Gordon’s 2016 status is in doubt
The NFL has denied suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon’s application for reinstatement. A league spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the application was denied and that Gordon can apply again at a future date.
The decision puts Gordon’s participation for the 2016 season in doubt. He was suspended for all of 2015 for testing positive for alcohol.
On Monday, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press that Gordon “raised a red flag” because of a recent league-administered drug test. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because results of NFL drug tests are not made public, says Gordon didn’t have a positive substance abuse test.
But a sample collected in March showed Gordon had traces of marijuana and a diluting substance in his system. The level of marijuana was less than the minimum required by the NFL for a positive test.
Gordon initially was suspended for the 2014 season after testing positive for marijuana. His penalty was later reduced to 10 games after the league and NFL Players Assn. changed their substance abuse policies. Gordon also had to sit out the two games in 2013 for a failed drug test, which he blamed on taking prescription cough medicine. He led the league with 1,646 yards receiving in 2013 despite that suspension.
Former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith had a loaded gun inside his vehicle on the night he was shot, but there was no evidence that it had been fired, police said Tuesday.
Police shed new light on the death of the former player who was shot and killed Saturday night. Police have said that Smith and his wife were shot by Cardell Hayes after Hayes bumped Smith’s vehicle from behind.
Police also said Tuesday that they found a loaded revolver inside Hayes’ vehicle. But authorities said there was no evidence to suggest either weapon was fired during the Saturday shooting and said that Smith’s gun was fully loaded when found during a search of the vehicles Tuesday morning. Police said Hayes shot Smith with a different handgun.
Running back LeGarrette Blount re-signed with the New England Patriots. Blount was having a solid season in 2015, rushing for 703 yards and six touchdowns. But he went on season-ending injured reserve in December with a hip injury.
Pierre Dorion has made his first major move as Ottawa Senators general manager, firing Coach Dave Cameron after the Senators finished a disappointing 38-35-9 season and missed the playoffs.
Roger Federer cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Guillermo GarciaLopez at the Monaco Masters in his first match in more than two months following a knee operation that left him fearing for his playing career.
Russia says Maria Sharapova is still in its plans for the Olympic tennis tournament in August despite her provisional suspension for failing a drug test. Sharapova has been suspended since last month, when she admitted she tested positive for the banned substance meldonium at the Australian Open.
FIFA says Gordon Derrick, the general secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Assn., has failed an integrity check and won’t be allowed to run for president of CONCACAF . ... Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to lead Real Madrid back to the semifinals of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Wolfsburg. ... Court records show former U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of intoxicants Tuesday afternoon in a county courtroom in Portland, Ore. Charges could be dismissed if she enrolls in a diversion program.
Just under 13.9 million people watched Villanova’s last-second victory in the NCAA championship game over North Carolina on TBS last week, the Nielsen company said. The 2015 final between Duke and Wisconsin, shown on CBS, had 28.3 million viewers.
Que Johnson is leaving the Washington State basketball program after averaging nine points a game in a three-year career.
Steve Stricker has been named captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup team for the 2017 matches.
Former Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants general manager H.B. “Spec” Richardson died Tuesday at the age of 93.