Quick hits
Lochte suspended after posting photo of himself receiving IV drip
The social media post seemed harmless enough: swimmer Ryan Lochte sharing a photograph of himself hooked to an intravenous bag, writing “athletic recovery with some #ivdrip.”
But when officials noticed the photo in May, they launched an investigation that has now resulted in Lochte being suspended just days before the national championships in Irvine, Calif.
The 14-month sanction has nothing to do with the substance in the IV bag, which was permitted, but rather the amount Lochte received.
Athletes, who often take infusions of vitamins and other dietary supplements, are allowed 100 milliliters every 12 hours. The 33-year-old Olympian exceeded that limit.
This marks the second time he has been penalized.
At the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Lochte and three other American swimmers were returning to the athletes village after a night of partying and got into an altercation at a gas station.
They initially claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint by armed men posing as police, but then changed their story several times.
After an investigation, Brazilian authorities alleged the Americans had stopped at the gas station, damaged a bathroom and been confronted by employees.
Lochte received the heaviest penalty, U.S. officials banning him from competition for 10 months. He subsequently appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” and married former Playboy model Kayla Rae Reid. — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times
Vikings assistant coach Sparano dies
Tony Sparano, a two-time NFL head coach who had been the Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach since 2016, died Sunday morning at the age of 56, the team said.
“Our hearts go out to Jeanette and the entire Sparano family as we all mourn the loss of Tony,” Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. “Tony was a passionate and driven individual who cared deeply about his family, and especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.
“Tony’s presence within the Vikings organization will be deeply missed. We are only thinking of Tony’s family during this incredibly difficult time. We ask that the entire NFL and Vikings family keep the Sparanos in their thoughts.”
Emergency personnel were notified shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday of Sparano’s need for medical attention.
Dispatch audio revealed that a female was performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Sparano at the home in the Bearpath gated community in Eden Prairie.
ESPN reported that Sparano recently had complained of chest pains and went to the hospital Thursday, before being released Friday following a round of tests. According to ESPN, Sparano’s wife, Jeanette, found him unconscious in the couple’s kitchen when both were about to leave for church Sunday morning. — Ben Goessling, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
Mountain West has new host procedure for football championship game
The Mountain West announced a new procedure Monday to determine the host team for the conference’s championship football game, which, if nothing else, won’t require advanced mathematics courses to come to a conclusion.
The team with the best winning percentage in conference games will host the Mountain West championship. The first tie-breaker will be head-to-head result between the Mountain and West division winners.
A composite of four polls — Anderson & Hester, Billingsley, Colley Matrix and Wolfe Matrix -— had been used to determine the host site.
The new procedure would have resulted in a different host for last year’s championship game. Mountain Division champion Boise State and West Division champion Fresno State both finished 7-1 in conference play, although the Bulldogs defeated Boise State 28-17 in the final game of the regular season. The victory would have secured hosting rights for the Bulldogs under the new procedure.
But Boise State was ranked highest in the composite poll and hosted — and won — the title game.
“We had a very unique set of circumstances last December with the two divisional champions playing on the final weekend of the regular season,” Bret Gilliland, Mountain West deputy commissioner, said in a release. “That prompted a review of the formula and a shift to place a priority on head-to-head competition, while maintaining strategic positioning for the Mountain West champion to serve as the Group of Five representative to the College Football Playoff structure.” — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune