Eagles: : Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has taken an indefinite leave of absence while he continues treatment for a cancerous tumor on his spine. Johnson, 67, complained of back pain in early January. He coached from the press box in a playoff win over the New York Giants and in the Eagles' loss to the Cardinals in the NFC championship. A magnetic resonance imaging after the playoff win against the Giants on Jan. 11 alerted doctors that something might be wrong.
Steelers: : James Harrison plans to pass on another trip to the White House with Pittsburgh. Harrison, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, said he'll skip the Super Bowl champions' visit to the White House to meet President Barack Obama on Thursday, just as he did when the Steelers were honored by President George W. Bush in June 2006. Harrison told Pittsburgh station WTAE-TV he doesn't believe the invitation is all that special, saying if the Steelers hadn't beaten the Cardinals, Arizona would have been invited.
Monday Night Football: : Former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden is replacing Tony Kornheiser on ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team. Kornheiser cited a fear of flying in his decision to leave after three years. The network said Monday that Gruden will be in the booth with Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski when the show starts its 40th season this fall.
Owners meetings: : NFL owners will award the 2013 Super Bowl to New Orleans, Glendale, Ariz., or South Florida - where their spring meetings will take place in Fort Lauderdale this week. And while nothing as definitive as selecting a Super Bowl site is expected, the owners could vote on a proposal to expand the regular season to 17 or 18 games.
NBA
Playoff game conflicts with pro wrestling show
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to be at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Monday night. Problem is, so are John Cena and a bunch of wrestlers. World Wrestling Entertainment says it is booked at the arena for an episode of Monday Night Raw, the same night the Nuggets are slated to host the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman said the organization secured the Pepsi Center on Aug. 15 and has already sold more than 10,000 tickets for the event. He said the organization expects a sellout. NBA spokesman Mark Broussard said the league was looking into the conflict.
