Football
Fewer fans turned into the title game this year
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The College Football Playoff championship’s viewership was down nearly a quarter from last year.
Alabama’s 45-40 victory over Clemson on Monday night averaged 25.7 million viewers on ESPN, down 23 percent from the 33.4 million for the inaugural CFP title game in 2015.
The audience was smaller than that for both of last season’s semifinals, along with two of the four BCS title games ESPN aired: Auburn-Oregon in 2011 and Alabama-Notre Dame in 2013.
2 years of research leads to new helmet design
SEATTLE – A new football helmet with an exterior shell that can absorb hits like a car bumper and has four layers of protection has been unveiled by Seattle-based VICIS.
The company introduced the helmet at the AFCA convention in Austin, Texas, this week. The ZERO1 helmet is expected to be available for testing by NCAA and NFL teams this spring with the idea that it will be available for purchase and use for the 2016 football season, according to VICIS CEO Dave Marver.
The unveiling of the helmets comes after two years of research and development by the company. The helmet has its origins in a collaboration between the University of Washington departments of mechanical engineering and neurological surgery.
Marver says the top-of-the-line helmet will cost about $1,500 but there is a more affordable model being designed for high school and youth players to be unveiled in 2017.
MLB
All parties to the table for arbitration negotiations
NEW YORK – Cy Young Award winners Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs and Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros were among 156 players who filed for salary arbitration Tuesday and are set to swap proposed figures with their teams this week unless they agree to contracts.
New Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman could file the highest salary request after earning $8,075,000 last season with Cincinnati unless he settles with New York before Friday’s exchange of figures.
AL MVP Josh Donaldson also filed. He lost his case last year and made $4.3 million while leading the Toronto Blue Jays to their playoffs since 1993.
NHL
Blackhawks coach won’t be going anywhere soon
CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks have given a three-year contract extension to Joel Quenneville, locking up the highly successful coach through the 2019-20 season.
Quenneville has 781-451-77-110 record over 19 years as an NHL head coach, including the past eight in Chicago, where he has won three Stanley Cup championships since 2010. Entering the week, his Blackhawks teams were 343-168-69 with a franchise-best .651 winning percentage in the regular season in that time.
His 781 wins lead active head coaches and rank third in NHL history. The Windsor, Ontario, native has guided 16 of his 18 teams to the postseason during a career that also includes eight years with the St. Louis Blues (1996-2004) and three with the Colorado Avalanche (2005-08).
Soccer
U.S. Soccer announces March SheBelieves Cup
The World Cup champion U.S. women’s national team will host a four-team tournament in Tennessee and Florida in March as the team prepares for the Olympics in Rio this summer.
The SheBelieves Cup will feature the United States, England, France and Germany, U.S. Soccer said.
The tournament will feature three doubleheaders. The U.S. federation’s SheBelieves initiative seeks to inspire young girls.
Associated Press
