Chelios leads U.S. Hockey Hall inductees
COLORADO SPRINGS, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Former players Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk and Gary Suter headed a group of five inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Monday in Colorado Spring, Colo.
Chelios played 26 years in the NHL, starting in 1983-84 with the Montreal Canadiens. He played the bulk of his career for the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings.
He remains the league's the all-time leader in games played by a defenseman (1,651) is 10th all-time among blueliners with 948 points (185 goals, 763 assists).
Tkachuk, meanwhile, had a 19-year career as a prolific power forward with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers, racking up 538 goals and 527 assists in 1,201 career games.
Suter, also a defenseman, is probably best known for helping the Calgary Flames win the franchise's lone Stanley Cup in 1989. He compiled 203 goals and 844 points in 1,145 career games with the Calgary Flames, Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks.
Also inducted Monday were announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick, who has called 13 Stanley Cup Finals as the lead national broadcaster on NBC, Versus, Fox and ESPN, and Ed Snider, founder and current owner of the Philadelphia Flyers.
NBC rebranding Versus sports network
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The cable TV sports network Versus is being rebranded as NBC Sports Network in January 2012, NBCUniversal announced Monday.
Versus, which has major operations in Philadelphia since its founding by NBCUniversal parent Comcast, will now be under the control of NBC Sports in New York, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Versus carries NHL hockey, the Tour de France cycling event, rodeo competitions and other more niche sports.
The change is being made to improve Versus' chronically low ratings and thus fetch higher per-user fees from cable TV providers, the newspaper said.
NBC says it plans to change the style and presentation of the network as part of an overhaul so that it parallels that of NBC, which is known for its emphasis on storytelling and athlete profiles, especially during its Olympics coverage.
It seems likely the former Versus will broadcast some of the upcoming 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, the Inquirer reported.
NBC confirmed it will blending personnel between the NBC broadcast-TV operations and the cable sports channel.
Pirates dump Overbay after Lee trade
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates made room for newly acquired Derrek Lee Monday by sending first baseman Lyle Overbay to the minor leagues.
Overbay, an 11-year veteran with 130 career homers in 1,241 games, was designated for assignment after batting .227 with eight homers, 37 RBI and a .300 on-base percentage in 103 games for the Pirates this season.
The 34-year-old left-handed batter, who signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh in the off-season, last year socked 20 homers with 67 RBI in 154 games with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Pirates obtained Lee, 35, also a left-handed-hitting first baseman, for minor leaguer Aaron Baker in a Saturday trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
Lee paid immediate dividends, smacking two homers in Monday's loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Pittsburgh also announced it had optioned infielder Pedro Ciriaco to Class AAA Indianapolis to make room for another player acquired at the trade deadline, outfielder Ryan Ludwick.
Jets re-sign cornerback Cromartie
NEW YORK, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The New York Jets said Monday they had re-signed cornerback Antonio Cromartie after failing to land top free agent Nnamdi Asomugha.
The Jets didn't announce the terms of the contract but The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger reported it was a four-year deal worth $32 million.
New York had reportedly been in contention for the services of Asomugha but he instead went to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jets returned to Cromartie, whom they had acquired from San Diego after the 2009 season.
"We were talking to some other players, he was talking to some other teams," said Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. "As I told him, in free agency it's not where you start, it's where you finish. I'm really happy he's back and I think we can build on what we started last year."
Cromartie, 27, registered 42 tackles and three interceptions in 15 games last season for New York.
