NFL, six teams file for arbitration
The NFL and six of its teams filed for arbitration in a lawsuit that alleges they engaged in racial discrimination.
If the league’s request is successful, commissioner Roger Goodell would be the arbitrator. The league and the teams filed papers late Tuesday with a judge presiding over a lawsuit filed by Brian Flores after he was fired in January as coach of the Dolphins. Flores now works as an assistant for the Steelers, whose head coach is Mike Tomlin, a Black man who graduated from Denbigh High and William & Mary.
Two other Black coaches in the league joined his lawsuit, in which he alleges that the league engages in racist hiring practices.
Deaths: Former DT Tony Siragusa died Wednesday. He was 55. The cause of death wasn’t yet available. Known as “Goose,” Siragusa played the first seven seasons of his career with the Colts and then five with the Ravens. He was a key member of the Ravens’ dominant defense on their 2000 Super Bowl championship team. After his retirement, Siragusa was a sideline analyst for Fox Sports from 2003 until 2015.
Siragusa was popular with fans because of his fun-loving attitude, which also helped him transition quickly to broadcasting after his playing career.
“There was no one like Goose — a warrior on the field and a team unifier with a giving, generous heart who helped teammates and the community more than most people know,” said Brian Billick, the coach of Baltimore’s 2000 team. “We would not have won the Super Bowl without him. This is such stunning, sad news.”...
Ravens LB Jaylon Ferguson died Tuesday. He was 26. The cause of death wasn’t yet available. Ferguson set the FBS career sacks record with 45 during his college career with Louisiana Tech. He was a third-round pick of the Ravens in 2019.
“Jaylon was a good-hearted, gentle person who loved his family and his team. He was a joy to talk with and be around every day,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said.
NBA: The Trail Blazers acquired Pistons F Jerami Grant for a protected 2025 firstround pick and additional draft assets, ESPN reported. Grant, 28, averaged 19.2 points per game last season.
Detroit gets the No. 36 pick in the draft tonight and what would have been Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2025, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Grant’s salary — nearly $21 million for next season — is virtually the exact amount as the trade exception that Portland created in February when it traded C.J. McCollum to New Orleans.
The deal gives Portland a big boost after a disappointing season, much of which perennial All-Star Damian Lillard missed while injured. He and Grant, who played in college for Syracuse, were teammates on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold at the Tokyo Games last summer.
The most significant payoff for Detroiti s cap space. The Pistons now have around $44 million in space available this summer.
Elsewhere: Eight people who took care of soccer legend Diego Maradona will be tried in Argentina courts for homicide, according to a ruling released Wednesday following an investigation into his November 2020 death due to cardiac arrest.
In the 236-page document seen by Reuters, the ruling said eight people, including doctors, nurses and a psychologist who cared for Maradona at the time of his death, are accused of “simple homicide,” a serious charge that means taking a life with intent.