AP - Losing for the first time since 2000, the U.S. softball team was denied a chance for a fourth straight gold medal Thursday, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years — and maybe for good.

AP - Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died. He was 63.

AP - Outplayed and overwhelmed for most of the night, the Americans got the only shot they needed.

AP - Tyson Gay reached back to grab the baton "and there was nothing." He's not the only American track favorite who will leave Beijing empty-handed. The American men's and women's 400-meter relay teams both misconnected on the final handoffs in their preliminaries Thursday, a pair of stunning setbacks that made it that much easier for the Jamaicans to say the Bird's Nest is really their house.

Reuters - Pro Football Hall of Famer and longtime head of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Gene Upshaw has died after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the NFLPA announced on Thursday. He was 63.

AP - Clay Bennett's ownership group has reached a final settlement with the city of Seattle, allowing the former SuperSonics franchise to move to Oklahoma City.

AFP - Fabio Capello insists England are ready for next month's World Cup qualifiers despite his side's lacklustre display in a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic.

AP - Scott Gordon faced a probing question in the time between accepting the job as head coach of the New York Islanders and his introductory news conference.

AFP - Second seed Daniela Hantuchova earned a dramatic victory here on Wednesday to slip into the quarter-finals of the WTA and ATP tournament.