Peppers signs $16.7M tender

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 24, 2009 | by Anonymous

Julius Peppers' stalemate with the Carolina Panthers is over.

He signed his one-year, $16.7 million guaranteed tender Wednesday, five months after the four-time Pro Bowl selection first said he wanted to play elsewhere. It means Peppers will be present for the start of training camp.

"Recently, I've had positive and productive discussions with the organization," Peppers said in a statement. "I look forward to the upcoming season."

-- Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings signed a $27 million contract extension. He reportedly received $16 million in guaranteed money on the deal, which adds three years to his contract. Jennings was set to receive a $535,000 base salary in 2009, the final year of the deal he signed in 2006. He had 80 catches for 1,292 yards in 2008.

-- Linebacker Michael Boley, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the New York Giants as a free agent, had hip surgery and almost certainly will miss the start of training camp in August. The former Atlanta Falcon was hurt during the Giants' offseason program. Full recovery is expected in eight to 10 weeks. ... The Giants signed two draft choices, Cal Poly receiver Ramses Barden (third round) and Sam Houston quarterback Rhett Bomar (fifth).

High school football

A coach who helped launch several NFL careers was killed by a former player in front of students taking part in an offseason workout, said authorities in Parkersburg, Iowa. Mark Becker, who was supposed to have been taken to a psychiatric ward after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase Saturday, shot Aplington- Parkersburg's Ed Thomas and was arrested at a nearby home soon afterward, said Kevin Winker of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Winker couldn't discuss what Becker's motive might have been. School was not in session, and Becker, 24, did not threaten any of the students in the room, Winker said. Named the NFL's 2005 high school coach of the year, Thomas, 58, had a 292-84 record in 37 seasons as coach -- 34 of them at Aplington- Parkersburg. He coached several players who went on to the NFL: Aaron Kampman, Brad Meester, Jared DeVries and Casey Wiegmann.

Horse racing

Jess Jackson, co-owner of Rachel Alexandra, won't run the Preakness winner in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Nov. 6-7. "I have a very strong dislike for synthetic surfaces," he said. The filly will run in Saturday's Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park (N.Y.).

Motor sports

The cash-strapped Formula One series prevented a breakup when the FIA's divisive president, Max Mosley, agreed to scrap a planned $65 million budget cap and step down at the end of his term in October. Instead, teams were given a watered-down order to reduce costs. Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP had threatened to leave F1 in 2010.

MLS

Dwayne De Rosario and Pablo Vitti scored to give host Toronto FC (6-5-4) a 2-0 win over New York (2-11-4).

-- Omar Cummings scored in the 84th minute, as Colorado (5-2-6) salvaged a 1-1 tie with visiting FC Dallas (3-7-5).

Golf

Co-medalist Geoff Gonzalez of Diablo Country Club ousted Logan Goettsch 2 and 1 in the first round of the California State Amateur at Lake Merced.

-- Livermore's Casie Cathrea beat Kamryn Ruffin 3 and 2 in first- round match play at the USGA Women's Public Links at the Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, Mass.

Swimming

Olympian Natalie Coughlin was nominated as Female Athlete of the Year for next month's ESPY Awards.