Danica Patrick has never been one to shy away from the spotlight. And from IndyCar Series races to flesh-filled GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ads, the spotlight seems to follow her wherever she goes.

All eyes will be on Patrick once again on Sunday when she makes her NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500..

The unfortunate news that quarterback Jason Campbell and Jenny Montes had called off their wedding at the last minute has a silver lining: it reminds people that Campbell is likely to be a free agent professionally as well as personally.

Over the last two seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace has emerged as one of the top big-play threats in the league. But coming off a second-straight 1,100-yard season and his first Pro Bowl selection, Wallace may be on his way out of the Steel City.

While former Georgetown Coach John Thompson Jr. has made clear he doesn’t think much of Maryland’s decision to suspend scheduling further games against the Hoyas until the impasse over men’s basketball is resolved, the Terrapins are sticking to their new policy.

1) Kevin Anderson tells the media that Maryland will stop playing Georgetown in all sports until the men’s basketball scheduling issues are resolved.

2) John Thompson III says he finds it "extremely odd that a competent athletic director would choose that method to try to schedule a game."

Randy Edsall summoned Danny O’Brien and Max Garcia to his office early Wednesday morning for what became, according to two individuals familiar with the discussion, an easygoing, 15-minute conversation. The Maryland football coach explained he was lifting his earlier restriction that barred the players from transferring to 16 schools, including Vanderbilt. Edsall then wished them well.

In the days after former Virginia Tech wide receiver Danny Coale had what appeared to be an overtime touchdown catch controversially overturned in the 2012 Sugar Bowl, he took solace in the record amount of fan mail he received. Some offered their opinion on the play that ultimately cost the Hokies a win over Michigan, while others simply wrote to say thank you for his four years donning a Virginia Tech uniform.

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Former University of Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely V was convicted of second-degree murder Wednesday and could face more than 40 years in prison.

A jury of seven men and five women decided Huguely did not plan to kill his onetime girlfriend Yeardley Love on May 2, 2010, when he kicked through her bedroom door, shook her violently, wrestled with her and left her bloodied in her bed. The 22-year-old was found dead by a roommate hours later.

VIERA, Fla. — The Washington Nationals deserve their sunshine and optimism-filled spring training, but one huge storm cloud hangs over the fun — the unfinished $100 million-plus contract extension for Ryan Zimmerman. The thunder may start to crash on Saturday with repercussions that, worst case, could lead to the third baseman being traded by this season’s July 31 deadline.

Here was a weird thing that happened on Sunday and early Monday: people on Twitter started wondering whether Clinton Portis had died in a car crash. Like, famous people started wondering, too.

"What happened with clinton portis?" Maurice Jones-Drew asked on Twitter.

Just what Linsanity needs: an encore run of Tebowmania and an outbreak of Quinnsanity.

Brady Quinn, backup quarterback to Kyle Orton before Tim Tebow wrangled the starting job because of injury by engineering electrifying fourth-quarter comebacks that resulted in a winning streak that led the Denver Broncos into the playoffs, has apologized for critical comments about Tebow that appeared in a GQ story.

"Thus concludes this edition of very JaVale videos," my friend Jamie Mottram wrote this week, after publishing videos of JaVale McGee dunking a cookie into an 11-foot high bowl of milk, and JaVale McGee rolling around on the ground after getting hit in the private parts. "More soon, probably," Jamie added.

Back from a 2-3 road trip, the Wizards (7-25) will play their sixth game in a different building on Wednesday at Verizon Center. With the all-star break on the other side of their game against Sacramento, Coach Randy Wittman hopes that his players haven’t already decided to take a vacation.

Alex Ovechkin will miss tonight’s game with a lower-body injury as the Capitals look to bounce back from one of their worst performances of the season.

Regardless of who is in or out of the lineup for the Capitals, there are two important points up for grabs tonight at Scotiabank Place. A win against the Senators would help Washington keep pace with the pack in the Southeast and the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

As the Washington Capitals look to get back on track after one of the more demoralizing defeats of the season, they will be without Alex Ovechkin. The left wing will miss Wednesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators with a lower-body injury.

Visit washingtonpost.com/nfl for the latest NFL news and analysis.

Read full article >>

In a span of four days this week, North Stafford junior defensive back-receiver Anthony Shegog secured scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, Virginia and East Carolina and also has serious nibbles from Maryland and West Virginia.

Davey Johnson spends his mornings with the pitchers, so he relies on his coaches to keep an eye on the early-arriving position players taking batting practice across the complex. Around a conference table, they share, name by name, how each hitter looks.

I’ve been falling down on the Peyton Manning transcriptions in recent days. Apologies. Will never get to 500 Peyton Manning posts at this rate.

Lorenzo Alexander: The respected special teams star talked to CSN Washington’s Jennifer X. Williams a few weeks ago, and was surprisingly blunt about Peyton.

The most exclusive event at NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando?

It figures to be happening in Windermere, where Dallas Mavericks guard Vince Carter will host a $30,000-a-person dinner party and fundraiser for the Barack Obama Victory Fund on Thursday night.