FOOTBALL
Miles out at Kansas
Les Miles is out as Kansas' head coach just days after he was placed on administrative leave amid sexual misconduct allegations from his tenure at LSU. Kansas announced Miles' departure Monday night, describing it as a mutual agreement to part ways. Last week, LSU released a 148-page review by a law firm about the university's handling of sexual misconduct complaints. It described how Miles "tried to sexualize the staff of student workers in the football program by, for instance, allegedly demanding that he wanted blondes with big breasts, and 'pretty girls.' " The report also revealed then-LSU athletic director Joe Alleva recommended firing Miles in 2013 to university officials. Kansas placed miles on leave later that day and said it would conduct a review of allegations against Miles that it had previously been unaware of. Kansas said terms of the agreement with Miles on his departure will be released in the coming days. Miles, 67, was 3-18 in two seasons with the Jayhawks. He spent 11-plus seasons with LSU, leading the school to a national title in 2007.
Jacobs' case closed
A traffic case involving Las Vegas Raiders player Josh Jacobs was closed Monday after he completed community service and paid a fine stemming from a vehicle crash in January near McCarran International Airport, his lawyers said. The 23-year-old running back mentored at a Boys & Girls Club and paid a $500 fine to resolve a failure to exercise due care traffic violation, said his attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld. Jacobs received several stitches for a cut forehead and was initially also charged with driving under the influence after the 2019 Acura NSX he was driving crashed early Jan. 4 into a tunnel wall at the Las Vegas airport. The DUI charge was dropped a week later because Jacobs' blood-alcohol level did not reach the 0.08% level needed to pursue the case, his attorneys and a prosecutor said. Jacobs, who lives in Las Vegas, was alone in the vehicle after returning to Las Vegas from Denver, where the Raiders defeated the Broncos in their final NFL regular-season game less than 12 hours before the crash. A team representative did not immediately respond Monday to an email message about the case.
Seahawks release Dunlap
The Seattle Seahawks released veteran defensive end Carlos Dunlap after the sides could not agree on a contract extension that would soften the blow of a $14.1 million salary cap hit. Dunlap was acquired in a trade with Cincinnati midway through last season, but will now get a chance to test free agency. Dunlap, 32, was a major boost to Seattle's pass rush following his arrival from the Bengals. He appeared in eight regular-season games for the Seahawks with five sacks and 14 quarterback hits, but his salary for 2021 was always going to be a point of contention, especially with Seattle tight against the salary cap. When the trade was made, Seattle agreed to let Dunlap test free agency if an extension could not be reached.
Titans, Dolphins make trade
A person familiar with the deal says the Tennessee Titans have traded offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson to the Miami Dolphins in a move unloading their first-round draft pick after his rookie season. The trade agreed to Monday night sends the 29th overall pick in 2020 out of Georgia to Miami after Wilson played only four snaps as a rookie, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither team had announced the swap. NFL.com first reported the trade, saying a swap of picks also is involved. This deal caps a tenure in Tennessee that was filled with turmoil on and off the field for Wilson. The Titans suspended Wilson for a game, then placed him on injured reserve/non-football illness list on Dec. 9 to deal with what General Manager Jon Robinson called "personal issues." The Titans needed Wilson with three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan tearing his right ACL and his replacement also wound up on injured reserve.
Scherff gets franchise tag
After Washington's playoff loss to Tampa Bay, Morgan Moses greeted Brandon Scherff with a simple message. "That's not the last game I ever play with you," he said. Moses' prediction is a big step closer to coming true now that Washington has placed the franchise tag on Scherff for a second year in a row. The team announced the move Monday night on the eve of the tagging deadline after the two sides couldn't come to terms on a long-term contract. Scherff is coming off the first All-Pro season of his NFL career. The 29-year-old started 13 games at right guard and helping Washington make the playoffs for the first time since 2015, Scherff's rookie year after being drafted fifth overall. Franchise-tagging Scherff again comes at a price of $18 million, a 20% raise from his 2020 salary. Scherff has started 78 games in his NFL career while developing a reputation for battling through injuries. "I love it here," Scherff said on locker cleanout day. "I'm just looking forward to the offseason and hopefully I can sign my name to stay here." Keeping Scherff is a major step toward continuity on the offensive line after re-signing center Chase Roullier to a four-year extension in January. Coach Ron Rivera said last month Scherff's status was among the topics being discussed with new General Manager Martin Mayhew and executive vice president of football and player personnel Marty Hurney.
BASEBALL
Astros sign Odorizzi
Right-hander Jake Odorizzi signed a two-year contract with the Houston Astros on Monday. An All-Star with Minnesota in 2019, Odorizzi was limited to four starts last season because of injuries. He was 0-1 with a 6.59 ERA for the Twins during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Odorizzi was selected to his first All-Star team in 2019 when he made 30 starts and went a career-best 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA. He had 178 strikeouts and allowed 139 hits that season for the Twins. He'll join an Astros rotation that entered this year without ace Justin Verlander, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and lost Framber Valdez indefinitely to a broken finger this spring. Odorizzi, 30, spent the last three seasons with the Twins and has also pitched for Tampa Bay and Kansas City during his nine-year career. He is 62-56 with a 3.92 ERA in 195 appearances. He's won at least 10 games four times and has four seasons with at least 30 starts. Houston placed reliever Pedro Baez on the injured list to make roster room for Odorizzi.
Cormier, 53, dies of cancer
Rheal Cormier, the durable left-hander who spent 16 seasons in the majors and remarkably pitched in the Olympics before and after his time in the big leagues, died Monday. He was 53. The Philadelphia Phillies said Cormier died of cancer at his home in New Brunswick, Canada. Cormier owned a neat nook in Phillies history: He was the winning pitcher in the final game that Philadelphia won at Veterans Stadium in 2003, and also was the winner in the first game the Phils won after moving into Citizens Bank Park in 2004. Overall, he was 71-64 with two saves and a 4.03 ERA with St. Louis, Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia and Cincinnati. A member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Cormier pitched 683 games -- among his countrymen, only Paul Quantrill (841) pitched more in the majors. Cormier made other prominent appearances on the mound, too. Three years before his big league debut, he pitched for Canada in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Then in 2008, at age 41 and a year after his final game in the majors, he again threw for Canada in the 2008 Beijing Games -- he tuned up for the event by tossing in a men's senior league.
