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MLB • The Seattle Mariners have released former Taylorsville High standout John Buck after no other major league claimed him through waivers.
The 33-year-old catcher went to the 2010 All-Star Game while playing in Toronto, but was hitting just .226 with a home run this season.
Cowboys releasing backup QB Orton
NFL • The Dallas Cowboys are releasing Kyle Orton after their backup quarterback missed all the offseason workouts amid reports he was considering retirement.
A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Cowboys were cutting ties with Orton slightly more than a week before the start of training camp. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the decision.
The 31-year-old Orton started the finale last year after Tony Romo injured his back a week earlier. The Cowboys lost to Philadelphia, their third straight season-ending defeat against an NFC East rival with a playoff berth on the line.
The new backup is likely to be Brandon Weeden, Cleveland's first-round draft pick in 2012.
Kluwe threatens to sue Vikings
NFL • Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe intends to sue the team over allegations of anti-gay conduct by a coach, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Lawyer Clayton Halunen said they'll seek a copy of the Vikings' internal investigation and make it public if they can. They accused the Vikings of reneging on a pledge to release the report, which they believe corroborates Kluwe's claims.
The Vikings hired two outside lawyers to examine Kluwe's claims that special teams coordinator Mike Priefer used slurs and taunts to try to quash Kluwe's outspoken support for gay marriage. Priefer denied the allegations.
Kluwe was cut in May 2013 after eight seasons with the Vikings.
Kluwe said keeping the report private won't help prevent workplace discrimination.
Saints confirm deal with Graham
NFL • The New Orleans Saints on Tuesday confirmed a multiyear contract with Jimmy Graham, ending a protracted holdout for the star tight end.
Graham skipped all of the Saints' voluntary and mandatory practices and workouts — and challenged the NFL's franchise tag process through arbitration.
The odds of Graham leaving the Saints were slim since the club in late February placed its franchise tag on the player.
The NFL Players Association filed a grievance, contending Graham was used as a wide receiver often enough to qualify for the more lucrative receiver tag, worth about $5 million a year more than the $7 million tag for a tight end.
Pistorius gets into nightclub argument
Track and Field • Oscar Pistorius was in an altercation at an upmarket nightclub over the weekend, his family said Tuesday.
Pistorius went with a cousin to a trendy Johannesburg nightclub Saturday, where he was accosted by a man who aggressively questioned him about his murder trial.
The man gave a different version, saying the double-amputee runner was drunk, insulted his friends and the family of President Jacob Zuma and poked him in the chest.
The episode focuses fresh attention on the disputed character of Pistorius, a globally recognized athlete who is on trial for murder after he fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a closed bathroom door on Feb. 14, 2013.
From wire reports