From Beacon Journal wire services

Brett Favre has asked the Packers to release him so he can return to the NFL with another team after apparently being told that his latest retirement reversal wasn't welcome news in Green Bay.

The team said it would do ''what's right'' in response to Favre's request, which was first reported by ESPN. ''Brett earned and exercised the right to retire on his terms,'' the team's statement read.

''We wanted him to return and welcomed him back on more than one occasion. Brett's press conference and subsequent conversations in the following weeks illustrated his commitment to retirement. The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization. At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team.''

Favre, 38, retired March 6 after a 17-year career, but almost immediately began dropping hints that he was having second thoughts. The Packers' statement said Favre now has the right to petition NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to be reinstated, at which point he would return to the team's active roster. But the statement did not specify what the Packers would do after that, beyond doing ''what's right and in the best interest of the team.''

The Packers already have committed to going at quarterback with Aaron Rodgers, a first-round pick in 2005 who has been sitting behind Favre for his first three seasons in the NFL.

''As with all Packers greats, Brett's legacy will always be celebrated by our fans and the organization, regardless of any change in his personal intentions,'' the statement read. ''Brett and Deanna will always be a part of the Packers family.''

More NFL: Police want ex-Bengal

• Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman, 25, is being sought on a felonious assault warrant, police said. Thurman, of Cincinnati, was indicted last week by an Erie County grand jury on the charge, accusing him of punching a 19-year-old North Royalton man, the Erie County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Detective Bob Lippert said Thurman punched the man in the face, breaking his jaw, on May 27 at Kalahari Waterpark Resort in Sandusky after they argued about a place in line.

Cycling: Beltran tests positive

• Veteran Spanish rider Manuel Beltran was kicked off the Tour de France and was in police custody after testing positive for Erythropoietin (EPO). Liquigas cycling team spokesman Paolo Barbieri said Beltran was suspended from the team and that police were searching other Liquigas riders' rooms. Beltran tested positive on July 5 after the first stage.

• Luis-Leon Sanchez of Spain won the seventh stage of the Tour de France, moving ahead with 21/2 miles to go and holding on for the victory in Aurillac, France. Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg retained the yellow jersey as the overall leader after the windy stage of 99 miles from Brioude to Aurillac in the Auvergne.

Golf: Creamer rolls out to 6-shot lead

• Paula Creamer shot a 6-under-par 65 to build a 6-stroke lead through two rounds of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio. Creamer shattered the tournament's 36-hole record by 6 shots. She stands at 17-under 125 — the lowest two-round total on the LPGA Tour this year by 5 strokes. Eun-Hee Ji shot a 66 and is at 11-under 131. No one else is within 10 shots of Creamer.

• Kenny Perry, 47, was 2 strokes off the lead after the second round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. Perry birdied six of his final 10 holes while shooting 5-under 66. That put him in a three-way tie for second place at 11-under 131 with Charlie Wi (67) and Eric Axley (66). Will MacKenzie (64) holds the lead at 13 under.

• Phil Mickelson had a hole-in-one on No. 14 at the Scottish Open to make the cut and go into the weekend 5 strokes behind leader Angel Cabrera in Luss, Scotland. Mickelson shot a 4-under-par 67 for the day and picked up 1 stroke on Cabrera, who had a 68 for a 9-under 133.

Other: Castroneves wins pole

• Helio Castroneves averaged 204.519 mph over four laps in qualifying for the Firestone Indy 200 to take the pole at the Nashville Superspeedway in Gladeville, Tenn. Castroneves also gave Team Penske its first pole at Nashville and 37th in the IndyCar Series. Danica Patrick averaged 203.335 and will start on the first row.

• Russian Yelena Isinbayeva improved her own pole-vault world record to 16 feet, 6 inches at the Golden Gala meet in Rome. The Russian cleared the record height (5.03 meters) with ease on her second attempt, nearly three years after setting the previous record of 16-51/4 (5.01 meters.

• Swimmer Eric Shanteau, who qualified for the Olympics in the 200-meter breast stroke, has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, but will wait on surgery in order to compete in Beijing. The 24-year-old Georgia native will be monitored closely by doctors and vows to withdraw if there's any sign his cancer is spreading.

• The Dallas Mavericks re-signed former Texas A&M standout Antoine Wright. Wright played two seasons with New Jersey before he was acquired by the Mavs on Feb. 19. . . . The Minnesota Timberwolves signed first-round draft pick Kevin Love of UCLA. . . . The New Jersey Nets reached agreements with free-agent forwards Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes. . . . Free-agent guard Roger Mason signed with the San Antonio Spurs.