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RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Kansas City running back Priest Holmes has a message for holdout Pro Bowler Larry Johnson: If you don’t want the job, I’ll take it.

Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowler himself, has been out of football since 2005 after suffering what many figured was a career-ending injury.

He created a stir in July with his surprise return to the Chiefs, and said this week his comeback attempt is going well as he works himself back into game shape.

Tuesday, he was on the practice field in pads, taking handoffs and absorbing hits from assistant coaches using blocking pads.

Afterward, Holmes said he’s ready to fill the 27-year-old Johnson’s shoes — at least financially.

“Somebody has to get the money,” he said. “Hey, if L.J. wants to leave the money out there, guess I’m going to take it. If he wants to come get it, it’s rightfully his to take. He’s earned it. But if he chooses not to come back, well, somebody has to take it. Why won’t it be me?”

Johnson has been a no-show at camp as he seeks an extension to the seven-year deal he inked in 2003, which he can void down to a five-year deal after the final game of the 2007 season because of playing time incentives.

Johnson is demanding compensation in the range of $28 million guaranteed, insisting he be paid as much as San Diego Pro Bowler LaDainian Tomlinson. Johnson is scheduled to earn $1.7 million this season, and Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson has said Johnson would be fined more than $14,000 for every day he misses.

One of the NFL’s greatest runners until his injury, Holmes rushed for a team-record 5,933 yards after signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2001. He scored 27 touchdowns in 2003 to set what was then an NFL record.

The 33-year-old running back had been on the physically unable-to-perform list since a devastating tackle by San Diego’s Shawne Merriman on Oct. 30, 2005, left him with head and neck trauma. After extensive tests, doctors warned of a possibility of further injury, perhaps even paralysis — a danger that may still lurk.

“This is about perseverance and having a great story to tell,” Holmes said. “I think that all the valuable years I’ve put into my tank, there’s a lot in me still.”

Some NFL observers were dubious about Holmes’ motives for returning, especially in light of Johnson’s holdout.

“‘Dubious’ is a great word,” Holmes said. “But dedication is a little bit more defined in concrete. I mean, we have what’s called ‘making it rain.’ We have the dog fighting. We have so many things that have cast a negative light on the NFL. This is just a great story to show guys that regardless of what situation you’re in, you can persevere.”

Holmes, who received a clean bill of health from Kansas City’s doctors before reporting to camp, last played a full season in 2003. He played in eight games before missing the remainder of 2004 with a hip injury, then played in seven games in 2005 before the helmet-to-helmet hit from Merriman.

Holmes said seeing highlights of himself this summer during a football camp made him start thinking about returning to the Chiefs.

“Once I saw myself, the first thing I looked at it was as if I was a fan,” he said. “I said, ‘Man, I did that? Oh, that’s a nice run. Oh, I love that touchdown move right there. I got to do that again.”‘

He continues to go through individual workouts on a side practice field.

“I haven’t had any setbacks so far,” Holmes said. “The biggest thing with football is taking all the contact and then continuing to run.”

Chiefs offensive lineman Brian Waters, an eight-year veteran and a good friend of Holmes, said players are keeping an eye on the running back’s progress.

“We know just by watching him run, he’s still got a lot of his abilities,” Waters said. “His quickness is strong. It’s going to be a mental thing, for sure, but we’ll see. I’ve seen him come back from serious injuries before and have a great season, so nothing would surprise me coming from that man.”

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Washington, DC - Juan Carlos Navarro is reportedly heading to Memphis as the Grizzlies and Washington Wizards have worked out a deal.

According to the Washington Post, citing multiple league sources, the Wizards would send the rights to the guard to Memphis in exchange for a conditional first-round draft pick.

The Wizards have held the rights to Navarro since selecting him with the 40th pick of the 2002 draft.

He is currently playing for Winterthur FC in Barcelona, Spain. The 27-year-old has played for the team since making his professional debut in 1997 at the age of 17 and was named the MVP of the ACB league in 2006.

If the trade is completed, Navarro will be reunited with former Barcelona teammate Pau Gasol.

With Kevin Garnett and Allen, the Boston Celtics are now favored to win the NBA Eastern Conference

The rumors are running rampant, fueled by an ESPN report and during the late night hours of Monday they were confirmed.

Graffiti Wall reports that Kevin Garnett is leaving Minnesota after the Boston Celtics agreed to acquire the All-Star forward in a multiplayer trade with the Timberwolves, a Celtics official told The Associated Press on Monday.

Among the players who could be headed to Minnesota are forward Al Jefferson, guard Sebastian Telfair, swingman Gerald Green and center Theo Ratliff, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. The official also said the Timberwolves would get at least one draft choice.

The teams still had some things to clarify with the players’ contracts, but the official said that would not keep the Celtics from acquiring Garnett, although there could be a change in the players ticketed for the Timberwolves.

One of the worst teams last year, the Boston Celtics could suddenly become beasts of the East in 2007/2008.

Garnett, 31, has spent all of his 12 NBA seasons with Minnesota. He would get an extension of his contract, which has one year plus an option year remaining, the official said.

The Celtics had tried to get Garnett late last month, but his agent said he didn’t want to go to Boston.

Since then, Boston acquired seven-time All-Star guard Ray Allen from Seattle in a draft-day deal. Already with Paul Pierce, the Celtics would become instant contenders in the mediocre Atlantic Division with Garnett, even without promising forward Jefferson.

Bet33.com Online Gambling Odds - Proposition Betting immediately slashed odds of Boston winning the NBA Eastern Conference to 7 to 2 odds, making them the favorite with the Detroit Pistons.

Chicago, IL - Cole Hamels baffled the Cubs for eight innings, and Brett Myers finished them off in the ninth as the Philadelphia Phillies topped Chicago, 4-1, in the opener of a four-game set.

Hamels (12-5) allowed only three hits and one run in eight innings while fanning eight. Aaron Rowand belted a three-run homer, and Tadahito Iguchi also homered for the red-hot Phillies, who have won nine of ten.

More important than the game, though, may be the injuries Philadelphia suffered. The Phillies lost rightfielder Shane Victorino in the fourth inning when he suffered a right calf strain running out a ground ball. He was replaced by Michael Bourn, who fell awkwardly on the bullpen mound while chasing down a foul ball with two outs in the fifth inning. After taking a few minutes to recover, Bourn remained in the game, but then left in the seventh inning with a sprained left ankle.

Ted Lilly (11-5), who had been virtually unhittable of late, surrendered seven hits and four runs in five innings, with three walks and three strikeouts. Ryan Theriot’s solo shot provided the offense for the Cubs, who have dropped three of five.

Iguchi worked a one-out walk in the third and, after Jimmy Rollins fouled out, Ryan Howard ripped a double into right. Rowand came through in the clutch for the Phils, belting the first pitch of the at-bat over the fence in center to put Philadelphia on top.

Iguchi added to the lead with his first National League home run, leading off the fifth to give the Phils a 4-0 lead.

Lilly was lifted in the fifth for pinch-hitter Ronny Cedeno when, thanks to two Hamels walks, the pitcher’s spot in the lineup came up with two men on and one out. Cedeno popped out, though, and Alfonso Soriano struck out to end the threat.

“We were looking for a little offense,” said Cubs manager Lou Piniella. “He just popped up a pitch; it didn’t work.”

Theriot finally got the Cubs on the board in the sixth when he pulled a 2-0 pitch into the bleachers in left, cutting the Philadelphia lead to three. Hamels bore down after the homer, though, retiring the last nine batters he faced.

Myers came on in the ninth and, in his first save situation since returning from the disabled list, set the Cubs down in order to pick up his seventh save.

Game Notes

In their last 50 games against the NL Central, the Phillies are 35-15, dating to last season…Lilly saw his seven-decision win streak come to an end…Attendance was 41,686.

The New York Post has revealed that Pennsylvania friends of disgraced former NBA ref Tim Donaghy and his pal, reputed bookie James Battista, have begun testifying before a federal grand jury in Brooklyn.

Graffiti Wall Rumor Monger reports that many believe that Donaghy will cut a deal with the Feds and blow the whistle on his mob cronies.

The ex-referee spent the weekend holed up in his Bradenton, Fla., home, enjoying pizza last night with friends.

One buddy, Vito Bavaro, said Donaghy was awaiting a call from the feds ordering him to New York.

His friends gave no hint as to whether Donaghy would own up to allegedly betting on games he worked and providing information to the mob.

“He’s not talking about it,” Bavaro said. “He’s in a tough spot.”

The investigation, which began more than a year ago, is zeroing in on blockbuster allegations that the referee was making calls that affected the point spread to guarantee that he — and the hoods who had their hooks in him — cashed in on large bets.

The subject of Martin Scorsese’s 1990 film “Goodfellas“, Henry Hill, has told Mike Philbrick of ESPN’s Page Two that the shocking NBA ref scandal that is just unfolding could be a lot bigger than just Tim Donaghy, as the allegations against him currently suggest.

Graffiti Wall - Rumor Monger reports that On July 20, 2007, a report of an investigation by the FBI into allegations of an NBA referee betting on games to control the point spread emerged by columnist Murray Weiss of the New York Post. It was later revealed that Donaghy, who has a gambling problem, placed tens of thousands of dollars in bets on games during the 2005-06 NBA season and 2006-07 NBA season and had been approached by lower level mob associates to work on a gambling scheme.

“There’s still a million ways to do it today,” says Hill. “That’s why [Donaghy] didn’t get caught for so long.” Plus, Hill adds, “the government works in strange ways. They’ll let you go and go and go until they have a huge case against you. Right when you think you won’t get caught the feds reel you in and you’re hanging from their fishing poles. Now, with this whole NBA thing? Forget it. Now that everyone is talking they have computer records, they have everything. It’s going to get a whole lot bigger than this … you wait for the trial. This is going to be the tip of the iceberg. This guy Donaghy is in a lot of freakin’ trouble.”

In Goodfellas, Hill’s crew stole $5.8 million from a vault at JFK Airport. But Hill was also behind the notorious Boston College point shaving scandal in the 1978-79 season. So he knows a little about what Donaghy may have gotten himself into.

Philbrick points out that Hill had an “in” at Boston College, something similar to a Tim Donaghy, but perhaps more elaborate.

It turns out that one of the Boston College players, Rick Kuhn, grew up with some associates of Hill.

Kuhn, the team’s starting center, soon recruited two other starters. Payment was set at $2,500 to $3,500 per player, per game. At times, cocaine was used as payment for Kuhn, and he wasn’t even good at that.

“We found out that one time, when B.C. was on their way to a tournament in Hawaii, Kuhn lost a whole thing of coke in the airplane bathroom,” says McDonald.

All three players were on board and everyone was “winning.” Hill adds, “It was great, there was a lot of sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll … and missed shots.”

The questions swirling around Donaghy now include whether he made certain calls that affected games or point spreads, and whether anyone should have noticed.

“It’s harder than you think if you’re not looking for it,” says Hill. “At B.C., we had three guys cooperating with us and even the coach didn’t notice. Well, there was a little suspicion, but we made it through the season OK. We didn’t think anything of it. I know I didn’t.”

Interestingly enough, out of the nine games they attempted to fix, Hill and his associates won bets on only six.

For the first time, the New York Daily News has captured a photo of NBA rogue referee Tim Donaghy’s bookie, James Battista.

Graffiti Wall Rumor Monger reports thatJames Battista, who attended the same Pennsylvania high school as Donaghy in the early 1980s, is in the eye of the illegal gambling storm that has rocked pro basketball, but he was calmly walking his Shih Tzu when the Daily News tracked him down in an affluent Philadelphia suburb.

“No comment,” Battista said gruffly. “Stay off my property.”

Later, Battista softened somewhat and emerged from his brick Colonial with a bowl of cold water for the reporter’s dog, who was along for the stakeout.

“Let’s handle this like gentlemen. Call my lawyer,” he said.

The FBI is investigating allegations that Donaghy bet on NBA games, including those he officiated in, with Battista and another unnamed bookie.

The NBA has aggressively backed a law that would make online sports betting illegal, hence pushing the activity underground and forcing those with gambling addictions to seek localized “back alley” bookies who are less likely to report suspicious activities such as those Donaghy is alleged to have engaged in.

If NBA Commissioner David Stern wants to avoid a repeat, his league should go beyond its current reliance on law enforcement and legal betting regulators in Nevada and forge new and better relationships with illegal bookmakers who are usually the first to get wind of game-fixing scams, gambling experts told Michael McCarthy of USA Today.

“This guy got around the whole thing by gambling illegally,” says sports analyst Danny Sheridan (who supplies betting lines published in USA TODAY). “Stern talks about bringing in the ‘best minds.’ He doesn’t need the best minds. He needs to talk to the illegal bookmakers. They take most of the bets. They hear about fixes first; not law enforcement. They notify (regulators) in Las Vegas.”

The online gambling industry, which operates primarily from Costa Rica, Antigua, England, Malta and the Kahnawake Reserve outside of Montreal, Quebec, have been fighting for regulation. The sector has gained strong support in political circles with the help of former New York Senator, Alfonse D’Amato and Barney Frank, though D’Amato’s efforts have focused solely on legalizing poker.

Donaghy was expected to surrender to authorities by this weekend.

Phoenix, AZ - Phoenix guard Raja Bell underwent successful arthroscopic surgery for general debridement on his right knee Thursday.

Graffiti Wall reports that surgery was performed by Suns team physician Dr. Tom Carter at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.

“Raja had mild wear and tear of his knee cap,” said Carter. “This was simply a clean-up procedure. He should experience a full recovery in four to six weeks without any limitations on his play.”

Bell averaged a career-high tying 14.7 points and tied for the NBA lead with a career-high 205 three-point field goals made. The seven-year veteran was also named to the 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive team.

Dallas, TX - The Dallas Mavericks signed a pair of forwards Thursday. The team inked free agent Brandon Bass along with its second-round draft choice, Nick Fazekas. Per club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Bass spent two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets after being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. In 50 career NBA games, he has averaged 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest.

The Mavericks selected Fazekas as the 34th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft after he finished his four-year career at Nevada as the school’s all-time leading scorer (2,464 points) and shot blocker (192).

Fazekas was named the WAC Player of the Year three times (2005, 2006, 2007) and was a consensus second team All-American as a senior when he averaged 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds.