John Daly smashed one tee shot off the top of a beer can during a pro-am. At another tournament, he returned from a rain delay with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden as his caddie. And his most memorable photo this year came in an orange jail suit, eyes half-closed.

Daly said Wednesday that such unwelcome publicity is why the PGA Tour suspended him for six months.

The two-time major champion confirmed his suspension to The Associated Press, calling this the low point of an 18-year career during which he has made as much news off the course as he has with his prodigious game.

“Is it fair that I got suspended?” he said. “It’s not fair in reality, but it’s probably fair in perception.”

Daly said he wanted to go public to let fans and tournaments know that he wasn’t abandoning them by taking his game to the European tour. At least until the spring, he simply didn’t have much of a choice.

“I’m not sure this is the smartest thing to do, but I’d rather be honest, especially with the fans,” he said. “It’s hard for me not to play on the West Coast. I love it out there.”

PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw declined comment, even after seeing Daly’s remarks, citing the tour’s longtime policy of not discussing fines or suspensions.

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

ISU plans furloughs

Ames, Iowa — Four top-paid members of Iowa State’s athletic department say they’ll take a one-week furlough to save the school more than $50,000 and help offset state budget cuts.

Athletic director Jamie Pollard, basketball coaches Greg McDermott and Bill Fennelly and newly appointed football coach Paul Rhoads volunteered to work a week without pay.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

SE Missouri fires coach

Cape Girardeau, Mo. — Southeast Missouri State fired basketball coach Scott Edgar, who has been on administrative leave since the fall because of possible NCAA violations. Edgar was 23-39 in his first two seasons at the school, including 12-19 last year.

NBA

Barkley arrested for DUI

Scottsdale, Ariz. — Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Wednesday.

An officer with a task force that targets drunken driving saw the former NBA standout run a stop sign about 1:30 a.m., Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said. Barkley was in Scottsdale’s Old Town area, a trendy spot in the Phoenix area.

“I am disappointed that I put myself in that situation,” Barkley said in a statement.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Texas’ Brown honored

Atlanta — Texas coach Mack Brown was rewarded for his 11-win season and No. 3 ranking when he was honored as the 2008 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year at the halftime of the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Wednesday night. The award was established in 1976 to honor the Division I coach “whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.”

NFL

Pennington top comeback

New York — Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington won the Associated Press 2008 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award Wednesday, the second time in three years Pennington has received the honor. He also earned it in 2006 while with the New York Jets. Pennington is the first player in the 11 seasons of the award to win it twice.

TV extensions offered

Eden Prairie, Minn. — The NFL has given the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals extensions to sell more tickets and avoid local TV blackouts of their playoff games this weekend.

Arizona plays host to the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, and the Philadelphia Eagles play at Minnesota on Sunday. The Cardinals have until 3:30 p.m. today to sell their remaining 5,600 tickets. As of midday Wednesday, the Vikings had 11,000 tickets to sell by 3:30 p.m. Friday to satisfy the league’s sellout requirements.

Niners drop two aides

Santa Clara, Calif. — Mike Singletary has made two more adjustments to his new coaching staff, firing quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner and running backs coach Tony Nathan. On Tuesday, Singletary fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz after one season with the 49ers. Nathan also was in his first year with the team, while Tollner had two stints with the club during the past decade.

Cowboys fire assistant

Irving, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have fired special teams coach Bruce Read, making him the first assistant ousted in the wake of a disappointing 9-7 season. Read’s special teams unit made costly gaffes, including a blocked punt in overtime at Arizona that ended in a game-winning Cardinals touchdown.

BASEBALL

Indians acquire DeRosa

Cleveland — The Cleveland Indians acquired versatile infielder Mark DeRosa on Wednesday in a trade that sent three minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs.

The Indians traded pitchers Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer and John Gaub for DeRosa, who likely will slide into Cleveland’s opening at third base.

The 33-year-old DeRosa hit a career-high 21 homers and drove in 87 runs last season in 149 games while playing six different positions for the NL Central champions.

Ex-big leaguer’s son shot

Houston — The son of a retired major league baseball player was recovering from injuries after he was shot outside his home early Wednesday by a police officer who thought the man was in a stolen SUV.

“The vehicle turned out not to be stolen,” Bellaire Assistant Police Chief Byron Holloway said.

The car belonged to the wounded man, Robert Tolan, son of former big leaguer Bobby Tolan.

Angels, Fuentes agree

Los Angeles — Reliever Brian Fuentes and the Los Angeles Angels reached agreement on a two-year deal Wednesday, perhaps giving the AL West champions a replacement for record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez. Fuentes gets $17.5 million over the two seasons.

Cubs add infielder Miles

Chicago — The Chicago Cubs and infielder Aaron Miles have agreed to a two-year, $4.9 million contract. The switch-hitting Miles batted .317 with four homers and 31 RBIs in 134 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last season. Last season Miles played mostly at second base with 85 appearances. He also played short, third and all three outfield positions. In 643 major-league games, the 32-year-old Miles has a career average of .289.

Rays sites suggested

St. Petersburg, Fla. — A greyhound racing track and a former landfill are among seven suggested sites for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. Each possible location is on the St. Petersburg side of the Tampa Bay. The current Tropicana Field area made the list, as did Progress Energy Park, a downtown spring-training stadium the team had hoped to develop into a major-league stadium.

Orioles sign Hendrickson

Baltimore — Left-hander Mark Hendrickson signed a one-year contract with the pitching-depleted Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Hendrickson pitched in 36 games for the Florida Marlins last season, including 19 starts, and could compete for a spot in Baltimore’s thin starting rotation. Jeremy Guthrie is the only pitcher set to start after Daniel Cabrera signed with Washington.

House panel satisfied

Washington — The House panel that had follow-up questions for baseball about its drug-testing program is satisfied with the sport’s answers.

Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Tom Davis, R-Va., leaders of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters in June to commissioner Bud Selig and players’ union head Donald Fehr, saying information in the Mitchell Report raised questions about their statements during a March 2005 hearing.

AUTO RACING

Kentucky Speedway sold

Sparta, Ky. — Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased Kentucky Speedway, clearing the way for SMI owner Bruton Smith to try and bring a coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup race to the 1.5-mile tri-oval in northern Kentucky.