Snyder to buy out other Washington owners
Dan Snyder will soon be the sole owner of the Washington Football Team.
Snyder is buying out the team’s minority owners in a move that gives him total control and should end a lengthy, bitter court dispute along with any speculation that he’d be pushed to sell his boyhood team he bought in 1999.
An NFL spokesman on Wednesday confirmed that Snyder’s application for a debt waiver of $450 million was approved by the league’s finance committee and that the deal is pending approval from team owners. Three-quarters, or 24 of 32 teams, need to sign off during a vote at the annual league meeting next week to make it official.
Multiple messages seeking comment that were left for the team, a public relations firm representing Snyder and lawyers representing the minority owners were not immediately returned.
Fred Smith, Dwight Schar and Bob Rothman currently own 40.5% of Washington Football Inc. They sued Snyder in federal court in Maryland in November, seeking an injunction to allow them to sell their shares of the team.
This effectively settles that matter and puts Snyder completely in charge of the team, which Forbes most recently valued at $3.5 billion.
JETS AGREE WITH RB TEVIN COLEMAN ON ONE-YEAR DEAL >> The New York Jets bolstered their backfield, agreeing to a one-year deal with running back Tevin Coleman, according to multiple reports. Coleman, who played under Jets first-year head coach Robert Saleh in San Francisco, will also re-unite with former 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur, who is now the offensive coordinator for New York.
The 27-year-old running back played only 22 games in two seasons with the 49ers, rushing for 597 yards and six touchdowns. Coleman was limited to eight games in 2020 due to knee injuries.
COWBOYS PARTING WAYS WITH DE ALDON SMITH >> The Dallas Cowboys are parting ways with pass-rusher Aldon Smith, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Back in the NFL for the first time since 2015, Smith started all 16 games at defensive end last season and registered five sacks, 14 quarterback hits, 48 tackles and two fumble recoveries,
including one returned for a touchdown.
The former first-round draft pick, who played last season on a one-year, $2 million deal, became a free agent on March 17. Smith, 31, was the No. 7 overall pick by San Francisco in 2011 and registered 33.5 sacks in his first 32 games with the 49ers, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2012.
Soccer FANS CAN RETURN TO EARTHQUAKES HOMEGAMES>>
The San Jose Earthquakes play five of their first seven Major League Soccer games at home in what is expected to be captain Chris Wondolowski’s farewell season. They also are scheduled to appear in eight national telecasts this year, the MLS announced Wednesday.
The 34-game regular-season starts April 16 at Houston and ends Nov. 7 with the Quakes playing host to FC Dallas on what the league calls Decision Day. San Jose’s home opener is April 24 against Dallas.
After playing most of last year without spectators, Earthquakes Stadium will see limited attendance at 20% to comply with state and Santa Clara County guidelines, the team announced.
Golf MCILROY SUFFERS WORST MATCH PLAY LOSS IN 10 YEARS >>
Rory McIlroy hasn’t walked off the course this early in 10 years at the Dell Technologies Match Play. Ian Poulter had a lot to do with that. He hit two pivotal shots to pull away and applied enough pressure on the other holes that McIlroy had to be a lot sharper than he was at Austin (Texas) Country Club. The result was a 6-and-5 victory, McIlroy’s worst loss in this
World Golf Championship since Ben Crane defeated him, 8 and 7, in the second round in 2011 at Dove Mountain in Arizona.
Justin Thomas (2) joined Bryson DeChambeau (5) as other the top seeds who lost their opening matches. Collin Morikawa (4), Xander Schauffele (6), Patrick Reed (7) and Tyrrell Hatton (8) had to settle for ties.
Thomas fell 5 down to Matt Kuchar on the front nine, too big a hole from which he could rally.
Baseball ASTROS AGREE TO 5-YEAR, $85M EXTENSION WITH LANCE MCCULLERS JR. >>
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. has agreed to a five-year, $85 million extension with the team, according to multiple reports. The contract will start with the 2022 season. McCullers is making $6.5 million this season.
The 27-year-old McCullers is 32-25 with a 3.70 ERA in 94 career appearances (91 starts) since reaching the majors with Houston in 2015.
After missing 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, McCullers went 3-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 11 starts in 2020.
College football
SAN JOSE STATE PAUSES SPRING FOOTBALL ACTIVITIES >> The San Jose State football program is pausing its spring semester in-person, team-related activities due to COVID-19 cases and contact tracing within the program. The Spartans’ spring practice, an opportunity to conduct 15 practice opportunities as permitted by the NCAA, has not started.
College men’s basketball DA SILVA TO PREPARE FOR NBA DRAFT WITH GERMAN CLUB >>
Stanford’s Oscar da Silva, one of the most productive players in program history, signed a deal with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the German BBL. He will play for the club for the remainder of the season before training for the upcoming NBA draft.
da Silva averaged 18.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor this season. He finishes the season ranked 15th all-time at Stanford with 1,446 points, and ranks 13th in made field goals, 14th in field goal percentage, 13th in rebounds, seventh in blocks and 12th in minutes played.