NFL:
Tonight on Thursday Night Football, the Los Angeles Rams faces the Seahawks in Seattle at 8:25 p.m.
With the New York Jets playing a Saturday night game and the Giants kicking off early Sunday afternoon, MetLife Stadium will go with an interesting look for the first time: neutral end zones. No team names. Although the Meadowlands facility has had quick turnarounds on events before, this one is specifically challenging.
Sammy Watkins has coach Rex Ryan's back. The Bills receiver strongly voiced his support for Ryan by saying he has no interest in seeing the team change coaches for the second time in Watkins' three years in Buffalo. Should the team hit the reset button, Watkins said it would put the Bills in a similar position to their next opponent, the winless Cleveland Browns (0-13).
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers got the day off from practice to rehab his leg injuries. The team says he probably won't work out on Thursday, either. Rodgers is expected to play when the Packers visit Chicago Sunday. He's nursing left hamstring and right calf injuries.
In other NFL news:
— Running back Adrian Peterson is returning to practice this week for the Vikings for the first time since tearing the meniscus in his right knee in September. Coach Mike Zimmer says he expects Peterson to practice but adds that he is not sure if he'll be able to play Sunday against the Colts.
— The Cardinals have released receiver Michael Floyd two days after his arrest on charges of driving under the influence and failure to obey a police officer. Floyd was taken into custody early Monday after being found unconscious behind the wheel of his running vehicle at an intersection in suburban Scottsdale.
— Giants receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. says he's been playing with a sore thumb. The NFL's fourth-ranked receiver says the problem has affected the way he catches passes. Beckham says he's been playing with the problem for weeks.
— Commissioner Roger Goodell isn't saying whether he's optimistic that San Diego and Oakland can keep their teams. The Chargers face a Jan. 15 deadline to decide whether to join the Rams in Los Angeles, and Raiders owner Mark Davis has said he was committed to moving the Raiders to Las Vegas. Colts owner Jim Irsay considers both franchises all but gone.
— Buccaneers quarterback Jameis (JAY'-mihs) Winston and the woman who accused him of rape while both attended Florida State University have settled the civil lawsuit she brought against him. Erica Kinsman sued Winston in April 2015 for sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and emotional distress stemming from a December 2012 incident.
NHL:
In the NHL, Pittsburgh beat Boston in overtime 4-3, Tampa Bay doubled up Calgary 6-3, Philadelphia slid past Colorado 4-3, and it was San Jose over Ottawa in a shootout 4-3.
NBA:
In the NBA, Brooklyn topped the Lakers 107-97, San Antonio won against Boston 108-101, Utah bested Oklahoma City 109-89, Detroit beat Dallas 95-85, Memphis defeated Cleveland 93-85, Houston crushed Sacramento 132-98, Washington edged Charlotte 109-106, Toronto topped Philadelphia 123-114, Miami beat Indiana 95-89, and it was the Clippers over Orlando 113-108.
The NBA appears to have avoided a possible work stoppage for next season. The league and its players have agreed in principle to a new collective bargaining agreement. The agreement comes one day before the sides faced a deadline for opting out of the current deal. The new package still needs formal approval from owners and the unions in the coming weeks, causing both sides to move the opt-out deadline to Jan. 13. The NBA hasn't experienced a work stoppage since the 2011-12 season.
NCAA:
Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich has confirmed that former Wake Forest assistant football coach and broadcaster Tommy Elrod shared a few plays with a Cardinals assistant before the teams played last month. Jurich said Elrod passed along the plays to offensive coordinator Lonnie Galloway, who then shared them with the defensive staff. Jurich added that "none of the special plays were run during the course of the game." Galloway and Elrod were assistants to Jim Grobe (grohb) at Wake Forest from 2001-12.
Western Kentucky has hired Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Sanford as the Hilltoppers' new head football coach. Sanford also coached QBs and was passing game coordinator at WKU in 2010 under Willie Taggart. He replaces Jeff Brohm, who went 30-10 in three seasons at WKU before leaving last week to take Purdue's head coaching job.
Seattle will host the WNBA All-Star Game next year. The league announced Wednesday that the game will take place July 22 in the city for the first time. The league didn't have an All-Star Game last season because of the Olympics. The midseason showcase has been held out west only twice, both times in Phoenix, most recently in 2014. The 2015 All-Star Game was held in Connecticut. The West beat the East 117-112 as Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx scored a game-record 30 points. The WNBA will begin its 21st season on May 13 with three games.
Authorities have dismissed a battery charge against Kansas forward Carlton Bragg Jr. and instead charged the woman who accused him of shoving her into a stairwell. Bragg was suspended indefinitely from the Jayhawks basketball team after he was arrested Friday. Surveillance video shows a man shoving a woman away from him, but that was before the woman shoved, slapped and struck the man and put her hands around his neck. The district attorney's office says Saleeha Soofi faces one count of battery.
In top 25 college basketball:
— Fourth-ranked Baylor showed little rust on Wednesday following an 11-day layoff. Johnathan Motley delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Bears ripped Southern, 89-59. Ishmail Wainwright and Al Freeman each had 14 points for Baylor, which opened the game on a 15-3 run and shot 64 percent in the first half. The 9-0 Bears hadn't played since a 76-61 win over previously seventh-ranked Xavier on Dec. 3.
— Second-ranked UCLA rolled to a 102-62 win over UC Santa Barbara as T.J. Leaf delivered 25 points, 10 boards and eight assists. Aaron Holiday finished with 20 points for the 11-0 Bruins, who led by 24 at halftime and held the Gauchos to 30 percent shooting for the game.
— Nigel Hayes scored 24 points and 14th-ranked Wisconsin trailed early before reeling off a 20-4 run in a 73-59 triumph over Green Bay. Zak Showalter hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points for the 10-2 Badgers, while teammate Ethan Happ had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
— Kobi Simmons scored 13 points and No. 19 Arizona overcame 19 turnovers to beat Grand Canyon, 64-54. Rawie Alkins had 11 points and eight boards in the Wildcats' 39th consecutive non-conference home win.
— Jock Landale contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds to No. 20 Saint Mary's eighth win in nine games, a 73-51 rout of Western Kentucky. Emmett Naar had 14 points and six assists for the Gaels, who put together a 13-2 run late in the first half to go up 38-24.
MLB:
Major League Baseball will continue to enjoy labor peace for five more seasons. Owners and players have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that runs through 2021. Teams yesterday voted 29-1 to approve the deal, and the union said its executive board unanimously ratified it. A person familiar with the owners' vote tells The Associated Press that Tampa Bay managing general partner Suart Sternberg cast the lone dissenting vote. Baseball hasn't had a work stoppage since 1995.
The World Series-champion Cubs have added another new piece to their bullpen. Koji Uehara has accepted a one-year, $6 million contract with Chicago. The 41-year-old Uehara went 2-3 with a 3.45 ERA and seven saves in 50 appearances for the Red Sox last season, missing about seven weeks because of a strained right pectoral muscle. The right-hander is expected to serve as a set-up man for recently-acquired Wade Davis, who takes over closer duties after free agent Aroldis Chapman was signed by the Yankees.
In other moves:
— Starting pitcher Derek Holland has agreed to a one-year, $6 million package with the Chicago White Sox after going 62-50 with a 4.35 ERA in eight seasons with Texas. Holland played on the Rangers' AL champions in 2010 and 2011 but missed significant time the past three seasons because of injuries.
— The Baltimore Orioles say they have reached a contract agreement with free agent catcher Welington Castillo. He hit .264 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs in 111 games with Arizona last season.
Horse Racing:
Jockey Garrett Gomez has died at the age of 44. The two-time Eclipse Award winner was initially reported to have died from his daughter, Shelby Gomez.
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