CANTON, Ohio (AP) – They blocked and tackled and got lost in those scrums at the line of scrimmage, overshadowed by the guys who handled the ball and got the moments of glory.
It all changes in Canton this weekend, when linemen are the stars of the NFL’s most prestigious event.
Four linemen will be among the six players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night – Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf and Dermontti Dawson. Running back Curtis Martin and cornerback Jack Butler will join them.
The weekend took a hit last year when the Hall of Fame game had to be called off because of the NFL lockout. It’s back this year, with the Saints and the Cardinals playing in the preseason opener on Sunday night.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) – An official at the University of Illinois tells The Associated Press that Penn State offensive lineman Ryan Nowicki will transfer to Illinois.
The redshirt freshman is in the process of completing the necessary paperwork, according to the official who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because Nowicki’s move has not been announced by either school.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Nowicki will be the eighth player to leave Penn State following NCAA sanctions imposed last month after the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. Nittany Lion players are allowed to transfer and play elsewhere right away.
Nowicki has four seasons of eligibility left.
Illinois assistant coaches drew criticism for traveling to State College, Pa., immediately following the sanctions.
NEW YORK (AP) – The Facebook pages of the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and several other Major League Baseball clubs have been restored after briefly being hacked.
On the Yankees official news feed Thursday, there was a false item about Derek Jeter undergoing a sex change. The Cubs’ page contained an expletive directed at longtime Cubs fan and actor Bill Murray. The posts were removed shortly after appearing.
MLB released a statement saying “for a brief moment today, a few MLB Club Facebook accounts were hacked and inappropriate material was briefly on display.” The league also said it is working with Facebook and legal authorities to determine what happened.
The pages of the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox were also hacked.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland at Detroit 6:05 p.m.
Seattle at N-Y Yankees 6:05 p.m.
Baltimore at Tampa Bay 6:10 p.m.
Minnesota at Boston 6:10 p.m.
L.A. Angels at Chi White Sox 7:10 p.m.
Texas at Kansas City 7:10 p.m.
Toronto at Oakland 9:05 p.m.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Washington 3:05 p.m. (first game)
Arizona at Philadelphia 6:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati 6:10 p.m.
Houston at Atlanta 6:35 p.m.
Miami at Washington 6:35 p.m. (first game)
Milwaukee at St. Louis 7:15 p.m.
San Francisco at Colorado 7:40 p.m. (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
N-Y Mets at San Diego 9:05 p.m.
Chi Cubs at L.A. Dodgers 9:10 p.m.