FOOTBALL
Clay signs with Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have signed veteran tight end Charles Clay (Little Rock Central) to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed. Clay, 30, has played eight NFL seasons, four each with Buffalo and Miami. He has 339 career receptions for 3,361 yards and 23 touchdowns. Clay is the only tight end in Bills' history to have three consecutive seasons with at least 500 yards receiving, ending with his 558 yards in 2017. He had a career-high 69 catches for 759 yards and 6 TDs with Miami in 2013. Clay was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Tulsa.
Brown: Time to move on
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has ended his lengthy standoff with the team by meeting with president Art Rooney II, though any shot at reconciliation between the two sides appears to be out of the question. Brown, who has asked to be traded, posted a picture on various social media accounts on Tuesday that showed him arm in arm with Rooney at the Palm Beach International Airport. "We discussed a lot of things and we cleared the air on several issues!" Brown wrote. "We both agreed that it is time to move on but I'll always have appreciation and gratitude towards the Rooney family and steelers organization!" Brown still has three years remaining on the $72 million contract he signed in the spring of 2017, and remains one of the most dynamic performers in the league. He is the only player in NFL history with six consecutive 100-catch seasons and he hauled in 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and a franchise-record 15 touchdowns in 2018.
Chiefs make defensive changes
The Kansas City Chiefs completed their overhaul of their defensive coaching staff Tuesday, hiring four new assistants to fill out new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's staff. The Chiefs plucked Brendan Daley from the Super Bowl champion Patriots to handle the defensive live; University of Kentucky defensive coordinator Matt House was hired to coach linebackers; Cardinals defensive backs coach Dave Merritt will fill the same role in Kansas City; and former cornerback Sam Madison will get his NFL coaching break helping with the secondary.
Capers back with Jaguars
Former NFL head coach Dom Capers has joined Jacksonville's coaching staff as senior defensive assistant, returning to the Jaguars two decades after his first stint with the team. The team says Capers will work closely with defensive coordinator Todd Wash and the other assistants on that side of the ball. Capers served as Jacksonville's defensive coordinator from 1999-2000 under current executive Tom Coughlin. Capers was the head coach of two NFL expansion teams -- the Carolina Panthers (1995-98) and the Houston Texans (2002-05). Most recently, he served as Green Bay's defensive coordinator (2009-17). He was out of the league last season, but spent countless time at Jacksonville's practice facility. Jaguars Coach Doug Marrone said Capers "has career experiences and accomplishments that will benefit our coaches and our players. He adds a unique perspective and veteran presence that will be valuable assets to immediately help us."
BASKETBALL
'Big Baby' avoids jail time
Former NBA player Glen "Big Baby" Davis has agreed to pay $15,000 to avoid jail time on drug charges. News outlets reported Davis had faced up to five years in jail. He was arrested at a Maryland hotel with 126 grams (4 ounces) of marijuana and a briefcase containing $92,000 last February, and indicted on seven counts of drug possession and distribution. Davis' attorney Brandon Mead says prosecutors will dismiss the charges after the 33-year-old pays the fine. Mead said nothing indicates Davis was selling drugs. Davis was a star player at Louisiana State University who also played for the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers. His NBA career ended in 2015. Davis was also charged with felony assault in an April altercation outside a West Hollywood, California, club.
GOLF
Romo receives exemption
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will get to play at home when he gets another shot on the PGA Tour. Romo, now the lead NFL analyst for CBS, has accepted a sponsor's exception to play in the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament at Trinity Forest Golf Club in May. He is a member of the club south of downtown Dallas that will host the event for the second time. Nelson officials said Tuesday that Romo was being added to the field as an amateur. This will be the second PGA Tour event for the 38-year-old Romo. He played on a sponsor's exemption last March in the Dominican Republic, where he missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 82. Romo won the American Century Championship celebrity event in July.
MOTOR SPORTS
Leclerc impresses
Ferrari newcomer Charles Leclerc clocked the fastest lap and put in the most mileage of any driver on the second day of Formula One preseason testing. Leclerc set the pace on Tuesday with a lap of 1 minute, 18.247 seconds at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. He also was the busiest driver with 157 laps completed. McLaren's 19-year-old rookie Lando Norris was the second fastest, followed by Kevin Magnussen in his Haas. Leclerc's Ferrari teammate, former champion Sebastian Vettel, also set the best time and the highest amount of completed laps on Monday when testing began. The 21-year-old Leclerc joined Ferrari after impressing in his first F1 campaign with Sauber. He replaced veteran Kimi Raikkonen.
TENNIS
No. 1 Osaka loses
Naomi Osaka lost her first match since moving up to No. 1 in the WTA rankings -- and first since splitting from her coach. The two-time major champion had trouble with her serve and was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Kristina Mladenovic at the Dubai Championships in a little more than an hour on Tuesday. Osaka had not competed since winning the Australian Open in January for her second consecutive Grand Slam title. That victory also allowed her to become the first tennis player from Asia to lead the rankings. Last week, Osaka announced on Twitter that she would no longer work with coach Sascha Bajin.
GYMNASTICS
Leung to lead USA Gymnastics
USA Gymnastics is turning to NBA executive Li Li Leung to help turn the embattled program around. The organization named Leung as its new president and chief executive officer on Tuesday as it fights to retain its status as the national governing body for the sport after the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. Leung served as vice president of global partnerships for the NBA. She arrives as USA Gymnastics attempts to fend off decertification from the United States Olympic Committee. USA Gymnastics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December in an effort to reach settlements in the dozens of sex-abuse lawsuits it faces in courts across the country from athletes who blame the group for failing to supervise Nassar, a team doctor accused of molesting them. Leung is the fourth person to hold the position of president and CEO in the last two years. Steve Penny resigned under pressure in March 2017. His replacement, Kerry Perry, lasted less than a year when she stepped down under heavy scrutiny from the USOC in September. The organization then turned to former U.S. Rep. Mary Bono on an interim basis in October, but she resigned after just four days.
WINTER SPORTS
Shriffrin locks up title
Mikaela Shiffrin won a parallel city event Tuesday to wrap up the season-long slalom World Cup title with two races to spare. Shiffrin defeated Christina Geiger of Germany in both runs to win the final by 0.27 seconds. The victory gave the four-time slalom world champion from the United States an insurmountable 203-point lead in the season standings over her closest challenger, Slovakia's Petra Vlhova, who was beaten in the quarterfinals. It was Shiffrin's 57th career victory, and 14th of the season, matching the record for most World Cup wins in a single campaign, set by Swiss great Vreni Schneider in the 1990s.
Sports on 02/20/2019