St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • B02

SPORTS 1 TUESDAY 08.02.2016 B2 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH NFL NOTEBOOK ROAD CALENDAR Cardinals cardinals.com 1 314-345-9000 Bills sign running back Bush Tuesday 82 Wednesday 83 Thursday 84 Friday 85 at Cincinnati at Cincinnati at Cincinnati vs. Atlanta 6:10 p.m. 6:10 p.m. 11:35 a.m.

7:15 p.m. FS1 FSM FSM FSM -1 OTHER EVENTS UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE ST. LOUIS FC (home games: KTRS-550) Wed. 83: vs. Kansas City, 7 p.m.

Sat. 813: vs. Sacramento, 7:30 p.m. FRONTIER LEAGUE BASEBALL HOME GAMES GATEWAY: Wed. 83: vs.

Traverse City, 6:05 Thu. 84: vs. Traverse City, 6:05 RIVER CITY: Fri. 85: vs. Washington, 6:35 Sat.

86: vs. Washington, 6:35 FAIRMOUNT PARK HORSE RACING Live racing: 1 p.m. Tuesdays and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays. Simulcasting: 11 a.m.-ll:30 p.m.

daily. TICKET INFORMATION Cardinals 314-345-9000 Rascals 636-240-2287 Grizzlies 618-337-3000 Blues 314-622-2583 Illinois 217-333-3470 Mizzou 800-228-7297 SLU 314-977-4758 SIUE 855-748-3849 Ambush 636-477-6363 Raiders 636-294-9662 STL FC 636-680-0997 Fairmount 314-436-1516 618-345-4300 FT I I I i ON THE AIR BASEBALL 6:10 p.m. MLB: Cardinals at Reds, FS1, KMOX (1120 AM) 7 p.m. Big League World Series (youth baseball): Championship game, U.S. West vs.

Asia-Pacific, ESPN2 9:05 p.m. MLB: Red Sox at Mariners, MLB Network BASKETBALL 'I nil" W-P- y- nr" iiiiiim II CHRIS LEE is carted off the field after suffering a knee injury when he slipped on St. Louis. He now says he is at 100 percent as he joins the Buffalo Bills. 6 p.m.

The Basketball Tournament: Championship, Colorado vs. Overseas Elite, ESPN CYCLING 2 p.m. SOCCER 2:15 p.m. 4:15 p.m. Tour of Utah: Stage 2, FS1 COTIF L'Alcudia U-20: Semifinal, COTIF L'Alcudia U-20: Semifinal, CBSSN CBSSN Reggie Bush, then with the 49ers, concrete last year while playing in Veteran coming off injury in St.

Louis FROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS Running back Reggie Bush wasn't going to let a freak accident on the concrete surface ringing the Edward Jones Dome field in St. Louis end his career. Declaring his surgically repaired left knee loo percent, Bush eagerly looked forward to the opportunity of playing an nth NFL season and on his fifth team after signing a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on Monday. "I'm in shape. I'm full strength.

I'm ready to go," Bush said during a news conference at the Bills' training camp facility in suburban Rochester, N.Y. "It feels good to be back on a team and back to playing football." Bush, 31, has reason to be upbeat some nine months since tearing his meniscus ligament in St. Louis, which led to him filing a lawsuit against the operators of the building. The injury happened while he was pushed out of bounds while returning a punt and lost his footing on the concrete before sliding into the padded wall of the stands. "I thought my career could be over.

Those were my initial thoughts," said Bush, who was with the San Francisco 49ers at the time. Instead, Bush joins a Rex Ryan-coached, run -first -oriented offense that led the league in rushing last season, and a team with a hole to fill in its return game. The question is how much Bush has left in him after injuries hampered much of his career since being selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft. Bush has played 16 games in a season just twice and been limited to playing 29 games over the past three years.

When healthy, Bush is a dynamic threat as a rusher, receiver and returner. He's topped 1,000 yards rushing twice, most recently in 2013, when he had 1,006 yards in 14 games with Detroit. Buffalo lacked a return specialist last season and failed to address the need this offseason. Bush has been used mostly as a punt returner. His best season came in 2008 with New Orleans, when he returned 20 punts for 270 yards and scored three of his four career touchdowns.

He can also provide experienced depth behind LeSean McCoy. Backup Karlos Williams will miss the first four games of the season after the NFL suspended him for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. The remainder of Buffalo's backfield is made up of mostly unproven players. Cards banged up Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said wide receiver John Brown will be sidelined while undergoing the concussion protocol. Brown was hurt when his head slammed into the turf during a collision with corner -back Patrick Peterson at Sunday's practice.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins broke a bone in his right hand in practice on Saturday and, Arians said, was Rams' Gaines off to good start in comeback bid DIGEST Former Buffs coach McCartney has Alzheimer's The family of Bill McCartney says the former Colorado football coaching great was recently diagnosed with late-onset dementia and Alzheimer's. Family members said in a statement that McCartney is "still the same 'Coach Mac' biking, golfing, supporting the Buffaloes and being an active member of his church." Therefore, the statement continued, "We are making this public to ask for your understanding and patience as we know he frequently runs into fans, friends and former players. This is a frustrating and confusing disease, and if he appears disconnected or unknowing, please don't take it personally." McCartney, who turns 76 this month, led the Buffaloes to their only national championship, in 1990 the year they beat Missouri in the infamous "fifth down" game, in which the officials lost track of the downs and Colorado scored the winning touchdown, on the final play of the game, after having spiked the ball on fourth down. McCartney is the winningest coach in Colorado history (93-55-5) and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Another member of that exclusive club is former Colorado star defender Alfred Williams, who played on that national championship team and later won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos.

Now a radio broadcaster, Williams said that McCartney's illness was no secret to "the Colorado football family," which has known about the situation for a couple of years. He said McCartney has told him of his short-term memory troubles in the past. "But when it was reported today, it was also reported that it was getting worse. And I think that is a surprise to all of us because 'Mac' has always been the strongest and most fit man that we've known," Williams said. Following his retirement from coaching, McCartney went to work full-time for Promise Keepers, a Christian organization he helped to create in 1990, to help enrich men's lives.

He remains active in its mission today. (AP) Mizzou softball pitcher transfers to Minnesota Tori Finucane, a two-time All-SEC performer and the league's top freshman in 2014, has transferred to Minnesota, the Big Ten school announced Monday. Finucane was 21-6 with a 1.73 ERA as a freshman in 2014 when she earned first-team All-SEC honors and was named the league's freshman of the year. She dealt with some injuries this past season and started only seven games and pitched only 37 23 innings, finishing 0-3 with a 5.39 ERA. Finucane is the second pitcher to leave Mizzou's program in recent weeks, following Paige Lowary, the team's top starter in 2016, who transferred to Oklahoma last month.

(Dave Matter) Southwind Frank, Bar Hopping are Hambletonian favorites Southwind Frank was listed as the 45 early favorite in the second of two Hambletonian eliminations on Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack, in East Rutherford, N.J. The top five finishers in each $70,000 elimination return later that afternoon in the $1 million final for 3-year-old trotters, America's top harness racing event of the year. Bar Hopping is the 95 favorite in the other elimination of the event. Southwind Frank, the season-long favorite to capture the Hambletonian, enters the trotting classic fresh from a victory here in the slop last weekend at the Meadowlands in the Reynolds Memorial Stakes. Bar Hopping was the winner of the only two races that Southwind Frank lost.

(AP) Coyotes dump Vermette The NHL's Arizona Coyotes bought out the final year of center Antoine Vermette's contract, making the 34-year-old a free agent. Instead of counting $3.75 million against the salary cap, Vermette will count $1.25 million each of the next two seasons as Arizona looks to get younger. Vermette proved to be a valuable asset for the Coyotes at the 2015 trade deadline when they sent him to Chicago for a first-round pick and defensive prospect Klas Dahlbeck. The Coyotes re-signed Vermette last summer and he had 17 goals and 21 assists in 76 games last season. (AP) Sabres' Kane pleads not guilty Forward Evander Kane of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he grabbed three women during an altercation at a local bar in June.

His next court date was set for Sept. 9. Kane, who turns 25 Tuesday, was charged with non-criminal harassment, disorderly conduct and trespass and was released after being processed. He scored 20 goals and added 15 assists in 65 games last season. He has two years remaining on his contract.

(AP) Blue Jackets add Gagner The NHL's Columbus Bluejackets signed forward Sam Gagner to a $650,000, one-year deal. Gagner spent last season with Philadelphia, accumulating eight goals and eight assists in 53 games. (AP) I'-i-i ih Yt I Li i. Li LI to undergo surgery Monday. Arians said Jenkins should be back practicing while wearing a cast in two to three weeks.

Arians also said right guard Evan Mathis left Sunday's practice due to left leg fatigue. Mathis underwent ankle surgery on the same leg in the offseason. Chargers lose WR Johnson Chargers coach Mike McCoy said wide receiver Stevie Johnson needs surgery for his injured right knee, and the severity of the injury won't be known until after the surgery which is to take place in the next few days. Johnson was hurt during practice on Sunday. Area players are signed The Seattle Seahawks have signed former University of Missouri and Eureka High School tight end Clayton Echard to a free -agent deal.

He made his first start last season from MU and caught two passes for 14 yards. The Seahawks are practicing without Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, who's on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from a knee injury. Harvey Binford became the first player from Lindenwood University-Belleville to sign an NFL contract when the wide receiver from East St. Louis joined Green Bay for training camp. Binford played for the Lynx in 2012-13, catching 43 passes and nine touchdowns, including the first TD in program history in 2012.

He played with the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul the past two seasons. where I start, it's more like where you finish," Gaines said. Gaines said his first day of practice, Saturday, felt like his first day as a rookie in 2014. "I've just got to come here and reprove myself every day, and just show 'em that I haven't lost a step," Gaines said. "I'm very anxious.

Every day's an interview like (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams says. And I'm just excited to come out here and interview well for everyone." After missing so much time, Gaines realizes it'll take a while to get his legs under him. "But I'll definitely be ready for Week One," he said. In the meantime, Gaines has another mouth to feed with the offseason arrival of his first child, Edwin Bernard Gaines III. "We call him Gaines said.

(If you're wondering, the in E.J. stands for Junior.) Gaines says he's changing his share of diapers and reports that Tre is working on his backpedal. "Six months, and he's already working on it," Gaines said. Jim Thomas (epjthoml on Twitter ASSOCIATED PRESS The Rams' E.J. Gaines (right) breaks up a pass intended for the Cardinals' John Brown in a game in 2014.

Gaines missed all of last season because of a broken foot but is back in camp with the team now. FOOTBALL FROM Bl would' ve retained the starting job, and Johnson wouldn't be making all that money. "Man, that's God's work, ain't it?" Gaines asked, laughing. "I'm excited for him. I'm glad that he proved himself last year and had a great season.

I'm excited 'cause I think he's gonna do the same thing. I've talked to him and his head's on the same level as last year." Gaines and his teammates have done their part to make sure of that, teasing Johnson about his big contract. "You know, everybody gives him a little (grief)," Gaines chuckled. "He's the 'Money Man' in the corner room now. So that's what we call him." As for Gaines, he's determined to make sure nobody forgets about him this season.

It's almost a year ago to the day that Gaines suffered a fractured foot during practice at the team's Earth City facility in the St. Louis area. "August 3, 2015," Gaines said. "I'll never forget the day, so I'm just trying to get past that. It was one-on-ones, and I just cut on it wrong coming out of a break.

It was a freak accident." He had surgery a week later, with two screws inserted in the mid-foot area; one of which still is in there. Mid-foot injuries can be tricky and take a while to heal. "I tried to just focus on the positive," Gaines said. "I knew if I worked hard and got back mentally and physically I'd be fine. And the coaches, they pushed me over the offseason.

So I've just got to thank them for that having the confidence in me." During practices in June, Gaines still was very much in rehab mode. He'd get in a practice rep here and there, but that was about it. A Kansas City native who was first-team in both the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences while at Mizzou, Gaines wasn't given full medical clearance until a few days before the now-Los Angeles Rams reported for training camp Friday. He excelled in his conditioning tests and got off to a good start in training camp over the weekend at the University of California, Irvine, where the Rams are holding camp for the first time since 1994. "We're not giving him the number of reps, for a week or so, that he ordinarily would get," coach Jeff Fisher said.

"But he gives us the opportunity to have him in a position to win that job back and compete there. In addition to that, we know that he can come inside and play in the slot, because he proved that his rookie year." With Janoris Jenkins off to the New York Giants in free agency, the Rams need Gaines more at cornerback. To open camp, Gaines has been working with the second unit on defense. Third-year man Lamarcus Joyner has been lining up at the starting corner, opposite Johnson. When the Rams go to their nickel package, Joyner has moved inside to cover the slot receiver, with free -agent pickup Coty Sen-sabaugh moving into the right cornerback spot with the starting unit.

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