Players

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the supplement nitric oxide? Richard Sunland Nitric oxide is a gas naturally found in the body; its function is conveying information between cells. One of its main jobs is increasing blood flow by dilating blood vessels, and that's why it's sometimes given in supplement form to heart patients, orally and intravenously. In at least one study it's been shown to be effective for lowering blood pressure.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon on a cluttered street in Gardena, some very big and skilled athletes are hanging out on a concrete basketball court, bouncing around underneath rusted backboards and chain nets, acting out a typical inner-city scene, with one small exception. They are playing baseball. "It's Showtime!" shouts Coach Wil Aaron, only this is a very different kind of Showtime. Aaron is using a tennis racket to whack tennis balls at close range to infielders on his Gardena Serra High baseball team, whose players are leaping and spinning out of stereotypes and perhaps into history.

Amid economic uncertainty and a more restrictive labor deal, one thing remains unchanged. NBA superstars still make a ton of money. According to Hoopsworld , Kobe Bryant's $27.8 million salary in the 2012-13 season will make him the highest paid NBA player. So too do the players behind him, including Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki ($20.9 million), New York forward Carmelo Anthony ($20.4 million) and New York forward Amare Stoudemire ($19.9 million). The Lakers will also pay top dollar to other players next season, including Dwight Howard ($19.5 million)

Any correspondence about possible Clippers' off-season moves needs to go straight to the top. So, Chris Paul, here's a primer on what you should instruct your franchise to do in the coming months to take that next step, otherwise known as getting past the first round of the playoffs. It's not going to be easy, the Clippers creeping toward taxpayer status for the first time in franchise history, assuming you come back. You're going to have to help persuade Donald Sterling to pay those more punitive taxes or risk multiplying the disappointment Clipper Nation experienced in recent weeks.

With two related titles already planned for consoles, Warner Bros. on Tuesday announced a partnership to create video games for the Web and mobile devices based on its upcoming trilogy of  "The Hobbit," with the first film set to hit theaters in December. San Francisco-based Kabam, which focuses on free multi-player games for digital devices beyond consoles, will create two "Hobbit" tie-in video games set to launch later this fall, the studio said. "The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age" is a military strategy game for Web browsers that lets players control armies of fantasy characters such as dwarfs, orcs and elves.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels reassigned one player to minor league camp and optioned two others to minor league teams Monday, reducing the number of players in big-league camp to 50. Reassigned to minor league camp was right-hander A.J. Schugel, who pitched in two games this spring, throwing five innings, allowing four runs and 10 hits. Schugel, 23, was 6-8 with a 2.89 ERA at double A Arkansas in 2012. Optioned to triple-A Salt Lake was left-hander Brandon Sisk. The former Azusa Pacific University pitcher made two appearances this spring, giving up a run and a hit in two innings.

More than 2,000 former NFL players and their families will file a “master complaint” in court Thursday, consolidating their nearly 100 concussion-related lawsuits against the NFL. The complaint will be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging that the NFL “deliberately and fraudulently concealed from its players the link between football-related head impacts and long-term neurological injuries.” ...

The NHL Players' Assn. made what it called a move in the NHL's direction by presenting a revised, five-year proposal during collective bargaining talks with the league Wednesday morning in New York. Donald Fehr, the NHLPA's executive director, said the new “comprehensive” proposal narrows the gap between the union and management to $182 million over five years. However, the NHL has disputed the union's calculations in previous proposals, so the offer might not be enough to end the dispute or persuade the NHL to lift the lockout it imposed Sept.

USC's new players Name; Pos.; Ht.; Wt.; Previous school; Comment Strahinja Gavrilovic; F; 6-8; 220; San Diego Rock Academy; Member of Serbian youth national teams can provide an inside presence. *Ari Stewart; F; 6-7; 205; Wake Forest; Averaged 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds as freshman in Atlantic Coast Conference. Brendyn Taylor; G; 6-2; 170; Fairfax High; Only high school player in class averaged 18 points, 3.5 assists and five rebounds last season. J.T. Terrell; G; 6-3; 180; Peninsula College; Could provide much-needed outside threat.

The "Free Shabazz" movement made its way from the Pauley Pavilion stands onto the court Tuesday.  In an apparent sign of solidarity toward their fellow freshman, Kyle Anderson, Tony Parker and Jordan Adams wore light-blue "Free Shabazz" T-shirts, bearing the face of Shabazz Muhammad in silhouette with the words "Free Shabazz" underneath, during warm-ups before the Bruins played UC Irvine. The highly touted Muhammad was declared ineligible by the NCAA Nov. 9 after an investigation found a violation of amateurism issues; a timeline for resolution of his case is unclear.

"In high school, report cards came out and our entire infield failed, so I had to go play short. That's a true story. " - Vernon Wells, 34, on his last infield appearance before playing third base for the New York Yankees last Wednesday. "You want to talk about a guy who is unproven and had a good couple months on steroids, go ahead. " - San Diego Padres catcher Nick Hundley, to UT San Diego, on fellow Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal, expected to return later this month from a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy.

CHICAGO - When the Angels got Josh Hamilton following the Dodgers' signing of Zack Greinke , owner Arte Moreno emerged from hiding, took a bow and told everyone: "Think about how much fun it's going to be. Dodger fans and Angels fans get to argue about whose team is better, who's stronger, who's weaker.… Do you know how much fun it's going to be?" What a blast …of hot air. Are you having fun yet? I began the week talking to Don Mattingly , who felt really good about the Dodgers after three straight losses to the Giants.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Sergio Garcia was only 19 when he first challenged Tiger Woods during the final round of the 1999 PGA Championship. Woods nipped the fist-pumping Spaniard - then affectionately known as El Nino - by a shot for a second major championship. Yet, the stage was set for a classic rivalry. It never happened. Tiger would do his part, but Sergio could not keep up, especially when the two were paired together. Garcia, now 33, will get another chance to stand up to the pressure of a pairing with Woods on Saturday when the two longtime foes face off in the final group at the Players Championship.

Somebody is going to get killed out there. I've said it a hundred times, thought it a thousand. The only question was, what ballplayer would have to die on the mound before something was done to protect pitchers? The issue, in the news again after Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ was felled by a line drive Tuesday night, is personal with me because it happened to my son Matt. Twice. He was struck in the face by a line drive in a high school game and on the side of the head during a scrimmage in college.

By the time she was 10, Samantha Mae Coyiuto was a published author in the Philippines. By the time she was 16, she had four children's books published. Now she's 18 and goes by just Mae and is a student at Pomona-Pitzer, where she plays for the women's tennis team, ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division III. Playing mostly No. 2 in singles as a freshman this year, Coyiuto is 21-5, best on the team. No one else on the team has more than 13 singles wins. She rarely plays doubles but is 4-1 when she does.

Ask Mike Trout about the two hits, two runs and one stolen base he had Sunday and he'll point you to two other numbers, the ones that showed the Angels had lost again. Ask him about the recent six-game tear in which he had four two-hit games and 10 runs batted in and he'll remind you the Angels won only two of those games. And should you bring up the fact he leads the team in RBIs, steals, doubles, triples and runs he'll tell you the Angels are nine games under .500 for the first time in nearly seven years.

If the first bargaining session in eight days between the NHL and the players' association made any headway, neither side tipped its hand. A large contingent of players got together with league leadership in New York on Monday night and met for less than two hours. Not a whole lot was accomplished on the road to a new agreement that could get the hockey season going, but at least there was optimism that the sides would get together again - probably as soon as Tuesday. The league contends that it is waiting for the players to present a full proposal on all of the major issues - including core economics and player contracting, which deals with the entry-level system, arbitration and free agency.

In recent years, California has become a favorite venue for workers' compensation claims by athletes with only tenuous ties to the Golden State. Many former pros have won six-figure awards for injuries built up over time even though they've never lived or worked in the state, except to train or play the occasional game here. In some cases, judges have even granted them awards over and above the ones they've already obtained in their home states. Clearly the system needs to be fixed, and five professional sports leagues have stepped forward to say so. But lawmakers shouldn't close the courthouse door completely to athletes who don't feel the brunt of their injuries until long after their playing days are over.

Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney wound up tied for the lead Saturday in the Wells Fargo Championship, minus much separation from the rest of the field. Mickelson hit a shot out-of-bounds on the 15th hole and hit another shot that struck a spectator in the head, costing him three shots over the last four holes at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., in his round of one-over 73. Watney hit a semi-shank with a six-iron on the par-three 17th, took double bogey and had to settle for a 71. It felt like a small consolation that they were tied at eight-under 208, one shot ahead of George McNeill , who had his share of trouble down the stretch for a 72. Instead of pulling away from the pack, their mistakes in a wild final hour allowed a dozen players to get within three shots of the lead.