Arenas will sit out part of season after knee surgery

Gilbert Arenas had a third operation on his left knee Wednesday, meaning the Washington Wizards face another season of uncertainty concerning their franchise player.

Arenas, who signed a $111-million contract in July, seems certain to miss part of the season, dousing the team’s hopes of having a healthy campaign after the last two were wrecked by injuries to top players.

“It’s just an opportunity for other guys to step up and pick up the slack,” team President Ernie Grunfeld said.

The team said the arthroscopic procedure removed a “moderate amount of debris” from Arenas’ knee. Grunfeld offered no timetable for Arenas’ return, but Arenas told the Washington Post that he plans to be back on the court in early December, which would rule him out for the first month of the season.

GOLF

Wie in second place at LPGA qualifier

Michelle Wie shot a seven-under-par 65 in the second round of an LPGA Tour sectional qualifying tournament at Rancho Mirage, putting her in second place in a field of 164.

With 36 holes remaining, Wie seems certain to finish among the top 30 players and ties, which would move her into the final qualifying tournament in December for 2009 LPGA Tour exemptions.

PRO FOOTBALL

Colts’ Sanders could be out for six weeks

Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders, the 2007 defensive player of the year, could miss up to six weeks after spraining his right ankle last weekend at Minnesota, and team officials are contemplating whether Sanders needs arthroscopic surgery on his knee too.

Coach Tony Dungy wasn’t even sure how Sanders was hurt at Minnesota. Sanders left during the fourth quarter and hasn’t been available to reporters since then.

The likely replacement is second-year safety Melvin Bullitt, who made the team last year as an undrafted free agent.

With the passing offense sputtering in two losses to open the season, Minnesota Coach Brad Childress decided the Vikings can no longer afford to let 25-year-old quarterback Tarvaris Jackson learn on the job.

Childress turned to veteran Gus Frerotte to run the offense for the rest of the season.

“I’m just not seeing right now the aggressiveness from Tarvaris that I saw throughout the off-season. . . . “ Childress said. “And part of it may be experience. I know Gus will give us that. And I know his approach will also lend itself to that.”

Tyler Thigpen, the first player from Coastal Carolina selected in the NFL draft, will be the first to start at quarterback. The 24-year-old Thigpen will be under center Sunday for Kansas City when the Chiefs (0-2) go to Atlanta. Thigpen came off the bench in Sunday’s 23-8 loss to Oakland and completed 14 of 33 passes.

Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester did not practice after undergoing an MRI exam for a left rib injury and his status for the home opener remains in question. . . . With his toe injury lingering, LaDainian Tomlinson sat out practice for the San Diego Chargers.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Louisville gets past Kansas State, 38-29

Freshman Victor Anderson ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns and Louisville raced by Kansas State, 38-29, at Louisville, Ky.

Anderson scored on runs of 29, 56, and 27 yards as the Cardinals (2-1) overpowered the visiting Wildcats (2-1), rolling up 578 yards of offense, including 303 on the ground.

Two suspended Penn State players were charged with one count each of possession of a small amount of marijuana. University police filed the misdemeanor charges against defensive linemen Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma, who have been held out of the last two games by Coach Joe Paterno. A hearing was scheduled for Oct. 22.

Oklahoma defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger will be out at least four weeks and could miss the rest of the season because of a left foot injury.

MISCELLANY

Sylmar’s Honeycutt says he’ll go to UCLA

Tyler Honeycutt, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from Sylmar who emerged over the spring and summer as one of the most improved high school basketball players in the nation, announced that he would sign with UCLA.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Engine failure triggered a crash that killed top NHRA Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta in June. The New Jersey State Police said investigators determined that “catastrophic mechanical failure” caused a fuel-fired explosion in Kalitta’s Toyota Solara during a qualifying race at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Manchester United was held by Villarreal to a 0-0 tie in a frustrating start to its Champions League soccer title defense at Manchester, England.

Several Tour de France riders are having their blood samples retested for traces of the banned blood-booster EPO.

The head of the French Anti-Doping Agency said that the testing involved riders who were already under scrutiny for suspicious urine samples.

Pierre Bordry declined to name the cyclists.