STATE

TARPINIAN RELEASED; HOUSTON NOW AT 75

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans have cut 11 players, including linebacker Jeff Tarpinian, and placed rookie linebacker Reshard Cliett on injured reserve on the deadline to reduce rosters to 75 players.

Tarpinian appeared in 22 games for Houston over the last two seasons and had 36 tackles combined in those two years.

Cliett, a sixth-round pick out of South Florida, injured his knee early in camp.

Also Tuesday, Houston released veteran guard Cody White, receiver Alan Bonner and tackle Aaron Adams. Among other cuts were receivers Jace Davis and Travis Labhart and rookies Cam McLeod and Will Johnson.

COWBOYS PLACE CB SCANDRICK ON IR

IRVING (AP) — The Cowboys have placed cornerback Orlando Scandrick on season-ending injured reserve following surgery for torn ligaments in his right knee amid moves to get down to 75 players.

Offensive lineman Chaz Green and linebacker Mark Nzeocha, a pair of injured 2015 draft picks, will miss at least the first six weeks of the season after moving to reserved lists Tuesday. Green, a third-round pick, had offseason hip surgery. Nzeocha, a seventh-rounder, is recovering from a knee injury in college.

The Cowboys waived three players with injury designations: defensive Kenneth Boatright (neck), running back Michael Hill (concussion) and tackle R.J. Dill, who faces a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

Dallas also waived tight end Brandon Barden, linebacker Jonathan Brown and receivers Antwan Goodley and David Porter.

McFADDEN ON BOARD FOR RB BY COMMITTEE

IRVING (AP) — Darren McFadden wants to be one of the replacements for NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray.

If he is one of two, or even three, running backs trying to match the production Murray gave NFC East champion Dallas last season, that’s fine, too. McFadden is used to it.

“It’s something I’ve done pretty much throughout my career, at school or being with the Raiders,” said McFadden, the fourth overall pick out of Arkansas by Oakland in 2008. “It’s one of those deals, it’s the NFL, it’s a long season.”

The Cowboys are familiar with McFadden’s history, starting with owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones being fellow Razorbacks.

Felix Jones — McFadden’s backfield mate in Arkansas — went to Dallas 18 picks later at No. 22 in the first round seven years ago, and he spent five seasons with the Cowboys before Murray took the lead role. The Cowboys added McFadden as an affordable free agent in March, a day after Murray signed a big contract with division rival Philadelphia.

Joseph Randle, Murray’s backup for two seasons as a fifth-round pick, still appears to be the front-runner to start the opener Sept. 13 at home against the New York Giants. But McFadden made his biggest move yet last weekend, rushing for 37 yards on four carries in a 28-14 loss to Minnesota.

RACE TRACKS SLOWED FOR WANT OF FUNDING

(AP) — Texas lawmakers didn’t give the Texas Racing Commission full funding amid a debate over a new form of gaming at race tracks, and the withholding had the effect of halting horse and dog racing across the state.

Tuesday evening, however, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the head of the Texas Senate, announced that a deal had been struck to keep the commission afloat for the next 90 days. The news came even as proponents of race tracks push for a means of gaming through betting on old races on machines, a move that is being appealed in court.

Proponents of racing and gaming in Texas were uncertain Tuesday night of the status of horse and dog racing in the state.

The Legislative Budget Board, a financial authority of state House representatives and state senators, was supposed to get about $1.5 million in administrative funding to the Texas Racing Commission, which oversees live racing and wagering in the state.

However, the Texas Racing Commission said it hadn’t gotten authorization for funding past August.

NATIONAL

JETS TIGHT END AMARO OUT FOR SEASON

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets have placed second-year tight end Jace Amaro on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Amaro, a former MacArthur star, has a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury that occurred in the Jets’ preseason opener at Detroit and was initially thought by the team to be a sprain. Amaro finished tied for second on the team with 38 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie last season.

Defensive end Kevin Vickerson was also placed on injured reserve and cornerback Dashaun Phillips was waived/injured as the Jets pared their roster to the 75-player limit Tuesday.

Amaro’s injury is a big loss for the Jets, who were hoping for a breakout season from the second-round draft pick out of Texas Tech.

Starter Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis, Wes Saxton and Arthur Lynch are the remaining tight ends on the roster.

MURRAY WEATHERS KYRGIOS’ ANTICS

NEW YORK (AP) — Nick Kyrgios does what he wants and says what he wants on a tennis court, seemingly no matter the ramifications, and amid all the near-napping, cursing and racket smashing, he troubled Andy Murray for moments at the U.S. Open.

Only for brief moments, though.

In the tournament’s most-anticipated first-round matchup, the No. 3-seeded Murray hit 18 aces, saved 11 of 14 break points and, perhaps most importantly, stayed steady in the face of Kyrgios’ various distractions, putting together a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory Tuesday night.

“Obviously, for me, it’s important when you’re playing against him,” Murray said, “to just concentrate on your side of the court.”

This was Kyrgios’ first match since he was essentially put on probation by the ATP, with the threat of a 28-day suspension and $25,000 fine if he misbehaves at one of the tour’s sanctioned events over the next six months. Those parameters don’t apply at the U.S. Open, however, because Grand Slam tournaments are sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation.

USOC ENDORSES L.A. FOR 2014 OLYMPIC BID

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Olympic Committee on Tuesday named Los Angeles as its candidate for the 2024 Games, replacing Boston’s soured bid and marking a comeback for LA’s dream of becoming a three-time Olympic host.

The announcement by USOC CEO Scott Blackmun came under a summer sun at Santa Monica Beach, where the city’s plan calls for staging beach volleyball on the site where the sport was founded.