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Thursday November 28 4:23 AM EST

Reuters Sports Summary

Chiefs Switch Quarterbacks - For the first time in 29 regular-season and playoff games, Steve Bono will not start at quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs when they play the Detroit Lions today in a traditional Thanksgiving Day game. In Bono's place will be Rich Gannon, who has appeared in only one game this season and has not started since 1993. Gannon replaced Bono in the third quarter of Sunday's 28-14 loss to San Diego and went 22 of 31 for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Bono has struggled this season, throwing 11 interceptions and only 11 TD passes.

Cowboys vs. Redskins - One of the great Thanksgiving Day football memories came in a 1974 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins at Texas Stadium. A backup quarterback named Clint Longley came off the bench for the injured Roger Staubach and threw a pair of second-half touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a 24-23 win over the Redskins. The two teams meet again today in their first Thanksgiving contest since 1990. The defending Super Bowl Champion Cowboys (7-5) enter today's game one game behind first-place Washington (8-4) in the NFC East. The Cowboys are 4-0 versus Washington on Thanksgiving, winning in 1968, 1974, 1978 and 1990.

Kansas Wins Maui Invitational - Second-ranked Kansas wore down Virginia last night to win the Maui Invitational Tournament. The Jayhawks defeated Virginia 80-63. Kansas will take over the number one spot in the college basketball polls if it beats San Diego on Sunday. California defeated No. 16 Massachusetts, 59-55, in the third-place game of the Maui Classic and No. 23 Iowa crushed Chaminade, 67-37 in the seventh-place game. In New York, No. 5 Duke held off No. 21 Tulsa, 72-67, to advance to the finals of the Pre-season National Invitation Tournament and No. 17 Indiana edged Evansville, 74-73. Duke and Indiana meet in the NIT championship game on Friday. No. 14 Stanford thrashed North Carolina-Greensboro, 88-52, in the first round of the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage. Elsewhere, No.13 Texas beat Rhode Island, 86-79. Oral Roberts beat No. 20 Arkansas, 86-81 and No. 22 New Mexico routed Centenary, 96-64.

Phoenix Wins One - The Phoenix Suns have won their first game of the season, defeating the New Jersey Nets, 99-77, last night in Phoenix. The Suns snapped a franchise-record 13-game slide to open the season. In other NBA action, the Utha Jazz rallied from a 34-point halftime deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets, 107-103. Orlando squeaked past Atlanta, 79-75; Detroit beat Vancouver, 87-78; Toronto beat Charlotte, 92-88; Boston defeated Los Angeles, 110-94; Seattle beat Minnesota, 106-98; Milwaukee crushed Cleveland, 92-75; Portland whipped San Antonio, 120-109 and Miami beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 98-82.

Detroit Beats Toronto - Brendan Shanahan recorded his eighth career hat trick and Darren McCarty had a goal and an assist as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2 last night. In other NHL games: Jaromir Jagr's shorthanded goal with 9:18 left in the third period lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins into a 2-2 tie with the Montreal Canadiens. Vancouver beat Hartford, 6-2; New Jersey edged Dallas, 3-2; the New York Islanders beat Philadelphia, 4-1; Buffalo shutout Tampa Bay, 3-0; Ottawa beat Washington, 2-1; the New York Rangers defeated Colorado, 5-2; Los Angeles beat Edmonton, 5-1; St Louis edged Anaheim, 3-2 and San Jose topped Chicago, 3-2.

Braves Give Neagle New Deal - The defending National League champion Atlanta Braves have locked up another member of the league's best starting rotation. The Braves have signed left-hander Denny Neagle to a new four-contract with a club option for the fifth. No financial terms were announced. Neagle was signed through the 1997 season, but the Braves tore up his contract and gave him a new deal. The Braves re-signed NL Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz earlier this month. Smoltz also received a four-year deal with a club option for a fifth season, reportedly worth $31 million.

Cubs Re-sign Sandberg - The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms with Ryne Sandberg on a one-year contract with a club option for 1998. Financial terms were not revealed. The 37-year-old second basemen returned to the Cubs before the 1996 season after a year-and-a-half retirement. In Atlanta, the National League champion Braves locked up another member of the league's best starting rotation. The Braves signed left-hander Denny Neagle to a new four-contract with a club option for a fifth year.

Freeman Returns From Sick Bay - Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre gets back one of his favorite targets this Sunday. That's when receiver Antonio Freeman returns from the injury list. Freeman had been the Packers' leading receiver before breaking his left forearm in Green Bay's 13-7 win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 27. Freeman had 31 receptions for 481 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. Freeman is expected to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears, but the Packers have yet to declare whether he will start.

Redskins May Lose Safety - The Washington Redskins may be without safety Darryl Morrison for their playoff push and perhaps the post-season. Morrison sprained his neck a few weeks ago and injured it again Sunday in a 19-16 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Washington Post, quoting Redskins trainer Bubba Tyer, reports the injury is a cervical disc problem. The Redskins formally list Morrison as questionable for the Thanksgiving game at Dallas, but the paper reports that he's done for the season.

Florida Quarterback Honored - Danny Wuerffel of Florida is this year's winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented to the nation's top senior quarterback. Wuerffel has completed 164 of 277 passes for 2,862 yards and 30 touchdowns to lead the 10-0 Gators to the No. 1 ranking in the country. Florida meets No. 2 Florida State Saturday. Wuerffel holds 25 school, eight conference and two NCAA records. Wuerffel will be presented with the award in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 13.

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