Browns ink Madsen, put two on ANFIL

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Browns have signed offensive lineman Joe Madsen and placed rookie draft picks Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Randall Telfer on the active/non-football injury list.

Madsen signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder spent three weeks last season on Green Bay’s practice squad and the former West Virginia standout also played for the Los Angeles KISS in the Arena League.

Ekpre-Olomu was drafted in the seventh round by Cleveland. The Oregon star was projected to be a first-round pick before suffering a serious knee injury in December.

Also, the team placed defensive lineman Tory Slater on the active/physically-unable-to-perform list.

Cleveland’s rookies reported to training camp Wednesday.

 

3 Arkansas players face counterfeiting

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Police arrested three University of Arkansas basketball players Wednesday, alleging they used counterfeit money to buy merchandise at three locations near campus.

After the arrests, the school announced indefinite suspensions for starting point guard Anton Beard, forward Jacorey Williams and junior transfer student Dustin Thomas.

Fayetteville police said all three were seen on surveillance video using counterfeit $20 bills last Friday and Saturday. The complaint said Beard also exchanged six counterfeit $50 bills for three $100 bills.

The three were arrested on suspicion of forgery and face a Friday court hearing. They were being held Wednesday afternoon without bail.

Police said that the arrests were related to two-month investigation into counterfeit money. Police also said that after the players were detained, they said they didn’t know the money was fake.

First-degree forgery charges are Class B felonies in Arkansas and can carry a prison sentence of five to 20 years.

 

NCAA tweaks rules for tourney seeding

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee is making some changes to how it seeds teams for March Madness.

The committee will now have the flexibility to slide every team up or down the seed list, including the last four at-large teams selected. Until now, the last four teams voted into the tournament field had to participate in the First Four. Going forward, the last four at-large teams on the overall seed list will play in the First Four.

The committee will also now have more flexibility for handling the No. 2 seeds. The committee can now consider moving the team seeded fifth overall out of its natural geographic area, which will avoid the best No. 2 seed being placed in the same region as the top overall team.

 

Reds get 1st round competitive pick

NEW YORK (AP) — The Reds, Athletics, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Marlins and Pirates won picks after the first round of next year’s draft in Major League Baseball’s competitive balance lottery.

The lottery involved the 10 teams with the lowest revenue and 10 in the smallest markets. They were competing for six picks after the first round. A club’s odds of winning the lottery were based on its winning percentage last season.

The teams that did not win a pick after the first round were entered into another lottery for picks after the second round.

 

Irish, Navy to play 2018 game in SD

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Navy and Notre Dame will play their annual rivalry game at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in 2018, the first meeting between the longtime rivals west of the Mississippi.

The Fighting Irish and Midshipmen have played 88 times and earlier this month agreed to play in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2016.

The teams play this season on Oct. 10 in South Bend, Indiana. The 2018 game is set for Oct. 27.

San Diego hosts the largest naval fleet in the world and is home to more than 35,000 sailors, soldiers, Department of Defense civilian employees and contractors. Military bases include U.S. Navy facilities, Marine Corps bases, and Coast Guard stations.