IN BRIEF
FROOME NEARS TOUR TITLE On the highest mountaintop finish of the 104th Tour de France, in a rocky moonscape where the air thins, only the hardiest organisms survive. A few pine trees, tough old grasses, some stubborn flowers and now joining that rare breed, Chris Froome. Putting one hand on what would be his third consecutive Tour crown and fourth overall since his first in 2013, Froome emerged from the Alps on Thursday with the yellow jersey fixed firmly on his shoulders. Having chewed his way through nearly 2,000 miles of French roads, just three stages now stand between the Briton and the top spot on the ChampsElysees podium in Paris on Sunday night. One of those is a time trial race against the clock, a discipline he excels in — having provided him with bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Froome preserved a cushion of 23 seconds overall that, unless disaster strikes in the shape of a crash or other misfortune, should be enough for victory. “I wouldn’t say it’s quite won,” Froome said, before confidently adding, “The toughest part of the Tour is behind us.” PANTHERS RELEASE OHER The Michael Oher saga in Charlotte has come to an end. The Carolina Panthers released the former starting left tackle — the subject of the movie The Blind
Side — after he failed a physical Thursday. The move comes six days before the Panthers are scheduled to report to training camp and 10 months since Oher last played. Oher started 16 regular-season games and three playoff games for the Panthers during their Super Bowl run in 2015. However, he suffered a concussion in the third game last season and hasn’t played since. He remains in the league’s concussion protocol. “The Brain is a scary thing. You have to be careful with it,” Oher tweeted after being released. It’s the first personnel move under Panthers new interim general manager Marty
Hurney, who was hired Wednesday. Hurney was not immediately available for comment. Oher appeared upset over Carolina’s decision to fire general manager
Dave Gettleman this week. Oher wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that he was on a plane to see concussion specialist Mickey
Collins when he heard the news about Gettleman. “In this business, you don’t build personal relations, but I can honestly say I had one with Mr. G,” Oher said. Oher’s release did not come as a surprise. The Panthers signed free agent tackle Matt Kalil to take Oher’s spot at left tackle in the offseason. They also drafted offensive tackle Taylor Moton from Western Michigan in the second round. MARLINS TRADE PHELPS The Miami Marlins traded righthanded pitcher David Phelps to the Seattle Mariners for four prospects, including highly regarded outfielder Brayan Her
nandez, a person familiar with the deal said Thursday. The person confirmed the trade to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced it. Phelps is 2-4 with a 3.45 ERA in 44 games and 47 innings this season, all out of the bullpen. He’s a six-year veteran with 64 career starts. Hernandez, a 19-year-old Venezuelan, is batting .259 in 31 games in the minors this year. The Mari- ners made the deal at the start of a key 10-game homestand that starts against the New York Yankees and leads into the trade deadline. After a 5-1 trip after the All-Star break, the Mariners are 48-48 and 1½ games behind the Yankees in the AL wild-card standings. The Marlins are out of playoff contention and looking to upgrade a farm system widely ranked among the worst in the majors. MLS TO USE VIDEO REVIEW Major League Soccer will begin using video review for all matches Aug. 5. MLS has been testing the system at matches throughout the first half of the season. The league announced Thursday that it would be implemented after the All-Star game in Chicago on Aug. 2. All matches will include a video assistant referee, who will be allowed to review video to confirm calls in four situations: goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity. MLS and the Professional Referees Organization have worked to develop the video review system in accordance with procedures set forth by the International Football Association Board. Video review was also used on a trial basis during the recent Confederations Cup in Russia, and FIFA President
Gianni Infantino hopes it can be fast-tracked for approval for the 2018 World Cup.
PILLER OPENS LPGA LEAD
Gerina Piller shot 8-under-par 63 on Thursday in the Marathon Classic to take a one-stroke lead over U.S. Women’s Open champi-
on Sung Hyun Park and Peiyun Chien. Winless on the LPGA tour, Piller had nine birdies and a bogey in the first round at Highland Meadows. The American birdied the first three holes and four of the first five. DODGER STADIUM SELLING FIELD NAMING RIGHTS Dodger Stadium’s name is safe, although the field could be affixed with a corporate sponsor. The naming rights to the field have been shopped by the Dodgers since spring, SportsBusiness Jour
nal reported Wednesday. The Dodgers would refer to the stadium in Chavez Ravine as “(Company name) Field at Dodger Stadium, and the team is seeking $12 million a season, according to the report. “We’re not selling the name of the stadium,” Dodgers President Stan Kasten told The
Los Angeles Times. “That’s the only thing I’m willing to tell you.” The Dodgers have a major leaguebest 66-29 record and are on pace for the winningest season in franchise history. They have the largest payroll in the majors, committing more than $250 million in salaries, though the team hopes to trim payroll as it continues integrating young players in coming seasons. There are already corporate sponsors for other areas of the ballpark. Accepting naming rights even for a portion of the Dodger Stadium brand would represent a significant shift for the club, which has leveraged the stadium’s timeless appeal as an essential part of its branding strategy.