Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Thursday after Major League Baseball, guardian of America’s most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed linebacker James Farrior to a five-year, $18.2 million contract extension that includes a $5 million signing bonus.

Virginian LaShawn Merritt has upset defending champion Jeremy Wariner to lead a U.S. sweep of the medals in the 400 meters at the Olympics.

The United States won the gold medal in women’s eight rowing, finally knocking off Romania and another crew for a win in the sport’s signature event.

Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the victorious U.S. 400-meter medley relay team.

Midfielder Angela Hucles, a former University of Virginia standout, scored the winning goal in the Peace Queen Cup final in South Korea in June — on a set piece that might normally have gone through Abby Wambach.

The past and future of Virginia athletics will be on display at the National Aquatics Center during the Beijing Olympics.

“People have no idea that CVa kids, rowing here in the reservoir — that they’re world-class athletes,” said Kevin Sauer recently.

As the makeup of the United States women’s basketball team shifts to a younger generation, legendary guard Dawn Staley is going through some changes of her own.

When you get the chance, watch Adam Nelson at work. 

It wasn’t always this way. Rivals once cast envious eyes upon Kansas City’s offensive line. 

Former U.S. national team captain Claudio Reyna retired Wednesday, less than two seasons after returning from Europe to join Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.

The Sacramento Kings picked the Philadelphia native in the second round with the 42nd overall pick.

With Jesse Smith, Hank Kim and Andy Bare just halfway through the back nine, Michael Sims was forced to wait things out on the clubhouse patio before beginning any celebrations. It wasn’t long until the round was up, and by the time the last group came in, Sims was still on top.

While the last hole of the day may leave a bitter taste, Smith heads into the last two days of the Classic 11 strokes under par, good enough for a two-stroke lead.

After the first round ended, David Robinson was tied atop the leaderboard with Andy Bare, who also posted a 65. Both were just a shot off the course record of 64 set during last year’s inaugural Spring Creek Classic. Both Bare and Robinson have already won a pair of events on the tour this season, with Bare winning last week’s Warrior Classic in China Grove, N.C.

The top four money winners on the Tarheel Tour will tee it up with 148 of their closest friends — or at least competitors — today in the second annual Spring Creek Classic at the Spring Creek Golf Club.

In Gordonsville, Longwood junior Adam Webb shot a second-round 72 to take a one-shot lead at the Cannon Cup at Spring Creek Golf Course.

Ever since Alexis Gordon turned pro in January, she and her coach/boyfriend Michael King have had one goal in mind.

When told that she would be playing Alexis Gordon today in the final of the Boyd Tinsley USTA Women’s Pro Tennis Championships, Olga Puchkova sounded confused.

Her suitcase was packed with two types of clothes: those to play tennis in and those to hit the town in. That was the original plan when Bethanie Mattek went to the Australian Open in 2004.

Attention University of Virginia athletes (male ones): Olga Puchkova would love an autographed jersey. Puchkova, the No. 2 seed at this week’s Boyd Tinsley USTA Women’s Pro Tennis Championships, is an avid collector.

At one point or another, every player in the field at the Boyd Tinsley USTA Women’s Pro Tennis Championships made a life-changing decision. Essentially, Kimberly Couts made her career choice at the ripe age of 7.

“The head coach at Cal…it was a bunch of [bleep],” Alexandra Podkolzina said. “I’m not going to go into it, but it’s the best school. It’s the No. 1 public school in the country.”

A decade ago, the knee injury that all athletes dreaded was the torn anterior cruciate ligament. Today, it’s been replaced by a scarier one — an injury that requires microfracture surgery.

She first came to Charlottesville as a fragile teenager forced to grow up by seeking her fortune as a budding international tennis player. At 14, Varvara Lepchenko and her father came to the U.S. to seek political asylum and to make a living playing tennis. They left behind their country, war-strifed Uzbekistan, which was plagued by civil conflict. They also left behind Lepchenko’s mother.

With so many participants in the Greene Hill Invitational complaining about the windy conditions on Saturday, Mother Nature gave the golfers some much needed change.

The 2008 Battle Trophy race is on.

Jerry Burton, a former professional out of Williamsburg, burst onto the local scene last year after regaining his amateur status. The Spring Creek member has been impressive in his short time in Central Virginia, making it to the finals of last fall’s match play championships before losing to eventual champion Bowen Sargent.