It’s official: Lynch ready to retire
Embattled QB Manziel makes first court appearance
The Seattle Seahawks placed running back Marshawn Lynch on the NFL’s reserve/retired list on Thursday, making official what was implied in February when Lynch indicated he was ready to end his football career.
The star running back was placed on the list Thursday. It was a procedural step, but one that needed to be taken to make Lynch’s intended retirement official.
Lynch, 30, stole attention from the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl in February when he posted a picture on Twitter with a pair of green football cleats hanging from a telephone or electrical wire. His agent confirmed a day later that Lynch intended to retire.
Seattle made a series of moves this offseason that indicated the running back who led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title was ready to step away, including picking three running backs in the NFL draft last week. Lynch would have been an $11.5 million cap hit if he remained on Seattle’s roster for the 2016 season. The Seahawks will save $6.5 million with Lynch’s retirement.
Lynch has spent the offseason promoting his clothing line, traveling to Egypt to participant in a football camp and ride camels, and doing relief work in Haiti. Basically doing everything but get ready for the upcoming NFL season.
Lynch will step aside after nine seasons in the league. Six of those came in Seattle, where the former Cal star played in the postseason five times. He’s second all-time in Seattle history for rushing touchdowns and fourth in yards rushing. He tied for the NFL lead in rush- ing touchdowns in 2013 and 2014 and is No. 8 alltime in total yards rushing during the postseason. He was an All-Pro, a Pro Bowl selection, and perhaps the most revered Seahawks player in the opinion of their fans.
Johnny Manziel made n his first court appearance in a domestic violence case, attending a brief hearing and ignoring questions from reporters as he left the courtroom. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M is without an NFL team just two years into his career as he prepares a defense on a misdemeanor charge that carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
Golf
As if battling a rainsoaked course and gusting winds weren’t enough, playing partners Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler also had to dodge a golf ball with an earplug attached to it at the Wells Fargo Cham- pionship.
A spectator threw the object just after McIlroy hit his tee shot and Fowler was preparing to tee off on the sixth hole at Quail Hollow Club. Fowler said the ball flew by his left side. He didn’t know what it was until it stopped rolling.
Tennis
Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal made their way into the Madrid Open quarterfinals, each with straight-set wins.
Volleyball
U.S. women’s volleyball coach Karch Kiraly will stay on leading the Americans for the next Olympic cycle ahead of the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
NASCAR
NASCAR’s 2017 schedule swaps Talladega and Kansas Speedway in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. The change means Talladega will no longer be an elimination race.