Kaepernick salary demands reportedly too high for XFL
The revitalized XFL was interested in having Colin Kaepernick restart his career with them when the league launched its season this past weekend. But the league’s interest didn’t last long.
Kaepernick’s “exorbitant” salary demands put a quick end to XFL’s pursuit of the ex-49ers quarterback, said commissioner Oliver Luck.
“We spoke with his representative and the salary requirements that were broached in that conversation were exorbitant and certainly out of our range,” Luck said in an interview with NPR. “We have some pretty significant salary restrictions. We’re a start-up league, so we want to make sure that we can be fiscally responsible and fiscally prudent.”
The XFL, who founder Vince McMahon resuscitated after the league’s disastrous one-year existence in 2001, reportedly pays players an average of $55,000 per season. Luck didn’t share what amount Kaepernick’s representatives requested, but perhaps his reported $20 million per year contract demand to play in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football last year gives us an idea of the range.
Luck said the XFL’s talk with Kaepernick’s camp took place over a year ago. The 32-year-old Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016 because of his controversial stance of taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem to bring attention to social injustices, including police brutality.
The pairing of Kaepernick and the XFL also faced another significant hurdle — the league’s insistence on every player standing for the anthem. Luck said the league has no issue with players expressing themselves or their views … except during anthem time.
“Players have numerous opportunities to express themselves with all the platforms that exist today,” said Luck, the father of former Stanford and Colts star quarterback Andrew Luck. “Standing for the national anthem, we believe, is a part of their responsibility as players in our league. But we think it’s important to have that requirement for
our players.
“We think it’s important. We think it’s part of what we as a league should do.” — Jon Becker
Motorsports
NEWGARDEN HAS INDY 500 IN MIND >> Josef Newgarden has already won two IndyCar Series championships and heads into the 2020 season chasing rare backto-back crowns, something that hasn’t happened in nearly a decade.
Yet he’d give up a third title this season to win the Indianapolis 500.
“No doubt,” Newgarden said as IndyCar gathered for two days of testing at the Circuit of the Americas ahead of the March 15 season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“Everybody knows it’s the hardest thing to win,” he said. “I’ve come to peace with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, though. That place doesn’t owe you anything. I don’t think it cares how many races you’ve won. It doesn’t care how fast you are that month of May. It doesn’t care how many championships you’ve won. It just doesn’t owe you anything.
“It’s one of those tricky places that sometimes it doesn’t work out for anybody, and sometimes it works out four times for a person,” Newgarden said.
The 29-year-old Team Penske driver has started the Indy 500 eight times, with a third-place finish in 2016 his only time on the podium.
• Hendrick Motorsports has agreed to a five-year extension with primary sponsor Axalta through the 2027 season.
Tennis
FARAH CLEARED TO PLAY >> Top-ranked doubles player Robert Farah was cleared to play after the International Tennis Federation accepted he tested positive for an anabolic agent from eating contaminated meat in his native Colombia.
• Twins Bob and Mike Bryan will bid farewell to the Davis Cup by playing in the team competition for the final time when the United States hosts Uzbekistan in Hawaii next month.
• Chicago will return to World TeamTennis this summer, with 2017 U.S. Open women’s champion Sloane Stephens leading the expansion Smash.
• Steve Johnson edged fellow American Tennys Sandgren 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the first round of the New York Open.
It was Sandgren’s first match since falling to Roger Federer in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Sandgren had seven match points but couldn’t put away the 20-time Grand Slam champion in Melbourne.
College men’s basketball
BEARS REMAIN NO. 1 >> Baylor remains atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll in a largely static week among the top 10.
The Bears received 48 of 64 first-place votes from a media panel in the poll released to stay at No. 1 for the fourth straight week. No. 2 Gonzaga had 15 firstplace votes and No. 3 Kansas one.
On Monday night, MaCio Teague scored 11 points, Devonte Bandoo added 10 and Baylor defeated host Texas 52-45 for its 21st straight victory — one short of the Big 12 record set by Kansas in 1997.
College women’s basketball
N.C. STATE JUMPS TO TOP 5>> North Carolina State jumped to No. 4 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll, its best ranking in 20 years.
South Carolina remained No. 1, Baylor stayed No. 2, UConn was able to hang on to its top-five ranking because the two teams directly behind it in the poll — Louisville and Stanford — also lost this week. Mississippi State, UCLA, Stanford, Louisville and Maryland rounded out the top 10. Oregon State dropped two spots to No. 11.
Women’s basketball
Tamika Catchings, Lauren Jackson and Swin Cash are headed to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
The trio headline the Class of 2020. Joining the three former WNBA stars are Carol Callan (contributor), Carol Stiff (contributor), Sue Donohoe (contributor) and Debbie Brock (veteran player). The seven members will be inducted on June 13.