Diamondbacks hire Red Sox executive Hazen as GM
The Arizona Diamondbacks began remaking their front office by hiring Mike Hazen as executive vice president and general manager on Sunday.
Hazen had been serving as the general manager for the Boston Red Sox but did not have final say over baseball operations with Dave Dombrowski as president of baseball operations.
“We feel very strongly that we have found the ideal candidate to lead our baseball operations,” Arizona managing general partner Ken Kendrick said in a statement. “Mike’s reputation throughout the game is impeccable, and his championship experience gives us great confidence in naming him to this position.”
Hazen, 40, replaces Dave Stewart, who was fired by Arizona at the end of the season along with manager Chip Hale. Hazen had been with Boston since 2006 and was on the staff of two World Series championship teams in 2007 and 2013.
Rodgers-Cromartie, Giants seek clarification
The New York Giants will be submitting a video clip of the fourth-quarter defensive pass interference penalty called against cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the league for an explanation, head coach Ben McAdoo confirmed.
The controversial call occurred with 2:23 left in the game. Faced with a 3rd-and-4, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco attempted to hit receiver Breshad Perriman deep down the right sideline.
Rodgers-Cromartie ran with Perriman and managed to get inside position on the ball, all the while looking back.
However, once the play ended with the incomplete pass, a late penalty flag came in to give the Ravens a 1st-and-goal from the Giants 8-yard line. Three plays later, the Ravens scored a go-ahead touchdown on Terrance West’s 2-yard run to make it 23-20 Ravens with 2:04 left in the game.
“I did think I made a good play because I held my inside position,” Rodgers-Cromartie said after the game. “That was critical to be inside. It was a call that was made. I have to live with it.”
The Giants went on to win the game 27-23.
Big 12 reportedly decides not to expand
The Big 12 Conference decided it would not expand its current membership following a six-hour meeting of university presidents on Monday in Dallas, multiple outlets reported.
Air Force, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Wyoming had all been under consideration as potential new members.
The Big 12 is the smallest of the major conferences — comprised of the Power 5, this includes the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference — and presidents had been split on whether to expand, and which schools to invite.
In recent years, the Big Ten poached Nebraska from the Big 12 and Missouri and Texas A&M joined the Southeastern Conference.
Oklahoma president David Borden said the league was at a “psychological” disadvantage as the smallest of the major college athletics leagues. He said in June that expansion is no sure thing, while West Virginia president Gordon Gee supported adding to the conference but called the conversations “very complicated.”
Sports Illustrated reported ESPN and FOX had been in talks to pay the conference to nix expansion.
Concussion to keep Clemson RB Gallman from practicing
Clemson starting running back Wayne Gallman will be held out of practice this week as he goes through the concussion protocol.
Gallman missed most of Clemson’s 24-17 overtime win over against North Carolina State after he took a hard hit in the Tigers’ opening drive.
Gallman, a junior, caught a swing pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson for 18 yards before N.C. State’s Dravious Wright delivered a hard hit. Gallman stayed on the ground for several minutes before he was helped to the sideline and then went to the locker room.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Monday that Gallman will be kept from workouts during the team’s bye week until he is cleared.
Last season, Gallman set the school’s single-season rushing record with 1,527 yards,