MathewFinger

Philadelphia Eagles legend Chuck Bednarik was admitted to a hospital for tests this week, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Thursday.

Bednarik's son-in-law, Ken Safarowic, downplayed the seriousness of the situation, denying Wednesday's rumors that the Hall of Fame linebacker had suffered a heart attack and was on life support.

Safarowic said his father-in-law was rushed to a Lehigh Valley hospital Tuesday after experiencing shortness of breath and a drop in blood pressure, and feeling faint. But he said the 85-year-old Bednarik is conscious, communicating and is "as feisty as ever."

Safarowic said doctors were still performing tests and had not yet arrived at a diagnosis, but told him that Bednarik's heart is OK.

"He is about as healthy as you can be at this stage," Safarowic said, adding that he expects Bednarik to be released from the hospital within the next day or so.

"He's going to cold-cock someone if they don't let him out soon ... He was angry that he could not go to Mass today. Lying around at this stage of the game does not agree with him."

Bednarik was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 after playing on two title-winning teams during his career with the Eagles from 1946-62.

The Pennsylvania native is best known for his crushing hit on Giants running back Frank Gifford in 1960, which knocked Gifford out of football for more than a year and ultimately cut short his Hall of Fame career.

WASHINGTON -- Pittsburgh got exactly what it wanted and what it needed from North Carolina-Ashville in its opening game of the NCAA tournament, a 74-51 win.balklänningar

The Panthers got enough of a game to keep them focused and sharp but didn't get too much of a challenge to force them to exert any more energy than they had to.

Although Pittsburgh allowed UNC-Ashville to climb to within three points early in the second half, guard Ashton Gibbs took it upon himself to quickly give the Panthers a spurt that enabled them to remain comfortable for the final 15 minutes.

Gibbs had 20 points in the half and 26 overall hitting 6-of-9 threes. Teammates Gilbert Brown and Gary McGhee combined for 20 rebounds leading to Pitt's 50-27 advantage.

Pittsburgh now plays Butler who defeated Old Dominon 60-58 and coach Jamie Dixon expects another Big East-style matchup from the Horizon League champions who finished second to Duke in last year's title game.

"I know they are very good and very balanced,"said Dixon who admitted that he had only seen them play a couple of times. "They are very physical and very aggressive on the ball. They are as physical of a team we'll play all year. Probably the most physical."balklänning

The tournament for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, which runs from June 5-25, features 12 teams in three groups of four with the top eight teams advancing to the knockout quarter-finals.

Five times winners Mexico were drawn in a tough Group A with El Salvador, Costa Rica and Cuba.

Mexico's opener against Salvador on June 5 is expected to attract a massive crowd at the Dallas Cowboys' 100,000-seat, state-of-the-art venue in suburban Arlington that also played host to this year's Super Bowl.

Honduras, who qualified for last year's World Cup in South Africa, are strong favorites to top Group B where they will face Guatemala, Jamaica and Grenada.

Coach Bob Bradley's United States club, four-times Gold Cup champions, should have little trouble emerging from a relatively easy Group C that includes Canada, Panama and Guadeloupe.

The Americans will face their northern neighbors at Ford Field in Detroit on June 7.

The tournament, played in 13 stadiums and 11 cities across the United States, climaxes with the final on June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

What now for Toronto FC?

Already severely lacking in numbers, TFC’s preparations for the 2011 Major League Soccer season have taken a further hit with Thursday’s news that defender Adrian Cann, the club’s most valuable player last campaign, has decided to fly home from preseason training after failing to agree on a new contract.

The Canadian international’s timing could not be worse, but he clearly felt, with just over two weeks to go until the MLS season opener in Vancouver against the Whitecaps, that here was the opportune moment to put pressure on club management to force through an improvement to his four-year deal. The club agreed to offer a new contract, but the terms were clearly not to Cann’s liking. The Thornhill, Ont., native made $65,342 (U.S.) last season.

The resulting absence leaves TFC with just four established defenders on the club’s roster, including TFC Academy graduate Doneil Henry, and comes just one day after the oft-injured Gambian defender Emmanuel Gomez was cut loose.

And the picture gets no rosier further up the field, with seven midfielders and just one striker - Maicon Santos - currently signed to deals.

First-year head coach Aron Winter has been busy experimenting with a number of trialists in a bid to pad out the roster, but with time clearly of the essence fans will just have to wait nervously to see what kind of first XI he unleashes at Empire Field in Vancouver on March 19.