Blackhawks ban 4 from home games due to racist comments

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks have banned four fans from their home games for directing racist taunts toward Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly.

The Blackhawks also apologized to SmithPelly and the Capitals.

“Racist comments and other inappropriate behavior are not tolerated by the Chicago Blackhawks,” team spokesman Adam Rogowin said Monday in an email to The Associated Press.

Smith-Pelly was sitting in the penalty box in the third period of Saturday night’s 7-1 loss to Chicago when the fans yelled “basketball, basketball, basketball” toward the winger, who is black. An off-ice official sitting next to Smith-Pelly notified United Center security and the fans were promptly ejected.

NBA All-Star game TV ratings down from last year

NEW YORK — A new format for the NBA All-Star Game had a negligible impact on television ratings.

Total viewership for the game was down slightly compared to last year, although it improved over 2014, the previous time the league’s midseason showcase faced competition from the Winter Olympics. Turner Sports announced on Monday that the game drew an average of 7.7 million viewers Sunday night on TNT. Last year’s game attracted an average of 7.8 million viewers. In 2014 during the Sochi Olympics, an average of 7.5 million people watched the NBA’s best at the All-Star Game.