Ronald Blum

NEW YORK -- One Los Angeles institution is buying another.

A group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten agreed Tuesday night to buy the Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion.

Clint Dempsey jumped high in the air, both arms raised, as a fan in the stands at Fulham unfurled a Lone Star flag.

On this January afternoon in London, Dempsey had become the first American to score a hat trick in the history of the English Premier League. The eyes of English soccer were on the 28-year-old from Nacogdoches.

NEW YORK -- Without much fanfare, soccer will take another big step into the American mainstream this weekend when Manchester United's game at Arsenal becomes the first English Premier League match to be televised live by a U.S. over-the-air network.

"To do this 10 years ago, had we put to the affiliates that we wanted to take the time to show a soccer game, we would have been either laughed at or it would have been a violent and an immediate rebellion,"' said Fox Sports Chairman David Hill, who is putting the match on his main network.

ST. LOUIS -- The greatest World Series game ever, or one of the greatest?

Fans were debating the head-scratching decisions, amateurish mix-ups and mighty clutch performances of Game 6 on Friday, eagerly rehashing a series of performances unmatched in the championship's 108-year history.

NEW YORK -- The renamed Miami Marlins will start next season in their new ballpark a day ahead of the rest of the major leagues, playing the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4.

Major League Baseball announced next season's schedule Wednesday, and the season will open in midweek for the second straight year.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- At the final whistle, Juan Agudelo walked over to Lionel Messi.

"I was like, 'Yeah, I'm good friends with Thierry Henry,"' the 18-year-old American forward said. "I just wanted to introduce myself: Juan Agudelo."

Agudelo's 59th-minute goal gave the United States a surprising 1-1 tie against Argentina in a high-profile exhibition game on Saturday night before 78,936 at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

As much as the goal, making an impression on the planet's best player left Agudelo beaming.

When Barry Bonds walked into the federal courthouse in San Francisco on Dec. 4, 2003, his career total stood at 658 home runs, baseball had yet to institute drug testing with penalties and the Giants were nearly a half-century removed from their last World Series title.

Much has changed since the brawny, contentious slugger spent 2 hours, 53 minutes answering questions from a pair of assistant U.S. attorneys and grand jurors examining drug use in sports.