College basketball:
Louisville said the NCAA “abused” its authority when it disciplined the school for a sex scandal that could result in the loss of its 2013 national championship. The school also said in a 68-page appeal that the governing body imposed “draconian” penalties and ignored the school’s self-imposed discipline. Louisville banned itself from the 2016 postseason after its investigation uncovered violations.
Former forward and coach Eddie Olczyk had surgery last week for colon cancer. Olczyk, who turns 51 on Wednesday, “will be undergoing further treatment in the coming weeks, including chemotherapy,” Blackhawks team physician Michael Terry said. Olczyk is a color analyst for TV broadcasts for the Blackhawks and NBC Sports. Olczyk finished with 342 goals and 452 assists in 1,031 games for six teams during his 16 seasons in the NHL.
Morocco made a last-minute bid to host the 2026 World Cup. The favorite to host the event is North America, which has a joint bid between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
NHL: Soccer:
The Jacksonville Jaguars released left tackle Branden Albert, ending a strange saga that lasted nearly two weeks.
Albert, 32, is now free to sign with any other NFL team.
The Jaguars and Albert had been locked in a stalemate over how the sides would part ways. Albert left the team July 31, telling coach Doug Marrone he planned to retire. The Jaguars responded by placing Albert on the exempt/ left squad list, meaning he had five days to return or he would forfeit his current contract and be unable to play in the league in 2017.
The relationship seemingly became more strained when the Jaguars considered going after a prorated portion ($3.4 million) of Albert’s $8.5 million signing bonus even though Miami paid it in 2014.
Albert then told the team he changed his mind and wanted to return.
Jacksonville, which was ready to part ways with a player who looked out of shape and past his prime during three training camp practices, responded by placing him on the reserve/ retired list.
That meant Albert’s contract was paused, and Jacksonville retained his rights.
Releasing him Friday quite possibly was a reaction to Albert planning to show up for practice this weekend. Whether Albert really wants to play in 2017 probably will become evident if he signs with another team in the coming days or weeks.
For Brad Keselowski, any victory at his home state’s track is special.
Even if it’s only in qualifying.
Keselowski won the pole Friday for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race, putting himself in good position to try for an elusive victory at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Keselowski is winless in 16 career Cup races at Michigan, but he does have eight top-10 finishes.
“I’m not really known as a great qualifier, so maybe over time I’ve probably put a little less stock in qualifying,”
It wasn’t clear why Albert considered retirement after nine NFL seasons, but it appears he didn’t want to play in Jacksonville.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill reportedly will have surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the entire season. Tannehill, who missed the final four games of last season with two sprained ligaments in his knee, reinjured it a week into training camp last week.
■ Dolphins rookie linebacker Raekwon McMillan will miss the entire season with a torn ACL in his right knee. McMillan, taken in the second round in the April draft out of Ohio State, was the front-runner to win the starting job at middle linebacker until he was hurt covering
Dolphins:
a punt Thursday against Atlanta.
Ravens:
Quarterback Joe Flacco won’t play in the preseason as he continues to recover from a back injury. However, the team says Flacco remains on track to start the regular-season opener Sept. 10 against the Bengals. The Ravens also said left guard Alex Lewis (shoulder) and rookie wide receiver Tim White (thumb) will miss the season because of injuries that will require surgery.
Broncos:
Nose tackle Billy Winn reportedly will miss the entire 2017 season with torn ligaments in his right knee. Winn was caught under the pile on a Bears run in the first quarter of Thursday’s game. Winn, a sixth-year pro from Boise State, played in all 16 games last season.
Defensive tackle Vernon Butler sprained his left knee in Wednesday’s game against Houston. It’s unclear how much playing time Butler, Carolina’s firstround pick in 2016, will miss.
Green Bay submitted videos to the NFL of hits by Eagles players that knocked out Malachi Dupre and Damarious Randall on separate plays in Thursday’s game. Dupre, a rookie receiver, was carted off on a stretcher in the fourth quarter following a hit by rookie safety Tre Sullivan. Randall was hurt after receiver Bryce Treggs hit the cornerback high while throwing a blindside block. Coach Mike McCarthy said Dupre and Randall were in the concussion protocol.
Panthers: Packers:
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills’ offseason overhaul isn’t over yet with receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby the latest players to be sent packing.
The Bills dealt both starters in separate blockbuster trades Friday as part of an effort to reshape the roster under new coach Sean McDermott.
Watkins was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, while Darby was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo addressed both positions by acquiring receiver Jordan Matthews from Philadelphia and cornerback E.J. Gaines from the Rams.
The Bills also continued looking to the future by further stockpiling 2018 draft selections. They acquired a second-round pick from L.A. and a third-rounder from the Eagles, while also sending a sixth-round pick to the Rams. Add in the acquisition of the Kansas Chiefs’ first-round pick in trade completed in April, and the Bills now have two picks in each of the first three rounds next year.
The additional picks provide Bills new general manager Brandon Beane assets in a draft that looks like it will have several top-end quarterback prospects. Bills starter Tyrod Taylor’s future is uncertain beyond this year.
Beane disputed the notion he’s strictly looking ahead to next year.
“This is not a throw-in-thetowel thing at all,” Beane said. “If we were throwing in the towel, I wouldn’t be trying to get that starting receiver back.”
The deals, however, involve more changes to a team with just 28 players who opened training camp on Buffalo’s roster a year ago. The Bills also have just 14 players whom they’ve drafted, not including this year’s six-player class.
Watkins’ future in Buffalo was already in question after the Bills declined to pick up his fifth-year contract option in May. He is entering the final year of his deal. Matthews is also entering the final season of his contract, so the Eagles also faced the possibility of losing him in free agency.
Watkins showed glimpses of being a dynamic threat when healthy in three seasons with Buffalo since being selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. He has 153 catches for 2,459 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons but topped 1,000 yards just once, in 2015.
Watkins has been hampered by several injuries and played just eight games last year after having surgery to repair a broken left foot. He required a second operation in January after aggravating the injury last season.
He joins a revamped group of receivers on a Rams offense that has ranked last in the NFL in each of the past two seasons.
The change for the Bills came four days after signing veteran free agent Anquan Boldin. Matthews averaged 75 catches, 891 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his first three seasons. But the Eagles signed freeagent receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith and drafted Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson.