NEW YORK — Former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent and the lawyer who investigated Pete Rose for him Thursday called on commissioner Bud Selig to hire an outside investigator to research allegations of steroid use by Barry Bonds.

Vincent hired John Dowd in 1989 to investigate Pete Rose, who agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball after it was found that he bet on the Cincinnati Reds. Rose publicly admitted in 2004 that he did bet on the Reds while he was the manager.

Bonds is accused in an upcoming book of using steroids, human growth hormone and insulin for at least five seasons beginning in 1998, according to Sports Illustrated, which published excerpts this week. Baseball did not ban performance-enhancing substances until after the 2002 season.

Selig wouldn't commit to an investigation.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots released linebacker Willie McGinest Thursday in a salary cap move, ending a 12-year relationship with the NFL's all-time postseason sack leader.McGinest, who has been with New England his entire career, was the fourth pick of the 1994 draft out of Southern California. He played in four Super Bowls, including three Patriots victories. His 16 postseason sacks rank ahead of Bruce Smith (14Qw) and Reggie White (12).

CALGARY, Alberta — Shizuka Arakawa is skipping the world figure skating championships, keeping up what has become a tradition for the Olympic gold medalist.Arakawa's coach, Nikolai Morozov, said Thursday the Japanese skater decided after she won gold in Turin to skip worlds later this month. She's already won a world title, in 2004, and has been on a hectic schedule since leaving Italy.