Capitals cutting ties with Leipsic
The Capitals placed Brendan Leipsic on unconditional waivers Friday to terminate his contract after he made disparaging comments about womenand teammates in a private social media chat.
In a conversation involving his brother and Panthers minor leaguer Jack Rodewald, Leipsic commented on the physical appearances of Canucks forward Tanner Pearson’s wife and Oilers captain Connor McDavid’s girlfriend. He also called Capitals linemates Garnet Hathaway and Nick Dowd losers.
Screenshots of the conversation were leaked Wednesday, and a team spokesman said the matter would be handled internally. TheNHLcalled it “inexcusable conduct” and said it would address the matter with the Capitals and Panthers.
“The National Hockey League strongly condemns the misogynistic and reprehensible remarks made by players Brendan Leipsic and Jack Rodewald in a private group chat that has surfaced on social media,” the league said in a statement. “There is no place in our league for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter the forum.”
Leipsic apologized, saying a friend’s Instagram account was hacked and taking responsibility for his comments.
“I fully recognize how inappropriate and offensive these comments are and sincerely apologize to everyone for my actions,” Leipsic said.
Auto racing: NASCAR has canceled races at Richmond, Virginia, Chicagoland Speedway and Sonoma Raceway in California, as it revises its schedule to restart the season. NASCAR plans to race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina on May 17 and May 20. Since those races weren’t originally scheduled, NASCAR forfeited events at its Richmond and Chicago tracks. Richmond was originally scheduled for April 19 and Chicagoland was scheduled for June 21. Speedway Motorsports traded its road course race in Sonoma scheduled for June 14 for a Cup race at Charlotte on May 27.
Baseball: MLB will cut its amateur draft from 40 rounds to five this year, a move that figures to save teams about $30 million. Clubs gained the ability to reduce the draft as part of their March 26 agreement with the players’ association and MLB plans to finalize a decision next week to go with the minimum, a person familiar with the decision told AP. There will be just 160 players drafted.
Colleges: The presidents of the 11 members of the Big East are leaning toward not allowing sports to be played at schools this season unless their campuses are open. Commissioner Val Ackerman disclosed the thinking of the presidents in a wide-ranging virtual interview with members of the media about the fallout on the conference from the coronavirus pandemic. ... Ohio State University will pay about $41 million to settle a dozen lawsuits by 162 men alleging decades-old sexual abuse and mistreatment by a team doctor, Richard Strauss.
NBA: Former Lakers G Shannon Brown faces charges in suburban Atlanta after he was accused of firing a rifle at two people who were looking at homes for sale, police said. Brown, 34, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault stemming from an incident May 2 at his home in Tyrone, Georgia. He is free after he posted bond on Monday. Brown told police he thought the couple was trying to break into his home, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
NFL: After years of infighting over $112 million in legal fees in the NFL concussion case, a federal appeals court has approved a plan that gives nearly half the money to a single law firm. The decision Thursday grants NewYork-based Seeger Weiss over $51 million, more than 10 times the amount of any other firm, including the lawyers who filed the first cases in 2012. ... Brett Favre disputed a Mississippi state auditor’s report that said the Hall of Fame QB received $1.1 million in welfare money for multiple speaking engagements that he didn’t actually attend. Favre told ESPN Wisconsin’s “Wilde & Tausch” radio show he instead was being paid for his role in radio public service announcements and advertisements that ran for a few years in Mississippi. ... The Saints released Pro Bowl G Larry Warford, saving the team more than $7 million in salary-cap space. ... The Jaguars agreed to terms with journeyman QB Mike Glennon, giving them a veteran backup behind Gardner Minshew.