Sports briefs

ROBY DIES: Former punter Reggie Roby, a 16-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowl selection, died Tuesday after being found unconscious at home by his wife. He was 43.

Melissa Roby found her husband with no pulse. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at home and in the ambulance, but he was pronounced dead in the emergency room at St. Thomas Hospital.

The cause of death is unknown, the statement said.

Roby was a sixth-round pick in 1983 out of Iowa by the Miami Dolphins, where he played from 1983-92. He also played for the Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston/Tennessee Oilers and San Francisco 49ers, where he wrapped up his career with a final season in 1999.

Golf

MATCH PLAY DELAYED: On Tuesday, PGA Tour officials delayed the start of the Match Play Championship to give La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., a chance to drain.

The first round of 18-hole matches now will start Thursday, followed by two rounds each day through Saturday and the 36-hole final match Sunday.

"Whatever day we start, I'll be ready to go," two-time defending champion Tiger Woods said.

It was the latest twist in the West Coast Swing on the PGA Tour, which already has featured a fog delay at Torrey Pines, a wind delay in Phoenix and a total washout Saturday at the Nissan Open, which eventually led to the tournament being cut short to 36 holes when more rain fell Monday.

Boxing

YOUNG DIES: Former heavyweight boxer Jimmy Young, who beat George Foreman and fought Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton in the 1970s, has died. He was 56.

Young died Sunday at Hahnemann University Hospital, a spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that he died of heart disease after a six-day hospitalization.

The 6-1, 210-pound Young compiled a 35-18-3 record with 12 knockouts during a career that spanned from 1969-90.

Young lost a championship bout to Ali on April 30, 1976. He beat Foreman nearly a year later in a 12-round decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 17, 1977.

Hockey

CHANGE COMING? After years of lobbying for a more scoring-friendly and fan-appealing league, Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux is convinced the NHL is ready to grant his wish. The only problem is ending the lockout that has doomed this NHL season and could threaten another before owners and players agree on a labor contract.

The 39-year-old Lemieux hopes he has some more goals left in him when it happens, now that the league seems determined to crack down on the on-ice mugging and the defend-every-inch-of-ice defenses that have made NHL shootouts as rare as football single-wing offenses.