GOLF
Romo's PGA debut
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is making his PGA Tour debut next month in the Dominican Republic -- playing, not broadcasting. Romo, now the lead NFL analyst for CBS Sports, has received a sponsor exemption to play in the inaugural Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on March 22-25. The tournament is held the same week as the Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin and will not feature any of the top 64 players in the world. Romo has tried to qualify for the U.S. Open three times. He advanced to the final stage of qualifying in 2010 but had to withdraw. He also played last year in the Western Amateur, failing to make the cut for match play. The PGA Tour hasn't liked the idea of tournaments using sponsor exemptions on celebrities. In fact, exemptions are supposed to be given to players who are trying to "make a living" playing golf, or who soon expect to be making their living playing golf. It's been known as the "Mark Rypien Rule." In 1992, the Kemper Open gave an exemption to Rypien, the former Washington Redskins quarterback. Rypien had an embarrassing tournament, posting a 29-over par and missed the cut by 28 shots. Most professionals are likely OK with Romo playing in this event, though, since it's opposite a WGC event and out of the country.
BASKETBALL
Williams gets extension
A person with knowledge of the situation said Lou Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a contract extension. Williams is averaging 23.3 points during the best season of his career and had been mentioned as a trade possibility in the final year of a contract that is paying him $7 million this season. The person said instead, the Clippers opted to give Williams a new deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the contract extension had not been publicly announced. Terms of the contract were not provided, but ESPN and Yahoo Sports reported that Williams would get a three-year deal.
Reed suspended 6 games
Detroit Pistons center Willie Reed has been suspended for six games by the NBA after the league investigated the circumstances surrounding his arrest on a domestic violence charge. Reed was arrested last August on a misdemeanor battery charge involving his wife. He entered a pretrial diversion program in October to resolve the charge against him. The NBA conducted its own investigation. League officials interviewed all the parties involved and consulted with domestic violence experts. Reed will begin serving his suspension on Wednesday when the Pistons face the Brooklyn Nets. Detroit acquired him last week in the same deal that sent Blake Griffin to the Pistons. The National Basketball Players Association called the punishment "excessive and inappropriate," adding it was filing a grievance and seeking an expedited hearing to get Reed back on the court quickly. Reed, 27, is averaging 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds this season.
TENNIS
Goffin advances
Top-seeded David Goffin of Belgium reached the quarterfinals of the Open Sud de France on Wednesday by beating French veteran Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-2. Simon, 33, had won two of their three previous matches but dropped his serve six times. Goffin next plays Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania or Karen Khachanov, who played their second-round match today. Sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev joined Goffin in the last eight with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. He will face the winner of an all-French match between third-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut. In remaining first-round play, fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet of France swept aside Daniil Medvedev of Russia 6-0, 6-3. Gasquet did not face a break point and next plays Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who won 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-4 against Kenny De Schepper in an all-French match. John Millman of Australia upset eighth-seeded Yuichi Sugita of Japan 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Mahut trailed 7-6 (2), 5-2 against Dustin Brown when the German player retired with back pains. He went down clutching his lower back following a rally and pulled out shortly after receiving treatment when slumped on court.
Nastase bans reduced
Ilie Nastase has had two tennis bans reduced following his appeal against sanctions handed out for foul-mouthed comments and bad behavior as Romania's Fed Cup captain last year. The International Tennis Federation suspended Nastase, 71, from the Fed Cup and Davis Cup until 2019 and from working in an official capacity in the sport until 2021. Both bans were reduced by eight months by an independent tribunal on Wednesday. His fine has been doubled, though, to $20,000. Nastase, the 1973 French Open champion, had speculated about the skin color of the then-unborn baby of Serena Williams during Romania's Fed Cup match against Britain in April. He also hurled abuse at British player Johanna Konta and the umpire during a match, and made "unwelcome advances of a sexual nature" toward Britain captain Anne Keothavong.
BASEBALL
Nats catcher suspended
Washington catcher Raudy Read has been suspended for the first 80 games of the season following a positive test for Boldenone under Major League Baseball's drug-testing program. The commissioner's office announced the discipline Wednesday, after it was upheld by arbitrator Mark Irvings. Read signed with the Nationals in 2011 and made his big league debut last September, going 3 for 11 (.273) in 8 games. He said he was tested seven times last year. Boldenone is known for its use in horses and is a banned performance-enhancing substance under baseball's drug program. The 24-year-old hit .265 last year at Class AA Harrisburg and set career bests with 17 home runs and 61 RBI. Read is the third player suspended this year under the big league program after Houston pitcher Dean Deetz and Pittsburgh pitcher Nik Turley. Ten players have been suspended under the minor league program.
Girardi back on television
Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi is heading back to TV, but said he eventually wants to get back in the dugout. "I would like to, yes," Girardi said when asked in a conference call Wednesday if he expects to manage again. "That's the one that's going to worry me," said Rob McGlarry, president of MLB Network, which announced its hiring of Girardi as a studio analyst Wednesday. Girardi made his debut Wednesday on MLB Tonight with Mike Lowell, Billy Ripken and Greg Amsinger. The four-time World Series champion (three as a player, one as a manager) spent time as a broadcaster with the YES Network and Fox before becoming the Yankees manager in 2008. Girardi said he had discussions with other entities before landing with MLB Network but ultimately decided it was "the best fit."
SOCCER
U.S., Mexico set for April
The U.S. women's national team will play Mexico in Houston on April 8, as both teams prepare for World Cup qualifying later this year. The match at BBVA Compass Stadium will be the 35th meeting between the teams. The previous match was a 1-0 U.S. victory in 2016 Olympics qualifying. Mexico has won just once and tied once in the series. Both teams are preparing for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying this fall. Three teams from the North and Central America and Caribbean region will qualify for the 2019 World Cup in France. The United States is the defending champion of women's soccer's premier event after winning the 2015 tournament in Canada.
Sports on 02/08/2018