College Football
After weekend brain surgery, Meyer returns to practice
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer prowled the sidelines as always on Ohio State’s first day of spring practice, looking engaged and fit just days after surgery to relieve pressure from a cyst on his brain.
Meyer did not seem limited by the operation he had over the weekend to alleviate recurring headaches. He chatted with coaches and players, yelled out instructions and watched intently as the Buckeyes worked out for two hours at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center’s indoor field.
Temperatures outside were below freezing.
Meyer spoke to the team for several minutes midway through Tuesday’s workout. Meyer and his staff will have a busy spring. They must replace 10 starters, including most of the offensive line, and quarterback Braxton Miller won’t take a snap after shoulder surgery.
NHL
One day before the deadline, teams active in trades
NEW YORK – NHL trade deadline day widely was expected to be busy. The day before might prove to be even wilder.
Several big-name hockey players were on the move Tuesday, 24 hours before time for dealing runs out, including star goalie Roberto Luongo, who was ushered out of Vancouver and sent back to Florida eight years after he was sent packing.
The Panthers, on their way to missing the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons, dealt goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias to the Canucks for forward Steven Anthony and Luongo.
On Tuesday, the Anaheim Ducks sent goalie Viktor Fasth to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2014 fifth-round draft pick and a 2015 third-round selection. Edmonton then traded veteran goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to the Minnesota Wild for a fourth-round draft pick this year.
The Panthers already were active Tuesday before acquiring Luongo, sending defenseman Mike Weaver to the Montreal Canadiens for a 2015 fifth-round draft pick.
The Western Conference-leading Ducks traded forward Dustin Penner to the Washington Capitals for a fourth-round draft pick this year, then quickly moved that pick to the Dallas Stars for veteran defenseman Stephane Robidas.
The New York Islanders, well on their way toward missing the playoffs, started their sell-off by dealing coveted defenseman Andrew MacDonald to Metropolitan Division-rival Philadelphia Flyers for a pair of draft picks and minor league center Matt Mangene.
Several big names, however, still remained in play.
In other deals:
The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks acquired defensemen David Rundblad and Mathieu Brisebois from the Phoenix Coyotes for a second-round draft pick this year.
The Ottawa Senators traded forward Jeff Costello to Vancouver for defenseman Patrick Mullen, who then was assigned to Binghamton of the AHL.
The Phoenix Coyotes received forwards Martin Erat and John Mitchell from Washington for forward Chris Brown, defenseman Rostislav Klesla and a fourth-round selection in the 2015 draft.
MLS
MLS prepared to kick off without regular referees
NEW YORK – Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isn’t a labor deal with its referees and other on-field officials.
The Professional Soccer Referee Association was certified by the National Labor Relations Board last May to represent referees, assistant referees and fourth officials working MLS games. It has not reached an agreement with the Professional Referee Organization, which was created by the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS in 2012 to manage game officials in U.S. and Canadian professional leagues.
The PSRA has filed a pair of unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB’s New York office, accusing the PRO of bad-faith bargaining and making threats against PSRA members. PSRA members voted 64-1 last month to authorize an unfair labor practice strike.
Associated Press
