Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — FOOTBALL Cowboys fire Ryan

Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been fired after his injurydepleted unit struggled in a pair of season-ending losses that kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Ryan spent two seasons with the Cowboys after he was fired two years into the same job in Cleveland. Dallas missed the playoffs both years with Ryan. The Cowboys finished with four starters on injured reserve. A fifth starter, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, was limited to six games by ankle and groin injuries.

Tony Sparano was fired Tuesday as New York Jets offensive coordinator after one season in which the offense ranked among the league’s worst. Sparano was hired last March to replace Brian Schottenheimer and take over an offense that struggled mightily. Instead, the former Miami Dolphins head coach wasn’t able to jumpstart the running game or figure out a way to use Tim Tebow consistently as the Jets finished 30th in the NFL in total offense. Also gone is defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, whosecontract expired. The contract of quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh also was not renewed. Ben Kotwica replaces the retired Mike Westhoff as special teams coordinator.

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has undergone surgery on his broken left index finger after postponing the procedure for the final three games of the season. The team reported Tuesday’s successful surgery on its website. Bryant decided to play through the injury because the Cowboys were still in playoff contention. Bryant broke the finger in the fourth quarter at Cincinnati on Dec. 9. The third-year pro finished with career highs of 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The first semifinal games in the new college football playoff system will be played in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015. The BCS conference commissioners announced the dates and rotation for all 12 years of the postseason format after a meeting in Key Biscayne, Fla., on Monday, the day after the BCS Championship Game in Miami. Whether they are hosting a semifinal or just a marquee bowl game, the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl will always be played Jan. 1, or Jan. 2 in years in which New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. In the eight years in which the Rose and Sugar do not host the semifinals, the four playoff teams will kick off on New Year’s Eve or Saturday, Dec. 30. Either way there will be a tripleheader of major college football games, two semifinals and four other marquee bowl games, on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day starting from the 2014 season to the 2025 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to hire Atlanta director of player personnel David Caldwell as general manager, charging him with turning around one of the league’s worst teams. Before becoming the Falcons’ director of player personnel in 2012, Caldwell spent four seasons as Atlanta’s director of college scouting.

The Arizona Cardinals have chosen to stay in-house with the promotion of Steve Keim to generalmanager as the search for a new head coach goes on. The 40-year-old Keim has worked for the franchise for 14 years. He joined the Cardinals in 1999 as a scout, became director of college scouting in 2006 and director of player personnel in 2008 before being named vice president for player personnel last year.

Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel is choosing the NFL over a final season of blocking for Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. The 6-6, 310-pound junior, who won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top offensive lineman, started all 39 games at left tackle. Other juniors declaring were Stanford cornerback Terrence Brown and California cornerback Steve Williams.

GOLF Johnson wins opener

Dustin Johnson ended a windy week with a wild ride Tuesday that carried him to the first victory of the PGA Tour season. Despite hitting two drives into native areas that cost him three shots, Johnson never lost the lead in Kapalua, Hawaii. He closed with a 5-under-par 68 for a four-shot victory over Steve Stricker in the Tournament of Champions. Johnson, who finished at 16-under 203, won for the sixth consecutive season.

HORSE RACING Dutrow’s appeal denied

New York’s top court refused Tuesday to hear another appeal by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. on his 10-year ban from the sport for drug violations. The Court of Appeals, without comment, denied Dutrow’s request that the judges consider another appeal of the state Racing and Wagering Board’s 2011 decision to ban him. Tuesday’s decision appears to end the state appeals process for Dutrow. His ban from New York’s thoroughbred tracks had been stayed pending appeals. Dutrow recently tied for the training title with 110 victories at Aqueduct, his fourth title at the New York track where his stable is based. Dutrow trained Big Brown to Derby and Preakness wins in 2008.

BASEBALL

LaRoche gets 2-year deal

First baseman Adam LaRoche decided to stay with the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, agreeing to a $24 million, two-year deal with a mutual option for a third year. La Roche, 33, batted .271 last year with 33 home runs and 100 RBI.

BASKETBALL Cuban fined $50K

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $50,000 by the NBA for publicly criticizing the officiating. Cuban, who has been fined more than $1.5 million by the league during his 13 years owning the Mavericks, expressed his frustration with the officiating on his Twitter page following the Mavericks’ 99-96 overtime loss to New Orleans on Saturday. Cuban apologized to fans in the tweet, saying that he’s “tried for 13 [years] to fix the officiating in this league and I have failed miserably” and asking for their suggestions.

Patsy Sutton, wife of Eddie Sutton, dead at 74

Patsy Sutton, the wife of former Arkansas and OklahomaState basketball coach Eddie Sutton, has died at age 74.

Off icials at Ninde Brookside Chapel in Tulsa said Patsy Sutton died Tuesday at a Tulsa hospital after suffering a stroke in December.

Steve Sutton, the oldest of the Patsy Sutton’s three sons, issued a statement Tuesday thanking the public for their prayers and thoughts following his mother’s hospitalization Dec. 28.

“We have lost a wonderful and cherished wife, mother, motherin-law, friend and our honey,” the statement read. “Thank you again for the outpouring of support you have given our family.”

Patsy Sutton grew up in Stillwater, Okla., and met Eddie when the two were attending Oklahoma State. The two were married in 1958, and she followed her husband to coaching stops at Southern Idaho, Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State.

Eddie Sutton finished his career as interim coach at San Francisco while Patsy stayed home in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder said in a statement Tuesday the university was saddened by the news of Sutton’s passing.

“She had a positive influence on everyone she met and was a devoted partner to her husband,Eddie, and a beloved mother to her three sons,” the statement read. “For us at Oklahoma State, she was an ambassador for our college basketball program and our university. She was loved by many and will be missed by many.”

Patsy Sutton is survived by her husband and sons Steve, a Tulsa banker; Scott, the head coach at Oral Roberts University; and Sean, an assistant coach at Oral Roberts.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central Friday at First Methodist Church in Tulsa.