Off the wire

FOOTBALL

Gregory suspended Dallas Cowboys defensive end

Randy Gregory has been suspended for at least a year for another violation of the NFL’s substance- abuse policy. It’s the third time this season Gregory has been suspended. The first was a four- game ban, followed by 10 games on top of that. The suspension announced Thursday makes him ineligible for the playoffs, which start Jan. 15 for Dallas, the top seed in the NFC. The suspension is for one calendar year, meaning Gregory, 24, could be eligible for the playoffs without another violation if the Cowboys make it again next season. Gregory played the final two games of his second regular season, recording the first sack of his career in the finale against Philadelphia.

Herman defends hire

New Texas Coach Tom Herman vigorously defended hiring former Ohio State assistant Tim

Beck to be his offensive coordinator on Thursday, saying he was “surprised” by some of the social media criticism from Longhorns and Ohio State fans. Herman said Beck was his primary target as offensive coordinator. The hire was announced this week after Ohio State lost 31- 0 to Clemson in the College Football Playoff. “I was really surprised because it was very well known that Tim Beck didn’t call plays at Ohio State,” Herman said. “I think the negativity was misplaced on him.” Beck was co- offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Buckeyes the past two seasons. Herman was offensive coordinator at Ohio State before becoming head coach at Houston, and he hired Beck after talking to Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer and two of his former Buckeyes players, quarterbacks J. T.

Barrett and Cardale Jones. “They think the world of him,” Herman said. “Tim Beck was extremely successful when he was a play caller at Nebraska … so chalk that one up to a lot of misinformation on social

media. I will never buy any of that because we’re privy to a lot more information than what ‘ Joe Fan’ is.” Beck will call plays for the Longhorns, Herman said.

TENNIS

Djokovic advances Defending champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the Qatar Open semifinals by beating Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek 6- 3, 6- 3 on Thursday. Djokovic holds a 13- 1 career record over Stepanek, 38, and has won their last 12 meetings. He will play Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the semifinals. Verdasco defeated sixth- seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6- 2, 7- 5. Top- seeded Andy Murray plays Nicolas Almagro of Spain in the first evening match, followed by third- seeded Tomas Berdych and fifth- seeded Jo- Wilfried Tsonga.

Big names all out The ASB Tennis Classic was

shorn of the last of its big- name contenders on Thursday when former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki wasted a match- winning position and lost 1- 6, 6- 3, 6- 4 in the quarterfinals to Germany’s Julia Goerges. The tournament at Auckland, New Zealand, had boasted the strongest field in its history when four former No. 1s — Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, and Serena and Venus Williams — made it their principal lead- up to the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the Australian Open. But Ivanovic withdrew before the tournament began and subsequently retired, and the Williams sisters both bowed out Wednesday: an errorstrewn Serena beaten by American compatriot Madison Brengle and Venus withdrawing with an arm injury. Wozniacki, who was the highest- ranked player remaining, led 6- 1, 3- 0 before Goerges began to find the range on her big first serve and swung the match in her favor; she served out the second and third sets with aces.

HORSE RACING

Eclipse nominees California Chrome and Arrogate will meet once more on the track. Before that, an off- track race will be settled. California Chrome and Arrogate were among the finalists announced Thursday for Horse of the Year, the top prize that will be awarded at the Eclipse Awards. Those trophies will be presented on Jan. 21 — one week before California Chrome races for the final time, facing Arrogate again in the inaugural running of the $ 12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Songbird is the other finalist for Horse of the Year. Javier Castellano is aiming for his fourth consecutive Eclipse award as best jockey, with Jose Ortiz and Mike Smith the other finalists. Smith is a two- time winner, the last of those trophies coming in 1994. Bob Baffert is one of three finalists for the trainer Eclipse, last year’s winner joined there by Chad Brown and Mark Casse. If Baffert wins, he would be the third five- time winner of the Eclipse in that division, joining only Bobby Frankel and seven- time winner Todd Pletcher.

HOCKEY

Jackets’ streak ends Columbus delivered a clunker Thursday night in its attempt for a historic victory. The Blue Jackets lost 5- 0 to the Washington Capitals, ending their winning streak at 16 games, one shy of the NHL record. Columbus lost for the first time since Nov. 26, ending a captivating run for Coach John Tortorella’s team that fell short of the 1992- 93 Pittsburgh Penguins’ record of 17 consecutive victories. The Capitals kept the Blue Jackets’ league- leading power play from scoring in five chances, and Daniel Winnik, John Carlson, Nate Schmidt, Andre Burakovsky and Justin Williams scored to chase goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. The Capitals moved within five points of the Blue Jackets for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.