Hall of Fame WR Maynard dies at 86

Don Maynard, a Hall of Fame receiver who made his biggest impact catching passes from Joe Namath in the wideopen AFL, has died. He was 86.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed Maynard’s death on Jan. 10.

“Don Maynard is as essential to the history of the New York Jets as anyone. He came to this franchise at our inception and left a Super Bowl champion,” the Jets said in a statement. “On the field, he cemented himself as many things: record holder, Hall of Famer, and forever our No. 13. Off the field, he was unflinchingly himself — a family man who stayed true to his roots, bringing a Texas cowboy to New York.

“His passing is especially difficult as he remained close with the Jets throughout his life.

SEAHAWKS BACKUP QB

Seahawks backup quarterback Geno Smith was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Jan. 10 following the team’s season-ending victory in Arizona. According to King County Court records, Smith was arrested at 2:10 a.m. and was released from custody around 9:30 a.m. Smith was arrested by the Washington State Patrol, but no other information was immediately available.

College sports

HALLF OF FAME CLASS ANNOUNCED

Late Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam of Colorado and two-time Heisman runner-up Andrew Luck of Stanford headline a list of 21 former players and coaches in this year’s College Football

Hall of Fame class.

The National Football Foundation announced the new inductees Monday. The ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Reigning national champion Baylor isn’t showing any sign of loosening its grip on No. 1. The Bears remained the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the fourth time in five weeks. That came after Baylor (15-0) beat Oklahoma and TCU last week to push its winning streak to 21 games dating to last year’s title run in the Indianapolis bubble. No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 3 UCLA each climbed two spots after losses by Duke and Purdue, while Auburn and Southern California were new additions to the top five.

NHL

The NHL Players’ Association has filed a grievance against the Sharks for terminating the remainder of Evander Kane’s contract, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The grievance, contending the Sharks did not have sufficient grounds to make the move, was filed Jan. 9, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the matter is now in the league’s hands.

NBA

DEAL » The Nuggets finalized a deal with Detroit that will send big man Bol Bol to the Pistons. In exchange, the Nuggets received guard Rodney McGruder along with a 2022 second-round pick via Brooklyn.