Manning reportedly heading to Denver
DENVER, March 19 (UPI) -- Quarterback Peyton Manning has reportedly agreed to sign with the Denver Broncos.
The longtime NFL star was released by the Indianapolis Colts March 7 after missing the entire 2011 season because of a series of neck injuries. Manning visited with a series of teams and decided on the Broncos, NFL.com and ESPN reported Monday.
The Denver post said the deal between Manning the Broncos would likely be for about $90 million over five years.
NFL.com said the Broncos were looking for a team that might take current quarterback Tim Tebow in a trade.
Broncos Executive Vice President John Elway, himself a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, was among team officials who met with Manning last week in North Carolina.
"We enjoyed visiting with Peyton today [Friday] in N.C." Elway filed via Twitter.
"Watching him throw today was the next step in this important process for our team and Peyton. It was a productive visit and went well."
Manning was reportedly considering the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans along with the Broncos. Other teams that expressed interest in Manning included the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.
Manning, who turns 36 Saturday, started every game for the Colts, who drafted him as the No. 1 overall selection in 1998, for 13 seasons. He was selected for the Pro Bowl 11 times and led Indianapolis to the championship in Super Bowl XLI.
Kentucky's Davis voted Player of the Year
ST. LOUIS, March 19 (UPI) -- Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis was voted the national collegiate Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the group said Monday.
The association also announced the choice of Missouri's Frank Haith as Coach of the Year.
Davis, who turned 19 last week, helped the Wildcats to a 34-2 record while averaging 14.3 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. Kentucky is the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Division I men's tournament and has advanced to the South Region semifinals against Indiana.
Davis leads the country with 166 blocked shots and is second in field goal percentage (63.6 percent). He was voted the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
Davis is the second freshman, after Texas' Kevin Durant in 2008, to be voted the honor.
The USBWA also selected Davis as its Freshman Player of the ear.
Haith, in his first season with Missouri, led the Tigers to a school record with 27 regular-season wins and a 30-5 overall record. Missouri won the Big 12 Conference Tournament, its final appearance at that event since the Tigers are joining the Southeastern Conference next season.
The awards will be presented March 30 in New Orleans.
Lindsey Vonn leads skiing money lists
THUNERSEE, Switzerland, March 19 (UPI) -- American skiing star Lindsey Vonn, who won 12 races and the women's overall World Cup title, topped the FIS cup money list for both men and women in 2012.
Vonn piled up a women's record 1,980 points for the season, which ended last weekend. She won races in four of the five disciplines, raced to world championships in the super-giant slalom, downhill and combined and finished second in the giant slalom.
That helped her to a fourth overall World Cup championship. She previously had won the title three consecutive years (2008-10) and was second -- by three points to Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch -- last season.
Vonn collected purses totaling $601,358, almost double what Hoefl-Riesch ($302,762) amassed as the second-leading women's money leader. Austrian Marlies Schild was third at $301,824 and German Viktoria Rebensburg fourth with $290,073. Slovak Tina Maze ($266,488) was fifth.
Overall champion Marcel Hirscher of Austria led the men's money list with $500,979 in winnings. He had seven firsts in giant slalom and slalom races and took the World Cup title in giant slalom in addition to the overall championship.
Croatian skier Ivica Kostelic was second on the money list at $352,724, just ahead of overall runner-up Beat Feuz of Switzerland, who totaled $349,607. Swiss skier Didier Cuche, who retired after last weekend's races, was fourth with $309,034.
UCF player accused of punching deputy
ORLANDO, Fla., March 19 (UPI) -- University of Central Florida wide receiver J.J. Worton was arrested after allegedly punching a sheriff's deputy in Orlando, authorities said.
Worton, 20, was charged with felony resisting arrest with violence and felony battery on a peace officer after an incident that began early Sunday during a St. Patrick's Day block party outside an Orlando bar.
Worton, who was released after posting undisclosed bond Sunday, had cursed at a deputy and refused his orders to leave the area of the block party, Orange County jail records say.
Authorities say a sheriff's deputy reported putting his hands on Worton's arm and that Worton had resisted and swung his fist at the officer, who eluded a punch.
Worton then ran through a parking lot and was found hiding under a vehicle, deputies said. When deputies tried to put handcuffs on him, he physically resisted and when a deputy grabbed him by the waistband, the officer said Worton "punched me in the face with a closed fist."
Deputies reported they forced Worton to the ground and used pepper spray to subdue him.
Worton was expected to start for the Knights in the coming season.
UCF Coach George O'Leary said in a statement, "When I collect all of the facts and know exactly what took place, we will deal with this situation in an appropriate manner."
