Seahawks re-sign suspended former Pats wide receiver Josh Gordon to 1-year deal

The Seattle Seahawks are bringing back wide receiver Josh Gordon on a one-year deal even as the talented pass catcher awaits reinstatement by the NFL after his latest suspension.

Gordon’s signing was confirmed on Twitter by his agent David Canter early Thursday and later announced by the team, just two days before the Seahawks must cut their roster to 53 players. Gordon is the second veteran signed by the team in the past week, joining Paul Richardson.

Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL last December for violating the league’s drug policy. He tested positive for performance enhancers and “substances of abuse,” the league said in a statement at the time.

He applied for reinstatement in June and is still awaiting word from the league.

Gordon, 29, has been suspended eight times overall by either his team or the NFL, including six times since 2013, mostly for violating the league’s policies on banned substances.

Gordon signed with Seattle midway through last season after he was released by New England. He made a strong impression in the Seahawks locker room even with limited production on the field. Gordon had just seven catches for 139 yards over five games. But he found an advocate in quarterback Russell Wilson, who made a connection with Gordon during his short time with the Seahawks.

Titans sign K Stephen Gostkowski

Mike Vrabel insists signing Stephen Gostkowski is all about what the three-time Super Bowl champ can do for the Titans this season, not about the kicker’s New England ties to the Tennessee coach and general manager.

Vrabel was a teammate of Gostkowski for the kicker’s first three seasons in New England, while Titans general manager Jon Robinson worked in the Patriots’ scouting department. Vrabel stressed that a reunion was not the reason for changing out kickers.

The Titans made the switch Thursday, agreeing to terms with the four-time Pro Bowler Gostkowski and waiving Greg Joseph. Gostkowski was not at practice later Thursday as he works through the COVID-19 testing protocol.

Boston Marathon registration on hold

Boston Marathon registration is on hold while organizers try to figure out how the race will need to change in the coronavirus era.

The Boston Athletic Association said on Thursday that registration will not take place in September, as scheduled. A new timeline will be determined by a COVID-19 advisory group that will help the B.A.A. decide when and how large in-person road races can be held safely again. The group will be comprised of medical experts, public safety officials and representative from the government.

The world’s oldest and most prestigious annual 26.2-mile race, the Boston Marathon postponed its 124th edition from April to September because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was then canceled.

The 2021 Boston Marathon remains scheduled for April 19.

New Hampshire teen swims Channel

A 16-year-old from New Hampshire successfully swam across the English Channel, completing a 33-mile swim by reaching a sandy beach in France after darkness fell.

Vera Rivard, of Springfield, left Dover in the United Kingdom around 9:30 a.m. and arrived on a beach near

Calais, France, just before midnight on Tuesday.

She crossed “roly-poly” waves in 64 degrees Fahrenheit water, accompanied by a pilot boat affiliated with the Channel Swimming Association. Her mother and younger sister were aboard as her crew.

The swim took her more than 14 hours, and she is the second American to cross the channel this year, the Valley News reported.

Rivard completed her first 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) open water swim at the age of 10 in Vermont, and worked up to a 25-mile (40-kilometer) swim that crossed the Canadian border two years ago, she said.

After that, she booked a slot to swim the English Channel and has been training ever since in both the United States and Ireland, she said.

In compliance with the Channel Swimming Association rules, Rivard did not leave the water or touch anyone or anything that floats for the duration of the swim.

But she stopped to tread water every 45 minutes to eat an energy gel and powdered energy drink.

As the sun set, she said an almost full moon rose above the horizon.

Dustin Johnson gets 2-shot Cup lead

Dustin Johnson is the No. 1 seed and starts with a twoshot lead at the Tour Championship, not nearly enough to tempt him into looking too far ahead at a FedEx Cup title that already has slipped away from him once before.

“It’s not like I’ve got a two-shot lead going into the final round,” Johnson said, who speaks from experience of once losing a six-shot lead in the final round of a World Golf Championship.

“I’m still going to have to play some really good golf for four days if I want to be a FedEx Cup champion.”

And then there are players like Billy Horschel and Mackenzie Hughes, who will be 10 shots behind Johnson before they even hit their opening drives at East Lake.

They have to play their absolute best golf and get some help.

The strangest season in golf — no tournaments for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, only one major championship in the last 14 months — ends on Labor Day with the second year of a format that gives players a head start depending on how they played up to this point.

Johnson, also the No. 1 player in the world, starts at 10under par and is two shots ahead of Jon Rahm, who beat him last week at Olympia Fields with a 65-foot birdie putt.

Messi doesn’t rule out Barca return

Staying with Barcelona may be an option for Lionel

Messi after all.

A day after the Spanish club reaffirmed its position not to facilitate a transfer, Messi’s father-agent did not dismiss the possibility of his son reconsidering his decision to leave.

Jorge Messi left the prospect open after being briefly questioned by the Cuatro television channel on Thursday on whether he was considering the possibility of his son staying for now and leaving for free next year.

The affirmation came a day after there was no agreement in the first meeting between Jorge Messi and Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu. Jorge Messi had said upon arriving in Barcelona on Wednesday that he saw it “difficult” for his son to keep playing for Barcelona.

Jorge Messi later also reportedly spent about an hour and a half at his son’s house to talk about the future, but no decision had been announced by the end of the day.