FOOTBALL
Bucs’ Brown suspended
Antonio Brown and two other NFL players have been suspended immediately for three games by the league for violating covid-19 protocols. The Tampa Bay wide receiver and teammate Mike Edwards were suspended Thursday. Free agent John Franklin III, if signed by a team, is also ineligible to play in the next three games. All three players have accepted the discipline and waived their right of appeal. The suspensions are effective immediately. The NFL Players Association, which developed the protocols along with the league, represented the three players during a review of the recent allegations that players misrepresented their vaccination status. Brown, Edwards, a cornerback, and Franklin, a defensive back who last played for the Bucs in 2019, were found in violation of the protocols. Brown joined Tampa Bay midway through last season after serving an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history. The 33-year-old receiver, who has 29 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns this season, has missed the past five games with an ankle injury. He also sat out the team’s Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams after testing positive for covid-19. The Bucs (8-3) are 5-0 when he plays this season, 3-3 without him.
Virginia’s coach leaving
Virginia Coach Bronco Mendenhall is stepping down after the Cavaliers play their bowl game, abruptly ending his tenure at the school after six seasons. The decision was his and his alone, Mendenhall said, adding that Athletic Director Carla Williams and university president Jim Ryan asked him to stay. “It’s just a chance after 31 years straight to step back … and reinvent myself and our family and our purpose,” the 55-year-old Mendenhall said. He did not rule out coaching again some day. Mendenhall went 36-38 at Virginia, leading the Cavaliers to five consecutive bowl appearances and their only Atlantic Coast Conference title game appearance two years ago. Virginia also snapped a 15-game losing streak against rival Virginia Tech in 2019, but lost its last four games this season.
Colorado State fires Addazio
Colorado State fired Coach Steve Addazio on Thursday after a tumultuous two seasons that included an ejection in what would prove to be his final game for the Rams, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The decision came on the day Addazio’s buyout dropped from $5 million to $3 million. Addazio wrapped up his time in Fort Collins with a 4-12 record. His tenure got off to a rocky start last year when the university opened an investigation into the program’s handling of covid-19 cases, which uncovered allegations of racism and verbal abuse toward athletes. It drew to a close Saturday with Addazio leaving the sideline before halftime after receiving a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Rams lost 52-10 to Nevada in front of an announced crowd of 17,465 at Canvas Stadium, which only dwindled as the game got out of hand.
BASKETBALL
Bucks’ center has surgery
Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez has undergone surgery to address the back injury that has kept him from playing since the opening game of the season. The Bucks announced Thursday that Lopez had back surgery earlier that day in Los Angeles. Team officials didn’t provide a timetable for his eventual return but said “Lopez will continue to be listed as out and updates on his rehabilitation progress will be provided as appropriate.” Lopez played 28 minutes and had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in a season-opening victory over the Brooklyn Nets, but the 7-footer hasn’t played since. The 33-year-old center is in his fourth season with the Bucks and 14th season overall. He averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season while helping the Bucks win the NBA title. Bobby Portis (Little Rock Hall, Arkansas Razorbacks) has been filling Lopez’s spot in the starting lineup and has averaged 15.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. The Bucks also signed DeMarcus Cousins this week to add some frontcourt depth.
TENNIS
Russia moves into semis
Daniil Medvedev maintained his perfect record at the Davis Cup Finals to put Russia into the last four. Medvedev defeated Mikael Ymer 6-4, 6-4 Thursday to give Russia an insurmountable 2-0 lead over Sweden in the quarterfinals of the revamped team event. Andrey Rublev earlier outlasted Elias Ymer, Mikael’s older brother, in a 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3) win at the Madrid Arena. With Russia having secured the win after the two singles matches, the doubles match wasn’t played. Russia will face Germany in the semifinals on Saturday. Serbia and top-ranked Novak Djokovic will face Croatia in the other semifinal today.
GOLF
McIlroy among leaders
Rory McIlroy has gone from tears at the Ryder Cup to some of his best golf of the year, and right now his only complaint is the calendar. “I wish it was the end of March,” McIlroy said Thursday after a 6-under 66 to share the lead with Daniel Berger and Abraham Ancer in the Hero World Challenge in Nassau, Bahamas. McIlroy was referring to the Masters, the only major keeping him from the career Grand Slam, and there is plenty of golf to be played between now and the first full week of April. But he’s been on a roll since spilling his emotions about how much the Ryder Cup means after a rough week at Whistling Straits. He won the CJ Cup in Las Vegas. He was leading the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai after 68 holes until a bad break led to a sloppy finish and Collin Morikawa passed him by. And then on a warm and blustery day in the Bahamas, he had six birdies and chipped in for eagle on the reachable par-4 14th for another good start. It was far from perfect, and he only has to point at a double bogey on the par-5 ninth when he hit his second shot into the water. He failed to birdie two other par 5s, so this wasn’t exactly a round where he got the most out of it.