FOOTBALL
Brees' remarks draw ire
Drew Brees was sharply criticized by fellow high-profile athletes, including some of his own teammates, on Wednesday after the Saints' quarterback reiterated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. In an interview with Yahoo, Brees was asked to revisit former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's 2016 protest against police brutality against minorities, in which Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem before games. "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States," Brees said. "In many cases, it brings me to tears thinking about all that has been sacrificed, and not just in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the Civil Rights movements of the '60s, and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point." Critical responses to Brees' statements appeared on social media from major professional athletes including the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Saints' safety Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins was Brees' teammate when the Saints won the Super Bowl in the 2009 season, but spent the past six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before returning to New Orleans this offseason. Brees has said he supports those protesting police brutality but that he does not see the national anthem as the proper forum for that. In 2017, Brees participated with teammates who knelt before the national anthem, but then stood in unison when the anthem was played.
Chargers re-sign lineman
Defensive lineman Damion Square has re-signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, the franchise said Wednesday. Square will be going into his eighth season in the league and seventh with the Chargers. He has appeared in every game the past three seasons, including 15 starts. The 6-2, 293-pound nose tackle had a career-high 56 tackles last season.
BASEBALL
Pirates' pitcher out for 2020
Chris Archer won't pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020, and his time with the club may be over. The 31-year-old right-hander had surgery Tuesday in St. Louis with Dr. Robert Thompson to relieve symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. Archer will not be available this season if Major League Baseball finds a way to put together a truncated schedule. The Pirates were banking on a bounce back year by Archer, who is 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA in 33 starts since he was acquired from Tampa Bay at the 2018 trade deadline for outfielder Austin Meadows and pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
BASKETBALL
Memphis assistant leaving
Mike Miller is leaving Memphis Coach Penny Hardaway's staff after two seasons, saying he needs to spend more time with his family. Miller announced his decision Wednesday on social media. "As much as I've loved this job and had a blast being part of the special program Coach is building, the past few months have made me realize that it's time for me to spend more time focused on family and wherever the journey will take me next," Miller wrote. "I will find a way to stay in basketball and continue to make an impact on this city that I love so much!" The former NBA player quickly joined Hardaway's staff after Memphis hired Hardaway in March 2018. Miller helped Hardaway land the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation last summer, including James Wiseman who played only three games with the Tigers before leaving school. Memphis ranked as high as No. 9, and finished 21-10 when the season ended.
Sports on 06/04/2020