Sports Digest: VU in third at Prairie View A&M women's bowling invitational

Pro football

IRSAY INSISTS, AGAIN, THAT HE AND MANNING ARE FINE: Maybe, just maybe, the Colts and Peyton Manning are done stealing headlines during Super Bowl week.

They might save the real news for later.

The simmering spat between Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay bubbled up Thursday night, when Manning's surgeon sent out a statement saying the star quarterback had been cleared to play.

Irsay responded on Twitter in the wee hours before dawn Friday, declaring that: "Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts" -- a terse statement that suggested Manning might have yet worn out his welcome in Indianapolis.

Then for the second straight Friday, Irsay tried to patch things up.

"Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay and the entire Colts family remain close and unified as we continue to work through all the options that relate to his future with the Colts," the owner said in a statement that included a color photo from Irsay's party that was taking place at about the same time as the controversy erupted.

The photo shows Manning, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Irsay, former Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, actress Meg Ryan and singer John Mellencamp. The controversy didn't stop Manning from visiting an inner-city school Friday. Manning did not take questions at the event.

Manning's agent, Tom Condon, told the NFL Network that the four-time league MVP would play in 2012, a point Manning made perfectly clear when he told reporters Tuesday that he did not plan to retire despite missing the entire 2011 season after having his third neck surgery in 19 months.

Pro golf

LEVIN TAKES PHOENIX OPEN LEAD: Spencer Levin holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle on the par-4 17th and shot an 8-under 63 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the suspended second round of the Phoenix Open.

Levin completed a first-round 65 in the morning and was 14 under overall.

Harrison Frazar was 6 under for the round and 11 under overall with three holes left at TPC Scottsdale when play was suspended because of darkness. Frost delayed the start for an hour for the second straight day.

Pro baseball

RANGERS' HAMILTON CONFIRMS ALCOHOL RELAPSE: Texas Rangers outfielder and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton says he had a relapse and had "three or four" drinks earlier this week.

Hamilton spoke Friday, confirming a report that he drank alcohol at a Dallas-area bar on Monday night. He said it was a "weak moment" and "it was just wrong."

The 30-year-old player was suspended for more than three years for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization. He missed the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons, but has become one of the best players in baseball on a team that has won the last two American League pennants. He was the AL MVP in 2010.

Women's bowling

VU IN THIRD AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M INVITE: Top-ranked Valparaiso University is in third place after Friday's opening round of the Prairie View A&M Invitational in Arlington, Texas. The Crusaders have 4,110 total pins, finishing 2-3 in four-game Baker sets.

College basketball

PURDUE CALUMET TO HOST FUNDRAISERS TODAY: In support of Coaches vs. Cancer, the Purdue Calumet men's and women's teams will donate a portion of the tickets sales from today's games to the American Cancer Society. The Peregrines will face Cardinal Stritch. The women's game is at 1 p.m., and the men's game will follow at 3.

UCONN'S CALHOUN TAKING INDEFINITE MEDICAL LEAVE: Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun says his back pain is so severe that he will take a leave of absence and meet with doctors next week.

Calhoun, who turns 70 in May, tells The Associated Press on Friday the has had back pain since last summer but thought physical therapy was helping him get through it. He says in the last week or so the pain was so bad he had trouble getting off a plane after a flight but he tried to hide it.

Around the horn

Today's Purdue North Central at Holy Cross men's basketball game will be broadcast on www.rrsn.com at 1:45 p.m. ... Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has jumped to the defense of new football coach Urban Meyer, who has been accused of poaching recruits who had already committed to other Big Ten programs. Meyer's first recruiting class on Wednesday included eight players who initially had said they were attending another school, including four who originally said they were going to Penn State and one each who had declared they would go to Michigan State and Wisconsin.