NFL: Hopeful Revis won’t go all out in OTAs
Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis is making progress in his recovery from knee surgery and remains hopeful of being ready to play in the team’s regular season opener in September.
Nevertheless, the ex-Jet is not expected to participate in full-speed drills during a mandatory mini-camp next week.
Bill Callahan is replacing coach Jason Garrett as the play-caller for the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones said it and Callahan confirmed it. But Garrett refuses to publicly acknowledge a change in the role he has had since Jones hired him as offensive coordinator in 2007.
His nickname belied his calling. David “Deacon” Jones was the most feared member of the Fearsome Foursome, the original sackmaster. Jones died Monday at 74.
“Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history. Off the field, he was a true giant,” said Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, whose father, George, coached Jones with the Los Angeles Rams. Not only was Jones the main practitioner of the sack in his 14 pro seasons, he coined the term. He once compared bringing down quarterbacks to hog-tying them in a sack. He was smiling when he said it.
NCAA: OSU prez to retire after ‘damn Catholics’ gaffe
Ohio State president Gordon Gee abruptly announced his retirement, effective July 1, after he came under fire last week for jokingly saying “you can’t trust those damn Catholics” at Notre Dame and poking fun at the academic quality of other schools. Ohio State at the time called the remarks unacceptable and said it had placed Gee on a “remediation plan” to change his behavior.
Gee, 69, said in a teleconference the furor was only part of his decision to retire, which he said he had been considering for a while.
In Oklahoma City, Keilani Ricketts homered and drove in four runs, Michelle Gascoigne pitched a three-hit shutout and top-seeded Oklahoma won the NCAA softball championship by beating Tennessee 4-0 in Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series finals.
ETC: Recommendation to make visors a must
The NHL’s competition committee will recommend making visors mandatory for all players entering the league. Any changes must first be approved by the league’s board of governors.
The Hawks, who are expected to pursue Chris Paul and Dwight Howard when the NBA’s free-agency period begins next month, specifically mentioned their interest in both Paul and Howard in a letter to potential ticket buyers, a possible violation of the NBA’s tampering policy.
Richie Phillips, a tough-talking Philadelphia lawyer who became a negotiator for Major League Baseball umpires and NBA referees, died Friday of cardiac arrest. He was 72.
In Boston, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit his first career homer and had three RBIs, and the Red Sox set season highs for hits and runs in a 17-5 rout of the Rangers.
It remains to be seen whether the revived New York Cosmos will fly, but they have a jersey sponsorship contract with Emirates Airline. With Pele looking on, the revived football team announced the deal yesterday with Emirates as it prepares to enter the second-tier North American Soccer League this summer.
In Kingston, Jamaica, Mexico moved to the top of the standings in CONCACAF’s final round of World Cup qualifying with a 1-0 win over Jamaica on Aldo de Nigris’ goal.