NFL: Favre likely not to miss start
Packers quarterback Brett Favre, knocked out of the Packers’ 37-27 loss at Dallas with elbow and shoulder injuries, is expected to start against the Raiders on Dec. 9 and keep alive his record streak for consecutive starts, according to coach Mike McCarthy.
The streak, which dates to 1992, stands at 249 games (269 including playoffs) and is a league record for quarterbacks.
* Donovan McNabb is doubtful for the Eagles’ game against Seattle tomorrow after missing practice again.
The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback has been sidelined since spraining his right ankle and injuring his thumb in a win over the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 18.
* Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander will start tomorrow at Philadelphia after practicing for a third straight day following a 31/2-week absence with a sprained knee.
TENNIS: USA leads Davis Cup final
In Portland, Ore., James Blake held off feisty Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3) to give the United States a 2-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup final.
Blake’s victory got the U.S. within one win of its first Davis Cup title since 1995. Earlier, Andy Roddick cruised past Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the opening match on the hard court at Memorial Coliseum.
Top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan face Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev in doubles today, before reverse singles tomorrow in the best-of-five final.
BASEBALL: Percival signs with Rays
Spurning suitors that included the Yankees, Troy Percival, the 38-year-old reliever agreed to an $8 million, two-year contract with the Tampa Bay, which needed to upgrade one of the worst bullpens in the major leagues.
* Kenny Rogers, the 43-year-old left-hander, ended his free agency when he agreed to an $8 million, one-year deal that will keep him with the Tigers for a third season.
COLLEGE GRID: Report: ‘Huskers tab Pelini
Nebraska interim athletic director Tom Osborne refused to comment on a report that LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will be introduced as the school’s coach next week. ESPN.com, citing multiple unnamed sources, reported Pelini will coach the Tigers’ defense in the SEC championship game against Tennessee today, and travel to Lincoln for an announcement Monday.
* In Las Cruces, N.M., Anthony Harding had a career-high 121 yards rushing on a slipperfy field to help Fresno State beat New Mexico State 30-23.
The Bulldogs (8-4, 6-2 Western Athletic Conference) improved to 14-0 all-time against New Mexico State (4-9, 1-7).
NHL: Magnuson family wins suit
In Clayton, Mo., a jury awarded $9.5 million to the family of Keith Magnuson in a wrongful-death lawsuit involving former NHL player Rob Ramage, whose 2003 drunken driving accident resulted in the death of the former Blackhawks star. Magnuson’s wife and two children filed the suit against Ramage and National Car Rentals of Canada.
Magnuson was a passenger in the rental car driven by Ramage that was involved in a head-on collision in suburban Toronto as the men were returning from a funeral on Dec. 15, 2003. Magnuson died at the scene. He was 56.
NBA: LeBron sits out
Cavaliers forward LeBron James sat out with a sprained left index finger during last night’s 91-82 loss to the Raptors, who were without forward Chris Bosh because of a strained groin.
COLLEGE HOOP: Iona holds off Delaware
In New Rochelle, Kyle Camper‘s 3-pointer with 50 seconds left led Iona (1-6) past Delaware (0-4) 57-52.
* In Fairfield, Conn., Luke Granato scored 16 points as Sacred Heart (1-6) beat Columbia 75-59. Niko Scott led Columbia (2-5) with a career-high 19 points.