Oilers fire Eakins as head coach
The Edmonton Oilers, who have one win in their past 16 games, fired head coach Dallas Eakins on Monday.
Todd Nelson, coach of the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons, will join the team in time for Edmonton’s next game on Tuesday at the Arizona Coyotes.
General manager Craig MacTavish made the announcement and said he will coach the team temporarily while Nelson transitions into the role of interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Since winning back-to-back games in early November, the Oilers are 1-11-4, including an 11-game losing streak.
In his second season with the Oilers, Eakins was 36-63-14 overall.
Redskins’ Gruden: Griffin will start at QB
With Colt McCoy expected to miss the Washington Redskins’ game Saturday, Robert Griffin III will get another shot as the starting quarterback, coach Jay Gruden said Monday.
On Sunday, Griffin replaced McCoy, who reinjured his sprained neck, and completed 18 of 27 passes for 236 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in a 24-13 loss to the New York Giants.
“He competed in the first half. Hopefully he can build on that,” Gruden said of Griffin, who also ran for 46 yards on five carries but was sacked seven times.
Gruden had benched Griffin for McCoy in Week 14, but McCoy suffered the neck injury in a 24-0 loss to the St. Louis Rams and then reinjured the neck against the Giants.
Kings fire head coach Malone
Just 24 games in the season, the Sacramento Kings fired coach Michael Malone, multiple media outlets reported late Sunday night.
Lead assistant coach Tyrone Corbin reportedly will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Sacramento (11-13) is riding a three-game losing streak and is in the midst of a 2-8 skid. The Kings opened the season with five wins in their first six games.
The recent slump largely coincides with the absence of DeMarcus Cousins. With the center sidelined due to viral meningitis, the Kings are 2-7 over the past nine games.
In Malone’s first season behind the Sacramento bench in 2013-14, the Kings went 28-54.
Braves’ Markakis to have neck surgery
Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis will have neck surgery and also have a bulging disk removed on Wednesday.
The Baltimore Sun reported that Markakis will undergo preventive surgery in Atlanta. The bulging disk will be removed and his neck will be fused by surgeons chosen by the Braves.
Markakis agreed to a four-year, $44 million deal with the Braves in early December.
The 31-year-old former Baltimore Orioles outfielder hit .276 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs last year. He has spent his entire nine-year MLB career with the Orioles, producing a .290 average, 141 home runs and 658 RBIs.
Cowboys RB Murray has broken hand
Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher, was scheduled to have surgery Monday to repair a broken bone in his hand, team vice president Stephen Jones said.
Murray, who suffered the injury Sunday night in Dallas’ 38-27 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, has not been ruled out for the Cowboys’ game against the Indianapolis Colts this week.
“DeMarco Murray has a broken bone in his hand,” Jones told KRLD-FM. “At the same time, he hasn’t been ruled out. It’s not something that, if it responds well after surgery today, he can’t come back and play this weekend. It’s probably a tough expectation to think that he can, but we’ll see.”
Murray rushed for 81 yards on 31 carries vs. the Eagles and has a league-best 1,687 rushing yards this season.