NFL-BRADY WINS
Judge rules in favor of quarterback
NEW YORK (AP) β The battle between the NFL and Tom Brady is not over. Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL’) says the league will appeal the decision by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman that ruled in favor of Brady and erased his four-game suspension for “Deflategate.”
And NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says that while the league is appealing the federal judge’s decision,” it isn’t seeking an emergency stay. That frees Brady to play while an appeals court considers the case.
The Patriots open Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh
The surprise ruling by the judge came after more than one month of failed settlement talks between the NFL and its players’ union. Many legal experts believed the judge was merely pressuring the sides to settle when he criticized the NFL’s handling of the case at two hearings in August.
In his ruling Berman came out forcefully in Brady’s favor, maligning the NFL for its handling of the scandal that erupted after the AFC championship game in January, when officials discovered during the first half that Brady used underinflated footballs. New England beat the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 then won the Super Bowl two weeks later.
The judge cited the following in his statement.
β That Brady had no notice of his possible suspension for general awareness of ball deflation by others.
β That he had been given no notice that his discipline would be the equivalent of the discipline imposed upon a player who used performance enhancing drugs
β Brady was not given equal access to investigative files, including witness interview notes, and didn’t have a chance to examine one of two lead investigators.
In a statement Goodell said that an appeal is paramount to protect the integrity of the game and his office’s responsibilities under the collective bargaining agreement with players.
After being informed of the league’s decision, Judge Berman had a clerk forward the electronic case file to the appeals court, which also sits in Manhattan.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Light night of play
UNDATED (AP) β This evening the Braves will attempt to snap an eight-game losing streak in Washington. Atlanta has dropped 19 of its last 22 games and is 25 games under .500 for the first time in 25 years. With a win, the Nationals would reduce their deficit behind the first-place Mets, who are idle, to six games.
The Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Giants last night and in doing so extended their lead over the defending world champs to 6 Β½ games in the National League West. Tonight LA is playing in San Diego while the Giants, who trail the Cubs by 6 Β½ games for the final wild card berth, are in Denver facing the Rockies.
The final games feature the Pirates in Milwaukee and the Royals at home to the Tigers.
MLB-TIGERS
Detroit brings back pitcher
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) β The Tigers have activated left-hander Kyle Lobstein from the 60-day disabled list to start the opener of a weekend series against the Cleveland Indians. Lobstein was 3-5 with a 4.34 ERA in eight starts before going on the DL in late May with a sore left shoulder.
Day 4
NEW YORK β Women’s second-seed Simona Halep (HAL’-ehp) has advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open. Also winning on Day 4 was French Open champ Stan Wawrinka (vah-VRINK’-ah). The men’s second seed, Roger Federer, has his second round match this evening.
Also today two-time major winner Lleyton Hewitt has his second-round match. He’ll be facing fellow Australian Bernard Tomic (tahm’-ihk).
Each match is big for Hewitt, the winner of the event four years ago, as he has announced this will be his last U.S. Open. He plans on retiring following next January’s Australian Open.
HORSE RACING
Triple Crown winner not done
NEW YORK (AP) β The owner of American Pharoah says the Triple Crown winner will run again before he is retired at the end of the year. Ahmed Zayat tweeted “The champ deserves another chance!”
After American Pharoah finished second in the Travers Stakes on Saturday Zayat said his “gut feeling” was retirement. But after a four-hour meeting with trainer Bob Baffert and others, Zayat decided to keep going.
American Pharoah has won eight of 10 races and earned nearly $6 million.
AUTO RACING-SAFETY
F1 champ discusses closed cockpits
MONZA, Italy (AP) β In the wake of the recent death of IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton is giving serious thought to the possibility of closed cockpits. Wilson died a week and a half ago after being hit in the helmet by debris from another car. That came a month after F1 driver Jules Bianchi (bee-ANG’-kee) died following nine months in a coma after a massive head injury in a crash last October.
Speaking at the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton said he knows after decades of open-wheel, open cockpit racing, “it’s difficult to change minds, but sometimes change is the way forward.”
GOLF-POLITICS
PGA cancels Grand Slam
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) β The PGA of America will not hold its Grand Slam of Golf for the major champions this year. The 36-hole exhibition was supposed to be played in October at Trump National in Los Angeles. The PGA and Donald Trump agreed that it would move away from Trump’s course after he received criticism for his remarks about Mexican immigrants while launching his candidacy for U.S. president.
The PGA had been looking for a replacement golf course with suitable dates but now says it will cancel the event because of the timing and logistics required to stage the exhibition at the “highest standards.”
