Prosecutor drops domestic violence case against Beard
A Texas prosecutor on Wednesday moved to dismiss a felony domestic violence case against former Texas basketball coach Chris Beard, in part because of the alleged victim's wishes not to prosecute.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said that “after a careful and thorough review of the evidence” and considering the wishes of Randi Trew, Beard's fiancée, his office determined the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Beard was arrested Dec. 12 after Trew called 911 and told officers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home. She later said Beard didn't choke her, and that he defended himself from her. She added that she never intended him to be arrested and prosecuted.
Texas suspended Beard without pay the day he was arrested. He was fired on Jan. 5 when Texas officials told Beard's attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program.
Texas has been led by interim coach Rodney Terry since Dec. 12. The Longhorns are ranked No. 6 and share first place in the Big 12.
A University of Texas spokesman declined comment Wednesday.
Baseball YANKEES PITCHER MONTAS MAY NEED SURGERY >>
Frankie Montas may need shoulder surgery, an indication the pitcher may become a long-term injury concern for the New York Yankees.
Pitching coach Matt Blake said that surgery “is on the table” for the 29-year-old right-hander. Montas was acquired from Oakland on Aug. 1 and went 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in eight starts with the Yankees. He didn't pitch after Sept. 16 due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder.
RANGERS HOLD DEGROM OUT OF 1ST SPRING WORKOUT >>
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was
held out of the first spring training workout for the Texas Rangers because their top free-agent acquisition felt some tightness in his left side.
Each of deGrom's past two seasons with the New York Mets were shortened substantially by injuries, but Rangers general manager Chris Young insisted the decision to hold out deGrom was precautionary. It was an unusually chilly day in Arizona and some fields were slick from overnight rain. CLEVINGER REPORTS AS MLB PROBES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES >> Mike Clevinger reported among Chicago White Sox pitchers to spring training while facing allegations of domestic violence.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters the team's “only option” was to allow Clevinger to report while awaiting results of Major League Baseballs investigation into the allegations.
MLB began the investigation following allegations made public by Olivia Finestead in an Instagram post on Jan. 24. ROCKIES MANAGER BLACK SIGNS 1-YEAR EXTENSION >> Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black agreed to a one-year contract extension that goes through the 2024 season.
Black is 417-453 with Colorado since he was hired before the 2017 season. He's third in franchise wins behind Clint Hurdle
(534) and Don Baylor (440).
College athletics NCAA ASKS US APPEALS COURT TO BLOCK PAY FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES >>
The NCAA asked a federal appeals court to reject a legal effort to make colleges treat Division I athletes like employees and start paying them an hourly wage.
Lawyers for the studentathletes said that weekly, they often spend 30 hours or more on their sport and often need money for expenses, even if they are on full scholarship. And they believe the athletes deserve a share in the millions that are spent on coaches, college administrators and facilities — and the billions that networks pay to televise college sports.
They are not seeking pay equivalent to their market value, but only a modest across-the-board pay rate similar to those earned by work-study students, the lawyers said.
The NCAA urged the court to uphold the tradition of college athletes being unpaid amateurs. Critics of the pay-for-play scheme also fear the cost could lead schools to cut sports that don't generate as much or any revenue while sending more resources to their profitable football and basketball programs.
Skiing
SHIFFRIN SPLITS WITH LONGTIME COACH >> American skiing standout Mikaela Shiffrin had an unexpected split with her longtime coach, Mike Day, during the middle of the world championships after informing him that she planned to take a new direction with her staff at the end of the season.
Day was with Shiffrin when she won the silver medal in super-G last week and then accompanied the skier for a few days of off-site training in Orcieres before returning to Meribel with her this week.
Shiffrin was due to race again in her favored events of giant slalom on Thursday and slalom on Saturday.
Track and field ETHIOPIA'S GIRMA SETS INDOOR WORLD RECORD IN 3,000M >>
Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma broke a 25-yearold indoor world record in the 3,000 meters at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais.
Girma, who won the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics, covered the distance in 7 minutes, 23.81 seconds at the World Athletics event.
College football OHIO STATE CANCELS HOME-AND-HOME SERIES WITH WASHINGTON >>
Ohio State said it has canceled a home-and-home football series with Washington that was scheduled for 2024 and 2025.
Ohio State initiated the move and will pay a $500,000 cancellation penalty to Washington, a Pac-12 member, by February 2025, athletic director Gene Smith said. The cancellation will allow the Big Ten program to add an eighth nonconference home game in both the 2024 and `25 seasons.
MARYLAND HIRES SUMLIN AS CO-OC >>
Maryland has hired former Arizona and Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin as a co-offensive coordinator.
Sumlin, who was also a head coach at Houston, will be an associate head coach for the Terrapins. He'll coach tight ends in addition to helping run the offense.