Raiders’ Davis abstained from anthem vote
Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed Thursday he abstained from a vote of NFL owners attempting to compel players to stand for the playing of “The StarSpangled Banner.”
There were conf licting reports regarding Davis’ vote. Seth Wickersham of ESPN The Magazine tweeted that Davis abstained and the NFL Network’s Steve Wyche said on the air that the only abstention belonged to 49ers owner Jed York.
Asked for a clarification, Davis said in a text message to the Bay Area News Group that he had indeed abstained but would not comment until “I have spoken with players.”
Davis feels strong enough about social issues that in 2016 he had Tommie Smith light the flame in honor of his father Al Davis in Mexico City, the city where Smith and John Carlos were stripped of their medals and expelled from the Olympics in 1968 for raising a gloved fist during the national anthem in protest of racial oppression.
Running back Marshawn Lynch did not stand for the anthem at any point last season, choosing to sit on a cooler, usually surrounded by support staff. Lynch has never commented publicly on his decision to sit. — Jerry McDonald
Motorsports
BUSCH FIRST, HARVICKLAST » Kyle Busch will start at the front of the field Sunday in the Coca- Cola 600, and NASCAR Cup Series points leader Kevin Harvick will begin in the rear.
Busch took the pole for NASCAR’s longest race by turning a lap of 191.836mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Joey Logano will start alongside Busch on the front row.
But the big story was Harvick, who never got on the track after failing prerace inspection three times. Car chief Robert Smith was ejected, and Harvick will have to sit out the first 30 minutes of practice Saturday.
Harvick has been dominant this season, winning five Cup races including the last two and the $1 million exhibition All-Star race Saturday.
Joe Gibbs Racing had all four cars qualify in the top 10. PENSKE OFFERS SOLUTION » Roger Penske has a very simple solution for the predicament the Indianapolis 500 created when one of its most popular drivers, James Hinchcliffe, was bumped from the field during qualifying last weekend. Teams that run the entire season should be guaranteed spots in the biggest race of the year.
“As I look at it now,” the Hall of Fame team owner said, “with sponsors being so important and the teams building up for Indianapolis, and that really being the hallmark of probably your sponsorship running at Indy, it’s a real tough pill to take if you don’t make the race.”
Indeed, one of the largest tents on the infield of Indianapolis Motor Speedway carries the logo of Arrow Electronics, the primary sponsor on Hinchcliffe’s car.
NFL
WILLIAMS SAYS WRIGHT IS RESPONSIBLE » Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams told police in Frisco, Texas, that former Baylor teammate and current Minnesota Vikings receiver Kendall Wright was responsible for the accident involving Williams’ Lamborghini last weekend, according to the police report.
Williams was arrested for public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor, and was later released on a $369 bond from the Frisco Detention Center.
Police are still investigating the cause of the accident in which Williams’ Lamborghini crashed into a light pole not far from the Cowboys’ practice facility. INCOGNITO ALLEGEDLY THREW WEIGHTS » Police took veteran NFL guard Richie Incognito to a Florida mental hospital after he allegedly threw weights and tennis balls at gym employees and another patron and told officers the government is spying on him.
Boca Raton police released a report detailing officers’ interaction with the 34-year- old Incognito, who said he was involved with National Security Agency, but that he couldn’t talk about it because they didn’t have a high enough security clearance.
Tennis
SERENA COULD FACE SHARAPOVA IN 4TH ROUND » Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova could meet in the fourth round of the French Open thanks to the draw.
Yet a matchup between three-time champion Williams and two-time champion Sharapova is far from guaranteed.
Williams resumes her comeback after maternity leave following two consecutive losses in March. She will open against 70thranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic.
This will be Williams’ first Grand Slam event since giving birth to her daughter in September.
Ranked No. 453, Williams entered Roland Garros under the WTA’s protected ranking rule but has not been granted a seed by organizers. Without a seeding, Williams was drawn in the same quarter as Sharapova, who was seeded 28th.
While nobody really knows what to expect from Williams, Sharapova had a chance to fine-tune her clay- court game last week in Rome and made it to the semifinals, beating reigning French Open Jelena Ostapenko and losing a threesetter to top-ranked Simona Halep. WAWRINKA LOSES » Twotime defending champion Stan Wawrinka and topseeded Sam Querrey lost at the Geneva Open. Wawrinka was swept aside by Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6- 4, 6- 0 in the quarterfinals. Querrey lost in the second round.
Boxing
TRUMP PARDONS JOHNSON » President Donald Trump granted a rare posthumous pardon to boxing’s first black heavyweight champion, clearing Jack Johnson’s name more than 100 years after what many see as his racially charged conviction.
“I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong that occurred in our history and to honor a truly legendary boxing champion,” Trump said. Hewas joined by WBC heavyweight champion De- ontayWilder, retired heavyweight titleholder Lennox Lewis and actor Sylvester Stallone, whom Trump credited with championing the pardon.
Trump said Johnson had served 10 months in prison “for what many view as a racially motivated injustice.”
Soccer
QUAKES FACE GALAXY » The Quakes (2- 6-3) have lost for of their past six matches heading into tonight’s game against the L.A. Galaxy (46-1) at Stub Hub Center, but they won’t be facing Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The 36-year- old international star is in his first season in the MLS, but will serve a one-game suspension after receiving a red card in Monday’s 1- 0 win at Montreal.
• The Quakes will take on the Portland Timbers in the fourth round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 6 at Providence Park in Portland. The Quakes reached the semifinals of the tournament last year.
Cycling
YATES’ LEAD SLASHED » Simon Yates remained in the lead of the Giro d’Italia but the British rider’s advantage over closest rival Tom Dumoulin was slashed in half after the tough 18th stage in Prato Nevoso, Italy.