NFL-RICE
Ravens release Rice
BALTIMORE (AP) β Ray Rice has had his contract terminated by the Baltimore Ravens, hours after a new video was released that appears to show the running back striking his then-fiancee’ in an elevator last February. The grainy video by TMZ Sports apparently shows Rice and Janay Palmer in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. Each hits the other before Rice knocks Palmer off her feet and into a railing. An earlier TMZ video showed Rice dragging Palmer, now his wife, from the elevator.
Based on the first video the league suspended Rice for the first two games of the season. Along with having his Raven’s contract terminated; he has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh is expected to meet with reporters this evening.
U.S. OPEN
Men’s final wraps up the year’s last major
NEW YORK (AP) β It’s hard to imagine that anybody predicted the men’s final pairing for the U.S. Open championship. The title match is being played this afternoon with tenth-seed Kei Nishikori (KAY nesh-ih-KOHR’-ee) facing 14th-seed Marin Cilich (CHIHL’-ihch). In the semifinals, each pulled a major upset as Nishikori eliminated top-seed Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 and Cilich beat No. 2 Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Neither Nishikori nor Cilich has won a Grand Slam singles championship before. If Nishikori were to win he’d be the first from Asia. In his home country of Japan, Nishikori is already a celebrity as interest in today’s match shows. The official satellite TV provider in Japan, WOWOW, has been inundated with requests for service to watch the match.
The two have met seven times with Nishikori winning five of the encounters. Four years ago they met in the second round of the U.S. Open with the Japanese star prevailing in five sets, while two years ago in a third round match Cilich was the winner in four sets.
NFL-SCHEDULE
Two games on tap tonight
UNDATED (AP) β The first week of NFL play comes to a close tonight with two Monday Night games. In the first contest, the Detroit Lions are playing host to the New York Giants while the second contest has Arizona hosting San Diego.
The Lions are opening the season on a Monday night for the first time since 1971, and this will be Detroit’s first game under new coach Jim Caldwell. The Giants are looking to get back into the post season after missing the playoffs for two straight years. A new offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo, was brought in and quarterback Eli Manning has reportedly struggled in the pre-season.
Both teams in the nightcap are coming off winning seasons. The Chargers were 9-7 and made the playoffs while the Cardinals finished 10-6 in Bruce Arians’ first season as head coach and failed to make the post season. The teams are playing for the second time in 12 days after they met in San Diego in the preseason finale.
NFL-PANTHERS
Newton set to return
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Panthers coach Ron Rivera says Cam Newton will start the team’s home opener Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback was held out of Carolina’s win on Sunday at Tampa Bay with fractured ribs. Backup Derek Anderson stepped in and threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-14 victory.
NFL-CHIEFS
KC losses two players
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) β Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson and starting defensive tackle Mike DeVito will miss the remainder of the Kansas City Chiefs’ season after MRI exams confirmed that both players ruptured their right Achilles tendons in Sunday’s loss to Tennessee. Johnson went down without getting touched near the end of the first half. Eight plays later, early in the second half, DeVito went down at nearly the same spot on the field.
NFL-TEXANS
Houston loses top pick to injury
HOUSTON (AP) β No. 1 NFL overall pick Jadeveon (juh-DAY’-vee-ihn) Clowney of the Texans has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will be out 4-6 weeks. The defensive lineman was injured late in the second quarter in Sunday’s win over the Washington Redskins. He has struggled to stay on the field since joining the Texans.
Clowney had to sit out the beginning of camp after offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia, and then left a dual practice Aug. 20 after a helmet-to-helmet hit. He then missed the Texans’ final two preseason games, but said he passed the NFL protocols for head injuries in just over a week.
NFL-49ERS
Niners release James
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) β Running back LaMichael James has been released by the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Jim Harbaugh announced the move, a day after his team’s 28-17 win at Dallas. James had just two carries for no yards against the Cowboys on Sunday.
T25 FOOTBALL
Pac-12 punishes USC athletic director
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β The Pac-12 Conference has fined Southern California athletic director Pat Haden $25,000 for coming down to the field at Stanford Stadium on Saturday and confronting game officials. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement that Haden’s conduct was inappropriate.
Haden, who is also a member of the new College Football Playoff committee, jogged onto the field after getting a text message from a member of USC’s staff during the Trojans’ 13-10 win over Stanford. He held an animated discussion with officials on the sideline between the third and fourth quarters.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-PENN STATE
Penn State reinstated by NCAA
UNDATED (AP) β The NCAA has lifted the rest of the sanctions placed on Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, including immediately eliminating the postseason ban. The Big Ten school was halfway through a four-year postseason ban handed down during the summer of 2012. The NCAA last year rescinded some of the scholarship sanctions against Penn State.
In a news release, the NCAA says that in addition to the postseason ban being lifted, Penn State will be allowed to have the full complement of football scholarships in 2015.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Two day games on the schedule
UNDATED (AP) β It pretty much is do or die time for the Atlanta Braves’ chances of winning the National League East. They start the day seven games back of the Nationals and tonight those clubs kick off a three game series in Washington. The Braves are currently a half-game back of the second NL wild card spot.
The Dodgers can extend their lead over the Giants in the NL West tonight with a win. They are home to San Diego while the Giants, who trail the Dodgers by three games, have the night off.
A check of the remaining games shows Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, the Blue Jays home to the Cubs, Baltimore at Boston, the Mets home to the Rockies, St. Louis at Cincinnati, the Brewers hosting the Marlins, Oakland in Chicago to play the White Sox and Houston at Seattle.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
New pact for New Mexico coach
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) β New Mexico men’s basketball coach Craig Neal has received a six-year contract extension worth $5.7 million. The deal keeps him with the Lobos through 2020. Neal became the New Mexico head coach last year after Steve Alford left for UCLA. Neal led the Lobos to a 27-7 record and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
SPORTS GAMBLING
New Jersey governor says go for it
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) β New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has issued a directive allowing his state’s casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting without fear of criminal or civil liability. The governor said he took his cue from previous federal court rulings that found that nothing in New Jersey law prohibits the casinos and horse racing tracks from offering sports betting.
His action is likely to be challenged in court by the professional and collegiate sports leagues that fought New Jersey’s efforts to overturn a ban on sports betting in all but four states. That effort ended with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear the case.
