……………..(Baseball)………………

Padres-Mariners…Cactus League opener in Arizona….Brett Kennedy will get start…FA-reliever Tom Wilhelmsen will also pitch…..Padres expect to use 8-pitchers.

Padres…..Key roster battles…10-potential starting pitchers for 5-slots………7-candidates for final 2-spots in rotation…….10-relievers battling for 3-bullpen slots still open…Must determine whether P-Matt Strahm is a rotation guy or a setup reliever….Health of veteran free agents Tyson Ross-Chris Young…..OF-Franchy Cordero…3B-Christian Villanueva fighting for utility spots on roster.

Padres…Will hold Celebration of Life ceremony to honor Kevin Towers-their late GM…on Sunday 1pm at Petco Park.

Dodgers-White Sox…Cactus League opener on Friday….10-year veteran pitcher Wilmer Font starts for LA….had (178K-134-innings) last year at Oklahoma City….spent most of career in Texas organization.

Dodgers..C-Austin Barnes out of action with elbow soreness.

Angels…Cactus League opener on Friday vs Athletics…Saturday-Shohei Ohtani will pitch 2-innings vs Milwuakee Brewers in much anticipated debut.

Angels..Put P-Alex Meyer on 60-day DL

Angels-Yankees…Halos acquire Jabari Blash-OF from New York…career (.200) hitter with Padres.

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(Roster Moves)

Tampa Bay-Pirates..Trade…Rays deal OF-Corey Dickerson (.282-28HR) to Buccos for P-Daniel Hudson…a minor leaguer and cash

(Injuries)

Tampa Bay….#1-prospect P-Brent Honeywell comes off mound with forearm injury while throwing BP.

A’s..MRI-3B-Matt Chapman-hand injury

(MLB)

Miami Marlins…Judge orders former owner Jeffrey Loria to deliver financial documents to court to determine whether he owes city of Miami-Dade County a portion of the 1.2B sale price of team to Derek Jeter….Dade County was to share in profits from sale for helping finance building of Marlins Park in 2009 if Loria sold team.

A’s-Mariners..MLB announces Oakland-Seattle will open season in 2019 in series in Tokyo.

(College)

SDSU…Hosts Tony Gwynn Legends tourney beginning this evening…SDSU (3-1)..will play 5-games in 5-nights…..Arizona-Arkansas-Missouri in the field

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……………(Football)……………….

Raiders…New Coach Jon Gruden says RB-Marshawn Lynch must be ‘bigger and stronger’ to contribute next year…says he will take QB-Derek Carr and ‘coach him hard’….says Raiders have lacked continuity over the years….9-head coaches…11-different offensive coordinators in 17-year period.

NFL….Competition committee heads to Indianapolis for Combine…will begin re-working ‘what is a catch rule’….will also discuss adding a 2nd bye week to the NFL schedule to help out with teams that are scheduled to play on Thursday night games.

Colts..QB-Andrew Luck-gone thru 3-weeks of throwing workouts with trainer-Tom House-no shoulder setbacks.

Denver..Rookie QB-Chad Kelly-out last year with wrist-knee injuries..going thru off season workouts with Phil Simms as a tutor.

Tampa Bay..Former starting CB-Jude Barimah-2-knee fractures-cleared to return to workouts

Packers…Begin installation of new Field Turf replacing 10-year old field at Lambeau Field

Carolina Panthers…Forbes Magazine says sale price of franchise could reach 2.6B this year

(Roster Moves)

Cowboys…DE-DeMarcus Lawrence asking for 17M per year…after 14-QB sack season.

Tampa Bay…Release veteran K-Nick Folk

Giants..Release LB-Deontae Skinner

Miami..Release TE-Julius Thomas (41R)….LB-Lawrence Timmons…clear 12M-cap space.

Denver…Shopping QB-Trevor Siemian…counts just (1.9M) towards cap-has 24-NFL starts.

CFL..Montreal new coach Mike Sherman says ex-Tampa Bay QB-Josh Freeman will get lots of looks in preseason camp.

CFL..Saskatchewan Roughriders sign ex-NFL FA-WR-KR-Jacoby Ford-ex Ravens-Houston…and WR-Shaq Evans-ex Jets

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(College)

Washington State…Hire Steve Spurrier Junior as QB coach-was at Western Kentucky.
UCLA..Chip Kelly hires Justin Frye as OL coach-had been at Boston College
Fresno State..Lose Def Coord-Orlando Stienhauer..hired by CFL-Hamilton Ti-Cats
Marshall…Promising DT-Larry Aaron passes away-complications of gunshot wounds in drive by shooting on New Year’s Eve in Baltimore.

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……………(Basketball)…………

(College)

USD-L-Gonzaga (77-72)….Bulldogs come from 8-points down with fierce 2nd half defensive show….Gonzaga held USD to 1-basket in (7:18) span….Toreros had 1-basket in a 14-possesion stretch in 2nd half…Zags hit 8-of-9 free throws to seal game….and (21-of-25) free throws in game… ….Toreros (17-12)…Bulldogs (26-4).

Aztecs-vs-San Jose State….Saturday road game..SDSU now (16-10) go for 4th win in a row

USC…G-DeAndre Melton withdraws from school…had not been allowed to play all year while NCAA was doing probe of Adidas Slush Fund scandal in which family member was implicated about possible payoff from assistant coach Tony Bland

Arizona…NCAA suspends star G-Allolnzo Trier when a trace of an illegal PED shows up in his urine sample….Was suspended 19-games last year when same trace appeared in his system….Averaging 16P a game for Wildcats.

Missouri….Jim Sterk-AD-is hit with defamation lawsuit for charging that Tennessee coach Dawn Staley created a hostile-violent atmosphere in game based on Staley comments, that led to Lady Mizzou players being cursed and spit on by Vols fans.

Drexel….sets NCAA record coming from 34-points back to win a game last night

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(NBA)

NBA…Discussing with Union radical change in playoffs…..would create 1-game playing games for 7th-8th-9th-10th seeds to determine first round matches…would then rank the teams 1-8…or possibly seed 1-thru-16, and drop East-vs-West format.

NBA…Discussing installment of 1-800-Hotline for any club employee to contact league office to discuss workplace harassment issues in wake of Mavericks sex scandal.

Clippers-L-Golden State (134-127)…..Steph Curry rifles home 44P…..Klay Thompson hits 7-shots in a row..Draymond Green hits 3-shots in a row-..combined to go (10-10) shooting in first half….Clippers had 7-players in double figures ….Warriors built 20-point lead early by going (18-for-24) from floor at start of game…Thursday nite action

Lakers-vs-Dallas Mavericks…LA coming off All Star break…Lonzo Ball may return to team after missing 13-games with sprained knee ligament.

Dallas…Captain Dirk Nowitzke says he is ‘disgusted-sick-saddened’ over the Sexual Harrassment scandal that rocked business side of the Mavericks operation.

Spurs…Report that F-Kawhi Leonard has gotten 2nd medical opinion and been told he can return and play this year…but he has not yet rejoined workouts.

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…………(Hockey)…………

(Olympics)

Team USA heads home after winning Olympic Gold medal in overtime-shootout win over Canada late night Wednesday….Coached by former LA Kings goalie Robb Stauber.

Russia-Czechoslovakia…Men’s semifinal-Late Thursday night
Canada-Germany….Friday morning semifinal

(NHL)

LA Kings-L-Dallas (2-0)…Taylor Sequin scores late in 3rd period….Kings held to just 18-shots on goal at home in disappointing loss….Thursday night action

Kings..Callup G-Jack Campbell from Ontario-AHL.

Montreal…D-Shea Weber-surgery-torn tendon in foot.

Rangers-Devils…Blockbuster trade…NY deals leading scorer F-Michael Grebner (25G)-headed towards free agency-to New Jersey for rights to 20Y-old Russian D-Yegor Rykov and 2nd round draft pick

Boston-Florida…Trade-Bruins acquire D-Frak Vatrano from Panthers for draft pick
Boston-Rangers..Trade-Boston picks up D-Nick Holden from NY for minor leaguers

NHL Trade Deadline…is Monday…hottest names on trade block…NY Rangers-C-Rick Nash..D-Ryan McDonough…F…..Montreal C-Max Pacioretty….Ottawa D-Erick Karlsson…..38-trades made last year at trade deadline.

Gulls….Return to AHL action on Sunday…have won 8-of-9 games.

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…………(General)…………..

Honda Classic-Florida…..(66) Alex Noren-Webb Simpson survive high winds to shoot (-4) pars to share lead…..(67) Dan Berger heads up 7-way tie………….(70) Tiger Woods shoots even par…(72) Rory McIlroy double bogey on 18th hole pushes him down board.

NASCAR….Atlanta 500-on Sunday. after wreck marred Daytona 500 last weekend.

NASCAR…Danica Patrick leaves racing…181-career starts-never won a race….says she will walkaway from sport-will not watch it

English Premeir League…Top weekend game will be Sunday matchup Manchester United-vs-Chelsea.

Olympics…US Women’s Gold Medal hockey team honored for Gold Medal win over Canada.

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