Thorpe in intensive care battling infection
Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe is in intensive care in a Sydney hospital receiving treatment for an infection that could result in him losing the use of his left arm, Australian media reported on Tuesday.
The five-time Olympic champion reportedly contracted the infection after surgery at a hospital in Switzerland, where he now lives.
In February, Thorpe’s manager James Erskine said the 31-year-old was suffering from depression after being found disorientated and behaving oddly near a vehicle in Australia after taking a mixture of anti-depressants and painkillers for a shoulder injury.
Thorpe, who made his Games debut in Sydney in 2000, retired in 2006 due to a lack of motivation and made an ill-fated comeback in 2011 when he failed to make the Australian team for the London 2012 Olympics.
Patriots’ Dennard released from jail
New England Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was released from jail on Friday.
Dennard was sentenced to 60 days after pleading no contest to driving under the influence, but was released after serving 35 days due to good behavior.
The jail term came because the DUI violated his previous probation for assaulting a police officer.
Dennard was allowed to wait until after the season to serve his jail stint so he would not miss any games. His early release means he can join the team for offseason workouts that start April 21.
Dennard will likely compete for a starting spot with recent signee Brandon Browner. However, Browner is suspended for the first four games of the season. The league may also suspend Dennard for the DUI. The Patriots also picked up Darrelle Revis in the offseason to start at the No. 1 cornerback spot following his release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Canucks fire general manager
The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Mike Gillis on Tuesday, one day after the team was eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention.
Gillis was hired by the Canucks in April 2008.
Under Gillis, the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 and won the Presidents’ Trophy in back-to-back seasons (2010-12). Gillis won the GM of the Year award in 2010-11. The Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round each of the previous two seasons, winning just one game in the process.
Notre Dame football exploring series with Georgia
Notre Dame and Georgia are in talks to play a home-and-home football series between the schools for 2018 and 2019, CBSSports.com reported Tuesday.
Notre Dame’s last SEC regular-season game was a 41-21 win over Tennessee in 2005.
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity acknowledged the schools have had discussions.
“It’d be great for the University of Georgia if we were able to make it happen,” McGarity told CBSSports.com.
The dates remain to be determined, senior associate athletic director John Heisler told ESPN.com.
As a football independent but member of the ACC in other sports, the Irish have an agreement to play five ACC teams per season, which can complicate their scheduling with members of other conferences.
Yanks place Robertson on 15-day DL
First-year closer David Robertson was unavailable to the New York Yankees Monday and was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list before Tuesday’s game with the Baltimore Orioles.
After Monday’s win, manager Joe Girardi said the disabled list was possible for Robertson due to a groin strain. The Yankees said that Robertson felt it after getting his second save in Sunday’s 6-4 win at Toronto.
Right-hander Shawn Kelley pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first career save and will likely get most of the opportunities in place of Robertson. Kelley has been mostly a late-inning reliever but did record 22 saves as a minor leaguer for the Seattle Mariners, including 15 in 2008.
To replace Robertson on the roster, the Yankees recalled left-hander Cesar Cabral from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.