Hampden beats Brewer in unified basketball
HAMPDEN — Tyler Hewey scored 24 points to help lead Hampden by Brewer 50-39 in a high school unified basketball game Friday.
Isaiah Palmer chipped in with 10 points for the winners. Other scorers were Kenny Brewer-Frazee and Zach Ewing with six each and Kelsey Tripp with four.
Kyle Grant paced Brewer with 17 points and Michael Barnhart contributed 12. Clancy Brazier added four points while Ally Chapman, Aaron Adams and Jacob Gray each put in two.
NFL considering 3-game preseason schedule
A three-game preseason schedule is under consideration by the NFL competition committee.
Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine that reducing the preseason from four games is the most sensible option, likely clearing an extra week between the final preseason game and the start of the regular season.
“Rather than playing that fourth game on a Thursday … don’t play a fourth game and then you’d have an extra week,” Murphy said, supporting the sentiments shared by head coach Mike McCarthy. “We’ve looked at different models, but I think that’s the one that makes the most sense. You’re giving up some revenue, but it’s one of the worst things we do.”
The Packers play in the Hall of Fame game in August, which gives Green Bay five preseason games in 2016.
Cutting a preseason game might come down to lost revenue. With three preseason games, some teams would host two preseason games and others would get just one. Game schedules, including the length of the preseason, would require collective bargaining with the players union.
Johnson to play for Heat
Former All-Star guard Joe Johnson plans to sign with the Heat once he clears waivers, multiple outlets reported.
Johnson negotiated a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in hopes of joining a playoff-caliber team. He can’t officially sign with Miami until he clears waivers on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
Johnson drew interest from several teams before narrowing his list to the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami.
Johnson is a seven-time All-Star and six of those appearances occurred when he was a member of the Hawks. Cleveland’s LeBron James openly lobbied for Johnson to join the Cavaliers.
Johnson averaged just 11.8 points and shot 40.6 percent from the field for the Nets this season.
MLB suspends Indians player 80 games
Cleveland Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the office of the commissioner announced Friday.
Almonte’s suspension is effective at the start of the 2016 campaign.
“We were disappointed to learn of the suspension of Abraham Almonte for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Indians said in a statement. “We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game.”
Almonte, 26, was acquired from the San Diego Padres last July 31 and batted .264 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 51 games. He played well in center field and was expected to make the club as a backup outfielder this season.
Almonte has a .244 career average in parts of three seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Padres and Indians.
Blackhawks acquire Ehrhoff
The Chicago Blackhawks acquired defenseman Christian Ehrhoff from the Los Angeles Kings on Friday in exchange for defenseman Rob Scuderi.
Ehrhoff, 33, had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 40 games with Los Angeles this season. The 12-year veteran has 337 career points — including 74 goals — in 781 career games with San Jose, Vancouver, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and the Kings. Ehrhoff has played in 73 career Stanley Cup playoff games and has 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists).
Scuderi, 37, saw action in 17 games with the Blackhawks after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 14. He didn’t score any points for Chicago and had four in 24 games with Pittsburgh.