Off the wire
FOOTBALL NFL to oversee inquiry
The NFL moved quickly Wednesday to take over an investigation into alleged sexual harassment by Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder, saying the league, not the team, will hire an investigator to lead the probe. The Commanders announced Wednesday morning that the team had hired an outside investigator to look into former team employee Tiffani Johnston’s claims that Snyder groped her thigh at a team dinner more than a decade ago and and pushed her toward his limousine with his hand on her lower back. Hours later, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league, not the team, would oversee the probe, and Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated that point during his news conference at the Super Bowl. The developments follow a familiar pattern. When former employees of Washington’s NFL team first complained in 2020 about rampant sexual harassment by team executives, the team hired attorney Beth Wilkinson’s firm to investigate. The league took over that probe and Wilkinson reported her findings to Goodell. The NFL fined Snyder $10 million and he temporarily ceded day-to-day operations of the franchise to his wife, Tanya. Wilkinson’s findings have not been released publicly, and leaders of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform have pressed the league to turn over details of that probe. Johnston worked for the team, then known as the Redskins, in the 2000s as a cheerleader and marketing manager. The team dropped its name, which had long been criticized as offensive to Native Americans, in 2020 amid protests of systemic racism. It was known as the Washington Football Team the past two seasons. Snyder announced the new team name last week.
BASKETBALL Blazers deal for Ingles
The Portland Trail Blazers acquired injured veteran forward Joe Ingles from the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team trade on Wednesday with San Antonio. The Blazers also got Elijah Hughes and a second-round pick from the Jazz, who received Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Blazers and Juancho Hernangomez from the Spurs. Portland sent Tomas Satoransky to San Antonio, which also got a 2027 draft pick from Utah. The trade was first reported by ESPN. Ingles, whose $13 million contract expires at the end of the season, tore the ACL in his left knee last month. In his eighth NBA season, Ingles played 45 games this season with the Jazz, averaging 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Hughes, in his second season, averaged 3.1 points in 14 games for the Jazz this season.
HOCKEY Marchand suspended again
Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand was suspended six games by the NHL on Wednesday night for roughing and high-sticking Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry the previous day. It is Marchand’s eighth career suspension and second this season. Marchand received a match penalty with 25 seconds to play in the Penguins’ 4-2 win Tuesday night after throwing a punch at Jarry’s head and poking the goaltender’s mask with his stick as a linesman was escorting him away from the fray. Marchand sat for three games for slew-footing a Vancouver player in late November.
Canadiens fire head coach
The Montreal Canadiens fired coach Dominique Ducharme on Wednesday and made Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis the interim coach of the team with the NHL’s worst record. Ducharme was dismissed after Montreal began its season with a dismal 8-30-7 record for a league-worst 23 points. The 48-year-old’s last game was a 7-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, Montreal’s fifth consecutive defeat. The Canadiens went 23-46-14 in 83 regular-season games under Ducharme and 13-6 in postseason play, making the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1993. St. Louis had 391 goals and 1,033 points in his 16-year career, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win the 2004 Stanley Cup. He also played for the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.
Blues extend coach’s contract
The St. Louis Blues announced a three-year contract extension Wednesday with Coach Craig Berube. The 56-year-old Berube is 13372-30 (.630) in 3 1 /2 seasons with the Blues and was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in 2019 when he led the Blues to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed. The Blues are fifth in the Western Conference coming out of the All-Star break and eager for a long playoff run after first-round ousters the past two years. Berube is seventh in Blues history in games coached and fourth in wins. He was a former head coach with the Philadelphia Flyers (2013-15).
BASEBALL Jeremy Giambi dies
Jeremy Giambi, who spent six seasons in the MLB with four teams, died Wednesday at age 47. Giambi, born in San Jose, Calif., died at his parents’ home in Southern California, agent Joel Wolfe told reporters. No cause of death was given. Giambi played six MLB seasons from 1998 to 2003 with the Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox before his retirement. Giambi’s brother, Jason Giambi, played eight season with the A’s — including the 2000 and 2001 seasons in Oakland with Jeremy. The A’s traded Jeremy to the Phillies in May of 2002. Jeremy hit .263 with 52 home runs and 209 RBI.
Riggleman to manage Billings
Jim Riggleman was hired Wednesday as manager of the Billings Mustangs of the independent Pioneer League. The 69-year-old takes over for Joe Kruzel, who left to become a minor league coordinator with the Los Angeles Angels. Riggleman has a 726-904 record as manager of San Diego (1992-94), the Chicago Cubs (1995-99), Seattle (2008), Washington (2009-11), and Cincinnati (2015-18). He also managed the Reds’ Triple-A Louisville farm team (2013-14) and has been a coach for St. Louis (first base 1989-90), Cleveland (third base 2000), the Los Angeles Dodgers (bench coach 2001-04), Seattle (bench coach 2008), and Washington (bench coach 2009). Billings is scheduled to open its season on May 25.