Michael Phelps' comeback has been sidetracked by more trouble away from the pool.
The Olympic champion was arrested for the second time on DUI charges early Tuesday in his hometown of Baltimore, another embarrassment for a swimmer who came out of retirement this year with his sights set on competing at the Rio Games.
Phelps issued an apology that sounded very familiar to the ones he made after a drunken-driving arrest a decade ago, as well as when a British tabloid published a photograph in 2009 that showed him using a marijuana pipe.
"I understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility," Phelps said in a statement. "I know these words may not mean much right now but I am deeply sorry to everyone I have let down."
Maryland Transportation Authority police charged the 18-time gold medalist after officers said he was caught speeding and failed field sobriety tests.
The arrest came about a month after the 29-year-old Phelps won three golds and two silvers at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia, setting himself up to compete at next summer's world championships and at Rio in 2016.
It's too early to say if Phelps might face sanctions from USA Swimming, which took no action after his 2004 arrest but suspended him from competition for three months over the pot picture.
Raiders tab Sparano
to replace fired Allen
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders promoted offensive-line coach Tony Sparano to interim coach on Tuesday, a day after firing head coach Dennis Allen.
General manager Reggie McKenzie announced the move to Sparano after cutting ties to Allen four games into his third season as coach.
Sparano had a 29-32 record as head coach in Miami from 2008-11. He took over a one-win team in 2008 and led the Dolphins to an 11-5 record and an AFC East title. That was his only winning season and he was fired with three games remaining in 2011.
Sparano has been offensive line coach the past two seasons in Oakland.
"Tony Sparano has a strong presence in this organization," McKenzie said. "His experience and leadership qualities will serve the team well in helping reach the goal of everyone here, which is to win football games."
Sparano becomes Oakland's eighth coach in the past 12 seasons. The Raiders have not made the playoffs or had a winning record since winning the 2002 AFC championship.
The Raiders are off this week after losing 38-14 to Miami in London on Sunday for their 10th straight loss dating to last season. Oakland next plays at home against San Diego on Oct. 12.
Allen was the first head coach hired by Oakland after Al Davis' death in October 2011. His 8-28 record is the worst for the franchise since before Davis arrived in 1963. His contract was set to run through next season.
FCC calls NFL blackout
rule unsportsmanlike
WASHINGTON -- For years, football fans have bemoaned the rule barring NFL home games that haven't sold out from being televised in the local market.
Well, you can't blame the government anymore.
The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to end the 1975 rule with a push from its chairman.
"We at the FCC shouldn't be complicit in preventing sports fans from watching their favorite teams on TV," said Chairman Tom Wheeler. "It's time to sack the sports blackout rule."
The vote won't actually end blackouts, which are written into the NFL's private contracts with broadcast and cable companies. But it means responsibility for blackouts now lies entirely with the NFL and its television partners, not the government.
Last year, only two NFL games were blacked out in local markets: The Bengals against the Chargers in San Diego on Dec. 1 and the Dolphins vs. the Bills in Buffalo on Dec. 22.
Even so, the NFL launched a lobbying campaign against the blackout repeal.
The rule has barred cable-TV stations from televising games in metro areas where those games were being blacked out on local TV. The league warned that without this rule in place, it would move more games to pay cable and away from free over-the-air broadcasts on local television stations. It hired Hall-of-Famer Lynn Swann, who starred for the Pittsburgh Steelers, to conduct a grassroots campaign to "protect football on free TV."
The FCC commissioners were unmoved. They noted that the NFL makes plenty of money selling old-fashioned broadcast rights.
Sports on 10/01/2014