Daily Sports Capsule

*Index*
FOOTBALL	BASEBALL	HOCKEY
BASKETBALL	MISCELLANY	LOCAL

FOOTBALL

The Chicago Bears yesterday signed free-agent cornerback Chris Canty, a former first-round draft pick who spent the past two seasons with the New England Patriots. The 23-year-old Canty started the first nine games for the Patriots last season before being replaced by Steve Israel. Canty was released by New England on June 8. He totaled 79 tackles, three sacks and one interception during his two seasons with the Patriots after being selected with the 29th overall pick in the 1997 draft out of Kansas State. ... The 49ers re-signed defensive end Charles Haley yesterday and intensified their pursuit of Lawrence Phillips, the free-agent running back with a troubled past. San Francisco, which has lost running back Garrison Hearst indefinitely due to complications from a broken left ankle, is vying with Buffalo and Green Bay for Phillips, who had a trouble-free campaign this past season in NFL Europe, where he became the league's first player to rush for 1,000 yards. ... Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas was released from the University of Maryland Medical Center yesterday, a day after he was admitted for chest pains that doctors said they believed were gastrointestinal in nature. A former star for the Baltimore Colts, the 66-year-old Unitas underwent a series of heart tests, but doctors found no problems. .... Linebacker Al Wilson, the Denver Broncos' first-round draft choice, reached agreement yesterday on a multiyear contract with the team. Wilson's signing comes two days before the two-time defending Super Bowl champions open training camp in Greeley, Colo. Wilson helped lead Tennessee to a 13-0 record and the national championship last season. ... Rival groups trying to land an NFL expansion franchise for Los Angeles appear to have cleared a major hurdle, agreeing to present league owners with a single stadium design and site plan for Exposition Park. At its March meetings in Phoenix, the NFL tentatively awarded Los Angeles the league's 32nd franchise over Houston with the stipulation that it come up with a viable plan by Sept. 15.

BASEBALL

Barry Bonds scored a victory off the field yesterday in California when the state Supreme Court granted a hearing on his attempt to enforce a premarital agreement that would deny his first wife a share of his baseball earnings. A state appeals court ruled in April that the prenuptial agreement, signed the day before the marriage in 1988, was void because evidence showed that Sun Bonds hadn't voluntarily given up her right to half her husband's earnings during marriage. ... Interleague games drew an average of 6.5 percent more fans to each game this season than 1998's interleague games. The average attendance at American League-National League match-ups this season was 33,482, while the average attendance for those games last season was 31,447. Several teams set single-game attendance records, including the Oakland Athletics, who drew 51,263 fans against San Francisco on July 17. The Baltimore-Philadelphia game on June 5 drew 48,531 fans, the most ever at Camden Yards, and the Mets set a team record for three-game series attendance as 161,481 fans went to Shea Stadium to see them play the Yankees. ... Atlanta Braves first baseman Andres Galarraga, sidelined since being diagnosed with back cancer in February, attended yesterday's game against the Florida Marlins in Miami and said he'll complete radiation treatments early next month. Galarraga said he'll then join the Braves for workouts, and he expects to play in 2000. ... The Baltimore Orioles obtained right-hander Al Reyes from the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday, completing last week's deal that sent pitcher Rocky Coppinger to Milwaukee. Reyes was 2-0 with a 4.25 ERA in 26 games with the Brewers, all in relief.

HOCKEY

Mario Lemieux wants to close on his deal to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins by Friday, 13 days before a deadline set by a judge. A bankruptcy judge agreed July 14 to give the hockey great until Monday to complete his proposal, including securing all the money from his investors. Lemieux, who has put together a $50 million plan to buy the Penguins, is under pressure to complete the deal because the team must start selling season tickets and signing player contracts. ... Ulf Dahlen, who spent the last two seasons in his native Sweden, signed yesterday with the Washington Capitals, who became his seventh NHL club. The 32-year-old right wing has spent 10 years in the NHL, playing with the New York Rangers, Colorado, Minnesota, Dallas, San Jose and Chicago. He scored 20 or more goals in each of his first seven seasons in the league.

BASKETBALL

Penny Hardaway met with Los Angeles Lakers executive Jerry West recently, fueling speculation the unrestricted free-agent guard might be reunited with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers are over the salary cap though, meaning the only way they could pay Hardaway anything close to market value would be to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Orlando Magic. One name mentioned in that scenario is Glen Rice. The Lakers recently picked up their $7 million option on Rice for next season. ... Second-year guard Ricky Davis of the Charlotte Hornets had foot surgery yesterday and will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. The injury to Davis' right foot, a fracture of the fifth metatarsal, was discovered last week during the Atlanta Summer Shootout workouts.

MISCELLANY

Cuban pistol shooter Abel Juncosa Reyes defected when his team arrived at the Pan American Games, sources in Winnipeg, Manitoba, confirmed yesterday. Reyes walked into a Royal Canadian Mountain Police station on Tuesday and asked to remain in Canada. The Cuban team is being housed at the Southport athletes village outside of Winnipeg. It is expected to be subjected to heavy security measures after five members of the Cuban basketball delegation defected at the Tournament of the Americas in Puerto Rico last week.

LOCAL

East Freetown's Bridget Carreiro finished third in the all-around in the junior gymnastics competition at the Bay State Games. The 12-year-old scored 8.9 on the balance beam, 9.0 on floor exercise, 8.3 on bars and 8.4 on vault for a total of 34.7.

-- Compiled from staff and wire reports