David Stern is ready to start a 72-game season on Dec. 15.

Players, however, aren't prepared to make that happen just yet.

The English Football Association has charged Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas with improper conduct over his criticism of a referee.

Villas-Boas said Chris Foy's performance in Chelsea's 1-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers last month was "very, very poor" and accused the referee and his officials of being swayed by the crowd at Loftus Road.

Believe it or not, the Victoria's Secret fashion show belonged to the boys on Wednesday night.

It was Kanye West, Jay-Z and Maroon 5 who got the audience clapping and cheering at the annual lingerie extravaganza at the Lexington Avenue Armory, quite a feat considering they were sharing the stage with the some of the world's top models — in barely-there get-ups, no less.

All eyes will be on the Gulf's booming airlines and how deeply they dig into their wallets when the Middle East's main airshow opens in Dubai next week, though few are expecting a flood of blockbuster deals.

That's because the region's heavyweights — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways — already boast long lists of planes on order designed to fatten their young fleets for years to come.

A rodeo bull in the U.S. appears comfortable again after spending about 20 hours with his head stuck in a giant tire.

The bull, named Skywalker, couldn't eat or drink after he got his head lodged in a discarded truck tire, ranch owner Paige De Ponte said.

Andy Murray easily beat Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters.

The second-seeded British player improved his record to 17-0 since the U.S. Open and has now won 27 of his last 28 matches since mid-August.

Italy will head to Poland for a friendly Friday with attacking problems at the forefront of their minds, with starting forwards Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano out with long-term injuries.

Rossi had knee surgery last week and Cassano is recovering from heart surgery, with both players expected to be out for up to six months.

Newcastle has announced it will rename its 119-year-old football stadium the Sports Direct Arena as part of plans to sell the naming rights.

The Premier League club's home ground has been known as St. James' Park since 1892, but managing director Derek Llambias says "stadium rebranding offers a lucrative way for clubs to secure significant additional income."

Germany travels to Kiev for a friendly against Ukraine at a venue it hopes to return to next year for the final of the European Championship.

Joachim Loew's team comes bolstered by 10 wins from 10 qualifying games but will be missing striker Miroslav Klose, defender and captain Philipp Lahm, and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger in Friday's match.

Nico Rosberg has agreed to a contract extension that will keep the German Formula One driver with the Mercedes team through the 2013 season.

Rosberg, who joined Mercedes for the 2010 season, has earned 217 points for the team and currently sits seventh in the driver standings just ahead of teammate and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.