FOOTBALL
Senators urge name change
U.S. Senate democrats urged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday to change the Washington Redskins’ name, saying it is a racist slur and the time is ripe to replace it. In a letter, 49 senators cited the NBA’s quick action recently to ban Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life after he was heard on an audio recording making offensive comments about blacks. All senators on the letter are Democrats. They said Goodell should formally push to rename the Redskins. “We urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports,” read the letter, which did not use the word “Redskins.” Owner Daniel Snyder has refused to change his team’s name, citing tradition. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., led the letter-writing effort. Cantwell spokesman Jared Leopold said Republicans were not asked to participate. Democrats not signing the letter were Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of nearby Virginia; Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska, in tight re-election races this year; and moderate Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
TRACK AND FIELD
Coach sues USADA, Gay
Former Olympic sprinter-turned athletics coach Jon Drummond says he’s facing a lifetime ban over doping charges from the same organization that pursued Lance Armstrong. Drummond made the statements in a lawsuit he filed this week against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and Tyson Gay, a former Arkansas Razorback and former sprint champion serving a one-year suspension for using a banned substance. Drummond accuses USADA and Gay of defamation by suggesting that he encouraged Gay to use creams with banned substances or HGH. Drummond said he tried to throw out potentially banned supplements and accused Gay of lying to investigators to win a lighter suspension. Gay returned the silver medal he won at the 2012 London Olympics after testing positive. No court date has been scheduled in the case.
BASEBALL
Fielder likely out for season
Prince Fielder of the Texas Rangers is expected to have neck surgery next week and miss the rest of the season. Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. Drew Dossett. General Manager Jon Daniels said the team would get a second opinion about surgery, but were “expecting that to be confirmed.” Daniels said Dossett was tentatively scheduled to do a cervical fusion Tuesday. That operation has a typical recovery time of three to four months, and the GM said he anticipated Fielder being able to be fully recovered before spring training next year. The Rangers already have a majors-high 13 players on the disabled list. Fielder will become the 14th when that move is made today.
GOLF
Johnson leads by stroke
Dustin Johnson shot a bogey-free 5-under 65 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth and took a one-stroke lead after Thursday’s first round. Johnson used 3-irons off the tees and hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation. His only birdie on the back nine was a 2-footer at the 177-yard 16th hole. Hunter Mahan, playing in the group ahead of Johnson, led before a double-bogey 6 at the 433-yard 18th hole for a 66. He was tied for second with Harris English, Tim Wilkinson and Robert Streb. Jimmy Walker, Dallas native Jordan Spieth and Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) were in a group of 10 players at 67. Adam Scott, playing as the No. 1 player in the world for the first time, shot 71 after playing his first nine holes at 4-over 39. Bryce Molder (Conway) had an even-par 70. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 2-over 72.
Catriona Matthew took the first-round lead in the Airbus LPGA Classic at Mobile, Ala., holing a bunker shot for an eagle and finishing with an 8-under 64. Matthew, 44, rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 12th with the eagle on the par-5 13th and birdied seven of her final 11 holes. Charley Hull, 18, had a bogey-free 65 in the afternoon. Second-ranked Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks), No. 4 Suzann Pettersen and South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji shot 66.
HORSE RACING
Chrome gallops at Belmont
Triple Crown hopeful California Chrome galloped for the first time at Belmont Park. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner galloped 1 ¾ miles on the sloppy track Thursday under exercise rider Willie Delgado. Assistant trainer Alan Sherman said the colt “skipped over that track.” California Chrome will try to become the first horse in 36 years to win the Triple Crown when he runs in the Belmont Stakes on June 7.
Strong Mandate, who competed in all three of Oaklawn Park’s graded Kentucky Derby prep races this spring with declining effectiveness, has been retired because of a bone chip in his knee, trainer D. Wayne Lukas told the Louisville Courier Journal Thursday. The colt was a top 2-year-old, but he never got going as a 3-year-old, finishing second in the Southwest Stakes, fourth in the Rebel Stakes and eighth in the Arkansas Derby. He retires with earnings of $529,566.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Roaf chosen for Hall of Fame
Pine Bluff native Willie Roaf is among 14 football players and two coaches elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Roaf was an All-American offensive lineman at Louisiana Tech and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy as a senior in 1992. He spent 13 seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
He’s also a member of the Arkansas and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame.
The new Hall of Fame class was announced Thursday by the National Football Foundation at a news conference in Dallas.
Also included in the class were linebacker Derrick Thomas of Alabama, running back LaDainian Tomlinson of TCU, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe of South Carolina, tackle Tony Boselli of Southern California and quarterback Joe Hamilton of Georgia Tech.
The rest of the players who will be inducted during the Foundation’s awards banquet in December are North Carolina cornerback Dre Bly, Purdue defensive tackle Dave Butz, Penn State linebacker Shane Conlan, Maine linebacker John Huard, Stanford running back Darrin Nelson, UCLA quarterback John Sciarra, McNeese State defensive back Leonard Smith and Mississippi tight end Wesley Walls.
The two coaches who will join the Hall of Fame are Mike Bellotti, who led Oregon from 1995-2008, and Jerry Moore, a former Arkansas Razorbacks assistant who coached at North Texas, Texas Tech and Appalachian State.