Rudolph denies allegation
The agent for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett opened himself up for potential legal action after reiterating his claim that Rudolph used a racial slur shortly before their infamous brawl in November.
During an interview with ESPN, his first since being hit with a suspension after slugging Rudolph in the head with Rudolph’s own helmet in the final seconds of a Browns win on Nov. 14, Garrett said Rudolph called the defensive end “the N-word.”
Rudolph, as he did when Garrett made the claim while appealing the suspension in November, called the allegation “a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.” Tim Younger, Rudolph’s agent, went a step further. Because Garrett conducted the interview in California, Younger said Garrett’s “defamatory statement” has now exposed the former No. 1 pick to “legal liability.”
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin also came to Rudolph’s defense. Tomlin said he interacted with “a lot” of people within the Browns’ organization in the aftermath of the fight and that no player or coach indicated there was a racial element to the incident.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Shareef O’Neal is following in his father’s Hall of Fame footsteps.
Shareef, the oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal, announced that he is transferring from UCLA to LSU, where Shaq was a two-time All-American.
“Real big footsteps,” Shareef told Sports
Illustrated of his decision. “But I’m ready for it. Great program. Louisiana is a different scene. I’ve been in L.A. most of my life, but I’m ready for it.”
O’Neal, who is 6-foot-9, played in 13 games for the Bruins this season before announcing last month that he would be transferring. He averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game.
HOCKEY
Brent Pedersen scored at the 6:49 mark of the third period and Manitoba defeated the Milwaukee Admirals, 1-0.
The Admirals (34-11-4-3) lost despite having 11 more shots on goal (33-22) than the Moose.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE HOCKEY
Despite out-shooting Ohio State, 37-20, No. 2 Wisconsin fell to the No. 6 Buckeyes, 3-1, in Madison.
Ohio State scored three goals in a two-minute stretch in the second period while UW forward Abby Roque was on the bench with a five-minute major for boarding.
Roque scored the only goal for Wisconsin (264-1, 16-4-1, WCHA) later in the second period. COLLEGE BASEBALL
A new rule intended to help speed up the game also could thwart attempts to steal signs in college baseball.
The NCAA will allow a pitcher to wear a wristband with a signal card when the season opens Friday, allowing him and the catcher to look into the dugout to get pitch calls and eliminating the need for the catcher to relay the call with hand signs.
Sign stealing has come to the fore since the Houston Astros were found to have used electronics to steal signs during their run to the 2017 World Series championship and in the 2018 season.
The wristband rule in college baseball was put in to expedite the process of coaches calling pitches from the dugout with the implementation of the 20second limit between pitches.
“The wristbands with the card that you can change every inning makes it harder for people to steal signs,” Minnesota coach John Anderson said.