SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) - Real Salt Lake will see if the presence of Ritchie Kotschau can help solve its defensive woes.

Kotschau, a veteran defender of 224 career MLS games, was acquired by Real Salt Lake on Thursday.

A member of the Chicago Fire’s 1998 MLS Cup title squad, Kotschau was awarded to Real Salt Lake after clearing waivers from expansion Toronto FC. He never played for the Canadian team after being selected in the expansion draft.

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SAN FRANCISCO — Sam Kagel, the mediator who helped resolve the 1982 NFLstrike, has died. He was 98.

He died May 21 in San Francisco of old age, his son, John Kagel, saidThursday.

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By John Curtis Special to PA SportsTicker

LONDON (Ticker) - John Terry has welcomed David Beckham’s return to England soccer squad and will happily temporarily hand back the captaincy if the Real Madrid star reaches 100 caps for his country.

Beckham notched his 94th cap in the World Cup quarterfinal loss to Portugal last summer but has had to wait 11 months to add to that tally after being overlooked by new England manager Steve McClaren.

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OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators need a big change in a hurry. They could startby remembering the inspirational words of Roger Neilson.

The NHL’s “Captain Video,” for pioneering the use of game video as acoaching technique, and a hockey Hall of Famer, Neilson’s presence is still heldin high regard in Ottawa four years since the Senators assistant coach diedafter a long battle with cancer. There’s a portrait of Neilson that hangs in theSenators assistant coach’s box at Scotiabank Place, and another one in theplayers’ room.

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SAN DIEGO — With the NCAA baseball regionals coming to San Diego for thefirst time, Tony Gwynn pitched in to help tidy up Tony Gwynn Stadium.

“The field is plush,” the Hall of Famer-elect said proudly about the sweetlittle ballpark at San Diego State. “I think the place is going to be packed.”

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INDIANAPOLIS — Jim O’Brien was hired Thursday as coach of the IndianaPacers, who turned to an NBA veteran in hopes of reviving a team that missed theplayoffs for the first time in a decade and has been beset by turmoil.

The announcement ends a five-week search that began with the firing of RickCarlisle after four seasons.

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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Justin Miller’s playful personality and smile were tuckedaway for a few minutes while he spoke briefly about his recent arrest.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, and right now, it’s a legal matter that Ican’t discuss, but I’d like to reiterate my apology to my team, the organizationand my family,” the New York Jets cornerback said quietly Thursday aftervoluntary team workouts.

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NEW YORK (Ticker) - After getting off to strong start, Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls has been named MLS Player of the Month for May.

It is the first MLS Player of the Month award for Angel, who also won his first Player of the Week award in Week 7.

The 31-year-old Colombian scored three goals and added two assists in his first three games of the season, helping the Red Bulls post a 2-1-1 mark in May. New York is tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with the New England Revolution.

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NEW ORLEANS — A study of more than 2,500 retired NFL players found thatthose who had at least three concussions during their careers had triple therisk of clinical depression as those who had no concussions.

Those who recalled one or two concussions were 1 1/2 times more likely to bediagnosed with depression, said Kevin Guskiewicz, research director of theUniversity of North Carolina’s Center for the Study of Retired Athletes.

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PITTSBURGH — That’s Crosby, with a C.

Sidney Crosby, already the youngest player in NHL history to get 100 pointsin a season and to win a scoring title, is now the youngest to wear thecaptain’s C on his sweater. The Pittsburgh Penguins gave the 19-year-old Crosbythe long-anticipated title Thursday, months after they initially wanted to doso.

At the All-Star break in January, general manager Ray Shero asked Crosby ifhe wanted to take on the responsibility of being a team captain while still ateenager. With the Penguins streaking at the time, Crosby didn’t feel the timingwas right. Now, he does.

“I understand there is going to be a lot more responsibility on myshoulders with this, but it’s something I’m ready for,” Crosby said. “I feelvery comfortable with it and I’m just excited to get things going.”

The Penguins’ timing was more than coincidental. Crosby was 19 years and 297days old when he became a captain; previously, the youngest captain in leaguehistory was Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier (19 years, 324 days). Crosby wouldnot have been the youngest had the Penguins waited until the season started inOctober to give him the C, as he turns 20 on Aug. 7.

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