In the news
Carew’s new heart, kidney came from late NFL player: Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew received a new heart and kidney from the late NFL player Konrad Reuland in what is believed to be the first such transplant involving pro athletes.
Carew underwent the procedure last December and met Reuland’s family in March after mutual friends connected Reuland’s death with news of Carew’s transplant on Dec. 16. Reuland had died four days earlier after a ruptured brain aneurysm at age 29.
Reuland attended middle school in Southern California with Carew’s children, and he met Carew when he was 11.
“The whole thing is just unbelievable,” Carew told American Heart Association News. “I’ve been given a second chance so I’m going to take advantage of it, and I’ve got another family.”
Reuland played for the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens. He also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts, who released him last August.
The two men’s blood type was the same, but the key factor was both were immune from Hepatitis B. No one ahead of Carew on the transplant list was immune.
NFL officiating chief Blandino resigns: Dean Blandino, the NFL officiating director who has overseen rule changes that emphasized player safety, is leaving the league.
The 45-year-old Blandino wants to spend more time with his family and explore other opportunities. He has young children and the job demands limited his time with them and his wife.
He has been the league’s vice president of officiating since 2013. Blandino joined the NFL in 1994 as an intern and moved through the ranks.
“Dean has done an outstanding job leading our officiating department,” Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said Friday after informing the 32 teams of Blandino’s decision. “He has been a trusted colleague and a friend to so many of us around the league.
“Dean’s knowledge of the playing rules, his tireless commitment to improving the quality of NFL officiating, and his unquestioned dedication to his job has earned him the respect of the entire football community.”
Blandino was an instant replay official from 1999-2003 and worked two Super Bowls and two conference championship games. He managed the NFL’s instant replay program 2003-2009, and 20072009 he was director of officiating, supervising day-to-day operations and the game officials’ schedule under Mike Pereira.
He left the NFL in 2009 to form his own company, returned in 2012 and succeeded Carl Johnson as chief of officiating the next year.
NCAA imposes 2-year show cause against ex-Alabama assistant: The NCAA has imposed a two-year show cause penalty against former Alabama assistant coach Bo Davis for recruiting violations but didn’t impose further penalties against the university.
Davis knowingly violated rules in a meeting with four prospects that was arranged by a booster and “acted unethically” in providing false or misleading information about the impermissible contact, a Division I Committee on Infractions panel said in a ruling released Friday.
Davis denied the recruiting activity and booster’s involvement when asked both by the university and the NCAA enforcement staff. The misleading responses “substantially exacerbated” the seriousness of the case, the NCAA said.
The NCAA issued a public reprimand and censure for Alabama, which had already self-imposed penalties. Alabama had self-imposed a $5,000 fine, disassociated the booster and suspended Davis from a 2015 game. His replacement, Karl Dunbar, was barred from off-campus recruiting or telephone contact with recruits from April 22 through May 31, 2016.
Alabama fired Davis in April 2016. The show cause extends through April 13, 2019.
Davis is currently the defensive line coach for Texas-San Antonio. Under the show cause ruling, he won’t be allowed to recruit off-campus for two years and must attend NCAA Regional Rules Seminars in 2017 and 2018.
Alabama DB Thompson arrested in Texas assault case: Alabama safety Deionte Thompson has been arrested in connection with a spring break assault in Texas.
Thompson was booked into the Tuscaloosa County jail Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Department Web site. The listed charge was fugitive from justice.
Galveston County Sheriff’s Major Douglas Hudson said Friday his department issued warrants against the 20-year-old Thompson and three others for felony aggravated assault.
Hudson said 18-year-old Noah Frillou was knocked unconscious, sustaining several broken bones in his face and a concussion.