Wide receiver Plaxico Burress has been reinstated as a player in the NFL by commissioner Roger Goodell, a source said.Burress was recently released from jail after serving close to two years on a gun-related incident in New York City. He plans to have dinner with Giants coach Tom Coughlin on Friday night and then could head to Pittsburgh to meet with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, sources told ESPN NFL senior analyst Chris Mortensen.The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets also have expressed varying degrees of interest in Burress, according to sources.Burress traveled to New York on Tuesday night via a private jet courtesy of billionaire Seth Bernstein, who is serving as an unofficial broker between the wide receiver and the Giants, sources said. [Read the full article]

HBO said Friday the uncertainty of the lockout "made it impractical for a team to commit" to the popular training camp reality show. The series is set to return next year.The network will broadcast a 10th anniversary special Aug. 31 looking back at past "Hard Knocks": Baltimore Ravens (2001), Dallas Cowboys (2002, 2008), Kansas City Chiefs (2007), Cincinnati Bengals (2009) and New York Jets (2010)."We know football fans are hungry for compelling NFL programming and we think they'll love the 10th anniversary special," said Rick Bernstein, executive producer for HBO Sports.The special also will include a "Where Are They Now?" element, and never-before-seen out-takes and new interviews, HBO said. [Read the full article]

Hideki Irabu joined the New York Yankees 14 years ago in a swell of international excitement. The quirky, flamethrowing Japanese right-hander seemed destined to become a pioneering star for American baseball's marquee franchise.Irabu never reached those enormous expectations, and his career spiraled. On Wednesday, the 42-year-old was found dead, an apparent suicide in a home in Rancho Palos Verdes, a wealthy Los Angeles suburb.More From ESPNNewYork.comHideki Irabu may not have lived up to the hype, but he delivered a night to remember in his Yankee Stadium debut, writes Rob Parker.Story• Yankees blog | ESPN New York"He was a world-class pitcher," said former major league manager and ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine, who managed Irabu in Japan in 1995. "When Nolan Ryan saw him, he said he had never seen anything like it. There were just some days when he was as good a pitcher as I had ever seen. [Read the full article]

Basketball's governing body said Friday it will clear NBA players under contract to play in its leagues during the lockout, as long as they return once the lockout is over.In a ruling that paves the way for players to earn a paycheck on the court, FIBA agreed with NBA and players' association officials that players are free to sign anywhere, but do so at their own risk of injury."As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labor dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled," secretary general Patrick Baumann said in a statement."In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever. [Read the full article]