Off the wire

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell poses for a picture at the opening of "NFL Experience" in Times Square, New York, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell poses for a picture at the opening of "NFL Experience" in Times Square, New York, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017.

FOOTBALL

Shazier in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has been transferred from a Cincinnati hospital to Pittsburgh to continue treatment for a spinal injury suffered during Monday night's game against the Bengals. The Steelers said Shazier was transported from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon and will continue to undergo tests before offering an update on his status. Shazier left Paul Brown Stadium on a stretcher less than four minutes into his team's 23-20 victory over Cincinnati following a tackle that left the 25-year-old writhing on the turf, his legs motionless. He underwent extensive testing at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

NFL mulls targeting rule

After a Bengals vs. Steelers game on Monday night that was brutally physical, a stricter policy on illegal hits may be imminent. On Wednesday, Troy Vincent, the NFL's vice president of football operations, said the league is considering the implementation of a targeting rule, similar to a policy that college football has about hitting defenseless players. The rule would eject players who land head-on, whiplash-inducing hits to opponents' upper-body and head areas. The NCAA put in their targeting rule before this year's college football season, with the rule specifically saying that "no player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent ... with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder." Vincent also mentioned the possibility of a punishment schedule to deter "non-football acts," or unsportsmanlike plays away from the ball.

Assistant sues Moon

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon has been accused of sexual harassment by an assistant for his sports marketing firm, according to a lawsuit filed in California. The civil lawsuit was filed on Monday in Orange County Superior Court. According to court documents, Wendy Haskell alleges Moon made "unwanted and unsolicited" sexual advances as part of her role as his assistant working for Sports 1 Marketing. Moon is the co-founder and president of the company. The Washington Post first reported on the lawsuit Wednesday. Moon played parts of 17 seasons in the NFL with four teams: Houston, Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City. He threw for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdowns in the regular season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006. Moon is also a radio commentator for the Seattle Seahawks. The team was aware of the lawsuit but had no additional comment.

SMU coach Meyer dies

Ron Meyer, the football coach behind SMU's famed "Pony Express" and the NFL's infamous "Snowplow Game" between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins, has died at the age of 76. Meyer died Tuesday in Austin, Texas, and the pastor at a local church, the Rev. Bobbi Kay Jones, said a memorial service is planned for Saturday. His SMU Mustangs, led by running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James, turned a middling program into a Southwest Conference champion that wound up getting the NCAA's "death penalty" ruling for cheating. His order to have a stadium snowplow driver clear a spot for the game-winning field goal against the Dolphins in 1982 is legendary. Meyer spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Patriots. He also coached the Colts from 1986 to 1991.

SOCCER

Sarachan to stay

Dave Sarachan will remain the interim U.S. coach for the Americans' Jan. 28 exhibition against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Carson, Calif. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Wednesday that Sarachan will hold a training camp with about 30 players starting Jan. 10 at Carson. The U.S. failed to qualify for next year's World Cup, ending a streak of seven consecutive appearances at soccer's top event that started in 1990. Bruce Arena quit as coach after the Americans were eliminated in October. Sarachan coached the team for last month's 1-1 tie at Portugal. USSF President Sunil Gulati is not running for re-election, and the Americans have no significant matches until the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

BASKETBALL

Hornets coach out

The Charlotte Hornets announced Wednesday morning that Coach Steve Clifford will be away from the team for "the immediate future" to address his health. The Hornets didn't provide details of what is ailing Clifford, and said there is no timetable for his return. Clifford wasn't at shootaround Monday morning before the Hornets' home victory over the Orlando Magic. Associate head coach Stephen Silas is in charge in Clifford's absence. Silas coached the Hornets against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Clifford is in his fifth season as Hornets coach. Early in his first season, he missed time while hospitalized with chest pains. However, a source said Clifford's current condition isn't considered heart-related.

Thomas plays 4-on-4

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas played 4-on-4 on Wednesday, a significant step in his recovery from a hip injury. Thomas scrimmaged along with injured forward Tristan Thompson, rookies Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic, and members of the coaching staff. With Coach Tyronn Lue and members of the team's front office watching intently, Thomas moved freely and didn't appear to have any restrictions during the half-court workout. Thomas has been making steady progress and nearing his debut with the Cavs, who acquired him during the summer in the blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics. Since training camp opened, the Cavs have said they expect Thomas to play in games by the end of 2017, and that projection could be moved up.

FOOTBALL

NFL, Goodell extend contract for 5 more years

The NFL on Wednesday extended the contract of Commissioner Roger Goodell for another five years, ending an unusually rancorous monthslong standoff with Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys’ owner, who wanted to derail the deal.

A committee of owners negotiating Goodell’s compensation signed off on a contract worth roughly $200 million over five years, which is in line with his current deal. But, unlike his current arrangement, nearly 90 percent of the potential compensation will be paid only if a variety of financial targets are met.

The NFL and its commissioner routinely negotiate such matters behind closed doors. But this year, disorder among owners spilled out in public, leading to an extraordinary tit-for-tat of threats of legal action and rebukes that added to the sense of a league anxious over its future.

Despite declining television ratings, persistent worries about the safety of the game and a backlash against the league because of players protesting during the national anthem, the league is still a financial juggernaut, with $14 billion in annual revenue. That is a big reason the owners are comfortable keeping Goodell.

But with anxiety over the league’s weaknesses growing, Jones and other owners wanted to ensure Goodell continued to focus on growing the league’s business. As a result, they have insisted that most of his compensation in the coming years be based on the NFL hitting financial targets, with various owners signing off on bonuses linked to the targets.

Jones sparked one of the most bitter intraleague fights in years when he threatened to sue the members of the six-man compensation committee, made up of the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Falcons, the New York Giants, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans.

Though he voted along with every other owner in May to extend Goodell’s contract and empower the compensation committee to work out the details, he tried to disrupt the negotiations starting in August, after Goodell suspended Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for his role in a domestic violence case.

The unusually caustic showdown that followed, which has led the committee to communicate with Jones only through lawyers, all but ended last week when Jones dropped his threat.

Sports on 12/07/2017

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