Rick Majerus is back in coaching after a three-year break for health reasons, taking over a St. Louis team that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2000. "I saw this as an opportunity," Majerus said. "I'm looking forward to it. I don't think I forgot how to do it." The Billikens introduced the 59-year-old Majerus at a news conference Monday, three days after he agreed to a six-year contract.

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Former NFL linebacker Kevin Mitchell died in his sleep at the age of 36. Mitchell died overnight Sunday at his home in Ashburn, near the Washington Redskins' training facility, according to the team. An autopsy was performed Monday by the Virginia state medical examiner's office. The cause of death was not immediately announced. Mitchell was drafted in the second round out of Syracuse in 1994 by the San Francisco 49ers, who moved the undersized college defensive lineman to linebacker.

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The pre-series problem for the New York Rangers was slowing down Buffalo's high-powered goal scorers, not finding offense of their own. But through three games, the Rangers have played well defensively. If they can solve Sabres goalie Ryan Miller consistently, a series many thought would end quickly could go the distance. New York beat Buffalo on Sunday for the first time in seven games this season with a 2-1 victory in double overtime.

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NBA commissioner David Stern sees more of a need for new pro basketball teams in China than in North America. "I think 30 teams is a nice, round number, and I would not be recommending to the NBA owners to expand," Stern said before Game 4 of the first-round playoff series between the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers.

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NASCAR on Monday tried to figure out why Kyle Busch's HANS device cracked during a spectacular crash at Talladega Superspeedway. The frustrated driver, meanwhile, was trying to make sense of two hard wrecks that ruined his weekend. Busch wrecked in Saturday's Busch Series event, when he was hit from behind and his car ended up on its roof before rolling several times through the grass. His HANS device, a NASCAR-mandated head-and-neck restraint system, cracked in the accident.

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It's no secret what the Vancouver Canucks must do to get back into their series with the Anaheim Ducks - fix a power play that has been anything but. The Canucks lost 3-2 Sunday in Game 3 after going 1-for-8 on the power play and failing to convert a pair of lengthy 5-on-3 advantages. Vancouver trails 2-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal, and at 4-for-58 (6.9 percent) has the worst power play among active playoff teams entering games Monday night.

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