FOOTBALL
Ole Miss reduces scholarships
Mississippi has self-imposed scholarship reductions in football because of NCAA violations and is still investigating more allegations involving first-round NFL Draft pick Laremy Tunsil. The university released its 154-page response Friday to the notice of allegations received in January. The NCAA's long-running investigation began in 2012 after a university investigation discovered academic and recruiting misconduct involving the women's basketball program. Ole Miss later acknowledged the investigation had spread to the football and track and field programs. The penalties -- which the NCAA can accept or add to -- didn't include a postseason ban in football, which faces eight Level I violations qualifying as severe breaches of conduct and 13 altogether. The university's self-imposed penalties to the football program include three years of probation and 11 fewer total scholarships over four years starting with the most recent recruiting class, limiting Ole Miss to 22 signees instead of 25 in each of the next three years. The violations include left tackle Tunsil's use of three loaner cars over a six-month period. The university also has asked to delay a hearing before the Committee on Infractions while it looks into draft-night allegations involving Tunsil, who was picked by the Miami Dolphins. Tunsil was the story of the NFL Draft after a bizarre 30-second video of him smoking from a gas mask-bong contraption was posted on his Twitter account just before the selections began. There also was a post on Tunsil's Instagram account showing an alleged text conversation with a football staff member about arranging payment for bills. Tunsil said both accounts were hacked, but acknowledged following the draft that he accepted money from a coach while he was at Ole Miss. In a letter attached to the university's response, Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter and Athletic Director Ross Bjork said Ole Miss and the NCAA started reviewing the cases for potential violations that night, "and we hope this review will be concluded soon."
• Michigan's spring break trip to practice at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., cost $348,553, according to the school's expense summary that was released Friday, following a public records request. Facility rentals, housing and meals totaled $146,912. The airfare, which Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh tried to keep reasonable by flying commercial and having some staffers drive, totaled $107,148. Ground transportation was $51,395, and meals/per diem outside IMG were $39,519. The "other" category came out to $3,580. Michigan practiced four days in Florida -- Feb. 29-March 1 and March 3-4 -- with March 2 as an off day. The first three days of practice lasted six hours total, but only four hours for the players, who had two hours of instruction with their group either at the beginning or the end, plus two in the middle, when the entire team overlapped. The final day of practice, March 4, was open to the public. Per NCAA rules, prospective recruits -- who fill the IMG roster -- were not allowed to attend the earlier practices, but they could watch Michigan on the public day.
GOLF
Jutanugarn still leads
Ariya Jutanugarn remained in position for her third consecutive LPGA Tour victory, shooting a 4-under 68 on Friday to take a two-shot lead in the Volvik Championship at Ann Arbor, Mich. Jutanugarn had four back-nine birdies, including No. 18 when her approach went off a hospitality suite and landed in a greenside bunker 20 yards from the hole. Her sand shot set her up for a short putt and an 11-under 133 total. She is coming off a victory at the Kingsmill Championship after becoming the first Thai winner in tour history the previous week in Alabama. So Yeon Ryu (67), Marina Alex (67) and first-round leader Christina Kim (71) were tied for second. Jessica Korda (65), Giulia Molinaro (67) and Brittany Lincicome (67) were another two shots back. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 2 under after her second consecutive 71. Gaby Lopez (Arkansas Razorbacks) was tied for 10th after a 4-under 68 (139).
• Rocco Mediate stretched his Senior PGA Championship lead to four strokes Friday at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich., birdieing the final two holes for a 5-under 66. Mediate, 53, opened with a 62 on Thursday to tie the tournament and course records set by Kenny Perry in the 2012 final round. On Friday, Mediate started play on the 10th tee and birdied the par-4 16th and 18th. He added birdies on the par-5 fifth, par-4 eighth and par-5 ninth, leaving an eagle putt an inch short on the last. Mediate had a 14-under 128 total. Gene Sauers was second, closing with a bogey for a 69. Bernhard Langer birdied three of his last four holes in a 64 to reach 9 under in his bid to become the first player to win all five PGA Tour Champions majors. The 58-year-old German won the Regions Tradition last week in Alabama for his sixth senior major title and 100th worldwide victory. Two-time defending champion Colin Montgomerie (66) and club pro John DalCorobbo (68) also were 9 under. John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) missed the cut with rounds of 75 and 74. Glen Day (Little Rock) had a 3-under 68 (137). Mike Grob (Razorbacks) shot an even-par 71 (142).
• Danny Willett made six birdies in a tournament-record 29 on the front nine at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday, setting up a 4-under 68 that gave the Masters champion a three-way share of the second-round lead. Scott Hend eagled the last for a 69 to tie Willett and Y.E. Yang (69) for the lead at 10-under 134 in the European Tour's flagship event at Wentworth, England. Willett's approach shots were so precise that his successful birdie putts on Nos. 3-9 were from no more than 15 feet. The Englishman, who was among the morning starters, reached the turn holding a five-shot lead on 12 under but bogeyed four holes in the back nine -- including Nos. 15-17. Jaco van Zyl (68) is a stroke off the lead. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-under 71 and is tied for 19th.
OLYMPICS
Health experts: Move or delay games
LONDON — Health experts on Friday urged the World Health Organization to consider whether the Rio de Janeiro Olympics should be postponed or moved because of the Zika outbreak.
The 150 experts — including former White House science adviser Dr. Philip Rubin — issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency, calling for the games to be delayed or relocated “in the name of public health.”
The letter cited recent scientific evidence that the Zika virus causes severe birth defects, most notably babies born with abnormally small heads. In adults, it can cause neurological problems, including a rare syndrome that can be fatal or result in temporary paralysis. The authors also noted that despite increased efforts to wipe out the mosquitoes that spread Zika, infections in Rio have gone up rather than down.
Several public health academics have previously warned that having hundreds of thousands of people head to the Aug. 5-21 games in Brazil will inevitably lead to the births of more brain-damaged babies and speed up the virus’ global spread. Most people infected by Zika suffer only minor symptoms including fever, a rash and muscle or joint pain.
WHO declared the Zika epidemic to be a global emergency in February and in its latest assessment this week, said it “does not see an overall decline in the outbreak.”
“The fire is already burning, but that is not a rationale not to do anything about the Olympics,” said Amir Attaran, a professor at the University of Ottawa and one of the letter’s authors. “It is not the time now to throw more gasoline onto the fire.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said earlier this month that the U.N. health agency is increasingly worried about Zika but stopped short of recommending the Rio Olympics be moved or postponed. Chan, who is not of child-bearing age, noted that she herself would be attending the games.
Sports on 05/28/2016