Brees wins big at ESPY Awards

Entertainment: Drew Brees is the big winner at the ESPY Awards, collecting four trophies, including male athlete of the year.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback also won best championship performance, NFL player and shared the team award with his Super Bowl champion colleagues.

Skiier Lindsey Vonn won female athlete of the year honors Wednesday night at the show hosted by “Saturday Night Live” comic Seth Meyers and aired live on ESPN from the Nokia Theatre.

Vonn was also chosen best female Olympian.

Associated Press

M’s promote Ackley to AAA

Baseball: The Seattle Mariners have promoted 2009 second overall draft pick Dustin Ackley to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

The team announced Wednesday that the infielder and prized hitting prospect from the University of North Carolina will report to Tacoma from Double-A West Tennessee.

Left-handed pitcher Edward Paredes and right-hander Anthony Varvaro got the same promotion.

All will join the Rainiers today.

After a slow start to his first full professional season, Ackley hit .305 in 54 games since May 12 to raise his Double-A batting average to .263.

Associated Press

Henry joins Red Bulls of MLS

Soccer: Stop the rumors about French forward Thierry Henry joining the New York Red Bulls. He’s here.

The 32-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona player signed a multiyear contract on Wednesday and he is expected to make his Red Bulls debut on July 22 in an exhibition match against Premier League club Tottenham.

Associated Press

LeBron pendant brings lofty price

Memorabilia: An Ohio woman who paid $5 at a yard sale for a LeBron James pendant she thought was costume jewelry has found out it’s worth nearly $10,000.

Twenty-year-old Vaneisha Robinson says she used to wear the basketball jersey-shaped pendant to high school when she didn’t know its value. Then she had it appraised.

The International Gemological Institute says Robinson’s find is the real deal. Gemologist Jerry Ehrenwald says the 14-karat white gold pendant sports more than 2 carats of diamonds.

The No. 23 jersey reads “King” on the front and “James” on the back.

Robinson is an amateur boxer in James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio. She has listed the jewelry on eBay. She says the King’s brand will never die even though he’s left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat.

Associated Press