PENN STATE
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- State Farm is pulling its ads from Penn State football broadcasts, while General Motors is reconsidering its sponsorship deal and Wall Street is threatening to downgrade the school's credit rating, suggesting the price of the sexual abuse scandal could go well beyond the $60 million fine and other penalties imposed by the NCAA.
Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm said it had been reviewing its connection to Penn State since the arrest of retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky last November. The insurance company said it will pull ads from broadcasts of Nittany Lions home games but continue to advertise during Penn State's away contests.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have worked out a multiplayer trade to acquire former NL batting champion Hanley Ramirez from Miami, the second big deal in as many days for the disappointing Marlins.
A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press about the swap on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.
The Dodgers will also get reliever Randy Choate while the Marlins will receive pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and a minor leaguer.
SEATTLE (AP) - Alex Rodriguez broke his left hand when he was hit by an 88 mph changeup from Felix Hernandez in the eighth inning on Tuesday night.
He went down in considerable pain. The Yankees said he has a non-displaced fracture of the hand, and there is no timetable for his return. He will be placed on the disabled list and will remain in Seattle with the team for the series finale Wednesday.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The surprising Pittsburgh Pirates are getting serious about their playoff push, acquiring pricey lefty Wandy Rodriguez in a trade with the Houston Astros.
Without even a winning record since their last trip to the postseason in 1992, the Pirates trail the Reds by 2 1/2 games in the NL Central and are in the thick of the wild-card race. They have been looking to bolster the back end of their solid rotation that is led by A.J. Burnett and James McDonald.
OLYMPICS
LONDON (AP) - Britain's government opted to deploy 1,200 more troops to protect Olympic venues - a move that reflects a lack of confidence that private security contractor G4S can deliver all it promised for the games.
The fresh troops come only three days before Friday's opening ceremony and mean that some 18,200 U.K. military personnel are now involved in some capacity in securing the London games - dwarfing the 9,500 British troops now in Afghanistan. The decision followed a Cabinet meeting on venue security.
AUTO RACING
LONDON (AP) - NASCAR indefinitely suspended driver A.J. Allmendinger after confirming he violated its substance-abuse policy, putting his career and future with Penske Racing in jeopardy.
The suspension came after a test of his backup urine sample confirmed the original positive result.
Allmendinger originally was suspended July 7 after failing a random drug test taken in late June. His backup ''B'' urine sample was tested Tuesday by Aegis Analytical Laboratories in Nashville, Tenn.
NASCAR officials announced the result and subsequent suspension Tuesday night.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Three former TCU football players who were among more than a dozen students arrested during a drug sting have been sentenced to probation on marijuana delivery charges.
Melody McDonald, a spokeswoman for Tarrant County prosecutors, says 21-year-old D.J. Yendrey pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to three years of probation. Yendrey, who is listed as David Yendry in court records, was fined $300 on each charge.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Michigan has suspended defensive end Frank Clark after authorities say he took a laptop from a campus dorm room.
A statement from coach Brady Hoke called it a ''serious accusation.'' Word of the suspension came Monday, the same day the team said it suspended running back Fitzgerald Toussaint after he was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drunken driving.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Incoming Mississippi State freshman Jacoby Davis has torn the ACL in his left knee and will likely miss the upcoming season.
The school says the injury occurred during a workout on Monday and an MRI on Tuesday confirmed the injury. Davis is expected to have surgery in August.
PRO FOOTBALL
CLEVELAND (AP) - Brandon Weeden's start with the Browns won't be delayed.
The rookie quarterback signed a four-year, $8.1 million contract on Tuesday, one day before he and Cleveland's other first-year players have their first practice of training camp. Only three years of Weeden's deal are guaranteed, which was thought to be a sticking point during negotiations.
Weeden's signing came one day after the Browns signed running back Trent Richardson, the No. 3 overall pick in April's NFL draft, to a four-year, $20.5 million contract. Richardson's package includes a $13.3 million signing bonus.
HOCKEY
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Shea Weber can thank the Philadelphia Flyers for one of the richest and longest contracts in the NHL.
But the Nashville Predators will pick up the tab.
The small-market Predators made the bold move to match the staggering offer sheet made by a deep-pocketed Flyers organization to keep the two-time Norris Trophy-nominated defenseman in the franchise.
Nashville dug deep into the pocketbook and decided to pay Weber the $110 million over 14 years offered by the Flyers. Weber, 26, is the Predators' captain and played on a $7.5 million arbitrator's award last season. He had 19 goals and 49 points along the way.
