BASKETBALL
NBA OK with gambling
In a first for a major American professional sports league, the NBA on Wednesday formally asked for new laws that would legalize sports gambling nationwide. "Our conclusion is that the time has come for a different approach," Dan Spillane, associate counsel for the league, said in prepared remarks to a New York state Senate committee on gambling. Spillane urged the state to pass a "comprehensive sports betting bill that would serve as a model for a 50-state solution." Currently, sports betting is legal in only four states -- most prominently in Nevada -- because of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, passed in 1992 with the NBA's support. With New York and other states considering legislation to legalize sports betting in the event that PASPA is overturned, the NBA "cannot sit on the sidelines," Spillane said. He said all such legislation should do the following, at minimum: monitor betting to prevent "improper conduct" and unusual betting activity; impose a 1 percent fee on the total amount of bets, to be paid to sports leagues; allow leagues to restrict certain types of wagering on their events; contain consumer protection requirements; and authorize betting on digital platforms, not solely "land-based casinos."
FOOTBALL
Saints to consider QBs
New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team will seriously evaluate quarterbacks in this year's draft regardless of how negotiations toward a new deal with 12-year starter Drew Brees progress. "Look, you evaluate everyone because you never know when you might make a move up to trade up higher and you end up picking in a position that you don't expect," Loomis said Wednesday while meeting with reporters who are in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl. "That's what our scouts do, what our personnel department does." While Loomis said negotiations with Brees on a new contract have yet to commence, he sounded optimistic that the Saints and Brees will agree on an extension as they did in 2012 and again in 2016.
Jets fire O-line coach
The New York Jets have fired offensive line coach Steve Marshall after three seasons. The move Wednesday comes a week after Coach Todd Bowles parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton. The Jets have not yet hired a replacement for Morton, who was in the role for just one season. The Jets' offense finished ranked 28th overall this season, and the offensive line struggled with consistency. Center Wesley Johnson, backup center Jonotthan Harrison and backup guard Dakota Dozier are scheduled to be free agents this offseason. Marshall was hired in 2015 after serving as an assistant offensive line coach for Green Bay. He has also coached with Houston and Cleveland, along with stops at 12 schools during nearly 30 years at the college level.
Governor pays $6K for ticket
Minnesota's governor has forked over $6,000 for a ticket to his own state's Super Bowl game. Gov. Mark Dayton expressed regret Wednesday that the Minnesota Vikings won't play the Feb. 4 game in Minneapolis. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Vikings on Sunday to face the New England Patriots. But Dayton said he still felt obligated to attend the game as Minnesota's governor. An aide said Dayton paid a ticket broker roughly $6,000 for a seat in the lower level at U.S. Bank Stadium. It's unclear whether governors or mayors usually attend the NFL's championship games for free. But the top-dollar ticket will help Dayton avoid any appearance of special treatment. Several Minnesota officials resigned last year after a controversy surrounding the use of suites at the new Vikings stadium.
More work on Atlanta roof
The Atlanta Falcons are expecting the retractable roof on Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be "fully operational" for the 2018 season and next year's Super Bowl. Falcons President and CEO Rich McKay told The Associated Press on Wednesday he expects fixes on the roof by the 2018 season "if not well before." Problems kept the roof closed on the $1.5 billion stadium for most of the 2017 season. The unique roof, designed to open like a camera lens, was open only for the Falcons' first home regular-season game against Green Bay on Sept. 17. It was closed for all other NFL and college games, including the Peach Bowl, the SEC championship game and the national championship game. The stadium will be home to the 2019 Super Bowl. McKay said the plan is to have the roof open for more games "as we designed at the beginning."
GOLF
Svensson wins in Bahamas
Adam Svensson of Canada closed with a 4-under 68 for a one-shot victory Wednesday in the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the Web.com Tour. Svensson began the final round one shot out of the lead and seized control when Willy Wilcox took a triple bogey on the 11th hole. Even with a bogey on the par-3 17th, Svensson held on to win by one shot over Sungjae Im of South Korea, who shot 69. Rhein Gibson of Australia had a 67 and finished third. Wilcox made seven consecutive pars after his triple bogey and shot 73 to tie for fourth. Svensson finished at 17-under 271. It was the first professional victory for the 24-year-old Canadian. Taylor Moore (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 72 and closed at 5 under. Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) had a 79 and finished 2 over. Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) had a 73 and was 8 over.
TENNIS
Williams to play Indian Wells
Serena Williams plans to return to tournament play in March in the Southern California desert. Williams was among the entries released Wednesday for the BNP Paribas Open, which runs March 5-18 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It will be the two-time champion's first tournament after 14 months off for the birth of her daughter in September. Williams reached the semifinals in 2015 and the finals in 2016 after returning to the event that she had boycotted for years. Top-ranked Simona Halep, defending champion Elena Vesnina, and former winners Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki are set to play. Also entered is Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, U.S. Open winner Sloane Stephens, Karolina Pliskova, and Americans Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe. On the men's side, defending champion Roger Federer will be seeking his sixth tournament title. He and Novak Djokovic, who also entered, are tied with five. Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka are entered.
HORSE RACING
Gun Runner favorite for $16 million Pegasus
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Gun Runner’s final race might be a bit of a challenge.
The 5-year-old is the overwhelming 4-5 favorite for Saturday’s $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park. But the likely Horse of the Year — an honor that will be announced today at the Eclipse Awards — will have to win his finale from a post near the outside after drawing the No. 10 spot in an expected 12-horse field.
Horses that start at least that far from the rail in distance events at Gulfstream are winning at only about an 8 percent clip this season. Then again, none of those starters was of Gun Runner’s caliber.
“I’ve always said you don’t know to complain about a post position until after a race is run,” Gun Runner trainer Steve Asmussen said after Wednesday’s draw. “So it might work out perfectly for him. The horse is doing extremely well, in the capable hands of [jockey] Florent Geroux, and hopefully we’ll have a big day Saturday and send the 2017 Horse of the Year out on top.”
Gun Runner will be racing for the last time before retirement. He has won four consecutive starts, all of them Grade 1 events, and will have a chance to push his career earnings to nearly $16 million. Saturday’s winner earns a $7 million share of the purse.
Gun Runner finished third in the 2016 Kentucky Derby behind Nyquist and Exaggerator but didn’t run afterward in the Preakness or Belmont. In his first race of 2017, he won the Grade III Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. He then went on to finish second in the Dubai World Cup in March 2017 before his four-race winning streak.
Sharp Azteca is the second choice in the morning line, at 6-1. Collected and West Coast — both trained by Bob Baffert, who got Arrogate the win in the inaugural Pegasus last year — will start at 8-1.
Sports on 01/25/2018