MMA
UFC penalizes Jones
Jon Jones has been stripped of his UFC light heavyweight title and suspended indefinitely following his arrest in New Mexico after a hitand-run accident that police say left a pregnant woman with a broken arm. The UFC announced the penalties Tuesday night for violations of its athlete code of conduct policy. Jones was scheduled to face No. 1 contender Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in Las Vegas on May 23. Instead, No. 3 contender Daniel Cormier will face Johnson for the title. Earlier Tuesday in Albuquerque, Jones made his first court appearance. Jones appeared with his lawyer and left without speaking to reporters. He is facing a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injuries.
FOOTBALL
NFL to pay taxes
The National Football League is giving up its tax-exempt status, which Commissioner Roger Goodell called a "distraction." In a letter to team owners, Goodell said that the league office and its management council will file tax returns as taxable entities for the 2015 fiscal year. Goodell said the NFL has been tax-exempt since 1942, though all 32 teams pay taxes on their income. Goodell said the change will not alter the function or operation of the league, since all the teams already pay taxes. Major League Baseball gave up its 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status in 2007, which eliminates the requirement for an annual filing of IRS Form 990, which is the publicly available tax return of a tax-exempt organization and requires the listing of compensation for the highest-paid employees. The National Hockey League also has tax-exempt status, but the National Basketball Association does not. Some members of Congress have criticized the NFL, which generates billions in revenue, for being tax-exempt.
• The Baltimore Ravens have canceled an NFL draft party at their stadium in the wake of rioting in the city. The event was scheduled for Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens said the decision to cancel the party for their fans came "out of respect to the curfew in Baltimore." Baltimore's mayor imposed a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew after riots broke out Monday following the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died April 19 of spinal cord and other injuries sustained while in police custody. The Ravens promised refunds for fans who already bought tickets to the draft party. Also, the Ravens announced that an outlet sale at the team store scheduled for Saturday has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
• Dion Jordan's 2015 season is over before it started, and his tumultuous time with the Miami Dolphins may be finished as well. The Dolphins and the NFL announced Tuesday that Jordan has been suspended for the 2015 season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Jordan's agent, Doug Hendrickson, did not respond to a request for comment. Jordan would have earned about $5.6 million this season, a figure that includes a prorated portion of his $13.3 million signing bonus and a $585,000 base salary. As a rookie, Jordan had 26 total tackles and two sacks, never exactly meeting the expectations that accompanied being selected so highly and signing a contract worth about $20.6 million. Then in 2014, the trouble really started. Jordan was suspended for the first four games on the Dolphins' schedule last season for violating the NFL's drug policy, then had two more games tacked on after an additional violation was found.
MOTOR SPORTS
Ragan replaces Vickers
David Ragan will move to Michael Waltrip Racing next week and finish the season as the replacement driver for Brian Vickers. Ragan has been filling in at Joe Gibbs Racing for Kyle Busch since the second week of the season. Busch is expected to return soon, and JGR has wanted to give 18-year-old development driver Erik Jones some seat time in a Sprint Cup car before Busch comes back. That frees up Ragan, who will take over the No. 55 Toyota at Kansas Speedway. Team co-owner Michael Waltrip will drive the car Sunday at Talladega.
TENNIS
Dodig advances
Ivan Dodig of Croatia had nine aces as he beat fifth-seeded Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria 7-5, 6-3 to reach second round of the inaugural Istanbul Open on Tuesday. Dodig saved six of the seven break points he faced and broke Haider-Maurer's serve four times. In other matches, sixth-seeded Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin saved seven of eight break-point chances on his serve as he beat countryman Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-4; and No. 8 Diego Schwartzman of Argentina broke qualifier Blaz Kavcic's serve seven times in a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Second-ranked Roger Federer is in second-round action today, where the Swiss star looks to improve to 15-0 in career matches against Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.
• Top-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic overcame a slow start, cold and rain to defeat Annika Beck of Germany in the first round of the Prague Open on Tuesday. The 14th-ranked Pliskova came back to defeat her 80th-ranked opponent 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 for her fourth victory over the German in five meetings. The match was held up by more than three hours because of rain and was later suspended due to rain with Beck leading 2-1 in the final set. In the second round, Pliskova will face Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria, who beat Belarusian qualifier Olga Govortsova 7-5, 6-1. Third-seeded Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic reached the second round by beating Madison Brengle of the United States 7-6 (5), 6-3.
• Prize money is increasing by 7 percent at Wimbledon this year, with 1.88 million pounds ($2.85 million) going to the men's and women's singles champions. The All England Club announced Tuesday that prize money for the grass-court Grand Slam will total 26.75 million pounds ($40.60 million). Organizers said the prize fund will be "the highest ever in professional tennis," surpassing last year's U.S. Open purse of $38.25 million. The tournament will run from June 29 to July 12. The break between the French Open and Wimbledon, normally two weeks, has been extended to three weeks for the first time this year. The total prize money for singles winners will rise 8 percent from last year's total of 1.76 million pounds, received by defending champions Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova.
BASEBALL
Gibson diagnosed with Parkinson’s
DETROIT — Kirk Gibson has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he said Tuesday.
The 1988 National League MVP was fired in September as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks after four-plus seasons. He calls Tigers games for Fox Sports Detroit, but Gibson had not been in the broadcast booth since opening day April 6 while undergoing tests.
“I have faced many different obstacles in my life and have always maintained a strong belief that no matter the circumstances, I could overcome those obstacles,” he said in a statement released through the network. “While this diagnosis poses a new kind of challenge for me, I intend to stay true to my beliefs. With the support of my family and friends, I will meet this challenge with the same determination and unwavering intensity that I have displayed in all of my endeavors in life. I look forward to being back at the ballpark as soon as possible.”
Gibson, 57, had one of the most memorable moments in baseball history with his limping, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the Dodgers. He also won a championship in 1984 with the Tigers, where he played 12 of his 17 major-league seasons.
“The Detroit Tigers family wishes the best for Kirk Gibson, and our thoughts are with Kirk and his family,” the team said in a statement. “We are all hopeful for Kirk’s return to the ballpark soon.”
Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder that gradually takes a toll on the nervous system. Notable figures with the disease include Muhammad Ali and actor Michael J. Fox. Former major-league All-Star Dave Parker revealed in 2013 that he was dealing with Parkinson’s as well.
“That’s hard,” Pittsburgh Manager Clint Hurdle said Tuesday before the Pirates’ game in Chicago. “I know Kirk. I know Kirk from back playing minor-league ball together. He’s always been up for a challenge. You never want to see anybody have to meet this challenge.
“What a competitor. What a good man. Good man to have in the game. Good man to know.
Sports on 04/29/2015