Inside: Booker, Democratic lawmakers introducing NCAA reform bill.
A bill being introduced Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation, including a share of the revenue generated by their sports, and create a federal commission to oversee college athletics.
The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by Sens. Cory Booker (DN. J.), Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). If passed, it could wreak havoc on the NCAA’s ability to govern intercollegiate athletics and the association’s model for amateurism.
The announcement of the bill comes a day after the Supreme Court agreed to review a court ruling the NCAA says blurs the “line between student-athletes and professionals” by removing caps on certain compensation that major college football and basketball players can receive.
NHL CAPS GOALIE LUNDQVIST TO MISS SEASON WITH HEART CONDITION >>
Star goalie Henrik Lundqvist will sit out the upcoming NHL season because of a heart condition, about two months after he joined the Washington Capitals following 15 years with the New York Rangers.
Calling it “a pretty tough and emotional day” in a video posted on social media by the Capitals, Lundqvist said he has been taking various tests on his
heart “for several weeks.”
The 38-year- old from Sweden was bought out by the Rangers and signed a $1.5 million, one-year deal with Washington in October to try to earn his first Stanley Cup — and try to help Alex Ovechkin win a second.
College football
NO. 13 USC FACES DAUNTING OREGON DUCKS IN PAC-12 TITLE GAME >> No. 13 Southern California’s reward for being the only unbeaten team in the Pac-12 is a championship game that’s just as weird as the rest of this college football season.
A f ter clinching the South Division title and rallying past UCLA last weekend, the Trojans (50) spent two days of their short week preparing for Washington in the championship game before learn
ing they would actually face Oregon (3-2) on Friday, which didn’t play last week and has more losses than three other Pac-12 teams.
What’s more, the Ducks have been brutally tough on USC in recent years, winning every matchup but one between the schools since 2011. Oregon flattened the Trojans last year on the way to the conference title with a 32-point win.
Golf
FROM FATHER TO SON, TIGER WOODS LOOKING ONLY FOR ENJOYMENT >> Tiger Woods and his 11-year- old son were on the practice range together Thursday at the PNC Championship, and social media was blazing with how good Charlie’s swing looked, right down to the club twirl.
Woods and his son are among 20 teams in Orlando, Florida, for the PNC Championship that starts Saturday, a 36-hole event known for many years as the Father- Son Challenge. Moving with the times, players who won a major or The Players Championship can have sons, daughters and even fathers as their partners.
“It’s so much fun for me to see him enjoying the game,” Woods said after a pro-am round that featured one par 3 where his son hit it to 3 feet and Woods left it some 40 feet away. “That’s the whole idea. Enjoy hitting shots and creating those shots. It’s so cool for me to see him enjoy the sport.”
Soccer
LEWANDOWSKI WINS FIFA AWARD AS BEST MEN’S PLAYER >> Robert Lewandowski won the biggest individual prize of his career Thursday, showing that a forward not named Messi or Ronaldo can be voted the world’s best soccer player.
The Poland captain was named the FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2020 after his 55goal season lifted Bayern Munich to a sweep of international and domestic trophies.
Lewandowski topped a three-player shortlist that included Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Voting was by a global jury of national team captains and coaches, plus selected journalists and fans. Lewandowski received 52 voting points, with Ronaldo second on 38 Messi third with 35.