US PresswireSince the start of the 2009-10 season, quarterback Chad Pennington has appeared in four NFL games for the Miami Dolphins, throwing 76 passes with 52 of them hitting for completions and just one for a touchdown.

He missed last season after hurting his left knee in a pickup basketball game and is fully healthy now but may not give himself a chance to add to the stats he amassed over 11 seasons with the Fins and New York Jets.

The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports that the 35-year-old two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year isn't going to try for a third such award and is leaning toward retirement.

"It doesn't make sense for me to come back and try to play," Pennington told the Sun-Sentinel. "I know I can get healthy. I know I can be ready for training camp and do all those things. But can I take a hit? After four shoulder surgeries, that's a question that's hard to answer right now. That's something that's out of my control. I can control being strong enough, accurate enough, and

US PresswireThe San Diego Chargers finished the season 8-8 and out of the postseason so now they will start to rebuild for next year with between $10 million and $15 million worth of room under the expected salary cap of around $120 million, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The team is expected to add another chunk of money to that by waiving left tackle Marcus McNeill and his $10 million salary, the paper notes. The 28-year-old Chicago native's salary isn't guaranteed; he has to have a team doctor clear him to play in mid-March in order for that to happen and that remains doubtful, according to the Union-Trib.

McNeill has been with the team since being selected in the second round of the 2006 draft out of Auburn. Since then, he's started 82 games and had two fumble recoveries.

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US PresswireThe Philadelphia 76ers have shocked more than a few people this season as they currently lead the Atlantic Division by 3½ games and are third best in the Eastern Conference. In the team's past four games, it has beaten some biggies: the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

Next up for the Sixers are the Southwest Division-leading San Antonio Spurs Wednesday and the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Clippers Friday. The word from the Philadelphia Inquirer is that the team could be without center Spencer Hawes and power forward Elton Brand. Hawes had an MRI Tuesday on his hurting lower back and a sore Achilles tendon, the paper notes, and Brand has a sprained thumb that kept him out of the victory over the Lakers Monday.

Brand said Tuesday that he's aiming to play against the Spurs, but coach Doug Collins may be convinced by others not to send him out onto the floor just yet: "It depends on who gets to coach first," Brand said, according to the Inquirer. "If I get to him first, [the

US PresswireWhen the Denver Nuggets take the floor Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, they will be without its top scorer, small forward Danilo Gallinari. And the word from the Denver Post is that they could be without him for a month.

Gallinari went down with an ankle sprain Monday night during a 99-90 loss to the Houston Rockets.

"Four weeks — if it can be faster, it's better, but with these kind of things, you want to take your time and have it heal in the right way," said Gallinari, according to the paper.

The 23-year-old Italian native who came over to the Nuggets in the trade with the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony is averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He recently signed a four-year, $42 million contract with the team.

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US PresswireThe New Orleans Hornets have been without point guard Jarrett Jack for the last three games due to a sore left knee and the team with the second-worst record in the league could certainly use his help on Wednesday when the team with the best record overall, the Chicago Bulls, come to town.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that it could happen: Jack practiced with the team Tuesday and coach Monty Williams said he was moving well.

"He had a good workout today and we'll see how he feels [Wednesday]," Williams said, according to the paper. "We certainly need him. I'm playing [backup] Greivis [Vasquez] way too many minutes for my liking. I think from this point forward, he and Jack can pretty much split minutes."

The 28-year-old Jack is averaging 15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.8 points per game.

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US PresswireHouston Rockets point guard Jonny Flynn is only 23 years old, but he is a wanted man. The word from ESPN is that both the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have asked the Rockets about trading for him.

Flynn, who was picked sixth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 draft, was traded during last summer's draft to the Rockets along with Donatas Motiejunas for Brad Miller and the No. 23 and 38 picks along with a future first-round pick.

In the seven games he's played for Houston, he's averaged 3.1 points, 2.4 assists and 1.1 rebounds per game. In his rookie season, Flynn averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.

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US PresswireLos Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin won the Slam Dunk Contest during last year's All-Star weekend, but he's said that he isn't planning on going for a second title this year.

But now the big weekend, which will run from Feb. 24-26 in Orlando, is getting close and the Orlando Sentinel reports that Griffin is now not saying so definitively that he won't do it.

When approached after Monday's shootaround before the Clippers topped the Orlando Magic 107-102, Griffin said, "I haven't been approached yet, so we'll see what happens with that. We'll see what they're going to do, and I'll guess I'll make a decision."

Griffin is averaging 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

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¨US PresswireA rumor circulated over the weekend that the Philadelphia Phillies could be interested in bringing back starting pitcher Roy Oswalt, who seems to have been shut out from the two teams that he preferred joining: the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.

CSN Philly notes that an Oswalt return to Philly seems highly doubtful since the team doesn't have much money to throw in his direction. After all, the team already has committed $168 million to 20 players next season. Plus, CSN points out, the back problems that put Oswalt on the disabled list twice last year "may also make him a risk the team is unwilling to take."

CSN also notes that "perhaps the clearest indication that Oswalt will not be back" is the fact that reliever Michael Schwimer has been given Oswalt's old number: 44.

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