Philadelphia

ARDMORE, Pa. - Wednesday was a beautiful day at the Merion Golf Club. Soft clouds, perfect temperature, gently cooling breezes. It was also the day before the U.S. Golf Assn., the diabolical mastermind of the U.S. Open, hands 150 players blindfolds and offers each a final puff on a cigarette. The 113th edition of this annual golf agony is meant, as always, to make the greatest golfers in the world feel as if they are wearing starched underwear. Mike Davis, executive director of the USGA, summed up nicely Wednesday morning.

GALAXY AT PHILADELPHIA When: 4:30 p.m. PDT. Where: PPL Park. On the air: TWC SportsNet, TWC Deportes; Radio: 1330. Records: Galaxy 4-3-2, Union 4-3-3. Record vs. Union (2012): 0-1-0. Update: "There will be changes in Philadelphia," Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena said after his team suffered its second consecutive loss Saturday, a 3-1 defeat to the Whitecaps in Vancouver. Arena was particularly annoyed that the Galaxy gave up all the goals in the last half hour of the game, which he partly blamed on his players' lack of concentration.

Reporting from Philadelphia -- The movies' Rocky Balboa may be Philadelphia's most celebrated fighter, but this  city's greatest rivalry is between two South Philly cheese-steak joints that may rival the Liberty Bell for iconic status: Pat's and Geno's. Lots of places have signature foods: Chicago has deep-dish pizza, New England has clam chowder, Buffalo, N.Y., has hot wings, Maryland has crab cakes and New Orleans has gumbo. But in Philadelphia, the cheese steak stands as equal parts civic symbol, tourist attraction and cultural obsession.

Tim Tebow may not have a job in the NFL right now, but at least he has the support of a former NFL great, Ron Jaworski. The former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and part owner of the Philadelphia Soul told the Philadelphia Daily News that his Arena Football League team has offered Tebow a job. “One [criticism] of Tebow is that he is slow and methodical,” Jaworski said . “He would be forced to quicken it up in this league and it would be good training for him. You can learn a lot in this league.

When: Noon. Where: Wells Fargo Center. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 1150. Records: Kings 30-22-3, Flyers 36-13-5. Record vs. Flyers: 0-1-0. Update: Goaltender Jonathan Quick, who backed up Jonathan Bernier on Saturday in the Kings' 4-1 victory at Washington, will start against the Flyers. This game will complete a back-to-back sequence for the Kings, who are 4-5-0 this season in the finale of back-to-back games. The Kings haven't won in Philadelphia since March 23, 2000, but they've visited only four times since then and are 0-3-1 in those games.

Phillies lead best-of-five series, 1-0 Game 1: Wednesday at Philadelphia 5, Colorado 1 Game 2: Today, 11:30 a.m. Colorado (Aaron Cook, 11-6, 4.16) at Philadelphia (Cole Hamels, 10-11, 4.32) Game 3: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Colorado Game 4: Sunday, TBA Philadelphia at Colorado Game 5: Tuesday, TBA Philadelphia at Colorado All times Pacific if necessary

ANOTHER VIEW: Playing on heart, with everything else sore, the 76ers survived a seven-game war of attrition with Toronto, although watching Iverson shoot 14 for 51 in his last two games wouldn't fill an opponent with dread. The Bucks had an even tougher trip, trailing the Hornets three games to two and by 15 points in Game 6 at Charlotte before pulling it out.

GIANTS VS PHILLIES Game 1: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. San Francisco (Tim Lincecum, 16-10, 3.43) at Philadelphia (Roy Halladay, 21-10, 2.44) Game 2: Sunday, 5 p.m. San Francisco (Jonathan Sanchez, 13-9, 3.07) at Philadelphia ( Roy Oswalt, 13-13, 2.76) Game 3: Tuesday, 1 p.m. Philadelphia (Cole Hamels, 12-11, 3.06) at San Francisco (Matt Cain, 13-11, 3.14) Game 4: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. Philadelphia (Joe Blanton, 9-6, 4.82)

Philadelphia's former treasurer was sentenced to 10 years in prison on corruption charges in a federal investigation that came to light when an FBI bug was discovered in Mayor John F. Street's office. The mayor was not charged in the case. Corey Kemp, 36, was found guilty in May of taking part in a scheme to trade city contracts for gifts, favors and cash.

A black-and-orange sign saying "Beware of aggressive drivers" marks hostile roadway turf, while others read "Don't tailgate" and "Slow down--save a life." The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation began posting the messages in a northern Philadelphia suburb last week near Interstate 476, hoping to calm problem stretches of highway. More signs were planted Friday on state routes. Motorists acknowledged the driving problems but were skeptical about the signs.

Matt Barkley gets his first real taste of the NFL when the Philadelphia Eagles' rookie mini-camp opens Friday. Many fans and NFL draft prognosticators were shocked when new Eagles Coach Chip Kelly drafted the former USC quarterback. But USC Coach Lane Kiffin was not. Kiffin said Monday that Kelly spoke with him about Barkley "early on" in the evaluation process and later sent the Eagles' quarterbacks coach to Southern California to work out the Trojans' four-year starter.

After six weeks of testimony, a Philadelphia jury began deliberating the fate of a veteran doctor accused of four counts of murder while performing late-term abortions in his clinic that served poor women. The case, which has reignited passions over the thorny issues surrounding abortion rights, went to the jury of seven women and five men on Tuesday. Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of four babies that the prosecution contends were delivered alive during late-term abortions, then killed when their spines were cut with surgical scissors.

NEW YORK - Matt Barkley marveled, often helplessly, as Oregon's offense went up and down the field against USC and most other opponents the last four seasons. The Ducks seemed to score at will, coach Chip Kelly's fast and relentless spread scheme making stars of every quarterback manning the controls. Now Barkley will try to find his own place in that kind of offense. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up and chose Barkley with the first pick in the fourth round of the NFL draft.

Pluses Dallas Coach Glen Gulutzan is keeping the Stars in playoff contention in the West - and might have saved his job - with wins over the Ducks, Kings, San Jose Sharks (twice) and Nashville Predators. They're younger and grittier since they traded Brenden Morrow, Derek Roy and Jaromir Jagr and they've banded together. Player to watch: right wing Alex Chiasson, who has six goals and seven points in six games since his post-trade deadline promotion. The New York Islanders' impressive push has them in position to earn their first playoff berth since 2007.

Christopher Knafelc, 32, was waiting for a train in north Philadelphia when fate gave him a chance to redeem a life of pain. Security footage at the Cecil B. Moore station on the Broad Street Line -- and broadcast nationally on cable television and on the Web -- shows a man walk straight off the platform and onto the tracks about 12:40 p.m. Thursday. Knafelc, who was sitting about 20 feet away on a bench, jumped down to help the man. A train was due to arrive in moments. “I had a plan if a train came I was going to roll him underneath,” Knafelc told WPVI-TV, “or if I couldn't, I was going to ask someone to jump down and help me roll him.” He held the man's head and neck stable until firefighters arrived.

The message was clear and it came with accent, attitude and a side of sauce: Don't even start with the insulting line of questioning that would somehow suggest La Salle - La Salle! - is an underdog being overshadowed in the NCAA tournament by Florida Gulf Coast. It could be misconstrued that way as No. 13 La Salle (24-9) prepares for Thursday night's West Regional semifinal game against No. 9 Wichita State (28-8) at Staples Center. In any other year, La Salle would be the darling of this dance.

La Salle, located in Philadelphia, advanced to the Sweet 16 with a roster heavy with Philadelphia products. Guards Tyreek Duren, Ramon Galloway, Tyrone Garland and forward Jerrell Wright all hail from the City of Brotherly Love. The Explorers rode their talent to NCAA tournament victories over Kansas State and Mississippi and into Thursday's West Regional semifinal against Wichita State. Galloway grew up in Philadelphia, attended high school in Florida and played at South Carolina before transferring to La Salle before the 2011-12 season.

No pressure Philadelphia guard Evan Turner, on the possibility of Andrew Bynum returning to the 76ers after sitting out this season because of knee injuries: "I don't want to sit here and scream out, 'Come back, come back, come back.' Dude's going through surgery, know what I'm saying? It's going to be tough enough rehabbing and everything. " Comes with territory Denver guard Ty Lawson, on the evolution of Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant, currently featured in a Nike campaign dubbed "K.D.