FOOTBALL
Panthers sign Shockey
The Carolina Panthers signed four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey in a bid to give their sputtering offense a boost, the NFL team said on Thursday. Shockey, who was released by the New Orleans Saints last week, joins a Panthers squad that finished last in the 2010 season and an offense that had an NFL-worst 196 points. “We are very pleased to add Jeremy to our football team,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said in a report posted on the team’s Web site. “He is a highly competitive player with a good skill set and a wealth of experience. He should make a solid contribution to our offense.”
SOCCER
No men in women’s team
FIFA on Thursday confirmed that there were no men in the Equatorial Guinea women’s team that qualified for June’s World Cup in Germany, despite allegations from rival countries. “There are no men in the Equatorial Guinea women’s team,” said Jurg Nepfer, who is responsible for education and technical development at FIFA. “There’s no proof. It doesn’t exist. We can’t comment, there are no comments to make.” Nepfer was speaking during a tour of countries that have qualified for this summer’s women’s World Cup. Equatorial Guinea were accused of having two male players in their women’s team during November’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. The country’s soccer federation, Feguifoot, flatly rejected the accusations. At the time, Feguifoot media officer David Monsuy said: “They are saying that Genoveva Ayong Man and Salimata Simpaore are men. It was the press in Nigeria who started it, with Cameroon following afterwards.”
HOCKEY
Tough guy had brain disease
Bob Probert, who made his living for 16 seasons by pounding on other hockey tough guys, suffered from a degenerative brain disease when he died last year, a new report revealed on Thursday. The hard-drinking former NHL enforcer officially died of heart failure at age 45. However, Probert was battling other demons at the time of his death and that’s why he asked that his brain be analyzed once he died. Boston University researchers said on Thursday that analysis of Probert’s donated brain revealed that he had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Probert, who played nine seasons with Detroit and seven with Chicago, is the second hockey player from the program at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy to be diagnosed with the disease following his death. Reggie Fleming, a 20-year veteran who carved out a career in the 1960s, also suffered from CTE.
SOCCER
Pique tight-lipped on Shakira
Spanish World Cup star Gerard Pique on Thursday told reporters that he would prefer to talk about soccer than discuss his burgeoning romance with singing superstar Shakira. The 24-year-old Barcelona center-back has become the focus of intense media attention in Spain this week after pictures of him hand in hand with the 34-year-old Colombian singer were published in gossip magazines. “I’d like it if people only talked about me from a sporting perspective but I get the impression that, ultimately, it’s inevitable,” said Pique during a press conference at Barca’s training center. “I think that the other aspect sells more.” He added: “I accept that people can criticize me for sporting reasons but what I don’t like is when they use an easy excuse and say that my performances are affected by my private life. If we’re here it’s to talk about football.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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