HOUSTON — A federal judge dismissed most of Roger Clemens' defamation lawsuit against his former personal trainer, saying statements made in the Mitchell Report on doping in baseball are protected.

Brian McNamee has told federal agents, baseball investigator George Mitchell and a House of Representatives committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998-2001.

McNamee's attorneys said Clemens' lawsuit should be thrown out because McNamee was compelled to cooperate by federal investigators.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Authorities in the South Carolina county where Michael Phelps was photographed smoking from a marijuana pipe have been arresting people as they seek to make a case against the superstar swimmer, lawyers for two arrested people said.Attorneys Joseph McCulloch and Dick Harpootlian told The Associated Press they each represent a client charged with possession of marijuana who were questioned about the party Phelps attended near the University of South Carolina campus in November.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson cleared another hurdle in his recovery from a heart transplant when he was released from the hospital, 12 days after the surgery.Richardson left Carolinas Medical Center and was resting at home after doctors determined his body was accepting the new heart.The full recovery period takes between three and six months.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Brian Xanders, who begged every NFL team for a job after graduating from Florida State, was promoted to general manager of the Denver Broncos.Xanders (ZAN-ders), a former walk-on middle linebacker, joined the Broncos on May 5 after 14 seasons in the Atlanta Falcons organization.

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing officials following Cleveland's last-second loss at Indiana on Tuesday night.