Intel leak gets Wake Forest radio analyst fired
Wake Forest fired radio analyst Tommy Elrod after an investigation revealed the former quarterback and assistant coach leaked game-plan information to multiple opponents.
Elrod was banned from all athletic facilities by the athletic department, which announced its findings Tuesday and charged that Elrod pulled back the curtain to benefit opponents since 2014.
Leaked game-plan documents were found at Louisville’s Papa John’s Stadium before the Demon Deacons-Cardinals game in November. The university immediately launched an investigation, using phone records, text messages and emails, which revealed that Elrod “provided or attempted to provide confidential and proprietary game preparations on multiple occasions, starting in 2014.”
Elrod was an assistant coach for the Demon Deacons under former head coach Jim Grobe. When Grobe was fired after the 2013 season, Elrod joined Wake Forest IMG Radio Network.
He played for Wake Forest from 1993-1997 and was quarterbacks coach and co-passing game coordinator under Grobe.
Rockies pitcher diagnosed with testicular cancer
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Bettis has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent surgery to remove one of his testicles in late November, the pitcher told ESPN on Monday night.
Bettis, 27, expects to make a complete recovery and believes he will be ready for the start of spring training in 2017.
“I was completely caught off-guard by my diagnosis but have subsequently found that the vast majority of cases occur in men 20 to 40 years of age and that the survival rate is 99 percent when contained and caught early,” Bettis told ESPN.
“This only reinforces my belief that each of us needs to be totally in tune with our own physical health, and that taking action sooner than later when we feel like something is off can sometimes literally be the difference between life and death.”
Bettis added that his surgeon is confident the cancer was isolated and has not spread. His ability to have children should not be affected.
The former second-round pick of the Rockies in the 2010 amateur draft is 23-19 with a 5.01 ERA and 279 strikeouts in 89 career games (60 starts) over four seasons.
In 2016, the right-hander posted a career-best 14-8 record and a 4.79 ERA while striking out a personal-best 138 batters over 32 starts.
Collins likely to be Temple football coach
Geoff Collins, who spent the last seven seasons as a defensive coordinator at Florida, Mississippi State and Florida International, will be hired as Temple’s new head football coach to replace Matt Rhule, ESPN reports.
Collins is the fourth consecutive coach hired by the Owls with no prior head coaching experience.
He served as the Gators’ defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2016 after spending four years in the same role with the Bulldogs from 2011-14. His lone season with the Panthers came in 2010.
Florida’s defense under Collins ranked sixth and seventh nationally in total defense over the past two years, respectively.
Dodgers keep closer Jansen
The Los Angeles Dodgers have held on to prized closer Kenley Jansen after the pitcher and the team agreed to terms on a five-year deal worth $80 million, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday.
The contract will be the second largest awarded to a free agent reliever, behind Aroldis Chapman’s five-year, $86 million deal with the New Yankees last week.
The 29-year-old Jansen had 47 saves with a 1.83 ERA in 71 appearances for the Dodgers in 2016.
Jansen earned his first ever All-Star selection and became the Dodgers’ career saves leader on June 20, passing Eric Gagne’s previous record of 161.
Arizona QB to transfer
Arizona junior Anu Solomon, who was the Wildcats starting quarterback at the beginning of the past three seasons, announced that he plans to transfer.
The school to which he will transfer is not yet known, but he is expected to graduate before next season. That means he could play next season at an FBS school.
Solomon announced his decision on Instagram on Tuesday.