NFL
LAS VEGAS – The president of the Oakland Raiders says financing for the proposed Las Vegas stadium will not be an issue despite the withdrawal of an instrumental backer.
The remarks from Marc Badain before the board that oversees the proposed project came Thursday, less than two weeks after casino magnate Sheldon Adelson pulled his multi-million pledge toward the $1.9 billion stadium.
Badain told stadium authority board members that the team is in discussions with “multiple financial institutions.”
Adelson and his family had pledged $650 million and the Raiders $500 million, with the stadium authority putting up $750 million in Las Vegas tax revenues.
NFL team owners must approve the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas. A vote is expected during league meetings at the end of March.
TEMPE, Ariz. – Carson Palmer will come back for a 15th NFL season.
The 37-year-old quarterback made the commitment in a statement released Thursday.
“My intent was to take some time after the (2016) season to get away and see where I was physically and mentally,” Palmer said. “On both fronts, I can say I’m ready to get back to work and prepare for the 2017 season.”
There had been speculation about Palmer and receiver Larry Fitzgerald for next season. Fitzgerald said last week he was returning.
Palmer and Fitzgerald each agreed to one-year contract extensions last year. Palmer’s deal put him under contract through 2018.
NHL
DENVER – Patric Hornqvist scored twice Thursday night while Sidney Crosby was held in check, and Matthew Murray made 27 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1.
Crosby remained stuck on 998 career points. The Penguins captain needs two more to become the 86th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Phil Kessel scored a goal and Chris Kunitz added an empty-netter for Pittsburgh.
Gabriel Landeskog solved Murray on a power play with 3:16 remaining. But it was too little, too late as Colorado saw its modest – and season high-tying – two-game win streak snapped.
Soccer
ZURICH – The United States dropped one spot to 29th in the FIFA rankings following its first two games under coach Bruce Arena, and African champion Cameroon moved up 29 places to 33rd.
Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann in November and opened with a 0-0 tie against Serbia and a 1-0 win over Jamaica in a pair of exhibitions.
Argentina leads an unchanged top five following a month when no high-ranked teams played. Brazil is No. 2, followed by World Cup champion Germany, Chile and Belgium. France climbed over Colombia to reach No. 6.
Mexico leads CONCACAF at No. 17, and Costa Rica fell to No. 19.
Africa’s top-ranked team is No. 25 Egypt, which lost to Cameroon in last weekend’s final. Previous leader Senegal climbed two to No. 31.
CHICAGO – California goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann, the son of fired U.S. national coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is among 20 players on the American roster for CONCACAF’s Under-20 Championship.
Eleven players are from Major League Soccer teams, with the rest from clubs in England, Spain and Mexico, and from college.
Associated Press
