FOOTBALL
SFA suspends Conque
Stephen F. Austin Coach Clint Conque, who coached at the University of Central Arkansas from 2000-2013, was suspended by the school Monday night pending an investigation into alleged policy violations. A news release from Stephen F. Austin said the investigation is expected to take several weeks. The university said it would not comment further until the investigation is complete. Stephen F. Austin finished 4-7 in 2017. Conque is 21-25 in four seasons with the Lumberjacks. He was 105-59 in 14 seasons at UCA and is the school’s all-time winningest coach. Conque led UCA to two Southland Conference championships (2008, 2012) and consecutive NCAA Football Championship Subdivision postseason appearances in 2011 and 2012. On Tuesday night, Stephen F. Austin announced that defensive coordinator Jeff Byrd will serve as interim coach. Byrd is in his second year with the Lumberjacks and arrived at Stephen F. Austin from Tennessee-Martin.
OU’s Riley to earn $25M
Lincoln Riley got a major raise a year ago based on potential. This one was based on results. Oklahoma will pay its football coach $25 million over the next five years, including $4.8 million this season. Oklahoma’s Board of Regents approved the new numbers on Tuesday. Riley, 34, was one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the nation before being named head coach last summer after Bob Stoops’ abrupt retirement. Shortly after his promotion, the board approved a deal for Riley that started at $3.1 million. He delivered the goods in his first year as a head coach at any level, leading the Sooners to the Big 12 title, a spot in the College Football Playoff and a No. 3 final ranking while coaching Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield. The biggest jump came in his supplemental income, which increased from $2.475 million to $3.475 million and is set to increase by $100,000 per year. He has an annual retention benefit of $500,000.
BASKETBALL
Bucks’ Brown files lawsuit
Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown sued the city of Milwaukee and its police department Tuesday, saying officers’ use of a stun gun during his arrest for a parking violation constitutes excessive force and that they targeted him because he is black. Brown’s attorney Mark Thomsen filed the lawsuit in federal court, accusing police of “discriminating against Mr. Brown on the basis of his race.” The lawsuit alleges officers involved in his arrest used their incident report to try to reframe what happened to give the impression Brown was resisted and obstructed them. Brown had been talking with officers while waiting for a citation for illegally parking in a disabled spot outside a Walgreens at about 2 a.m. Central on Jan. 26, when officers took him down because he didn’t immediately remove his hands from his pockets as ordered. An officer yells: “Taser! Taser! Taser!” Brown had been cooperative with officers and never appeared to threaten police before or during his arrest, according to police body-camera videos. Some officers suspected Brown might have a firearm because they saw paper targets with holes in the back seat of his car, according to the lawsuit. Brown told officers he didn’t have a gun when they asked him, but they didn’t give him “any real opportunity to comply” to their command that he take his hands out of his pockets, the lawsuit said. Mayor Tom Barrett said in a statement he hopes something good comes from the lawsuit. Police Chief Alfonso Morales has not responded to an Associated Press request for comment. Morales apologized to Brown last month when body-camera video of the arrest was released. Brown wasn’t charged and three officers were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight other officers were ordered to undergo remedial training in professional communications.
HOCKEY
Hoffman traded twice
The Ottawa Senators traded winger Mike Hoffman, hoping to solve an ugly off-ice issue involving star defenseman Erik Karlsson and his wife. The Senators sent Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks, who then dealt him to the Florida Panthers. All told, the two transactions involved four players and six draft picks. The Sharks sent forward Mikkel Boedker, defensive prospect Julius Bergman and a 2020 sixth-round pick to the Senators for Hoffman, defensive prospect Cody Donaghey and a 2020 fifth-round pick. They then dealt Hoffman and a 2018 seventh-round pick to the Panthers for 2018 fourth- and fifth-round picks and a 2019 second-round pick in a move that clears significant cap space for San Jose to use in an offseason that includes potential free agent forwards John Tavares and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Senators were eager to deal Hoffman amid a dispute with team captain Karlsson and his wife. Melinda Karlsson recently filed an order of protection against Hoffman’s fiancee alleging harassment and cyberbullying in the form of hundreds of derogatory online messages aimed at her and her husband, whose first child, a boy, was stillborn in March. Hoffman scored 22 goals and had 34 assists for Ottawa in 2017-2018.
TENNIS
Murray loses to Kyrgios
Andy Murray won the first set on his return from injury after almost a year away from competitive tennis before Australian Nick Kyrgios rallied to win 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the first round at Queen’s Club in London. Despite the defeat, Murray — who last played 342 days ago at Wimbledon 2017 — will take encouragement from his long-awaited return. Former top-ranked Murray still had a visible limp and sometimes looked to struggle with sideto-side movement after hip surgery in January, but he had lost none of his competitive spirit. Kyrgios, who also looked to be struggling with injury, beat Murray for the first time in six attempts after 2 hours, 39 minutes. Earlier, Novak Djokovic’s first appearance at the Wimbledon warmup tournament in eight years was successful when he put away Australian qualifier John Millman 6-2, 6-1. Djokovic, entered as a wild card, will play second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the second round.
Federer wins
Roger Federer opened his Gerry Weber Open title defense by seeing off Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia 6-3, 6-4 in Halle, Germany. The world No. 1 broke the No. 72nd-ranked Bedene at the first attempt and again for 5-4 in the second set to wrap up the victory. Fresh from winning his 18th grass-court title in Stuttgart on Sunday, Federer dropped just four points on his serve and forced seven break opportunities, taking two. Federer made his comeback in Stuttgart after skipping the entire claycourt season for the second year in a row, and again he looked sharp as he extended his grass-court winning streak to 17 matches including his titles at Halle and Wimbledon last year. The Swiss great is just five match wins away from matching Jimmy Connors’ all-time record of 174 victories on grass. Federer’s winning percentage is better, with 169 victories and 24 losses compared to Connors’ record of 174-34.