In Brief

Comcast adds ESPNU

ESPNU will be added to Comcast’s digital-level cable packages, and its high-speed Internet subscribers will receive ESPN360.com, after an agreement was reached this week.

The additional programming will be available before the start of college football season. Customers who already have digital cable, or high-speed Internet, won’t be charged for either new product.

ESPNU will feature an SEC game of the week in football this year, in addition to the 550 live events it broadcasts from many of the big conferences, including the ACC. This week’s tennis championships, featuring players from Georgia and Georgia Tech, are on ESPNU.

ESPN360.com features games online. The first game of the Paul Johnson era at Georgia Tech was featured on the site last year, for example.

ABC signs up again

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic will again be broadcast on ABC, officials announced Thursday.

The game will pit Alabama vs. Virginia Tech on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. in the Georgia Dome.

In last year’s inaugural game, Alabama defeated Clemson.

Trivia challenge

When Bob Horner became the first and only Atlanta Brave to hit four home runs in a game on July 6, 1986, which pitchers did he hit them against?

Today’s number

2.78Roy Halladay’s ERA this season through nine games and his ERA last season. The Toronto Blue Jays’ ace, who will face the Braves tonight at Turner Field, is 8-1 this season with 57 strikeouts. The 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner has posted double-digit victories in six of the past seven years.

News of the day

Panathinaikos beat archrival Olympiakos 69-67 in the opening game of the Greek League finals on Thursday, with riot police called to control fans inside and outside the arena.

Former Atlanta Hawks swingman Josh Childress had 23 points for Olympiakos, the home team.

“The violence we saw today, will make me think real hard over my future in Europe,” said Childress, who signed a 3-year deal worth $20 million with Olympiakos in July.

Olympiakos fans threw a flare, plastic bottles and other items at Panathinaikos’ bench during a timeout. About 200 fans clashed with police after the game and even tried to storm the locker rooms. The second game in the best-of-five series will be at Panathinaikos’ home court on Monday. . …

President Barack Obama may be a Chicago Bears fan at heart. But at least on Thursday, the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers were his football favorites.

The president celebrated the Steelers’ title at a White House ceremony. Obama and the players also met with wounded U.S. service members and assembled care packages for troops serving overseas.

Trivia answer

Horner hit his first three homers off Montreal Expos starter Andy McGaffigan and his last one off Jeff Reardon. Horner finished with six RBIs (three of the blasts were solo homers), but the Braves lost 11-8.