Wednesday's sports briefs

The NFL and the players' union wrapped up a sixth consecutive day of mediated talks Wednesday in Washington -- and they will meet again Thursday.

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and most of his negotiating group -- including four current players -- left Wednesday's session at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service a little after 5:30 p.m.

That was less than an hour after Smith and a dozen members of the union's team returned from a 1 1/2-hour break. It wasn't clear what, if any, significance the break holds, although it was the first time since the mediation began Friday that either side left the building en masse in the middle of a day.

Smith and others in the union contingent declined to comment, abiding by mediator George Cohen's request that the sides stay silent.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of the day March 3.

In other NFL news:

• Linebacker LaMarr Woodley signed Pittsburgh's one-year franchise tender offer, the Steelers announced. In the final season of his rookie contract, Woodley, 26, made $550,000. But next season he'll stand to make more than $10 million because of the tag and his position. The Steelers could also sign him to a long-term contract.

Arizona State QB calls it quits Arizona State quarterback Steven Threet has decided to walk away from football after suffering four concussions in five years, including two this past fall.

Threet also suffered concussions his senior year at Adrian (Mich.) High School and in 2008 while playing at Michigan.

As a junior at Arizona State, he threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns with 16 interceptions, and was sacked 23 times.

IOC inquires about Vancouver bid The IOC is asking the head of the Vancouver Olympics for more details on his claims of a deal with Russia during the bidding for the 2010 Winter Games.

John Furlong, who led Vancouver's winning bid and the 2010 organizing committee, says in a new book -- "Patriot Hearts: Inside the Olympics That Changed a Country" -- that a deal with Moscow's mayor may have been instrumental in swinging votes in Canada's favor.

Tennis: Four-time champion Roger Federer and third-ranked Novak Djokovic reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships. ... Mario Ancic of Croatia is retiring from tennis at age 26 because of a back injury. Ancic reached a career-high ranking of No. 7 in 2006.

Auto racing: NASCAR penalized the truck series team Michael Waltrip drove for at Daytona International Speedway after it found that Waltrip's spoiler had broken over the closing laps. Waltrip won the season-opening truck race for Vision Aviation Racing.

Judo: Olympic gold medalist Tong Wen won her appeal against a two-year ban for a positive clenbuterol test that she blamed on eating contaminated Chinese meat.

Litigation: Birmingham, Ala., attorney Glennon Threatt Jr. plans to represent Harvey Updyke Jr., the man accused of poisoning the oak trees at Toomer's Corner on Auburn's campus after three predecessors withdrew.

Obituary: Ben Fricke, a four-year starter on the Houston Cougars offensive line and a first-team All-America at center in 1997, died after a brief battle with cancer. He was 35. Fricke played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2001, starting five games at center in 2000.