Sports briefs

SPORTS MEDIA

News Corp nears deal on YES

News Corp. is nearing a deal to buy a significant stake in the YES Network, The New York Times reported Wednesday night. The company, which is deeply involved in local sports television through its Fox regional sports network, has been in talks for weeks about securing a piece of YES, but it would not come from the Yankees themselves, who are expected to retain their one-third ownership. Goldman Sachs, which owns about 40 percent of YES, has been shopping its ownership stake on and off for years and would sell to News Corp. if the deal is finalized. YES' value has been estimated at $3 billion.

SOCCER

U.S. ties Russia in friendly

Mix Diskerud scored his first international goal in the third minute of injury time, giving the United States a 2-2 tie against Russia Wednesday in an exhibition game in Krasnodar. Michael Bradley, who scored in the 76th minute, sent a long ball into the penalty area toward Terrence Boyd, who was battling defender Sergei Ignashevich. The ball rebounded off Ignashevich to Diskerud, who had entered in the 87th minute. He bounced a 20-yard, right-footed shot in off a hand of goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov.

NHL

Nothing doing with talks

Now the NHL and the locked-out players' association aren't even talking by phone. With the lockout about to enter its third month, communications between the fighting sides have come to a halt with no clear sign of what the next step will be or when it will be taken. "No, we have not communicated today," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press yesterday in an email. "No meetings scheduled, and no plans to meet." After four straight days of negotiations in New York last week, talks broke off angrily Friday night. There was a short discussion on player contract terms Sunday.

LANCE ARMSTRONG

Charity drops cyclist's name

Lance Armstrong's cancer fighting charity has formally dropped him from its name and officially will be known as the Livestrong Foundation. The move is the latest of several by the charity to separate itself from its founder, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. The U.S. Anti-doping agency revealed evidence of performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 10 Florida beats Wisconsin

Erik Murphy scored 24 points for No. 10 Florida as it beat No. 22 Wisconsin, 74-56. Murphy made all 10 of his shots.

-- APLACROSSE

Lizards plan storm relief effort

The Long Island Lizards will host a clinic that will benefit Hurricane Sandy Long Island Disaster Relief Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. at Maud Sherwood Elementary School in Islip. Registration for children K-12 is $35 with all proceeds going to relief efforts. The Islip school district also asks that participants bring nonperishable food items.