BASKETBALL
Grizzlies, D-League join
The Memphis Grizzlies will own and run the NBA Development League's newest team starting with the 2017-18 season. The Grizzlies and the NBA Development League announced the expansion team Tuesday. The newest development league team will play in Southaven, Miss., which is just 20 miles south of Memphis. The arena already hosts the Mississippi Riverkings in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The move makes the Grizzlies the 19th NBA team owning and running a D-League affiliate, which expands the league to 23 teams for the upcoming season. The Grizzlies have been affiliated with the Iowa Energy. General Manager Chris Wallace saids the D-League team will practice at the Grizzlies' facilities at FedExForum and allow Memphis to best develop young players.
MOTOR SPORTS
F1 wants U.S. street race
Formula One's new owners plan to add a street race in the United States as they attempt to improve the motorsport series which they feel stagnated and became tired under Bernie Ecclestone's control. Chase Casey, who ended Ecclestone's four-decade reign as F1's chief executive Monday, told The Associated Press that he won't run a "one-man show" like the 86-year-old billionaire. U.S. sports and entertainment firm Liberty Media, which is controlled by 75-year-old tycoon John Malone, completed its takeover of F1 on Monday from investment fund CVC Capital Partners. Casey said Liberty is looking to add a race on the streets of New York, Los Angeles, Miami or Las Vegas on top of the existing annual United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
TENNIS
Isner, Sock to lead U.S.
John Isner, Jack Sock, Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey have been named to the U.S. Davis Cup roster that will face a Switzerland team that will not have Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka next month. The United States will be without the Bryan brothers, who announced recently they were retiring from Davis Cup competition. The best-of-five series in the first round will be played on an indoor hard court Feb. 3-5 in Birmingham, Ala. Rosters were announced Tuesday, and Switzerland's team will be Marco Chiudinelli, Henri Laaksonen, Adrien Bossel and Antione Bellier. Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, and Wawrinka, owner of three major titles, will face each other in the Australian Open semifinals this week. The Switzerland-U.S. winner will face Australia or the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in April.
BASEBALL
Martinez to have jersey retired
The Seattle Mariners will retire former designated hitter Edgar Martinez's No. 11 as he continues to move closer to induction in the baseball Hall of Fame. Seattle President Kevin Mather said Tuesday that Martinez's number will be officially retired Aug. 12 as part of a weekend celebration. Next to Ken Griffey Jr., no player in Mariners history has connected with Seattle like Martinez. He spent 18 seasons with the Mariners as a player and is regarded as one of the best right-handed hitters of his generation. He's about to begin his second full season as the Mariners hitting coach. Last week, Martinez was named on 58.6 percent of ballots when results of Hall of Fame voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America were announced. It was a major jump that set the stage for Martinez in his final two years of eligibility to potentially become the first player who was primarily a designated hitter to be voted into the Hall of Fame.
Valbuena, Angels agree
Infielder Luis Valbuena and the Los Angeles Angels have completed a $15 million, two-year contract. Valbuena spent the past two seasons with the Houston Astros, batting .260 last year with 13 homers and 40 RBI despite missing the final two months of the season with a hamstring injury. He started his big league career with Seattle in 2008 before stints with Cleveland the Chicago Cubs. Valbuena, whose deal was announced Tuesday, plays every infield position except shortstop. He should provide depth and versatility for the Angels, who are coming off their worst season since 1999. He also provides a left-handed bat at the corner infield positions, where the Angels' regulars are all right-handed hitters.
In other baseball news Tuesday, the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract with Nick Hundley to serve as Buster Posey's backup catcher. Hundley passed a physical and his deal was announced Tuesday. He batted .260 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 83 games for Colorado last season, starting 77 games behind the plate. ... The Miami Marlins acquired right-hander Severino Gonzalez from the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named or cash. Gonzalez went 1-2 last year with a 5.60 ERA in 35 1/3 innings, all in relief for the Phillies. He made 7 starts as a rookie in 2015 and went 3-3 with a 7.92 ERA in 30 2-3 innings. The trade was announced Tuesday. Gonzalez will compete for a spot in a deep and talented bullpen that could include newcomers Jeff Locke, Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa. ... The Milwaukee Brewers added a veteran to their bullpen after right-hander Joba Chamberlain agreed to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to the big-league camp. The former New York Yankees reliever appeared in 20 games last season for the Cleveland Indians. He had a 2.25 ERA without recording a decision before being released by the Indians on July 10.
FOOTBALL
Roethlisberger's future uncertain
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn't sure he'll be back in 2017. Roethlisberger said during his weekly appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday that he is going to take some time to evaluate whether he wants to keep playing. The two-time Super Bowl winner will turn 35 in March and has missed time in each of the last two seasons with knee issues. Roethlisberger is under contract through 2020. Coach Mike Tomlin said Roethlisberger has mentioned possible retirement to the coaching staff at various points. Longtime Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller, a good friend of Roethlisberger's, retired last February at age 33. Tomlin said he's not alarmed by Roethlisberger questioning his future, adding Roethlisberger is "the most significant component of what we do."
Culley new Bills QB coach
New Buffalo Bills Coach Sean McDermott will lean on David Culley to oversee the team's most uncertain position: Quarterback. The Bills announced Tuesday that Culley has agreed to be their quarterbacks coach. Culley has 18 seasons of NFL experience, including the past four as the Kansas City Chiefs assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. He and McDermott previously worked together on Chiefs Coach Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia last decade. Culley will work under newly hired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Buffalo's starting quarterback job is uncertain after Tyrod Taylor went 7-8 in his second season. The Bills have until mid-March to determine whether to pick up or opt out of the five-year contract extension Taylor signed in August.
BROADCASTING
Andrews: Fought cancer during NFL season
LOS ANGELES — Erin Andrews said she battled cervical cancer during the NFL season, months after winning a lawsuit against a stalker.
The 38-year-old Fox Sports sideline reporter and Dancing with the Stars co-host told Sports Illustrated’s MMQB that she underwent surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 11.
Before she was wheeled into the operating room, Andrews said she told her oncologist: “I’m not watching any football games at home. This is [Fox’s] Super Bowl year, and I’m not missing the Super Bowl.”
She was back on the sidelines five days later. She said her doctor didn’t recommend a return to work so soon.
“Should I have been standing for a full game five days after surgery? Let’s just say the doctor didn’t recommend that,” Andrews says. “But just as I felt during my trial, sports were my escape. I needed to be with my crew.”
Andrews said she underwent a second procedure Nov. 1 and was told later that month radiation and chemotherapy would not be needed.
Andrews settled last year with two hotel companies that were found partially to blame for the stalker, who got a hotel room next to hers and posted nude video of her on the internet.
“After the trial everyone kept telling me, ‘You’re so strong, for going through all of this, for holding down a job in football, for being the only woman on the crew,’” Andrews said. “Finally I got to the point where I believed it too. ‘Hey, I have cancer, but damn it, I am strong, and I can do this.’”
Sports on 01/25/2017