Officials forget footballs

BOSTON (AP) — This ball controversy can’t be blamed on the Patriots.

Massachusetts State Police came to the rescue before Saturday’s NFL playoff game between New England and the Kansas City Chiefs by delivering footballs that game officials left at their hotel.

A state police spokesman said at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, league officials contacted the Hyatt at Logan Airport to say that some balls and air pressure gauges had been left behind. The balls were the ones used in the kicking game.

Hotel workers entered the room and a state trooper drove the equipment to Gillette Stadium, arriving about an hour before kickoff.

The officials’ gaffe came about a year after the start of the “Deflategate” scandal, when the Patriots were accused of using underinflated balls. The drama led to league changes in how footballs are handled before games.

 

NL owners ‘receptive’ to DH

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says National League teams may be more receptive to the designated hitter than in the past, even though owners ended two days of meetings without any serious discussion about expanding use of the DH.

A decline in offense and injuries to pitchers while hitting have stirred speculation the NL might be ready to embrace the designated hitter.

Last week, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said there was more momentum lately for the DH in the NL. But owners weren’t inclined to consider a change when they met this week.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be conversations. Baseball is in the final year of its collective bargaining agreement between owners and players.

, and the union has favored expansion of the DH.

 

Fans suing Rams over seating

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A second lawsuit has been filed over the Rams’ move to Los Angeles, this time by holders of personal seat licenses who say they should retain their right to seat licenses and season tickets in California.

The suit was filed last week in St. Louis County. Messages seeking comment from the Rams were not returned.

The suit alleges that the PSL agreement is valid through 2025, but does not stipulate where the games are played. It seeks class-action status for more than 30,000 other PSL holders who retained their licenses through the 2015 season.

Another lawsuit accuses Rams owner Stan Kroenke and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff of deceiving fans by claiming the team had no intention of leaving St. Louis, violating Missouri’s Merchandising Practices Act.

 

CFP committee adds Carr

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens and former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr are among the four new additions to the College Football Playoff selection committee.

College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock announced Thursday that Mullens, Carr, former Southern Mississippi coach Jeff Bower and former Central Michigan coach and athletic director Herb Deromedi will be added to the 12-member committee starting next season. They will serve three-year terms.

The new members will replace Southern California athletic director Pat Haden, former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese and former Air Force Academy superintendent Mike Gould.

Last week, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt was chosen as the new chairman of the selection committee, replacing Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long.

Carr coached Michigan from 1996-2007, leading the Wolverines to their last national title in 1997.

Deromedi spent 38 years at Central Michigan and retired in 1993 as the winningest coach in Mid-American Conference history, with a 110-55-10 record. He was athletic director at Central Michigan from 1994-2006.

Bower led Southern Miss to 14 straight winning seasons and four Conference USA championships from 1990-2007.

Mullens has been athletic director at Oregon since 2010 and is a graduate of West Virginia.