Ex-player found dead:
Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley is seeing multiple heart specialists after one physician advised Fairley to stop playing football, Saints coach Sean Payton said Thursday.
The Saints are concerned that continuing to play could worsen a heart condition the 29-year-old Fairley has had throughout his six-year NFL career. Payton said the Saints put Fairley through a physical examination, and that it was a team physician who first suggested that Fairley see a heart specialist.
Payton said Fairley has now seen three specialists. One suggested giving up football, but not all the medical opinions have come back yet.
“I want to make sure, if in fact he’s playing it, again that he’s playing with full confidence that he’s healthy to play and that nothing severe would come of him playing,” Payton said.
Fairley, a former Auburn star and 2011 first-round draft choice by Detroit, was one of New Orleans’ top defensive performers last season. He was signed to a four-year extension worth up to $28 million but has not participated in any of the club’s voluntary offseason practices that began three weeks ago.
DeMarco Murray was wearing a cast and wrap on his right hand at practice, but the running back and coach Mike Mularkey said the injury isn’t serious. Murray had a minor surgical procedure on his right ring finger last week to correct and issue that been bothering him since the 2016 season.
Signed offensive tackle Tony Hills, adding depth to a line that might be without Taylor Decker at left tackle. Decker had shoulder surgery this week and is out indefinitely after playing every snap on offense last year as a first-round pick.
Titans: Lions:
Authorities said former Bills and Ravens wide receiver James Hardy was found dead in a river in northeast Indiana. The Allen County Coroner’s Office said the 31-yearold’s body was identified Thursday, but that the cause and manner of death are still being investigated. Hardy was reported missing a few weeks ago by relatives.
The night PITTSBURGH — started with a catfish throw.
It ended with haymaker after haymaker — both literal and proverbial — from the ever-resilient Pittsburgh Penguins.
The defending champions provided an emphatic and repeated reminder of what makes them such a difficult out in a 6-0 demolition of the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 3-2 lead.
Pittsburgh will have a chance to become the first franchise in 19 years to win back-to-back Cups when the series shifts back to Nashville for Game 6 on Sunday night.
The Predators can’t get back to Smashville fast enough.
Justin Schultz, Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin scored during a first-period barrage against Pekka Rinne that sent the Nashville goaltender to the bench for the rest of the night, all the good mojo he created during a pair of wins in Games 3 and 4 gone.
Conor Sheary, Phil Kessel — just as linemate Malkin predicted — and 35-year-old playoff newbie Ron Hainsey also scored for the Penguins. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby’s night included three assists, a two-minute roughing penalty for trying to dribble Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban’s head on the ice near the end of the first period and an flip of a water bottle onto the ice during play.
Matt Murray bounced back from so-so performances during Pittsburgh’s lost weekend in Nashville to make 24 stops while also benefiting from a dominant performance by the guys in front of him.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, as he has for each of the last two springs when his team finds itself in a tight spot, pushed all the right buttons again. He stuck with Murray, reunited Sheary with Crosby and Jake Guentzel, and stressed his team needed to play with urgency but not desperation after the Predators rallied to tie the series by outscoring the Penguins 9-2 during two wins in Nashville.
It took all of 91 seconds for Pittsburgh to get its swagger back. After a Nashville fan flipped a catfish onto the PPG Paints Arena ice — a move that came shortly before a three-goal outburst by Nashville in Game 1 — Schultz powered home a slapshot to end an 0-for-12 power-play skid. Rust made it 2-0 just 6:43 into the game with a nasty backhand flip over Rinne’s glove.
The Penguins franchise has won all four of its Cups on the road. A shot at a fifth awaits Sunday, though it’ll hardly be easy.
The Predators are 9-1 at home in the playoffs, a place they will need to be a haven once again if they want to extend their improbable Cup run back to Pittsburgh.
Major League Baseball is looking into a domestic violence accusation against Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.
His wife, Melissa, posted a photo Wednesday on Instagram with a caption suggesting he was unfaithful to her. In another post, a user named “carlierreed” and described by Melissa as a close friend accused Russell of “mentally and physically abusing her.” The posts have been deleted.
Russell issued a statement Thursday that said: “Any allegation I have abused my wife is false and hurtful. For the well-being of my family, I’ll have no further comment.”
Spokesman Patrick Courtney says MLB is looking into the situation. Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the department “does not have any current investigation” into Russell or allegations of domestic violence.
An All-Star last season, Russell is batting just .209 with three homers and 19 RBIs this year. He was not in Thursday’s lineup for the opener of a four-game series against Colorado.
“Last night, we were made aware of a serious claim posted on social media about Addison Russell,” the team said. “We reached out to Major League Baseball and, following the protocol established by MLB, will fully cooperate with the commissioner’s office as it gathers pertinent facts.”
Ace Dallas Keuchel is going back on the disabled list with neck discomfort and returned to Houston on Thursday to be examined. Keuchel, 9-0 with a 1.67 ERA in 11 starts, was on the DL from May 15-26 with a pinched nerve in his neck.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, out since May 12 with rotator cuff inflammation, is expected to throw a simulated game today or Saturday.
Right-hander Justin Verlander threw Thursday and is expected to start Saturday in Boston. Verlander left his previous start Sunday with groin tightness, but an MRI came back clean.
Paul Goldschmidt has reached base safely in a career-high 35 straight home games, two games short of Stephen Drew’s club record . ... Ace Zack Greinke was placed on the paternity leave list to be with his wife, Emily, for the birth of their second child.
Shortstop Jorge Polanco was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandfather.
Second baseman Brad Miller went on the 10-day DL with a right groin strain.
Astros: Yankees: Tigers: Diamondbacks: Twins: Rays: Giants:
Newly acquired reliever Sam Dyson will join the team this weekend, but manager Bruce Bochy isn’t sure when he’ll be activated.
Right-hander Matt Garza went on the 10-day disabled list with of a bruised chest.
Third baseman Justin Turner (hamstring) went through a simulated game and is expected to be activated today.
Brewers: Dodgers: