FOOTBALL
NFL to meet accuser
The NFL plans to meet Monday with a woman who says she was raped by New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown. A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed the meeting to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Britney Taylor accused Brown of rape and sexual assault in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida. Brown has denied the allegations by his former trainer. Taylor said Tuesday in a statement she will cooperate with the NFL and any other agencies. Darren Heitner, a lawyer representing Brown, said Brown and Taylor had "a consensual personal relationship." He told the AP on Tuesday that his client plans to countersue. The Boston Globe first reported the meeting. Brown made a big splash in his Patriots debut Sunday, catching a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in a 43-0 victory at Miami. He led the team with 56 yards on four receptions, all in the first half. New England activated the four-time All-Pro receiver after he wasn't placed on the commissioner's exempt list. No criminal charges have been filed and the NFL hasn't fully developed its investigation, so Brown was able to play for the Patriots, who acquired him after he requested and got his release from Oakland.
BASEBALL
Trout to have surgery
Mike Trout's season is over. The Los Angeles Angels said the eight-time All-Star will have surgery on his right foot this week because of Morton's neuroma, a thickening of tissue around a nerve leading to the toes that causes pain. Trout was scheduled to fly with the team to New York on Sunday evening for a series with the Yankees that starts Tuesday. He is to return to Los Angeles on Thursday and have surgery later in the week. Trout finished with a career-high 45 home runs, 104 RBI and a .291 batting average, putting him in contention to win his third AL MVP award along with four second-place finishes. The 28-year-old outfielder had 110 walks, a .438 on-base percentage and 1.083 OPS in his first season after agreeing to a $426.5 million, 12-year contract, baseball's largest deal by total and average salary. Trout has a .305 average in 9 major league seasons with 285 home runs, 752 RBI and 200 stolen bases.
Rizzo sprains ankle
Chicago Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo left Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning with a sprained right ankle. X-rays taken at Wrigley Field showed no broken bones. An MRI is scheduled for today to determine the severity of the injury. The first baseman suffered the injury while fielding a bunt. With a runner on second and none out, Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams bunted to the third-base side of the mound. Rizzo charged aggressively and rolled the ankle a couple of steps before fielding the ball. He threw wide to first base and then dropped to the ground in obvious pain. Rizzo had to be helped off the field and could put no pressure on his right leg. The injury could be a significant blow to the playoff-contending Cubs, who have already lost shortstop Javier Baez for the season with a fractured left thumb. Rizzo, 30, is hitting .289 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI in 140 games this season.
Multiple fractures
Atlanta's Charlie Culberson sustained multiple facial fractures when he was hit by a 91-mph pitch from Washington's Fernando Rodney on Saturday. Culberson was released from a hospital Saturday and was scheduled for additional examinations Sunday in Atlanta. "The guys that did see him said he looked better than they thought he would this morning," Braves Manager Brian Snitker said. "He sounded good, for what he'd been through. It's all very encouraging." Culberson was struck on the right side of his face as he squared up to bunt during Saturday's game. Culberson had a towel pressed to his face as he was helped to his feet and taken off the field on the back of a cart. Rodney, who was throwing his first pitch of the game, apologized to the Braves on Sunday. "I only saw that I hit him in the face, it was a scary moment for me, the player, for them," Rodney said. "I don't want to hit nobody, no matter where." Washington Manager Dave Martinez said he called Snitker on Sunday morning to extend his apologies and express his concern for Culberson.
GOLF
Kelly wins Challenge
Jerry Kelly played bogey-free Sunday at Warwick Hills and closed with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory in the Ally Challenge at Grand Blanc, Mich., his second victory this year on the PGA Tour Champions. Kelly also won two months ago in his native Wisconsin at the American Insurance Family Championship. He started the final round with a one-shot lead over Charles Schwab Cup leader Scott McCarron and Woody Austin. McCarron fell apart with a 75. Austin remained within one shot until a bogey on the par-4 15th, and Kelly stretched his lead to three with a birdie on the par-3 17th. Austin birdied the 18th for a 69. Kelly, who won for the fifth time on the PGA Tour Champions, finished at 16-under 200. He remained No. 2 in the Schwab Cup race.
Garcia wins KLM Open
Sergio Garcia won the 100th edition of the KLM Open by one shot Sunday, holding his nerve for a par on the final hole to finish at 18 under and leave Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark in second place. Garcia kissed his young daughter Azalea and threw her up in the air on the 18th green after holing a short putt to seal his victory with a 3-under 69 in the final round that mixed four bogeys with seven birdies. The Spaniard played it safe on the final hole, just moments after 18-year-old Hojgaard (68) had narrowly missed an eagle putt on the same hole to finish 17 under. Matt Wallace (68) of England finished third at 15 under.
OLYMPICS
Mayor: No help from government for reconstruction
TOKYO — The mayor of a town in northeastern Japan that will host Olympic soccer games said his city has received no funding from the central government that has promised to use the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to help in the reconstruction of the region.
The Japanese government and Tokyo 2020 organizers are hoping to use the Olympics to showcase Japan’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Several Olympic events, including soccer and baseball, will be held in northeastern Japan.
But with less than a year to go before the opening ceremony, Yutaka Kumagai, the mayor of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, said his city has seen no funding from the central government.
“There is no help from the government, we don’t have any budget from them, none,” Kumagai said Saturday. “Tokyo 2020 is said to be a symbol of the reconstruction but when it comes to the budget, we don’t have any budget from the Olympic games here in Rifu.”
Kumagai made the comments during a media tour of Miyagi Stadium, a 49,000-seat facility
in Rifu that will host men’s and women’s football at the 2020 Olympics.
About 50,000 people are still displaced in the Tohoku region as of August, according to the Reconstruction Agency.
Yoshiaki Suda, the mayor of Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture, concurred with Kumagai. Like Rifu, Onagawa is a coastal city that sustained heavy destruction.
“We haven’t received any subsidy, even one yen, from the central government,” Suda said. “Whatever we do for the venues, for the hospitality for the Olympics, we have to do ourselves.”
Japan is one of the most earthquake- and tsunami-prone areas in the world. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 quake offshore caused a tsunami that triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The quake and tsunami heavily damaged coastal neighborhoods in northeastern Japan and took more than 18,000 lives.
Tokyo, which projected total costs of about $7.5 billion in its winning bid for the games in 2013, is reportedly spending about $20 billion to prepare the city to host the games.
Sports on 09/16/2019