NEW YORK — Tim Tebow will go for two against a pair of talented quarterbacks from the Big 12 when the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night. Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Colt McCoy from Texas joined Tebow as Heisman finalists.

The last time all the Heisman finalists were quarterbacks was 2001, when Nebraska’s Eric Crouch won the award and QBs held the first six spots.

Tebow, the rugged and multitalented junior from Florida, was the first sophomore to win the Heisman last year and is trying to become the second player to win it twice.

Archie Griffin won the Heisman as a junior in 1974 for Ohio State and again in 1975.

Brian Orakpo wins Lombardi Award

HOUSTON — Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo won the Rotary Lombardi Award on Wednesday night, the first Longhorn to take home the trophy in 24 years.

Orakpo is the first Houston native to win the Lombardi, awarded by the city’s Rotary Club to the nation’s top college lineman or linebacker. He’s the third Texas player to win it, and the first since offensive tackle Tony Degrate in 1984. Texas defensive tackle Kenneth Sims won it in 1981.

BASKETBALL

Suns pick up Jason Richardson in trade

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns jettisoned two familiar players to Charlotte, and got the Bobcats’ leading scorer in exchange.

In the latest move in the their ongoing makeover, the Suns traded Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to the Bobcats on Wednesday as part of a deal for Jason Richardson.

Rookie point guard Sean Singletary also went to Charlotte, while the Suns got small forward Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round draft pick.

Hornets get Antonio Daniels from Wizards

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Hornets sent veteran guard Mike James to Washington on Wednesday in exchange for Antonio Daniels as part of a three-team trade that returned a future first-round draft pick from the Wizards to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis also dealt second-year guard Javaris Crittenton to Washington and sent a conditional second-round pick to New Orleans, while the Wizards waived guard Dee Brown.

PRO FOOTBALL

Giants deny Burress part of contract salary

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have refused to pay suspended receiver Plaxico Burress a $1 million portion of a signing bonus from a contract signed in September.

NFL Players Association spokesman Carl Francis confirmed that the Super Bowl champions decided to not make the payment.

The union on Tuesday filed a grievance challenging the Giants’ decision to suspend and fine Burress last week, just days after the Super Bowl hero accidentally shot himself in a Manhattan nightclub on Nov. 29.

Cassel leaves Patriots to mourn loss of father

SAN JOSE, Calif. — New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel left the team to join his family following the death of his father earlier in the week.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said that Greg Cassel died Monday night and Cassel has left the team to be with his family in Southern California. Belichick said he didn’t know when Cassel would rejoin the team or whether he would be able to start Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

BASEBALL

Johnson to manage American team again

LAS VEGAS  — Davey Johnson will get another chance to manage the U.S. baseball team — one made up of major leaguers this time.

Johnson guided the Americans to a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in August and now will manage the U.S. team in the second World Baseball Classic this spring.

Johnson was a coach under manager Buck Martinez in the 2006 WBC, when a U.S. team loaded with All-Stars failed to reach the semifinals. The Americans lost 2-1 to Mexico to be eliminated from the tournament, a shocking early exit.

Tigers get pitcher Edwin Jackson for Joyce

LAS VEGAS — The Tigers acquired right-hander Edwin Jackson from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday for outfielder Matt Joyce, Detroit’s second trade in three days at the winter meetings.

Jackson is set to join a rotation alongside Justin Verlander, Armando Galarraga and Jeremy Bonderman, who had surgery in late June to correct a condition that caused a blood clot in his pitching arm.

DOPING

Belarusian hammer throwers lose medals

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Two Belarusian hammer throwers were stripped of their Olympic silver and bronze medals for doping today, nearly four months after the Beijing Games. A Polish canoeist was also disqualified for drug use.

The International Olympic Committee executive board ruled against Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan, who tested positive for abnormal levels of testosterone after finishing 2-3 in the Aug. 17 hammer final at the Bird’s Nest stadium.

The silver now goes to Krisztian Pars of Hungary and the bronze to Koji Murofushi of Japan. Slovenia’s Primoz Kozmus won the gold medal.

Also today, the IOC disqualified Polish canoeist Adam Seroczynski, who tested positive for the steroid clenbuterol in Beijing after finishing fourth in the flatwater K2 event. His teammate, Mariusz Kujawski, was not implicated.

The three cases bring to nine the number of athletes caught for doping in Beijing.