College Football
Meyer gets appendectomy, will throw first pitch in N.Y.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was sidelined with an appendectomy.
Team spokesman Jerry Emig confirmed that Meyer, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship last season, could be held in the hospital overnight Wednesday.
Ohio State canceled an appearance by its fourth-year coach at the University of Findlay on Wednesday night, but he still is scheduled to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Friday night as part of a trip to New York City.
Meyer, who briefly resigned at Florida because of health reasons before returning, had surgery in March 2014 to remove fluid from a cyst on his brain.
Golf
McIlroy and Spieth now linked closer at Players
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Rory McIlroy remembers a 19-year-old Texan who had secured a spot on the PGA Tour and seemed very polished for his age. That was the first time he played with Jordan Spieth two years ago in the Texas Open.
They will play again in The Players Championship under new circumstances.
McIlroy is No. 1 in the world. Spieth went up to No. 2 with his Masters victory. The stage is set for a rivalry, though McIlroy was quick to point out how quickly the outlook can change. A year ago, McIlroy was struggling and not all that much in the conversation – and Tiger Woods was No. 1 in the world. Now he’s No. 125.
NFL
League releases findings from ‘Deflategate’ probe
NEW YORK – An NFL investigation found that New England Patriots employees likely deflated footballs, and that quarterback Tom Brady was “at least generally aware” of the rules violations.
The NFL began the investigation after the Patriots won the AFC Championship game in January, when the Indianapolis Colts complained that several footballs were under inflated.
The 243-page report released Wednesday said league investigators found no evidence that coach Bill Belichick and team management knew of the practice.
Ryan will let Bills speak their minds, much like him
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan has no intention of putting “a muzzle” on his players. And that includes running back LeSean McCoy for questioning the motivations of his former head coach, Chip Kelly.
Ryan responded Wednesday after McCoy created a stir for telling ESPN The Magazine that “there’s a reason (Kelly) got rid of all the black players” in Philadelphia.
McCoy’s comments were included in a question-and-answer portion of an article published online earlier in the day. McCoy did not explain what he believed to be Kelly’s reasoning behind certain moves, though it was unclear whether he was asked.
Olympics
Gold medalist downhill skier helps design courses
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Olympic downhill gold medalist Didier Defago is starting a new career helping to design Alpine ski courses for the Winter Games.
Defago’s management company said the 2010 Vancouver Games champion from Switzerland will assist long-time Olympic course designer Bernhard Russi.
Defago retired from racing when the World Cup season ended in March.
He and Russi recently worked together in South Korea to study the Jeongseon Alpine Centre site which will stage speed races at the 2018 Olympics.
Associated Press
