Ike disrupts NFL, MLB schedules
HOUSTON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The NFL announced Thursday it had postponed the scheduled game between Houston and Baltimore because of the approaching winds of Hurricane Ike.
The hurricane, which is expected to strike the Texas coast late Friday, also forced a disruption in the baseball pennant races and altered starting times for college football games as far north as Stillwater, Okla.
Houston had been scheduled to play its home opener against the Ravens at 3:15 p.m. CDT Sunday. That game will now be played Monday night at 7:30 p.m. local time.
The Houston Astros said the first two games of their weekend series with the Chicago Cubs would be postponed. Chicago is trying to hold onto its lead in the National League Central and Houston is making a late bid for a wild-card berth.
No makeup date was immediately announced for the baseball games, which were to have been played Friday and Saturday.
It had been announced Wednesday that Saturday's college football game between Houston and Air Force would be moved to Dallas and that the Texas-Arkansas game originally scheduled in Austin for Saturday would be postponed until Sept. 27.
The Baylor-Washington State contest set for Saturday in Waco will now be played at 11:30 a.m. CDT Friday and TCU moved the start of its game in Fort Worth ahead six hours to noon Saturday.
Oklahoma State, which was scheduled to play Missouri State at 6:05 p.m. Saturday, will kick off that contest at 12:05 p.m.
The football game scheduled in Lake Charles, La., between McNeese and Cal Poly was canceled, as were the Sam Houston State-Prairie View A&M contest in Huntsville, Texas, and the Stephen F. Austin-Kentucky Wesleyan game in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Part-time model shares LPGA lead
MOBILE, Ala., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Part-time model Anna Rawson shot a 5-under 67 Thursday to share the lead after the opening round of the inaugural Bell Micro LPGA Classic at Mobile, Ala.
Rawson was tied with Shanshan Feng, one shot in front of Nicole Castrale, Angela Park, Michelle Ellis and Irene Cho.
The event is being played at the Magnolia Grove course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Last year, the course hosted the LPGA Tournament of Champions, won by Paula Creamer.
Creamer shot a 78 Thursday and was tied for 117th place.
Despite her budding career as a fashion model, Rawson said her No. 1 goal is to excel in golf.
"I love competing," she said. "It's fun to see how good you can do and how low you can shoot."
Buccaneers bench QB Jeff Garcia
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia, who will be replaced as starter against Atlanta Sunday, said Thursday he is healthy enough to play.
Brian Griese will start for the Buccaneers on the second weekend of the NFL season. Club officials said earlier in the week an ankle injury would keep Garcia on the sidelines.
"I'm going to go out and run around today," Garcia told Tampa-area reporters. "I've played through a lot worse before."
Garcia completed 24-of-41 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown in Tampa Bay's 24-20 loss to New Orleans Sunday. He threw one interception, that coming with less than a minute remaining as the Bucs were trying to produce what would have been the winning touchdown.
Saints dump Thomas after injury settlement
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The New Orleans Saints released defensive tackle Hollis Thomas after reaching an injury settlement with the 11-year veteran.
Thomas suffered a torn triceps injury in the days before the Saints' pre-season contest against the Houston Texans Aug. 16, and surgery on the 6-foot, 335-pounder was necessary to repair the muscle.
Thomas began his career with Philadelphia in 1996 as an undrafted free agent from Northern Illinois.
"We were hoping to keep (Thomas) alive, but it really came down to having to get another body in here," Coach Sean Payton told the Times-Picayune newspaper. Thomas was kept on the active roster despite the injury for last Sunday's season-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Because of various injuries, he has played an entire 16-game season only six times in his career, including the 2007 season.
Thomas made 360 solo tackles in 154 career games.
