Senior all-star soccer games set Sunday
HAMPDEN — The state’s best high school soccer players will battle on Sunday at Hampden Academy’s soccer complex when the East and West senior all-star games for boys and girls will be held during the 19th annual Maine Soccer Coaches Senior Bowl.
Players named to a Maine Soccer Coaches regional all-star team are invited to compete in the games with the boys game set for noon, followed by the girls game at 2:30 p.m. Players will be invited to the game by their coaches and should arrive for check-in one hour before game time.
Knicks’ Smith fined $25,000 for Twitter messages
The NBA fined New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith $25,000 for directing hostile and inappropriate language to another player via his Twitter account, in violation of NBA rules, the league announced Friday.
The fine is a result of a Twtter exchange between Smith and Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings. Jennings began by taking a shot at Chris Smith, J.R.’s brother, for landing spot on the Knicks roster. J.R. Smith later seemed to threaten Jennings.
Before Thursday’s game, Smith said he did not threaten Jennings, and claimed the two are friends.
It started with Jennings’ Tweet: “RT @BrandonJennings: Wait wait wait JR smith brother is in the NBA but @PoohJeter & @BBROWNLAU isn’t. Call me hater but not Rollin!!!”
Pooh Jeter and Bobby Brown are playing in China. That Tweet was subsequently deleted.
J.R. Smith responded: “No respect for these lil kids who pop at the mouth on twitter an then want to delete they tweets! #GrowUp! #ManUp! @TheOnlyCSmith0 #Facts!””
US to host 2016 World Indoor Championships
The United States was voted host of the 2016 World Indoor Track & Field Championships at a meeting of the IAAF Council, where Portland, Ore., was named the site of the event.
It is the first time the meet will be held in the United States since 1987.
USATF President Stephanie Hightower, USATF CEO Max Siegel, and TrackTown USA President Vin Lananna presented the joint Portland bid to the IAAF Council on Friday morning in Monaco. Birmingham, England, also bid for the event.
The 2016 World Indoor Championships will mark the first time a World Athletics Series (WAS) event has been held in the United States since the World Cross Country Championships in 1992.
MLB purchase of documents hindered state probe
Major League Baseball interfered with a Florida Department of Health investigation into former Biogenesis chief Tony Bosch by purchasing documents they had been told not to obtain, ESPN reported.
According to the report, which was based on sources, the Department of Health had to close its case on Bosch with just a $5,000 fine (later reduced to $3,000) and a cease-and-desist letter because Major League Baseball’s actions limited the scope of the health department’s investigation.
ESPN reported MLB knew the documents were intended for Florida investigators, and it also knew that purchasing those documents might hinder the state’s investigation by preventing it from obtaining additional evidence against Bosch.
Falcons TE Gonzalez still not practicing
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez was not on the field during the session of Friday’s practice viewed by the media.
Gonzalez has been out this week with a toe injury.
However, wide receiver Harry Douglas, who has a knee injury, did practice.
Raikkonen recovering after surgery
Kimi Raikkonen’s back surgery has been successful and the Finn will start a recovery program next week, his Lotus Formula One team said on Friday.
They said in a statement at the U.S. Grand Prix, where the 2007 champion has been replaced by compatriot Heikki Kovalainen for the final two races, that the driver was operated on in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday.