In the Hall of Fame game last night, neither team’s starting quarterbacks, Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco played. And, most of the first-teamers played just a couple of series. The Broncos scored with a 1:32 left in the game to beat the Falcons 14-10.
Running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon are continuing their holdouts, but Gordon took his displeasure a step further by asking to be traded away from the Los Angeles Chargers. Gordon, 26, is scheduled to be in the final year of his contract, a fifth-year option worth $5.6 million. His agent said that he requested the trade last week after the team remained at its initial offer of approximately $10 million per season.
The New York Jets addressed a perceived weakness on their offensive line, agreeing to terms with former Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil, the team announced Thursday. Kalil’s contract is for one year, $8.4 million. That includes a substantial amount in incentives. He made $7.5 million last season for the Panthers.
Major League Baseball on Thursday suspended six players and both managers for their roles in the benches-clearing brawl between the Pittsburg Pirates and Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. Reds manager David Bell (six games) and pitchers Amir Garrett (eight games) and Jared Hughes (three games) were disciplined. Yasiel Puig, who acknowledged after Tuesday’s game that he had been traded to the Cleveland Indians before Wednesday’s official announcement, was suspended for three games. Pirates pitcher Keone Kela got the longest ban at 10 games for “intentionally” throwing a pitch near the head of the Reds’ Derek Dietrich and later instigating the brawl.
The Texas Rangers are back in action tonight as they host a weekend series with the Detroit Tigers. It will be Lynn vs. Alexander. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
Eight-time NWA world champion and WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race died Thursday at the age of 76, it was announced on his official Twitter page. Race, who had been battling lung cancer, was hospitalized in mid-July and was under doctors’ care for a week before returning home last Tuesday.