College Basketball
LSU freshman Simmons declaring for NBA draft
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons, who led the Tigers in scoring, rebounds and assists this season, says he is leaving the Tigers to turn pro.
Simmons, who made his announcement in an interview published Monday by ESPN, says he will soon hire an agent and enter the NBA draft, for which Simmons has been widely projected as a top overall pick.
Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season with LSU. The Tigers finished this season 19-14, missing the NCAA Tournament after failing to reach 20 victories for the first time in three years.
Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports sites will stop taking bets in NY
NEW YORK – The nation’s top two daily fantasy sports websites have agreed to stop operating in New York through the end of baseball season.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (SHNEYE’-dur-muhn) announced the deal with DraftKings and FanDuel on Monday.
Schneiderman had sued the companies last year, arguing the sites were illegal sports betting operations and were violating state laws. The companies argue their contests are games of skill, not of chance.
A lower court judge agreed with the attorney general and ordered them to stop, but the companies appealed.
NBA
Rockets’ Howard upset by being called a cheater
OKLAHOMA CITY – Dwight Howard doesn’t like being branded a cheater.
The NBA is reviewing the Houston Rockets center’s use of a sticky substance on his hands during Houston’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. Atlanta’s Paul Millsap complained about the ball while shooting free throws with 3:36 remaining in the first quarter. Howard had made a layup before Millsap’s free throws.
Howard said Monday that he has used the substance for the past five years without being asked about it. He said he uses the spray for grip, and noted many players use sprays and powders for that purpose.
NFL
Court won’t hear appeal in NFL video game lawsuit
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court is staying out of a dispute between game maker Electronic Arts Inc. and former National Football League players who accuse the company of using their likenesses in the popular Madden NFL video game series without approval.
The justices on Monday let stand an appeals court ruling that said the company’s use of the player’s likenesses was not protected as “incidental use” under the First Amendment.
The former players sued Electronic Arts in 2010 over the company’s use of “historic teams” and players in Madden NFL games from 2001 to 2009. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2012 that the player lawsuit could proceed.
Electronic Arts previously settled a similar case brought by college football and basketball players for $40 million.
Patriots owner Kraft seeks draft picks back
BOCA RATON, Fla. – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has asked the NFL to reinstate the draft picks the team lost in the deflated footballs investigation stemming from the 2014 AFC title game.
Kraft said Monday at the owners’ meetings that he sent a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell more than a month ago seeking a return of the two picks – a first-rounder this year and a fourth-rounder in 2017.
But Kraft didn’t sound optimistic that the picks would be returned, or that quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension would be rescinded.
In his letter, Kraft cited new evidence uncovered since the NFL investigation ended.
Associated Press
