Former ESPN exec claims World Cup bids tarnished

Former ESPN President John Skipper told a U.S. District Court in New York that his broadcasting company bid $450 million for U.S. broadcasting rights to the two most recent World Cups but that Fox won the rights with a reported bid of $425 million.

The U.S. government is accusing Fox executives Heran Lopez and Carlos Martinez of bribing FIFA officials to undermine competing bids and help Fox win the rights. The Fox network is not a defendant in the case and has denied any wrongdoing.

■ Pro soccer: Major League Soccer is expanding its playoffs to include the nine top finishers from each of its two conferences. An opening wildcard round will feature matches between the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams in the Eastern and Western conferences at the stadium of the higher seed.

■ Major league baseball: Phil Regan sued the New York Mets and former general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, alleging age discrimination and wrongful termination when he was moved out as pitching coach after the 2019 season despite improving the team’s ERA to 4.24 from 4.67. Regan, who also claimed harassment and a hostile work environment in a complaint filed in New York Supreme Court in Queens, was 83 at the time he served as pitching coach.

■ NHL: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is back in concussion protocol. Makar, 24, left his first game back after taking contact to his head Saturday early in the third period against the Blues. The reigning Norris Trophy winner had missed the previous four games after taking a hit to the head on Feb. 7 from the Penguins’ Jeff Carter.

Review-journal and wire services