NFL reportedly fires official for poor performance
The NFL fired down judge Hugo Cruz on Thursday for inadequate performance, a person familiar with the firing tells The Associated Press.
Cruz is in his fourth season as an NFL official. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league has not publicly announced the move.
Cruz, a part of referee Carl Cheffers' crew, was involved in a missed call in the Chargers-Browns game that led to a Los Angeles touchdown on Oct. 14. Chargers tackle Russell Okung false-started on the play and nothing was called.
The NFL Referees Association said it would challenge the firing.
Martin to take over in Raiders' backfield
Three years after his last 1,000-yard season, Oakland Raiders running back Doug Martin is getting another chance to prove he can still be an effective player in the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch's groin injury and subsequent surgery created a vacancy in the backfield and the Raiders are turning to Martin to fill the gap.
A two-time Pro Bowl back during his six-year stay with Tampa Bay, Martin expected to be a major part of coach Jon Gruden's running game when he signed a one-year, $1.475 million contract with Oakland in the offseason.
The 29-year-old Martin instead has spent the majority of time as Lynch's understudy, rushing for 99 yards on 27 carries.
That figures to change significantly with Lynch on injured reserve and out for at least two months.
Lions trade for defensive lineman
The Detroit Lions boosted their chances of slowing down Seattle's running game and contending in the NFC North with one major move.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn acquired Damon "Snacks" Harrison from the New York Giants for a fifthround pick, adding one of the NFL's top interior defensive linemen to help right away. He began practicing with his new team Thursday.
"It shows we want to win now," Detroit defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois said. "Bob is always up to something. He's not trying to win later, or to rebuild."
Jaguars depleted in secondary
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without Pro Bowl cornerback A.J. Bouye against Philadelphia in London on Sunday.
The Jaguars (3-4) ruled Bouye out Thursday, saying he did not make the overseas trip. The team also will be without backup cornerback Tyler Patmon because of a neck injury. Patmon also remained in Jacksonville.
Cornerback D.J. Hayden (toe) made the flight, but he's unlikely to play because of a lingering toe injury. Hayden has missed five consecutive games and hasn't practiced since Sept. 21.
Sam Mikulak believes he’s in a good place heading into the 2018 world championships.
The Americans head onto the floor at Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar, on Friday morning searching for a spot in the team finals and maybe — they believe — an outside shot at finishing in the top three, which would assure them of a spot in the 2020 Olympics.
How that part of the equation goes depends a lot on the 26-yearold Mikulak, by far the most experienced competitor on the five-man team that includes Stanford senior Akash Modi, Oklahoma senior Yul Moldauer, OU graduate Colin Van Wicklen and Ohio State senior Alec Yoder, both of whom are making first international starts for Team USA.
The group represents a serious youth movement by the Americans. The majority of the group that finished fifth in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics has retired, leaving Mikulak as the de facto old man.
Mikulak admits for the U.S. to finish in the top three at least one team — and possibly more — will need to have a bad day or two. Yet both he and Moldauer pointed to the U.S.’s extended experience at the NCAA level as proof they can thrive when things get tight.
“We know how to hit under pressure,” said Moldauer. “We can’t let the surrounding of worlds or surrounding of world-class gymnasts get to our heads.”
And that includes not being happy simply just to make the team, though Moldauer has plenty to be thankful for after spending the better part of a year dealing with cracked vertebrae that caused spinal fluid — or as Moldauer called it “juice” — to leak out during a particularly hard landing. Healthy now — or at least, as healthy as can be expected — Moldauer is ready to help Mikulak kick start what they hope is an American renaissance.
“We know we’re not as strong as we can be,” Moldauer said. “But watching each other at (selection) camp, we looked at each other and we believe we can be on podium.”