MIAMI KICKS WR THOMAS OFF FOOTBALL TEAM

FLA.» Leading receiver CORAL GABLES,

Jeff Thomas was dismissed from Miami’s football team on Wednesday, the latest blow in a turbulent season for the Hurricanes.

Thomas led Miami with 35 catches and 563 receiving yards this season. He was also a standout kickoff and punt returner for the Hurricanes, and became the first Miami player in more than two years to run back a punt for a touchdown when he took one in from 51 yards during last week’s win at Virginia Tech.

A few days removed from that, he was gone. Thomas was not happy about not starting the Virginia Tech game at receiver, missed some practice time this week and coach Mark Richt ultimately made the call to end his tenure at Miami.

The specifics about what went wrong were not released Wednesday.

Sports betting goes live in Pennsylvania.

PA.» Sports betting HARRISBURG, is live in Pennsylvania, making it the seventh state where it’s allowed.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course near Hershey is in its first week of taking bets after getting the green light from state regulators.

A spokesman says Hollywood Casino is taking just about every kind of bet that’s offered in Las Vegas.

Parx Casino in suburban Philadelphia, SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh also could open sportsbooks in the coming weeks.

A year-old state law allows owners of Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos to pay a $10 million fee to operate sports betting. The U.S. Supreme Court in May cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting. In addition to six states, a tribal casino in New Mexico is offering sports betting.

Reds closer Iglesias agrees to $24 million, 3-year deal.

Reds closer Raisel Iglesias agreed Wednesday to a three-year contract guaranteeing $24,125,000, a deal that avoided arbitration.

Iglesias reached a $27 million, seven-year agreement in 2014 that allowed him to void the remainder of the deal once he was eligible for salary arbitration. That agreement called for $5 million salaries in each of the next two seasons.

He made $4.5 million this year, when he had a career-high 30 saves in 34 chances and a 2.38 ERA.

Rather than having Iglesias eligible for arbitration each season, the Reds offered a restructured deal that gives both sides certainty.

Boxing gets big new platforms even as HBO exits sport.

There’s a seismic shift in boxing, which for years relied on HBO and Showtime for top fights and pay-per-view for the biggest fights. HBO is leaving the sport, but other networks and platforms are rushing to fill the gap. That includes longtime rival Showtime, which is looking for ways to expand its boxing offerings.

Indeed, the demand for live programming is prompting a lot of broadcasters to take a look at boxing once again. And they’re making plans to show fights on everything from free over-the-air television to subscription streaming apps.

Police arrest MMA fighter for beating UFC fighter wife.

HONOLULU

» Honolulu police arrested mixed martial arts fighter Arnold Berdon on charges of attempted murder after he allegedly punched his wife and fellow fighter in the head, face and ribs, fracturing her eye socket.

His wife, Rachael Ostovich Berdon, filed a request for a temporary restraining order alleging he punched her on Sunday after a night out with family. She said she fell to the ground, gasped for air and escaped through a balcony. The 27-year-old said she coughed up blood and threw up several times.

Her representative, Brian ButlerAu, posted on social media that Ostovich Berdon won’t compete in a UFC bout against Paige VanZant scheduled for Jan. 19 because of her injuries. — The Associated Press