Nearly a year after Roger Clemens told Congress he did not use performance-enhancing drugs, a federal grand jury is being asked to determine whether he should be indicted on charges of lying under oath.

The grand-jury probe was confirmed to The Associated Press yesterday by two people who were briefed on the matter. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because grand jury proceedings are supposed to be secret.

Congress asked the Justice Department to look into whether the seven-time Cy Young Award winner lied last February, when he testified under oath at a deposition and a public House hearing that he never took illegal performance enhancers.

That contradicted the sworn testimony of his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, who said under oath that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone. Clemens last played in the major leagues in 2007, with the New York Yankees.

The Justice Department brought the case to a grand jury — which is based in Washington — after an 11-month FBI inquiry. A grand jury allows prosecutors to get sworn testimony from witnesses and collect documents. The investigation is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Butler, the prosecutor in the D.C. Madam case.

"We don't know anything about this, but it is no surprise," Clemens' lead lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said through spokesman Patrick Dorton. "It's part of what a prosecutor does."

McNamee told federal agents and baseball investigator George Mitchell that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and HGH from 1998-01. Clemens' repeated denials of those accusations drew Congress' attention — and the former pitcher then made more denials under oath.

SOCCER

RONALDO IS FIFA'S PLAYER OF YEAR

Cristiano Ronaldo won the FIFA World Player of the Year award yesterday to complete a sweep of soccer's top individual honors for 2008.

The Portugal winger led Manchester United to the Premier League and Champions League titles in May. He scored 42 goals in all competitions last season and became the first English Premier League player to win the honor in the award's 18-year history.

"It is an overwhelming moment, a very special moment in my life," Ronaldo said. "I would like to say to my mother and sister that the fireworks can be fired off now."

Brazil's Marta won the women's award for the third year in a row. She earlier announced she is joining the Los Angeles Sol in the Women's Professional Soccer League.

Ronaldo received 136 first-place votes and 935 points in a worldwide poll of national team captains and coaches. He was followed by Barcelona and Argentina midfielder Lionel Messi (678) and Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres (203).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

TEBOW HAS RIGHT SHOULDER SURGERY

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has had surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to be ready for spring practice in April.

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner had surgery yesterday at Shands Florida Surgical Center to remove a bone spur and hopefully reduce chronic inflammation.

Tebow announced Sunday that he will return for his senior season.

He injured his non-throwing shoulder against Kentucky in October 2007 and re-aggravated it earlier this season.

ELSEWHERE

College football: Florida State safety Myron Rolle will study at Oxford instead of entering this year's NFL draft. Rolle won a Rhodes scholarship in November and plans to seek a one-year master's degree in medical anthropology, The New York Times reported yesterday in an entry on its college football blog. Rolle said he plans to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

Hockey: The Winter Classic drew the biggest television audience for a regular-season NHL game in nearly 34 years. The Detroit Red Wings' 6-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day attracted an average of 4.4 million U.S. viewers on NBC, the network said. That's the most since a Philadelphia-New York Rangers game Feb. 23, 1975, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Golf: Defending co-champion Peter Jacobsen withdrew from this weekend's Champions Skins Game in Ka'anapli because of a shoulder injury, and was replaced by Ben Crenshaw. Jacobsen, who teamed with Fuzzy Zoeller to win last year's event with six skins worth $320,000, said he tweaked his left shoulder while hitting balls last week.

Baseball: Mike Scioscia's extension with the Los Angeles Angels puts him under contract through the 2018 season. Two people with knowledge of the negotiations told the AP the parties agreed to a 10-year deal that allows Scioscia to opt out after the 2015 season.