Rivers will enter free agency after 16 seasons
COSTA MESA >> Philip Rivers’ 16-year career with the Chargers has come to an end. The franchise announced Monday that Rivers will enter free agency and not return for the upcoming season. General manager Tom Telesco said in a statement that as they talked through various scenarios with Rivers, it became apparent it would be best for both “to turn the page on what has truly been a remarkable run.”
Rivers was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants in the 2004 draft but was traded to the Chargers in a draft day deal for Eli Manning. Rivers went on to set 30 franchise records with the Chargers. His 224 consecutive regular-season starts are second-most among quarterbacks in NFL history and his 123 wins are ninth. He is one of six quarterbacks to eclipse 50,000 career yards and his 397 touchdowns are sixth.
Los Angeles was 5-11 last season and has the sixth pick in April’s draft.
Olympics
LEBRON JAMES AMONG 44 US OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM FINALISTS >> LeBron James is considering a return to the Olympics. James — a two-time gold medalist and three-time Olympian — is among 44 players announced by USA Basketball on Monday as finalists for the team that will play in the Tokyo Games this summer. James played in 2004, 2008 and 2012, helping the U.S. win gold in his most recent two appearances.
The pool includes 19 players who have won a total of 31 gold medals in either Olympic or World Cup competition for the Americans — including nine players who captured the Olympic title for USA Basketball in Rio de Janeiro four years ago.
Part of the interest in participating this summer is to have the chance to play for U.S. coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. There will be no tryouts. USA Basketball will pare the list down to a 12-person Olympic team by early June, those decisions to be made by a selection committee — and to be based in part on player availability and health. Training camp will start in early July, potentially as little as two weeks after the end of the NBA Finals. The Olympics start July 24.
College basketball
BAYLOR STAYS NO. 1 IN QUIET WEEK FOR TOP 25; MICHIGAN ST OUT >> 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 Monday to stay at No. 1 for the fourth straight week.
No. 2 Gonzaga had 15 firstplace votes and No. 3 Kansas one.
San Diego State and Louisville rounded out the top five. Preseason No. 1 Michigan State dropped out of the poll from No. 16 following a threegame losing streak. The Spartans are the first preseason No. 1 to drop out of the rankings since Kentucky did it twice in 201314.
Seton Hall was the only change among the top 10 after moving up two spots to No. 10.
No. 13 Penn State had the biggest jump of the week, moving up nine spots for its highest ranking since reaching No. 9 in 1995-96.
NO. 4 NC STATE WOMEN HAVE BEST RANKING IN 20 YEARS >> North Carolina State jumped to No. 4 in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll, its best ranking in 20 years.
The Wolfpack, who moved up three places on Monday, have their highest spot in the AP Top 25 since Jan. 10, 2000, when they were third. N.C. State has a huge game against No. 9 Louisville on Thursday night, when a win would give the Wolfpack a two-game lead in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
South Carolina remained No. 1, receiving 27 first-place votes from a 30-person media panel. Baylor stayed No. 2, getting the other three firstplace votes. Oregon was a solid third.
UConn, despite suffering its worst home loss in 15 years in a game against the Ducks a week ago, extended its streak of topfive appearances, coming in fifth. The Huskies have been a top-five team for a record 253 consecutive weeks dating to February 2005.
MLB
YANKEES’ TANAKA FEELS CHEATED OUT OF 2017 WORLD SERIES >> Masahiro Tanaka feels cheated by the Houston Astros. Tanaka’s Yankees lost to the Astros in a sevengame AL Championship Series in 2017.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred found the Astros broke rules against electronic sign stealing in 2017, including during the postseason. Houston won all four home games against the Yankees in the playoffs, when the Astros players had the advantage of the sign-stealing system, and lost all three in the Bronx. The scores of the first two games were both 2-1.