NFL
LAS VEGAS – Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has pulled out of a plan to build a $1.9 billion stadium for the Oakland Raiders to move to Las Vegas.
In a terse statement on Monday, Adelson declared that he had been excluded from talks before the team sent a lease proposal last week to the public board that will own the 65,000-seat stadium.
Adelson says his family and Las Vegas Sands “will no longer be involved in any facet” of the plan.
Adelson had pledged $650 million and the Raiders $500 million, with the stadium authority putting up $750 million in Las Vegas tax revenues.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval’s office says the proposal now is for the Raiders to invest $1.15 billion and accept operating responsibilities.
HOUSTON – The Houston Texans have added Wes Welker to their coaching staff as an offense and special teams assistant.
Welker wrapped up a 12-year playing career in 2015. He had 9,924 yards receiving and scored 50 touchdowns playing for five teams, including spending six seasons with the New England Patriots.
Houston also made some adjustments to its staff with Romeo Crennel, moving from defensive coordinator to assistant head coach/defense and Mike Vrabel shifting from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.
Soccer
LONDON – The English Premier League’s five London clubs are embroiled in the investigation into sexual abuse.
The Metropolitan Police says it has received 255 allegations connected with 77 individuals at clubs across London.
As well as the five top-flight clubs — Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and West Ham — police say six teams across the next three leagues are also linked to the investigation. An additional 66 non-league, non-professional or amateur teams have been named in complaints.
The London investigation is one branch of a national probe into sexual abuse in soccer that has seen more than 500 complaints made and 184 potential suspects identified.
Tennis
MADRID – Rafael Nadal is taking some time off after his Australian Open final loss to Roger Federer.
The Spanish tennis federation said Monday that Nadal has been dropped from Spain’s Davis Cup team because of fatigue following his five-set loss to Federer in Sunday’s final.
The federation said the decision was made after a recommendation by doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro, who said Nadal’s recovery time would be too short. He said it was taken into consideration that Nadal played a significant number of matches after a four-month layoff because of a wrist injury.
Wrestling
The executive director of USA Wrestling says the American team still plans to compete in an upcoming tournament in Iran, one of seven countries singled out by President Donald Trump’s 90-day ban on travel to the U.S.
USA Wrestling’s Rich Bender says the Americans have “every intention” of traveling to Kermanshah for the men’s freestyle World Cup on Feb. 16-17.
Bender added that the U.S. federation been given assurances from the Iranians that special attention is being given to their applications. The scheduled trip to Iran will be the first major test for U.S. athletes travelling to one of the seven nations affected by Trump’s order.
Associated Press
