In the news
Top angler Rose to speak at wild-game dinner: Professional bass angler Mark Rose of West Memphis, who recently made Fishing League Worldwide history by winning back-to-back tournaments, will be the guest speaker at 6 p.m. today at Trinity Baptist Church’s annual wild-game dinner (8899 Trinity Road in Cordova). Rose has won $250,000 with back-to-back victories, pushing his career earnings over $2.5 million. He’ll be competing in three FLW Tour events over the next two months, including March 6-9 on Florida’s Harris Chain of lakes.
Federer beaten by Donskoy in Dubai: Roger Federer squandered three match points in a shock 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5) second round loss to Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates.
Federer, who has just won his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, failed to take advantage of three match points in the second set tiebreaker, losing two of the three opportunities on unforced errors.
Federer netted a forehand on Donskoy’s one set point in that second set tiebreaker to extend the match to a third set.
Earlier, top-seeded Andy Murray earned a place in the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Embiid’s season over with 76ers because of left knee problems: Philadelphia center Joel Embiid’s season is over because of continued issues with his left knee.
The 76ers made the announcement Wednesday, hours before the team’s game against the Miami Heat. Embiid missed his first two NBA seasons with right foot issues, then finally made his debut this season and appeared in 31 games with the 76ers.
Embiid averaged 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in those games.
The 76ers said a scan performed this week showed “more pronounced” problems related to his previously diagnosed meniscus tear, and that the next steps with Embiid are still being determined.
Cavs make room for Bogut by waiving McRae: The Cavaliers have opened up a roster spot for free agent Andrew Bogut by waiving guard Jordan McRae.
Bogut is expected to clear waivers on Wednesday and the 7-foot center’s agent tells The Associated Press that he intends to sign with the defending NBA champions. Bogut, who gives Cleveland a needed rim protector and backup for Tristan Thompson, will join the Cavaliers later this week.
His addition comes two days after the Cavs signed veteran point guard Deron Williams, a former All-Star who gives the team depth, experience and another playmaker.
McRae averaged 4.4 points, made four starts and played in 37 games this season for Cleveland.
The 25-year-old has shown flashes of being a dependable scorer. The Cavaliers signed the former Tennessee standout as a free agent last year. He was originally drafted by San Antonio in 2014.
Defense: Killer of 2 is star witness, not Hernandez: The real killer of two men in a hail of gunfire at a stoplight was not former NFL star Aaron Hernandez but rather the government’s star witness in his double murder trial, his attorney charged Wednesday in opening statements, revealing the defense strategy for the first time.
Jose Baez, who is known for winning an acquittal for Florida mom Casey Anthony, said prosecutors want to convict his client so badly that they made “a deal with the devil,” referring to Hernandez’s former friend Alexander Bradley. Bradley has said he was with Hernandez the night of the shooting and is scheduled to testify against him, but Baez counters that Bradley fatally shot Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado over a drug deal.
Prosecutor Patrick Haggan told the jury earlier that Hernandez had a brief encounter with the men involving “a simple bump, a spilled drink and an exchange of looks” at a Boston nightclub in the early morning hours of July 16, 2012. Two hours later, Haggan said, Hernandez opened fire on the men’s car as they waited at a stoplight.
Haggan said the encounter to most people would be “simply trivial,” but Hernandez misinterpreted it as a sign of disrespect.
Hernandez, a former New England Patriots tight end, is already serving a life sentence after being convicted in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee.
Rams put franchise tag on CB Johnson again: The Los Angeles Rams have placed the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson for the second straight year.
The Rams announced the decision Wednesday, shortly before the deadline for making the move.
Johnson will be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL if he plays under the franchise tender. The Rams and Johnson can negotiate a long-term deal until July 15.
Johnson is a standout cover cornerback for the Rams’ defense, which ranked ninth in the NFL last year.
He had just one interception last season after getting seven in 2015. Johnson also had 57 tackles while making $13.952 million in 2016.