Update on the latest sports
APNHL-NEWS
Hockey great Tony Esposito dies
UNDATED (AP) —Tony Esposito, a Hall of Fame goaltender who played almost his entire 16-year career with the Chicago Blackhawks, has died following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 78.
Esposito debuted with Montreal during the 1968-69 season and appeared in 13 games. He was then taken by the Blackhawks in an intraleague draft, quickly emerging as one of the league’s best goalies. He won the Calder Trophy in 1970 as the NHL’s best rookie as well as the Vezina Trophy given to the top goaltender. He also won the Vezina in 1972 and 1974.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed defenseman Josh Mahura and left wings Max Comtois and Max Jones. Comtois got a two-year contract through the 2022-23 season, and Jones signed a three-year deal through 2024. Mahura’s contract is for two years, and it is a two-way deal in the upcoming season only. Comtois was the leading scorer for the NHL’s lowest-scoring team last season, posting a team-best 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games for the Ducks. Jones scored 11 points in 46 games for the Ducks last season. Mahura scored four points in 13 games for Anaheim last year.
— The Los Angeles Kings have signed top draft pick Brandt Clarke to a three-year, $2.775 million entry-level contract. The Kings chose the defenseman with the eighth overall pick. The 18-year-old Clarke is expected to play most of next season in the Ontario Hockey League, where he racked up 38 points in 57 games as a rookie with Barrie in the 2019-20 season.
— The Detroit Red Wings and winger Jakub Vrana have agreed to a three-year contract worth $5.25 million per season. He had 11 points in 11 games last season with the Red Wings after they acquired him just before the NHL trade deadline. The Washington Capitals sent Vrana, Richard Panik, 2021 first- and 2022 second-round pick to Detroit for Anthony Mantha.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Peralta, García lead Brewers past Cubs in twinbill opener
UNDATED (AP) — Freddy Peralta pitched effectively into the sixth inning, Avisail García smacked a go-ahead two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 in the first game of a doubleheader.
Willy Adamas and Lorenzo Cain also went deep for the Brewers, who are a major league-best 35-19 on the road. Peralta allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The All-Star right-hander struck out eight and walked two. Devin Williams got the final three outs for his second save after loading the bases with one out in the seventh.
MLB-NEWS
Mattingly set to return Friday
UNDATED (AP) — Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly is expected to rejoin the team Friday. He has been sidelined since he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 31. The 60-year-old Mattingly, who was vaccinated in mid-April, experienced mild symptoms.
The Marlins began a series at San Diego on Monday, and Mattingly plans to return to the dugout when they start a homestand Friday against the Chicago Cubs. James Rowson has been the Marlins’ acting manager in Mattingly’s absence.
NFL-NEWS
Garrett day-to-day with hamstring injury
UNDATED (AP) — Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett is dealing with a hamstring injury and could miss some time. Coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t provide any specifics on Garrett’s injury, but said he’ll be held out of practice and is day-to-day going forward.
The Browns play their exhibition opener on Saturday in Jacksonville. Stefanski would not say if Garrett will be able to go, saying he’ll announce plans later in the week. The 25-year-old Garrett missed two games last season after contracting the COVID-19 virus. While Garrett is out, Browns starting linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. returned on a limited basis after missing a week with a knee injury.
In other NFL news:
—The Buffalo Bills have activated Jerry Hughes from the non-football injury list. The team’s top pass rusher missed the first two weeks of training camp because of an injured left calf. Buffalo also placed backup linebacker Marquel Lee on the reserve/COVID list. Starting left tackle Dion Dawkins appears to be closing in on his return after opening camp on the reserve/COVID list. Dawkins is no longer wearing a mask while watching practice from the sideline.
—Saints veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson is retiring despite being a candidate for a starting job. Robinson was a 2010 first-round draft choice by New Orleans and turns 34 in September. He’d been getting first-team snaps as the Saints try to fill a vacancy created when they allowed Janoris Jenkins to become a free agent in a cost-cutting move. Saints coach Sean Payton says he wasn’t expecting Robinson’s decision but understands when veteran players decide during training camp that they’re ready to retire. Ken
— MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers probably won’t appear in any of Green Bay’s three preseason games as the Packers look to get 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love as much work as possible. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Love will play the majority of the Packers’ preseason opener Saturday against the Houston Texans and that Kurt Benkert also would get some snaps. LaFleur said Rodgers will “most likely not” play in any preseason games.
— Denver coach Vic Fangio has chosen Drew Lock to start the Broncos’ preseason opener this weekend at Minnesota. Fangio says Lock gets the nod because he’s the incumbent quarterback. He’s in a training camp competition with veteran Teddy Bridgewater. There’s been little separation between the two so far at training camp.
NBA-NEWS
Doncic gets richest-ever Mavericks contract
UNDATED (AP) — Luka Doncic has signed the richest contract in the history of the Dallas Mavericks. The young superstar is getting a $207 million, five-year extension.
Doncic was eligible for the massive deal because he made the All-NBA first team twice. The 22-year-old is the youngest player in league history with multiple first-team nods. Owner Mark Cuban and others in the Dallas front office went to Doncic’s native Slovenia for the signing. Doncic says he “never imagined this happening.”
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— The Brooklyn Nets have signed veteran Australian guard Patty Mills. The NBA team did not disclose terms of the deal for the free agent. Mills has appeared in 739 career games across 12 NBA seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. He has averaged 8.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. This past season with the Spurs, the 32-year-old Mills appeared in 68 games and averaged 10.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists, hitting a career-high 161 3-pointers. Mills won a bronze medal in the just-concluded Tokyo Olympics.
— Free agent forward Andre Iguodala is returning to the Golden State Warriors, whom he helped win the 2015 championship as he became the NBA Finals MVP. Iguodala signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum of $2,642,000. After the Heat declined his $15 million team option last week, Iguodala will reunite with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and newly crowned Olympic gold medalist Draymond Green under coach Steve Kerr.
NCAA REFORM
NCAA picks 23-member committee to reform its constitution
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA has selected a 23-member committee to work on reforming its constitution.
It includes university presidents, college sports administrators and athletes across all three divisions. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is an independent member of the NCAA Board of Governors, is the committee chairman. Other members include Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour, West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen and Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips.
SOCCER-MESSI-PARIS
Messi arrives in Paris, his new soccer home
PARIS (AP) — Soccer star Lionel Messi has finalized agreement on his Paris Saint-Germain contract and arrived in the French capital to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona.
Dozens of PSG fans gathered at Le Bourget Airport to welcome Messi, who was wearing a T-shirt that said — in French — “Here is Paris.”
A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press the 34-year-old Argentina star has agreed a two-year contract with the option for a further season. Messi’s father and agent Jorge also confirmed his son was moving to PSG in a brief exchange with reporters at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.
VIRGINIA UNION-PLAYER DIES
Virginia Union player dies after collapsing in practice
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Union University says a freshman football player died after collapsing during practice over the weekend. In a letter to students and staff Monday, the university’s president said Quandarius Wilburn collapsed Sunday during a conditioning session. News outlets report that the letter says the 19-year-old defensive end from Wadley, Georgia, was taken to VCU Medical Center, where he died. University President Hakim Lucas called Wilburn’s death “a heartbreaking loss for our campus community.” The school says it is ready to support families and students “to process this devastating loss.”
HEAT DEATH-COACHES CHARGED
Coaches charged with murder in heat death of Georgia student
JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — A grand jury has charged two coaches with murder and child cruelty in the death of a Georgia high school basketball player who suffered a heat stroke after practicing outdoors in nearly 100-degree weather.
Court records indicate the Atlanta-area grand jury indicted Larosa Walker-Asekere and Dwight Palmer last month. Sixteen-year-old Imani Bell was a junior at Elite Scholars Academy in Clayton County. She was participating in required conditioning drills for the girls’ basketball team in August 2019 when she collapsed after running up the football stadium steps. She died later that day of heat-related cardiac arrest and kidney failure. Court records don’t list an attorney for either defendant.
VALPRAISO-CRUSADERS
Former Crusaders now Beacons
VALPRAISO, Ind. (AP) — Valparaiso University in Indiana has adopted the Beacons as its new team name, replacing the Crusaders, a term that school officials dropped this year after saying it had been embraced by hate groups.
School officials announced in February that they had retired the Crusaders. That decision came after a debate recently intensified because groups such as the Ku Klux Klan began using the words and symbols of the Crusades, the bloody religious wars between Christians and Muslims.
