MLB prepared to end Bally deals

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league is prepared for whatever happens with Diamond Sports Group after the financially troubled parent company of 19 Bally Sports regional networks skipped about $140 million in interest payments due Wednesday.

If Diamond Sports Group doesn't pay its MLB teams, Manfred said the clubs will terminate their contracts with the company.

The missed payments started a 30-day grace period that could be the prelude to a bankruptcy filing, possibly leading to changes in how televised games are made available to viewers.

“The company intends to use the 30-day grace period to continue progressing its ongoing discussions with creditors and other key stakeholders regarding potential strategic alternatives and deleveraging transactions to best position Diamond Sports Group for the future,” Diamond said in a statement.

Diamond is a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., and its regional networks broadcast games of 14 Major League Baseball, 16 NBA and 12 NHL teams.

Manfred said Diamond has told MLB it intends to pay its baseball teams, but he called it an “unfolding story” that could change.

“We are prepared no matter what happens with respect to Diamond to make sure the games are available to fans in their local markets,” he said. “We think it will be both linear in the traditional cable bundle and digitally on our own platforms, but that remains to be seen.”

Diamond said as of Sept. 30 it had debt of $8.674 billion. It has nearly $1 billion in rights payments, mostly to baseball teams, due in the first quarter this year.

• Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg did not report with other pitchers to spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla., after a recent setback in his comeback from a 2021 operation to correct thoracic outlet syndrome.

• Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black agreed to a one-year contract extension that goes through the 2024 season. Black is 417-453 with Colorado since he was hired before the 2017 season.

• Right-hander Frankie Montas needs shoulder surgery and will miss most or all of the New York Yankees' season.

Ethiopian sets world mark in indoor 3,000

Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma broke a 25-year-old indoor world record in the 3,000 meters at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pasde-Calais. Girma, who won the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics, covered the distance in 7 minutes, 23.81 seconds at the World Athletics event. The previous record of 7:24.90 was set by Kenya's Daniel Komen in Budapest in 1998.

Shiffrin, coach split suddenly at worlds

American skiing standout Mikaela Shiffrin had an unexpected split with her longtime coach, Mike Day, during the middle of the world championships after informing him that she planned to take a new direction with her staff at the end of the season.

“Mikaela wants to do something different going forward. She wants a new challenge. And she informed Mike and Mike decided to go home,” U.S. Alpine director Patrick Riml said. “It's a shock for me that he took off.”

Day was with Shiffrin when she won the silver medal in super-G last week and then accompanied the skier for a few days of offsite training in Orcieres before returning to Meribel, France, with her this week.

Shiffrin was due to race again in her favored events of giant slalom today and slalom on Saturday.

“After working with Mike Day for seven seasons, I've decided to move forward with new leadership on my team for the next phase of my career,” Shiffrin said in a statement. “I want to thank Mike and acknowledge all of his work and dedication over the last several years.”

Shiffrin is also in the middle of a record-breaking season on the World Cup circuit, having eclipsed Lindsey Vonn's record of 82 World Cup wins among women and moved within one victory of Ingemar Stenmark's overall mark of 86 wins.

Day worked with Shiffrin for 65 of her 85 World Cup wins, having coached her since July 2016.

No. 1 Alabama falls to No. 10 Tennessee

Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi each scored 15 points and No. 10 Tennessee took down newly minted No. 1 Alabama 6859 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Playing its first game as the top-ranked team since the 2002-03 season, the Crimson Tide (22-4, 12-1 SEC) led just once in the early going and committed 19 turnovers.

The Voluneers (20-6, 9-5) ended a two-game skid.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper tipped in a putback with 1.6 seconds left and host Marquette (21-6, 13-3) edged the Musketeers (197, 11-4) to extend its slim Big East lead to 11/2 games.

Boo Buie scored the tiebreaking basket with 2 seconds remaining and the Wildcats (19-7, 10-5 Big Ten) followed up their first win over a topranked team (Purdue) by beating the visiting Hoosiers (18-8, 9-6).

Armaan Franklin and Kihei Clark each scored 14 points and the Cavaliers (20-4, 12-3 Atlantic Coast) outlasted the

host Cardinals (3-23, 1-14).

Aljaz Kunc had career highs of 22 points and five 3-pointers in his first start in nearly two months, and the host Cyclones (178, 8-5 Big 12) never trailed against the Horned Frogs (17-9, 6-7).

DJ Davis scored 25 points to lead the Anteaters (18-8, 11-3) over the Gauchos (20-5, 11-3) in a clash for the conference lead.

Flynn Cameron scored 24 points off the bench to lead the host Highlanders (17-10) over the Beach (15-12).

Bowman earns his third Daytona pole

Alex Bowman won his third career Daytona 500 pole and will be joined by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson on the front row for NASCAR's season opener.

Bowman, who missed five races late last season because of a concussion, is on the Daytona 500 front row for the the sixth straight time, and Hendrick has produced a pole winner in eight of the last nine years.

Jimmie Johnson, 47, made a triumphant return to NASCAR from a twoyear dalliance in IndyCar and qualified for the Daytona 500, a tremendous start for the the seven-time champion as he heads into his first Cup race since 2020.

Saints hire coaches

The New Orleans Saints hired Joe Woods as defensive coordinator and Todd Grantham as defensive line coach. Saints coach Dennis Allen also added secondary coach Marcus Robertson, tight ends coach Clancy Barone and assistant offensive line coach Kevin Carberry.

Woods spent the past three seasons as the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator.

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball American League

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Named Casey Candaele field manager for Buffalo (IL), Cesar Martin field manager for New Hampshire (EL), Brent Lavalee field manager for Vancouver (NL), Donnie Murphy field manager for Dunedin (FSL), Jose Mayorga field manager for the Florida Complex League and Andy Fermin field manager for the Dominican Summer League.

National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:

Agreed to terms with LHP Andrew Chafin on a one-year contract. Designated LHP Tyler Holton for assignment.

Agreed to terms with LHP Daniel Norris on a minor league contract.

CINCINNATI REDS:

COLORADO ROCKIES:

Agreed to terms with manager Bud Black on a one-year contract extension.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

Agreed to terms with RHP Chad Kuhl on a minor league contract.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association PHOENIX SUNS:

Ross.

National Women's Basketball Association

CONNECTICUT SUN:

Signed G Tiffany Hayes to a regular contract. Waived F Jasmine Walker.

National Football League BALTIMORE RAVENS:

Re-signed DE Brent Urban and CB Daryl Worley to contract extensions.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS:

Signed TEs Kendall Blanton and Matt Bushman, CB DiCaprio Bootle, G Mike Caliendo, LB Cole Christiansen, RBs Jerrion Ealy and La'Mical Perine, QB Chris Oladokun, WRs Cornell Powell and Ihmir SmithMarsette, C Austin Reiter and DT Danny Shelton to reserve/futures contracts.

Named Vic Fangio defensive coordinator.

MIAMI DOLPHINS:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:

Released DB Tae Hayes, K Quinn Nordin and WR Kristian Wilkerson.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES:

Signed WRs Devon Allen and Tyrie Cleveland, DB Mario Goodrich, DEs Tarron Jackson and Matt Leo, OTs Fred Johnson and Roderick Johnson, G Iosua Opeta and LB Davion Taylor to reserve/futures contracts.

HOCKEY

Signed G/F Terrence

National Hockey League KINGS:

Signed D Mikey Anderson to an eight-year contract extension.

DALLAS STARS: Assigned RW Marian Studenic to Texas (AHL).

Returned LW Devin Shore to Bakersfield (AHL).

Recalled D Kevin Gravel, C Tommy Novak and RW Phil Tomasino from Milwaukee (AHL).

Returned D Nick Cicek and G Eetu Makiniemi to San Jose (AHL).

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Activated C Auston Matthews from injured reserve.

Recalled D Dylan McIlrath from Hershey (AHL).

Reassigned G Arvid Holm to Manitoba (AHL).

EDMONTON OILERS:

NASHVILLE PREDATORS:

SAN JOSE SHARKS:

WASHINGTON CAPITALS:

WINNIPEG JETS:

SOCCER

Major League Soccer FC DALLAS:

Signed F Herbert Endeley to a one-year contract.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION:

Acquired $75,000 in 2023 general allocation money (GAM) and $100,000 in 2024 GAM from Charlotte FC in exchange for a 2023 international roster spot.

National Women's Soccer League

NJ/NY GOTHAM FC:

Named Jen Lalor, Shaun Harris and Ak Lakhani assistant coaches.

ORLANDO PRIDE:

Named Seb Hines first assistant, goalkeeper coach.

COLLEGE

MARYLAND:

Named Kevin Sumlin associate football head coach, co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

College Basketball

Favorite

at UCLA 14 Stanford at USC 16 Cal at Saint Francis 1 St. Francis (Pa.) at Appalachian St. 4 Texas State Purdue 2 at Maryland North Texas 31/2 at Louisiana Tech at Temple 5 Wichita State at Towson 7 Delaware at Radford 41/2 Unc Asheville Houston 151/2 at SMU at Hofstra 181/2 Hampton at Youngstown St. 91/2 Milwaukee Liberty 41/2 at Kennesaw St. Merrimack 6 at Hartford at Co. Carolina 11/2 Georgia State Charleston 12 at Elon at Marshall 12 Ga. Southern at Robert Morris 151/2 Green Bay at Stony Brook 3 William & Mary at Jacksonville State 2 Queens at Drexel 1 UNC Wilmington at Cent. Conn. St. 21/2 Wagner Florida Atlantic 41/2 at Mid. Tenn. at James Madison 8 Old Dominion at Bellarmine 3 North Alabama at E. Kentucky 121/2 Cent. Arkansas at Oral Roberts 181/2 North Dakota Southern Miss 1 at So. Alabama at Nicholls State 2 Texas A&M-CC at SE Missouri State 9 Eastern Illinois at Umkc 2 North Dakota St. at Arizona State 21/2 Colorado Jacksonville 11/2 at Austin Peay at Memphis 61/2 UCF at Rice 121/2 UTSA at Louisiana 12 Ul Monroe at Lamar 1 Houston Christian at Lipscomb 7 North Florida at Omaha 11/2 So. Dakota at Tennessee Tech 7 Lindenwood Troy 51/2 at Arkansas St. at McNeese 5 Incarnate Word Saint Mary's 13 at San Diego UAB 51/2 at UTEP at Ut Martin 1 SIU-Edwardsville at N'western State 51/2 Se Louisiana Northern Colorado 11/2 at Idaho at BYU 5 Santa Clara at E. Washington 10 Northern Arizona at Iowa 61/2 Ohio State at Morehead State 41/2 Tennessee State at Arizona 91/2 Utah at Portland State 41/2 Idaho State at Sacramento State 1 Weber State Gonzaga 7 at L. Marymount at Wash. State 101/2 Oregon State San Francisco 31/2 at Pacific

NBA

Favorite

at Phoenix Milwaukee at Minnesota

NHL

Favorite

Line

Line (O/U)

11/2 (2241/2) 7 (Off) 4 (2351/2)

Line

Winnipeg -215/+176 at Columbus Florida -120/+100at Washington at Carolina -465/+350 Montreal Boston -182/+150 at Nashville New Jersey -156/+130 at St. Louis at Calgary -265/+215 Detroit at Seattle -220/+180 Philadelphia at Vegas -200/+164 San Jose For the latest odds, go to FanDuel Sportsbook, https://sportsbook. fanduel.com/

ATP-ABN AMRO OPEN

At Ahoy Rotterdam Rotterdam, Netherlands Purse:

Surface:

€2,074,505

Hardcourt indoor

MEN'S SINGLES

Round of 32

Maxime Cressy, United States, def. Tim van Rijthoven, Netherlands, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3. Jannik Sinner, Italy, def. Benjamin Bonzi, France, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Holger Rune (4), Denmark, def. Constant Lestienne, France, 6-4, 6-4. Botic Van de Zandschulp, Netherlands, def. Quentin Halys, France, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

MEN'S SINGLES

Round of 16

Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland, def. Richard Gasquet, France, 6-3, 6-3. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria, def. Hubert Hurkacz (5), Poland, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5).

MEN'S DOUBLES

Round of 16

Underdog

Underdog

Clippers at Chicago Washington

Underdog

Edouard Roger-Vasselin, France, and Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, def. Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop, Netherlands, 7-6 (6), 6-4. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, Germany, def. Wesley Koolhof, Netherlands, and Neal Skupski (1), Britain, 6-3, 6-3.