opening day

Nikolay Davydenko takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the opening day of the Masters Cup in Shanghai.

Opening day is the most serious time for upsets. Everyone knows that because I just made it up myself. The only form chart is what's been scraped together from the results of the exhibition games.

No one knows whether or not the hotshot rookies can really play, or if they've just been making their reputation against reserves.

Sweden's Robert Karlsson and India's Jeev Milkha Singh share a one-shot lead after the opening day of the USPGA at Oakland Hills.

The lack of offers to Barry Bonds will be examined by the baseball players' association as part of its annual review of the free-agent market.

Less than two weeks before opening day, the 43-year-old home run king remains unsigned. "He's in playing shape right now.

He just hasn't hit off live pitching," Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, said Tuesday. "I've had conversations with Barry.

It would probably take him about two weeks to get ready.

The lack of offers to Barry Bonds will be examined by the baseball players' association as part of its annual review of the free-agent market.

Less than two weeks before opening day, the 43-year-old home run king remains unsigned. "He's in playing shape right now.

He just hasn't hit off live pitching," Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, said Tuesday.

Major League Baseball has taken no steps to discipline players mentioned in the Mitchell Report since the detailed account of drug use was released three months ago.

That makes it increasingly unlikely players will be punished before opening day. No players have been called in for investigatory interviews since Cleveland pitcher Paul Byrd spoke with baseball lawyers Dec.

"That is unprecedented. I have been here 32 years, and for 25 of those I have been part of this, and I have never seen anything like it as far as hunting tentatives go"

Opening day of most Montana hunting seasons probably will stay the same next year. via Montana Standard

Erik Bedard has agreed to a $7 million, one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners, avoiding arbitration with the team that acquired him last week.

Mariners manager John McLaren already has picked Bedard to start on opening day. Bedard was 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA last year for Baltimore.

The 28-year-old left-hander was asking for $8 million in arbitration.