich to a contract Wednesday, the terms of which remain undisclosed.

Laich, 24, played in 73 games for Washington last season, recording eight goals and 10 assists. He tied for second on the team and 10th in the NHL with three shorthanded goals.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Wawota, Saskatchewan native was Ottawa’s sixth-round choice (193rd overall) in the 2001 Entry Draft. He was acquired by Washington on February 18, 2004.

Chicago, IL - The Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Patrick Kane to a three-year contract Wednesday.

The 18-year old Kane was the number one overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft last month.

“Patrick is a dynamic and exciting young player. We’re pleased that he will begin a long and productive career with the Blackhawks when we open camp on September 13,” general manager Dale Tallon said.

Kane led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring last season with 62 goals and 83 assists in 58 games with the London Knights.

“The Blackhawks organization has treated my family and me in a first class manner and I’m looking forward to a long and exciting career with the team,” Kane said.

Tampa, FL - The Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday re-signed defenseman Doug Janik to a one-year, two-way contract.

Janik played his first full season in the NHL last year after earning a roster spot in training camp. He finished with two goals and 11 points in 75 games, averaged 14:28 of ice time per game, and ranked fourth among Lightning defensemen in blocked shots with 98.

“We have been trying to sign Doug Janik since our season ended prematurely in late April; however, the issue was and has always been that we were not prepared to offer him a one-way contract,” Tampa Bay executive vice president & general manager Jay Feaster said. “While we obviously lost a pair of defensemen this summer, the fact remained that when we acquired Shane O’Brien at the trade deadline last year Doug became the odd-man out of the lineup. We have every confidence that Doug can and will compete hard in camp to win a job on our blue line, but we felt the need to protect our downside in the event one of our other players jumped over him and grabbed the final spot.”

Janik scored his first NHL goal on January 2 at Montreal and posted his first point on November 22 at Florida. He has appeared in one Stanley Cup Playoff game, and is a veteran of 85 regular season games and six playoff games with Tampa and Buffalo.

“Doug tested the free agency market and received quite a few two-way offers,” Feaster said. “Inasmuch as he knows our system, he has a head coach who knows him and likes him and is comfortable with him, and because he believes in our organization and the way we do business through the merit system, he elected to come back to Tampa rather than sign elsewhere. We are thrilled that he is back in the fold and we look forward to having him in training camp competing for a spot.”

Janik, 27, was originally selected by Buffalo in the second round (55th overall) at the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and got originally signed by the Lightning on July 6, 2006.

Atlanta, GA - The Atlanta Thrashers announced Wednesday that they have agreed to a multi-year contract with forward Jim Slater.

Slater, who scored five goals and tallied 14 assists in 74 regular season games for Atlanta in 2006-2007, was a restricted free agent. The terms of his new deal were not yet disclosed.

In 145 career games with Atlanta, Slater has totaled 39 points (15 goals, 24 assists) and 108 penalty minutes. In ‘06-’07, Slater was fifth on the team with a plus-eight rating, and also appeared in four Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The Petoskey, Michigan product played four seasons at Michigan State, tallying 172 points in 157 career games. In his junior and senior seasons, Slater was the Spartans’ team captain and was named team MVP.

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes informed the team on Wednesday that he intends to report to the start of the team’s training camp on Saturday.

Holmes called Chiefs president Carl Peterson, declaring his intent to play for the team in 2007. Kansas City then set up visits with the team’s orthopedic physicians and specialists in Miami, with all parties involved agreeing that Holmes could play football this coming season.

Holmes missed the end of the 2005 campaign and all of 2006 with a hip injury that required surgery. He is under contract with Kansas City through the 2009 season.

“In my conversation with Priest, he was excited about playing,” said Peterson. “Later, (Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards) and I sat down with Priest here in Kansas City and discussed his decision and our thoughts on his return. We may put him on active PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) initially to gauge his football conditioning and to see how he feels after non-contact drills. But he indicated very strongly to me that he wanted to play and his motivation was to help the Kansas City Chiefs win a championship.”

Holmes had been a stalwart in Kansas City’s backfield since joining the club as an unrestricted free agent from Baltimore in 2001. He has run for a club- record 5,933 yards with 76 touchdowns, while catching 246 passes for 2,360 yards and seven scores.

Overall, Holmes has played in 109 career games, 80 starts, with 8,035 rushing yards and 86 touchdowns, while catching 334 passes for 2,945 yards and eight scores.

“For myself, I think without question by what Priest Holmes has contributed to this franchise, he deserves the right and opportunity to play again for the Chiefs,” Peterson added. “He wants to do that and we’re going to afford him that opportunity. From a personal standpoint, certainly I have said many times that I would never count this player out like so many did after his hip surgery. He’s a very unique human being, a very unique talent and I think he will prove some people wrong again. We are going to take it slow to gauge and monitor where he is every day, but there’s no question that if Priest Holmes is close to what he was before his injury, he’ll make a significant impact on the offensive side of the football.”

Larry Johnson took over for Holmes in 2005 and emerged as a star after running for 1,750 yards and 20 touchdowns in 16 games, but only nine starts. In 2006, the Penn State product carried the ball 416 times for 1,789 yards and 17 touchdowns.

“Obviously Priest Holmes has been a tremendous contributor to the Kansas City Chiefs,” said Edwards. “The combination of Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes has previously proved very difficult to stop in the past. At this point, we will need to proceed slowly to determine where he is from a health and conditioning standpoint. Hopefully, he’s able to come back and continue his career with the Chiefs. I believe Priest Holmes is a team guy and has indicated to me his desire to help this team. If he’s able to come back, he understands and accepts the fact that he would have a different role than when he was the starter. I look forward to monitoring his progress throughout training camp.”

Johnson, who was named to the Pro Bowl the last two seasons, has threatened to hold out and not report to training camp.