WAKE HELD FOR CHIEFS’ BELCHER; FUNERAL TODAY
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who shot and killed his girlfriend before taking his own life this month, was laid out Tuesday in an open silver casket surrounded by flowers and displays of family snapshots at a church where hundreds of mourners gathered at a wake to remember him.
The wake, to be followed by a funeral today, was at the Upper Room Christian World Center in Dix Hills, east of New York City and a few miles north of the West Babylon home where the 25-year-old Belcher was raised.
A man outside the church, who stopped photographers from entering the wake, said the Belcher family had no comment. Mourners leaving the wake also declined to speak with reporters.
Police say Belcher fatally shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins on Dec. 1 at the Kansas City, Mo., home they shared with their 3-month-old daughter, Zoey. They say he then drove to the Chiefs’ practice facility at Arrowhead Stadium, where coach Romeo Crennel, general manager Scott Pioli and defensive assistant Gary Gibbs witnessed his suicide. for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Jackson has played the past three weeks on special teams after being inactive for Baltimore’s first 10 games. He has one tackle.
JAGUARS — Jacksonville placed starting guard Mike Brewster on injured reserve and signed running back Keith Toston. Brewster broke a bone in his left hand against Buffalo on Dec. 2.
RANKINGS — After a 42-14 thrashing of previous No. 1 Houston on Monday night, New England was the near unanimous choice to move to the head of the NFL Pro32 power rankings for the first time since Week 2.
Denver was second and San Francisco third. The Patriots (10-3) received 11 first-place votes and 383 points in balloting by The Associated Press panel of 12 media members who regularly cover the league. The Broncos (10-3) got the other first-place vote and totaled 369 points. The Texans (11-2) fell to fourth, and Atlanta dropped two spots to fifth after its loss to Carolina.