Garrison Hearst

Maybe you saw it on TV during the football playoffs. San Francisco's Garrison Hearst broke his ankle in a game. It looked gross and painful.And maybe next season you'll see Hearst trot onto the field like nothing happened. What you won't see is how many hours he'll have spent lifting weights, exercising, stretching and resting.So what does this have to do with you? A lot, doctors and trainers say. When it comes to injuries, kids have to treat themselves like pro athletes."Kids need to know injuries need to be taken seriously," Dr. Dot Richardson says.

The Ravens have had preliminary talks with Arizona Cardinals running back Garrison Hearst, according to Ozzie Newsome, the team's vice president of personnel.Newsome said Hearst's agent, Pat Dye, called him yesterday morning to let the Ravens know that the Cardinals have given Hearst permission to speak with other teams.Dye expected Hearst to be released by the Cardinals last night from a contract that would have paid him $2.1 million this season.On Friday, Cardinals coach Vince Tobin sent Hearst back to Arizona from San Diego, where the team was preparing to play the Chargers, and told Hearst he probably would be waived so that top draft pick Simeon Rice could be signed.

NFC Offense Wide receivers - David Boston, Arizona; Isaac Bruce, St. Louis; Keyshawn Johnson, Tampa Bay; Terrell Owens, San Francisco. Tackles - Orlando Pace, St. Louis; Chris Samuels, Washington; James Williams, Chicago. Guards - Larry Allen, Dallas; Ray Brown, San Francisco; Ron Stone, N.Y. Giants. Centers - Matt Birk, Minnesota; Olin Kreutz, Chicago. Tight ends - Bubba Franks, Green Bay; Wesley Walls, Carolina. Quarterbacks - Brett Favre, Green Bay; Jeff Garcia, San Francisco; Kurt Warner, St. Louis.

BaseballAngels: Renewed their player development contract through 2000 with Single-A Cedar Rapids.Braves: Traded OF Damon Hollins to the Dodgers for 2B Jose Pimentel.Cubs: Activated SS Jeff Blauser from disabled list.Mariners: Purchased contract of P Paul Abbott from Triple-A Tacoma. Placed OF Rich Amaral (pulled left calf muscle) on 60-day disabled list.Marlins: Re-signed general manager Dave Dombrowski to a five-year contract.BasketballHarlem Globetrotters: Signed G Lorenzo Hutchinson, F Robert Fairley, F Otis Key, F Dink Peters and F Chris Manuel.

Ravens safety Anthony Poindexter, who overcame a devastating knee injury in college to play for the Ravens this season, heads the list of 31 NFL players announced yesterday to be honored at the 23rd annual Ed Block Courage Awards event March 6 at Martin's West. One player is selected from each NFL team who, in the eyes of his teammates, exemplifies a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. The award is named after the late Ed Block, longtime trainer for the Baltimore Colts and a respected humanitarian whose most passionate cause was abused children.

NEW YORK -- He qualified as a Heisman Trophy contender by throwing the football. But in the final hours before his senior season definitely became a Heisman season, Gino Torretta of the University of Miami was forced to do a little scrambling.Torretta became the winner of the 58th Heisman Memorial Trophy Award yesterday, but not before the storm throughout the Northeast forced a change in his itinerary.Torretta began the trip in Louisville, Ky., where he accepted the Johnny Unitas Award on Friday.

Caught up in the moment and a fit of hyperbole, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens heralded tonight's kickoff of the NFL's 2002 season this way: "This is what everybody, God and country, has been waiting for." At least the football populace, anyway. Six days before the anniversary of Sept. 11 and nearly a year after they last visited the Meadowlands, the 49ers play the New York Giants tonight in the league's first nationally televised midweek season opener. The 8:30 start on ESPN will follow a 3 1/2 -hour music festival in Times Square that will feature Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias and Eve, among other performers.

BaseballAtlanta Braves -- Recalled 3B Terry Pendleton from his injury rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Greenville and reinstated him from the 15-day DL. Optioned P Mike Mordecai to Triple-A Richmond.Cleveland Indians -- Signed manager Mike Hargrove to a contract extension through 1996, with a club option for 1997. Optioned P Jerry DiPoto to Triple-A Charlotte. Called up P Albie Lopez from Charlotte.New York Mets -- Placed P Pete Smith on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 18, with weakness in his right shoulder.

Will garbage time decide who's No. 1?Miami surrendered three meaningless touchdowns to West Virginia on Saturday night and the top spot in the Associated Press top 25 to Washington yesterday.The Hurricanes had a 35-3 lead on West Virginia with 6:58 left before three touchdown passes by Darren Studstill narrowed the final difference to a deceptively close 35-23. Washington played its best game of the year in a 41-7 pounding of No. 21 Stanford and leaped over Miami into the No. 1 ranking."I have to question whether these guys want to be No. 1," wide receiver Lamar Thomas said of Miami's second unit.