Sports briefs

PENN STATE

Mourners remember JoePa

Students and townspeople in State College, Pa., stood in a line more than a quarter-mile long to pay their respects to Joe Paterno's closed brown casket Tuesday.

It was the first of three days of public mourning. There is another public viewing today, and after that, Paterno's family will hold a private funeral and procession through State College. Thursday, the school's basketball arena will be the site of a public service called "A Memorial for Joe." Tickets were quickly snapped up.

NFL

Raiders pick Allen

Fox Sports and ESPN reported that the Oakland Raiders agreed to hire Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their new head coach, breaking a more than three-decade stretch of offensive-minded head coaches for the franchise. Details still were being worked out.

NBA

Wizards fire Saunders

Flip Saunders was fired as coach of the NBA-worst Washington Wizards and replaced by assistant Randy Wittman. The Wizards fell to 2-15 this season, and Saunders, in his third year, was 51-130.

NHL

Ovie to skip All-Star Game

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is skipping the NHL All-Star Game, a decision he announced a day after getting a three-game suspension from the league for a hit on an opponent.

-- AP

MEDIA

Jones to leave YES

Kimberly Jones, YES' lead pregame and postgame reporter for the past seven years, will not return to the network for the 2012 season. YES had offered Jones a new contract, and the parting was amicable. Spokesman Eric Handler said YES is "looking at a number of options" to fill Jones' job. Jack Curry will remain in his current role as a studio analyst at the network.