IN BRIEF NFL drops proposal to aid calls
Idea centered on booth official who would use video
The NFL has tabled a proposal for a booth official who would aid calls by using a video feed, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
The league’s competition committee told teams last month it supports studying ways to determine how officiating personnel who have access to a video feed could help on-field officials. A booth umpire would serve as an eighth game official.
But when the owners vote on rules proposals in a conference call Thursday, they instead will be looking at alternatives to a booth official.
Those alternatives will focus on preseason tests of expanding the authority of the current replay assistant as he communicates with on-field officials.
Earlier Wednesday, the NFL clarified the rules proposal for an alternative to an onside kick.
The Eagles have proposed allowing one fourth-and-15 scrimmage play from 25-yard line of the team kicking off. It can only be done in regulation time, and be used twice. Should the team attempting the play succeed, it would keep the ball. If the defense is successful, its offense gets the ball at the spot where the play is blown dead.
A regular onside kick would remain an option.
Team owners will discuss and possibly vote on the Eagles’ suggestion on Thursday.
Auto racing: Rain washed out the NASCAR Cup Series race Wednesday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The race was rescheduled for Thursday night, which in turn forced NASCAR to move the Xfinity Series race scheduled for Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Britsol, Tennessee, to Monday night.
Colleges: Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley sent an email to Ray Anderson last season alleging the Arizona State AD minimized sexual harassment allegations by the wives of three athletic staff members against a school booster. In the email obtained by Yahoo Sports, Hurley accused Anderson on Dec. 8 of disregarding the safety of and showing no sensitivity toward the women. Hurley also accused Anderson of coming up with a numeric scale to judge the harassment claims by the women, including Hurley’s wife, Leslie. Anderson responded by telling Hurley his email includes false and baseless allegations. Arizona State previously had an outside investigation conducted that determined booster Bart Wear subjected the three women to unwelcome comments and physical contact.
Horse racing: Two horses from the barn of two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert have tested positive for a banned substance. The New York Times and Louisville Courier-Journal on Tuesday reported that positive tests occurred during the recent meet at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. According to the Times, one of the horses to test positive was Charlatan, an undefeated colt considered to be a top contender for the Belmont Stakes on June 20. That race will open this year’s Triple Crown series, which has been rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Charlatan won a split-division of the Arkansas Derby on May 2. The Times reported Baffert’s other horse to test positive is Gamine, a 3-year-old filly who won at Oaklawn on the same day. Both horses tested positive for lidocaine, a regulated anesthetic widely used in equine medicine. Lidocaine is considered a Class 2 drug by the Association of Racing Commissioners International, and use of it carries a penalty of a 15- to 60-day suspension and a fine of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense.
NBA: The NBA has been sued by the owners of the building that houses the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York, who say the league owes more than $1.2 million after not paying rent in April or May. The league responded by saying it doesn’t believe the suit has merit, because it was forced to close the store due to the coronavirus pandemic.
NHL: The NHL advised its teams to prepare for a roster of 28 players and an unlimited amount of goaltenders for training camp and the playoffs if it can return this summer . ... Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said coach Jeff Blashill will return next season.
Soccer: The National Women’s Soccer League announced that starting late next month it will host a 25-game tournament in two Utah stadiums without fans to protect players from the coronavirus. Players from the league’s nine teams will train and live at two Salt Lake City-area hotels. All players will be tested for COVID-19 before leaving for Utah, and then will be regularly screened during the tournament.