Sports in Brief: McNabb: 'I belong in Hall'

Donovan McNabb

told FoxSports.com that he "would vote for myself for the Hall of Fame," on Wednesday.

Pointing out that he led the Eagles to five NFC championship games and a Super Bowl, McNabb said he "absolutely" believes he should be in the Hall of Fame.

"We talk about the five NFC championships, we talk about the six Pro Bowls, and then what comes at the end?," McNabb said. "Well he never won the big game.

"Peyton Manning never won the big game until he won the Super Bowl, finally. Dan Marino never won the big game, but does that mean his career is a failure? No, not at all."

Asked what makes a Hall of Fame quarterback, McNabb said, "First of all his numbers. How many times he's led his team to the big game, which the big game still is the NFC championship. And most importantly, did he make the players around him better? In his time, in his era, was he in the top five, top 10 quarterbacks in the league?"

A tentative agreement has been reached to settle a federal lawsuit between former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and Nissan Motor Corp. over his failed car dealership in Mississippi, court records show.

The dealership in Jackson closed in 2009 and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation under federal bankruptcy law.

SOCCER: Chelsea beat Barcelona, 1-0, in London in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

The total-goals series will conclude in Barcelona next week. The hosts can become the first back-to-back winner since A.C. Milan in 1989-90. Chelsea has never won Europe's top club title.

Lionel Messi lost possession of the ball in midfield, and Frank Lampard passed to Ramires for a counterattack. Ramires crossed to Didier Drogba, who scuffed his shot but still beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes in the second minute of first-half stoppage time for his 38th Champions League goal.

TENNIS: Seven-time defending champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic began their clay-court seasons with comfortable wins in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Djokovic opened with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Andreas Seppi of Italy, while Nadal followed with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.

COLLEGES: The Toledo men's basketball team will be banned from next year's postseason because of past academic problems after the NCAA denied the school's appeal.

The ban stems from several years of below-standard scores on the NCAA's Academic Performance Rate that a year ago cost Toledo three scholarships.

Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said the University tests student-athletes to the full extent possible under state law, which prohibits random drug tests.

ESPN The Magazine reported that 40 to 60 percent of the football team smoked marijuana. The story is based on interviews with 19 current or former Oregon players.

- Staff and wire reports