NFL:
Rex Ryan's return to the Meadowlands was a successful one. Buffalo's defense shut down Ryan's former team for much of the night, and the Bills scored on offense and special teams in a 22-17 victory over the New York Jets. The Jets have lost three of their last four games.
On Sunday, New England is in New York to face the Giants at 4:25.
Dallas receiver Dez Bryant went on a profanity-filled rant at a reporter in the locker room on Thursday, and was further agitated when another reporter tweeted about the exchange. Bryant was upset about something a reporter had written, and had been asking for days where he was. After the tweet, Bryant called all the reporters in the locker room "dirty" several times before he was led out.
NBA:
In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors have set a team record for the longest season-opening winning streak, breaking a mark established 55 years ago when they beat Minnesota 129-116. Miami squeaked by Utah 92-91 and it was Phoenix over the Clippers 118-104.
NHL:
In the NHL, the Rangers doubled up St. Louis 6-3, Colorado topped Boston 3-2, Buffalo edged Florida 3-2, New Jersey slid past Chicago 3-2, Los Angeles edged the Islanders 2-1, Toronto won against Nashville in a shootout 2-1, Tampa Bay trumped Calgary 3-1, Washington bested Philadelphia 5-2, Arizona beat Edmonton 4-1, Dallas doubled up Winnipeg 6-3, Minnesota edged Carolina in overtime 3-2, and it was Ottawa over Vancouver 3-2.
The Bruins broke a club record by losing to Colorado at home for the eighth straight time and haven't beaten the Avalanche in Boston since 1998. Ironically, Colorado coach Patrick Roy was in net for that game, and eventual Avalanche defenseman Ray Bourque was still the Bruins captain.
NCAA:
In men’s college basketball, UAlbany is in Kentucky tonight at 7, and Siena is at Duke tonight at 7.
The NCAA is moving its March Madness selection meeting to New York City. The meeting to set the bracket and seeding for years has been held in Indianapolis and, before that, in Kansas City. Joseph Castiglione is the chair of the Division I men's basketball committee and the Oklahoma athletic director. He says the move that begins next March is intended to raise the profile of the session.
Wisconsin running back Corey Clement cut his hand after getting involved in an argument at his off-campus apartment building. The team says in a statement that the junior for the 23rd-ranked Badgers was returning to his apartment early Sunday when he saw an argument between a security guard and a group of people. Wisconsin said Clement was cut when he and the guard were assaulted by the others. The Badgers have a bye this weekend. Clement attended practice on Wednesday but did not take part as planned as he rehabs from sports hernia surgery.
MLB:
Major League Baseball is recalling 2016 Washington Nationals calendars that mistakenly include images of Boston's Fenway Park. On both the back cover and inside the calendar there are images of Fenway Park instead of Nationals Park. It's not the first time this sort of gaffe has happened to the Nationals. In 2009, a uniform company took the blame for producing jerseys that read "Natinals."
Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts has won the American League's Silver Slugger award. Louisville Slugger presented the award to Bogaerts. His first Silver Slugger comes in just his second full season in the majors. Bogaerts raised his batting average 80 points in one year.
Colby Rasmus has become a trend-setter. A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press the outfielder has accepted the Houston Astros' one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer. The decision comes after all 34 qualifying offers had been turned down in the first three years of baseball's current collective bargaining agreement. When a player rejects the deal in order to test the market, his former team receives an additional high selection in the June draft. Nineteen other free agents have until Friday afternoon to accept or reject their qualifying offers. The 29-year-old Rasmus hit .238 with a career-high 25 home runs and 61 RBIs last season, his first with the Astros. He had four homers in six postseason games, including one in the AL wild-card game against the Yankees. Rasmus is a career .245 hitter in seven major league seasons. The deal was first reported by Fox Sports.
Also in the majors:
— The Angels have acquired two-time Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton (AN'-druhl-tuhn) Simmons from the Braves for shortstop Erick Aybar (EYE'-bahr) and top pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis. The Braves also get $2.5 million, while the Angels get minor league catcher Jose Briceno in the trade announced Thursday night.
— The Seattle Mariners have acquired 38-year-old right-hander Joaquin Benoit (WAH'-keen BEHN'-wah) from the San Diego Padres for two minor league prospects, pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and infielder Nelson Ward. Benoit was 6-5 with a 2.34 ERA and a .159 batting average against in 67 appearances for the Padres last season.
— Veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski (peer-ZIHN'-skee) has agreed to a one-year, $3 million pact that keeps him in Atlanta. The 38-year-old Pierzynski batted .300 with nine homers and 49 RBIs in 113 games this year.
PGA:
Justin Leonard was part of a four-way tie for the lead when the first round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba was suspended due to darkness. Leonard shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 to grab a share of the lead with Aaron Baddeley, Shawn Stefani and Derek Fathauer.
LPGA:
Inbee Park made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke lead in the LPGA Tour's Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The second-ranked Park had seven birdies and three bogeys at tree-lined Club de Golf Mexico. Angela Stanford, Suzann Pettersen and Minjee Lee are tied for second.
Olympics:
Officials from the governing body of world track and field are meeting today to discuss what to do with the Russian track and field program. In the wake of a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency that said Russia was involved in a doping scandal, the Russian track team might be banned from next year's Olympics. Already the specter of a boycott has been brought up but a Russian official says none will take place. Another Russian official, from the track federation, says it will partially admit to the charges leveled against it by the World Anti-Doping Agency commission as it bids to keep its place in competition.
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