Texans decide to release Carr, Williams

The Houston Texans waived quarterback David Carr, the first draft pick in franchise history five years ago, and running back Domanick Williams.

The Texans never have had a winning record, and Carr often was the scapegoat. He completed 60% of his passes but also threw 65 passes that were intercepted and was sacked 249 times in five seasons.

Houston hoped Carr would flourish under new Coach Gary Kubiak last season, but the Texans went 6-10.

Williams, formerly Domanick Davis, is Houston’s career rushing leader with 3,195 yards. He spent all of last season on injured reserve because of a knee injury. He legally changed his last name from Davis to Williams, his mother’s maiden name.

Also Friday, the Texans re-signed running back Ron Dayne, who joined the them just before last season. He led the team with 612 yards, his best season since 2001 with the New York Giants.

The Texans released Carr a day after signing Matt Schaub and saying he would be their quarterback. General Manager Rick Smith had said the team wanted to trade Carr, who had two years left on a contract that was to pay him $11.5 million.

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Rohan Davey threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Mike Horacek with 31 seconds left to give the New York Dragons a 59-52 victory over the host Tampa Bay Storm in an Arena League game. Davey threw six touchdown passes.... Sherdrick Bonner threw six touchdown passes to lead the Arizona Rattlers to their first victory of the season, a 68-41 win over the visiting Las Vegas Gladiators.... Joe Germaine threw eight touchdown passes to lead the host Utah Blaze to an 83-42 victory over the Grand Rapids Rampage.

GOLF

Woods (66) takes lead at CA Championship

Tiger Woods made six birdies en route to a six-under-par 66 for a two-shot lead over Rod Pampling after the second round of the CA Championship at Miami. Woods’ round was the best of the tournament.

Woods was at seven-under 137 and will play in the final group today with Pampling (69), a frequent practice partner at the majors.

Ernie Els (70), Henrik Stenson (73), Charles Howell III (71), Thomas Bjorn (72) and Trevor Immelman (68) are among those tied for third at four-under 140.

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Lorena Ochoa made two eagles to take a one-stroke lead over Catriona Matthew in the suspended second round of the Safeway International at Superstition Mountain, Ariz. Ochoa was at nine under with four holes remaining when play was suspended because of darkness.

MOTOR RACING

Gordon wins the first Car of Tomorrow pole

Jeff Gordon won the first pole of the Car of Tomorrow era, putting his Chevrolet Impala in the top starting spot for Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.

Gordon ran a lap at 125.453 mph to win his fifth career pole at Bristol. He beat Evernham Motorsports teammates Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler, who qualified second and third in Dodge Avengers. Kahne posted a lap at 125.313 mph, and Sadler came in at 125.183.

Chevrolet and Dodge are both introducing new models with the COT, a NASCAR-developed car. Ford is sticking with its Fusion model, and Toyota, in its first year at NASCAR’s top level, is using the Camry.

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Dan Wheldon won the pole for today’s season-opening Indy Racing League XM Satellite Radio 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His fast lap of 214.322 mph was just good enough to beat Sam Hornish’s 214.298. The time difference between the two fast laps on the 1.5-mile oval was .0028 of a second.

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NHRA driver Eric Medlen died Friday, five days after sustaining a severe head injury in a crash during a test session at Gainesville Raceway.

The 33-year-old Medlen, who drove for John Force Racing, never regained consciousness after crashing his funny car into a guardrail on Monday at the Florida track. Story in Section B.

TENNIS

Substitute Kendrick reaches third round

Robert Kendrick, who lost in qualifying, made it into the Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne, Fla., as a replacement for Lleyton Hewitt, who pulled out because of a sore lower back. Then he advanced to the third round by defeating Raemon Sluiter, 6-4, 6-4.

Ranked 87th, Kendrick lasted longer than eighth-seeded James Blake, who lost to Florent Serra, 7-6 (8), 2-6, 6-3. Second-seeded Rafael Nadal overcame two set points to beat Ricardo Mello, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

In the women’s draw, top-ranked Justine Henin defeated 18-year-old Vania King, 6-4, 6-1, and fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters beat Akiko Morigami, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.

MISCELLANY

Cricket group will probe match-fixing

The international governing body of cricket said it would investigate whether match-fixing was a motive for the slaying of Pakistan Coach Bob Woolmer, who was strangled after his team was upset by Ireland.

Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields said police in Kingston, Jamaica, believed more than one person may have killed Woolmer, 58, in his hotel room on Sunday. His team’s defeat last Saturday assured Pakistan’s elimination from the Cricket World Cup.

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The Galaxy acquired defender Shavar Thomas from the Kansas City Wizards for a conditional second-round pick in the 2008 MLS draft. In another move, the Galaxy waived midfielder Josh Gardner.

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Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson was named coach of the Mexican national team. Richardson, who was fired from Arkansas in 2002 after a career that included a national championship with the Razorbacks in 1994, also coached Panama’s national team when it qualified for the 2006 world championships.

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Wyoming hired Heath Schroyer as men’s basketball coach. He had been associate head coach at Fresno State for two years. Before that, he was head coach at Portland State for three years.

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Lindsey Pluimer of UCLA was named to the Pacific 10 Conference women’s basketball all-academic first team, the Pac-10 announced. USC’s Nicole Berberet, Jamie Hagiya and Allison Jaskowiak were named to the second team.

-- Jerry Crowe