Boston’s Buchholz has knee surgery
Two days after starting the Boston Red Sox’s regular-season finale, right-hander Clay Buchholz underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherrington said Tuesday that Buchholz dealt with the knee problem the entire season.
Buchholz finished the year with an 8-11 record and a 5.34 ERA with two complete-game shutouts.
In the final game of the season, he gave up four runs and five hits in six innings in the Red Sox’s 9-5 loss to the New York Yankees.
Students petition for athletic director’s ouster at Michigan
Michigan students started a petition this week calling for the ouster of athletic director Dave Brandon in the wake of the football team’s missteps.
By Tuesday afternoon, the online petition, organized by the Central Student Government, had more than 7,000 signatures from faculty, students and staff.
They are frustrated not only with the team’s performance on the field but with the handling of quarterback Shane Morris’ concussion this past weekend.
Morris sustained a concussion during the Wolverines’ 30-14 loss to Minnesota and was sent back into the game after he was examined on the sideline. Coach Brady Hoke and the athletic department didn’t acknowledge Morris had suffered a concussion until releasing at statement at 1 a.m. Tuesday apologizing for their mishandling of the situation.
The athletic department called Morris’ return to the field with a head injury a serious lack of communication between the medical and coaching staff.
FCC sacks NFL blackout rule
In an era of billion dollar television broadcasting contracts with the NFL, there is no longer a need for blackout rules regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC eliminated the rule that prevented local network stations from televising games that were not officially sold out.
Numbers show the blackout rule is not needed, both on the earnings ledger of the mega-profitable NFL and attendance tracking at the league’s 31 stadiums.
Last season, only two games were blacked out in local TV markets and the NFL turned a record profit of $10 billion.
Since 1975, at a time when gate receipts drove earnings for the league, the FCC barred television broadcast of NFL games that were not sold out.
Yankees’ Beltran undergoes elbow surgery
New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran had surgery Tuesday on his right elbow to remove a bone spur and loose pieces, the team announced.
The procedure was performed by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Beltran, 37, had a disappointing first season with the Yankees after signing a three-year, $45 million contract in the offseason. He batted a career-low .233 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 449 plate appearances.