Ryan Heads Back to Rangers

Nolan Ryan was hired yesterday as president of the Texas Rangers, who brought back the Hall of Fame pitcher their fans once flocked to see.

In recent years, Ryan has been a consultant for the Houston Astros, another former team, and part owner of two Astros minor league clubs in Texas.

"The Ryan Express has come to town," Rangers owner Tom Hicks said.

Ryan threw an unmatched seven no-hitters and won 324 games in a record 27 seasons. The last five of those were with the Rangers and included his final two no-hitters and his 5,000th strikeout.

Ryan, 61, replaces Jeff Cogen, who was moved by Hicks to the Dallas Stars during a shake-up of his hockey team in November.

Ryan leaves the Astros with more than a year remaining on a five-year personal services contract he signed in 2004. He most recently served as special assistant to the general manager, scouting players and holding pitching camps.

BROADCASTING: Inside the NFL" is ending its 31-year run on HBO.

Yesterday's season finale will be the studio show's last on the network, HBO announced earlier in the day. The decision does not mean the end for the program itself. It's owned by NFL Films, which looks continue the show in conjunction with another network in the fall.

OBITUARY: Former Houston Oilers linebacker John Grimsley was found fatally shot in his suburban Houston home, the apparent victim of a gun cleaning accident, an official said. He was 45.

Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Joel Clouser said that when Grimsley's wife, who was out of town, was not able to reach her husband yesterday, she had a neighbor check on him. The neighbor found Grimsley's body on the floor in the dining area.

"It appears it may have been an accident," Clouser said. "He was in the process of cleaning his gun. It appears that he had his dinette table covered with newspapers and he had the tools out to clean the gun with."

DRUGS: The International Rowing Federation barred two more Russian rowers and might consider a ban on the entire team that would keep it from competing in Beijing.

Anastasia Fatina and Anastasia Karabelshchikova received two-year bans for using prohibited intravenous injections at last year's world championships. An investigation has resulted in six other Russian rowers receiving bans.

FISA said it might consider banning the country's entire rowing federation, including the athletes, for up to four years. That would prevent the Russian team from competing in the Olympics in August.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Arizona guard Nic Wise had knee surgery for torn meniscus and could miss four to six weeks.

-- From News Services