NFL-PACKERS
Green Bay sacks special teams coach after gaffes
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) β The Green Bay Packers have found a scapegoat for their fourth-quarter collapse in the NFL championship.
They released special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum, less than two weeks after special teams mistakes marred their loss in the NFC title game in Seattle.
Coach Mike McCarthy announced the change and thanked Slocum, who was with Green Bay for nine years and helped the team win the Super Bowl following the 2010 season.
Green Bay blew a 16-0 lead in the 28-22 overtime loss to the Seahawks. Seattle benefited from a pair of special teams mistakes: Seahawks holder Jon Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tackle Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal and then tight end Brandon Bostick didn’t block on an onside kick late in the game, mishandling the ball that Seattle recovered.
NFL-STATE OF LEAGUE
Goodell warns penalties could be coming from Deflate-gate
PHOENIX (AP)β NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL’) says that even if no competitive advantage was gained, the New England Patriots could be hit with increased penalties if the league investigation finds they violated rules by deflating footballs in the AFC championship game.
Goodell says at his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference Friday: “We have rules. We’re a league of rules.”
The league appointed lawyer Ted Wells to look into what happened to the Patriots’ footballs during the 45-7 victory over the Colts that sent New England to the Super Bowl.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said he expects the investigation to determine his team did nothing wrong, and he expects an apology from the NFL.
Goodell also announced that the league is creating a new position of chief medical officer to oversee all of the NFL’s health policies.
The commissioner adds that the league has not looked at any specific team that might want to move to Los Angeles. He notes that any such move would be subjected to the NFL’s relocation policy. Los Angeles hasn’t had a team since the Raiders returned to Oakland after the 1994 season.
NFL-COACHES
Super Bowl coaches have high praise for each other
PHOENIX(AP)β Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says it will be star cornerback Richard Sherman’s decision whether to play in Sunday’s Super Bowl if his pregnant girlfriend goes into labor with the couple’s first child sooner than expected.
Carroll said during a joint news conference with New England coach Bill Belichick that family comes first and “if (Sherman) is faced with that decision, we’ll support him.”
Carroll’s comment regarding Sherman was the biggest news to come out of the final media availability with the coaches as both were extremely complementary of the other. Patriots coach Bill Belichick says preparing his team to face the defending Super Bowl champions has “been a huge challenge.” Adding that the Seahawks “do so many things well on so many levels.”
NFL-MANNNING
Manning assessing his future
PHOENIX (AP)β On a day that two other quarterbacks were putting the final touches on their game plans and practice sessions for the Super Bowl, Denver quarterback Peyton Manning was telling reporters has hasn’t yet decided if he will return next season. After accepting the Bart Star Award in Phoenix, Manning said that he’s “taking some time to assess some things and see,” about his future.
Manning, prior to the Broncos loss to Indianapolis in the playoffs had been saying that he will return, but after that defeat, he admitted to his uncertainty.
New Denver head coach Gary Kubiak (KOO’-bee-ak) and Denver vice president John Elway have urged Manning to take his time before making a decision.
PGA-WOODS
A bewildered Tiger Woods misses the cut
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP)β Tiger Woods is heading home after shooting the worst round of his professional golf career. His 11 over second round 82 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open left him looking lost on the golf course as he closed his two days 13 over par, missing the cut by a wide margin.
Woods hit wedges fat and thin, but never close. He hit a tee shot in the water and another into a desert bush. Woods previous worst score was an 81 in the third round at Muirfield in the 2002 British Open, in that round he could attribute at least some of his trouble to the 40 mph wind and rain.
MLB-NEWS
Braves send Hale to Rockies…Pearce settles with O’s for $3.7 million
ATLANTA (AP) β The Atlanta Braves pulled off another trade in their busy offseason, dealing right-handed pitchers David Hale and Gus Schlosser to the Colorado Rockies for minor league catchers Jose Briceno and Chris O’Dowd. Hale pitched 45 games for the Braves last season, going 4-5 with a 3.30 ERA, and had been expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation.
In other baseball news:
__ Baltimore Orioles first baseman Steve Pearce has agreed to a $3.7 million, one-year contract and avoided a salary arbitration hearing. Pearce had asked for $5.4 million and had been offered $2 million when the sides exchanged proposed salaries two weeks ago, the largest gap among the 74 players who swapped. Pearce hit .293 for Baltimore last year and set career bests with 21 homers and 49 RBIs.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-D-III
Bullis takes over dynasty at Wisconsin-Whitewater
WHITEWATER, Wis. (AP) β The search for a head football coach to lead the six-time Division III national champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is over. Defensive assistant coach Kevin Bullis will inherit the football dynasty, replacing Lance Leipold, who left to take the head coaching job at Buffalo.
NBA
Friday schedule
UNDATED (AP) β It’s a busy Friday for the NBA. Nine games are scheduled.
The Minnesota Wild are in Philadelphia to face the Sixers. Portland is at Atlanta. The Houston Rockets take on the Celtics in Boston. The Brooklyn Nets host Toronto. Sacramento faces the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The L.A. Clippers are in New Orleans to play the Pelicans. Dallas is in Miami, Golden State is at Utah and the Chicago Bulls are in Phoenix to play the Suns.
NHL
Friday games
UNDATED (AP) β There’s a light Friday schedule in the NHL.
The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to New Jersey to face the Devils. St. Louis is at Carolina. The Avalanche host Nashville. Buffalo travels to Vancouver. And the Chicago Blackhawks are in Anaheim to play the Ducks.
MARATHON
Three time Boston Marathon champ banned
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)_Rita Jeptoo (JEP’-too), a three-time winner of the Boston Marathon and two-time Chicago Marathon champion, has been handed a two-year doping ban Friday in a case that has cast a shadow over Kenya’s famed distance runners.
Jeptoo tested positive for the blood-booster EPO in an out-of-competition test last September, a few weeks before winning her second straight Chicago Marathon title. Both the “A” and “B” samples were positive.
Athletics Kenya announced Friday that Jeptoo was suspended from all competition until Oct. 29, 2016 ruling her out for this year’s world championships in Beijing and next year’s OIympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The 33-year-old Jeptoo is the biggest name among dozens of Kenyan athletes who have failed drug tests in recent years. The World Anti-Doping Agency has urged Kenya to step up its drug-testing program and is working with the east African country to help set up a national anti-doping body.
Boston Marathon organizers said they would evaluate Jeptoo’s ban before making any decision on stripping her results in the race.
In a statement, the Boston Athletic Association says that they “are deeply disappointed in the findings.” Adding that the group is “committed to upholding the integrity and credibility of the Boston Marathon.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN-MEN
Men’s final set
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) β Top seed Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) has earned the right to face No. 6 Andy Murray.
Djokovic was stretched to five sets again against Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRINK’-ah) before beating the defending champion 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to reach his fifth Australian Open final.
Murray earned his spot in Sunday’s final with a semifinal win over No. 7 Tomas Berdych (TOH’-mahs bur-DEEK’) 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. This will be his fourth trip to the Australian final after three losses.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN-WOMEN
Williams sick
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) βSerena Williams cut short one practice session on the eve of the Australian Open final against Maria Sharapova due to a cold she’s been battling for the past week.
The No. 1-ranked American was seen on Australia’s Channel 7 network coughing into a towel and blowing her nose before she abandoned the morning practice session.
In a statement released by the WTA Williams says she wasn’t feeling really well.
She did feel well enough to return to the practice court in the afternoon.
Williams will be aiming for her 19th Grand Slam singles title when she takes on Sharapova on Saturday.
