NHL:
The San Jose Sharks are putting in the necessary effort to stave off a defeat in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Sharks downed the Penguins 4-2. Meanwhile Pittsburgh leads the series 3-2.
The National Hockey League might be suffering buyer's remorse after agreeing players can appeal a commissioner's decision to an outside arbitrator. The league asked a Manhattan federal court judge Wednesday to reject the reduction of Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman's suspension for knocking down a linesman in a January 27th game.
A former minor league hockey player accused of selling prescription painkillers to an ex-hockey player who died of an accidental overdose has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge. Jordan Hart entered the plea in Manhattan federal court Thursday. The Huntington resident was arrested in September 2014 after the accidental overdose death of Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.
IAAF:
Track and field's world governing body has suspended three staff members in an ethics investigation linked to Russian doping. The IAAF ethics board says it imposed provisional suspensions on former communications director Nick Davies, Jane Boulter-Davies and Pierre-Yves Garnier pending a probe into potential ethics violations.
The board says the three are provisionally suspended as of Friday for 180 days. The suspension is in connection with an email reportedly sent on July 29, 2013, to then IAAF President Lamine Diack from his son, Papa Massata Diack, who was an IAAF marketing consultant. The ethics board alleges that Nick Davies received "an undisclosed cash payment" in 2013 from the younger Diack, and misled IAAF investigators about the payment.
MLB:
In baseball, in the American League, the Yankees doubled up the Angels 6-3, Baltimore won against Toronto 6-5, Cleveland defeated Seattle 5-3, and it was Texas over Houston 5-3.
In the National League, the Mets bested Milwaukee 5-2, St. Louis edged Cincinnati 3-2, and it was Colorado over Pittsburgh 11-5.
In interleague, Miami blasted Minnesota 10-3, and it was the White Sox over Washington 3-1.
The Yankees hope their relief trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman make music at the cash registers. Seeking to capitalize on the bullpen's success, New York put "NO RUNS DMC" T-shirts on sale for $39.99 each Thursday after reaching a licensing agreement with the former hip-hop group Run-D.M.C.
NCAA:
Former Yale basketball captain Jack Montague has filed a lawsuit accusing the Ivy League university of wrongfully expelling him over a sexual assault allegation. The suit filed Thursday in federal court in Connecticut names Yale as a defendant along with two university officials who were involved in processing the complaint against Montague. He was expelled from Yale in February.
The brother of two-time Ohio State Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin is one of the plaintiffs in a series of lawsuits filed by former college players who say they suffer the effects of concussions. Ray Griffin's lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Illinois, names the NCAA and the Big Ten. It doesn't name Ohio State, the school where Ray Griffin played defensive back from 1974 to 1977 before going on to a seven-year NFL career.
The U.S. women's national basketball team will host a four-team, three-city tournament before heading to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics. The Americans will face France, Canada and Australia, playing games in Delaware, Connecticut and New York. The tournament tips off on July 27th at the University of Delaware, followed by games on July 29th in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Media:
Dick Vitale has agreed to a one-year contract extension that will keep him at ESPN through his 40th season with the network. ESPN announced on Vitale's 77th birthday Thursday that the popular college basketball announcer's deal now goes through the 2018 to 2019 season. The former Detroit Pistons coach joined ESPN during the 1979 to 1980 season, just after the network's September 1979 launch.
WNBA:
In the WNBA, Phoenix won against San Antonio 90-75.
©2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
