DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have placed right-hander Jordan Lyles on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured left hand.
Lyles broke a bone just below the knuckle of his middle finger when he tried to tag out Martin Prado at home after a wild pitch in the first inning Wednesday night. Lyles stayed in the game, but had to use two hands to catch the ball when it was thrown back to him. He finally left after the fourth inning.
The 23-year-old Lyles is 5-1 this season with a 3.52 ERA.
To take his place on the roster, the Rockies recalled right-hander Chris Martin from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Martin was 0-1 and had a 5.52 ERA with the Sky Sox.
“Be Ready.” Two words capture the excitement behind the upcoming University of Nebraska football season. The Nebraska Athletic Department wants Husker Nation to “Be Ready” to enjoy the enhanced fan experience in Memorial Stadium for the 125th season of Husker football which kicks off on August 30, 2014.
The $12.3 million Memorial Stadium Fan Experience Improvements project is underway and includes replacing the stadium’s existing sound system; installing a wireless network system to improve connectivity; creating a game-day smart phone application for all fans in Memorial Stadium; and the installation of an IPTV system.
“Each of these Memorial Stadium Fan Experience Improvements are designed to provide the best college football fans in America with the best game-day experience possible,” Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “It is extremely important that we strive to improve our fan experience and our customer service in all of our athletic venues. These initiatives in Memorial Stadium are a big step in ensuring that there is no better place to be on college football game day than at Nebraska.”
New Sound System to Improve Quality Throughout Memorial Stadium
The previous sound system at Memorial Stadium was more than 20 years old, and while it was still functional, the normal life expectancy of such systems is 15 years. With installation underway, a new, single-point source system will replace the current speaker cluster inside the stadium. It will use line array and beam focusing speaker technology that will provide consistent audio levels throughout the stadium. Voice and music intelligibility will also be much improved and will allow fans, in all parts of the stadium, to enjoy the full Nebraska game-day experience. In addition, all concourses, suites, and common areas will be driven by DSP(digital signal processing) technology. The DSP system will also deliver sound to the PA speaker amplifiers. Downs Electric has been awarded the contract for the installation of the new sound system with the assistance of BNT Productions and work began on April 14. Additionally, as part of the improvement, a new scoreboard design will be incorporated into the overall sound system structure. The scoreboard will display a 25-foot illuminated Nebraska “N” and topped with a graphic of a football, visible from both inside and outside of Memorial Stadium.
New State-of-the-Art Wireless Network System will be Largest Collegiate Stadium Installation
The new wireless network system has many advantages and will allow fans better access to internet applications from their smartphones, regardless of carrier or location in the stadium, which will also relieve volume to cellular networks for voice calls and text messaging. The system installed in Memorial Stadium will be the largest collegiate and second-largest Cisco ConnectedStadium deployment in North America. Other stadiums with Cisco Connected Systems include Pinnacle Bank Arena, AT&T Stadium (home to the Dallas Cowboys and the largest Cisco Connected deployment in North America), Beaver Stadium (Penn State University), Stanford Stadium, Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU), Yankee Stadium and Bank of America Stadium (Carolina Panthers).
Wireless coverage will also extend beyond the stadium to allow for an even greater area of connectivity, including the Hawks practice facility and practice fields, the Ed Weir Track, Champions Club (Surface Lot Only), parking garages 1 and 9, and parking surface lots 3, 4, 5, 8, and 12. CDW has been awarded the contract for the installation of the new wireless system and work began on April 28.
Smartphone Application to Deliver Exclusive Game-Day Information and Video
Nebraska Athletics is extending its contract with NeuLion, a leading internet video technology provider for live and on-demand interactive content for any Internet-enabled device, to develop an innovative in-venue game-day experience. Through a smartphone application, fans will be able to access in-depth information about the games, including exclusive streaming video content only available to those inside Memorial Stadium. Also available will be rosters and player bios, real-time stats and venue maps with concession stands, restrooms, and emergency stations. This experience will be added to the Official Nebraska Huskers App that is currently available to iOS and Android users. NeuLion has broad experience delivering high quality sports video experiences on multiple devices, including work with the Big Ten Network on the BTN2Go app, the National Hockey League, Ultimate Fighting Championship, the National Basketball Association and more than 175 colleges.
When asked about the impact the improvements within Memorial Stadium will have on those in attendance, Husker Athletics Director of Digital Media Kelly Mosier said: “As technology continues to improve, fans are engaging with college sports across all platforms of social media during games. Specifically addressing Nebraska football, we are excited that the added connectivity we are providing for the 2014 football season will give fans in Memorial Stadium greater access to engage in the conversations which are occurring online.” The game-day application will be ready for use when the 2014 season begins.
The exclusive video content will extend the HuskerVision experience beyond the existing big screens inside of Memorial Stadium and give fans control of their video experience on their own mobile devices. To meet this new avenue of engaging fan content, HuskerVision will expand its control room in a project that was awarded to Alpha Audio & Video.
IPTV System Brings Game Day Content into Memorial Stadium Concourses, Clubs and Suites
The Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as a LAN or the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats. IPTV deployments tightly manage network security and performance to ensure a superior entertainment experience, including the delivery of significantly more content and functionality. An IP-based platform also allows significant opportunities to make the TV viewing experience more interactive and personalized. With the advancement of the IPTV system, every channel we provide to fans will be in HD. We are also able to ensure the ability to provide unique camera angles and live, in-game stats. IPTV is a component of the Cisco Connected Stadium solution and that is being installed by CDW.
West Stadium to Incorporate Brick Design Element
Memorial Stadium improvements also include the addition of brick on the base section of West Memorial Stadium. The brick has been donated by Endicott Clay Products Co. of Endicott, Nebraska, to match the brick they have provided for other parts of the stadium. With the addition of brick on the West Stadium side, the West, North, and East Stadiums will all feature brick as a cohesive design element.
Seat Yourself Program Concludes June 10
Nebraska Athletics was also pleased to introduce a new, online ticketing program earlier this spring for the upcoming football season called, Seat Yourself. The Seat Yourself process was designed to help current and prospective Nebraska football season ticket holders who wished to explore the option of moving their season ticket(s) or acquire new seats. The new system improved the ticketing process and included the ability to have a 3D view of Memorial Stadium, view available seats, and make changes to current seats or select additional seats. Donors, season ticket holders and those who placed their names on the initial Request List have been assisted with tickets and upgrades as part of Phase I, which ended on May 21. It was an extremely successful launch and will expand to other Husker venues in the future. Phase II will assist all those on the second Request List which began on April 1.
All fans interested in purchasing football season tickets for the 2014 football season can go to Huskers.com/memorialstadium to get on the Request List. Season tickets are $56 per game, or $392 for the seven-game season package, a savings of $113 over single-game prices. Beginning June 16, fans will be able to view remaining available seats and immediately purchase season tickets online at Huskers.com/memorialstadium with the Select Your Seat process. Don’t miss the opportunity to be inside Memorial Stadium for the 125th season of Husker Football.
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — Tobacco sales on Navy ships and in stores on Navy and Marine Corps bases would be a thing of the past under a plan being considered by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus (MAY’-bus), but some congressional members are pushing back.
The Navy Department, which includes the Marine Corps, would be the first military department to prohibit tobacco sales.
Mabus says he wants sailors who are fit and resilient. Opponents in Congress say the prohibition overreaches on a habit that is unhealthy but still legal.
The Defense Department says tobacco use costs it an estimated $1.6 billion annually in medical costs and lost work time.
A spokeswoman for Mabus says some sailors and Marines understand the proposal, while others are indifferent and others are concerned.
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — Police in Washington state say a man suspected of taking $9,200 worth of clubs and other merchandise from the pro shop at Gold Mountain Golf Course had no criminal history, but appears to be addicted to golf.
Bremerton police detectives spotted some of the stolen gear for sale online and arrested the suspect Wednesday in Kirkland.
Police Chief Steve Strachan (stran) said in a news release that robberies are often the result of addictions, but this is the first one police have seen “that looks like a golf addiction.”
Other property that was stolen from the pro shop on Memorial Day was recovered from the suspect’s apartment.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers in Iowa and Nebraska are on waiting lists for treatment, but the facilities say they’re unaware of any unauthorized lists like those uncovered in other states.
A regional VA spokeswoman said Thursday that Iowa and Nebraska facilities were included in a federal investigation of specific sites. Spokeswoman Sharyl Schaepe says the hospitals don’t expect to find problems, but they haven’t been told what the review found.
Reports from U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office say the VA Central Iowa Health Care System had 52 patients on its official waiting list as of May 1. The Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System listed 156 patients. The Iowa City VA Health Care System had 27 patients, while the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System listed 100.
HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — The thunderstorms that caused significant damage in Nebraska this week generated at least three tornadoes, but much of the damage was caused by the combination of large hail and strong winds.
The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes when it surveyed the damage Tuesday’s storms left behind.
The weather service said Thursday that tornadoes briefly touched down in eastern Nebraska near Elyria, near Greeley and near Hampton.
The tornadoes near Elyria and Greeley happened in the late afternoon of Tuesday and were witnessed by storm spotters.
The tornado near Hampton struck around 10:30 p.m., so it couldn’t be seen in the dark. That was the strongest of the three tornadoes with winds up to 110 mph.
GERING, Neb. (AP) — A 38-year-old western Nebraska man has been given two to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
Richard Cobos, of Gering, was sentenced on Wednesday in Scotts Bluff County District Court. A jury in April had found him guilty of third-degree sexual assault of a child.
Cobos is a former junior high math teacher in the Mitchell school district, but prosecutors say the girl he was convicted of assaulting in August 2012 is not a student in the school district.
In a separate case, a Morrill County jury last week acquitted Cobos after a two-day trial. He’d been charged with abusing a then 9-year-old girl in 2009.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) — A bug expert says the relatively mild winter let more miller moths survive to hang around Nebraska longer this year.
Entomologist David Boxler with the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte says relatively lower temperatures this spring encouraged them to remain, but they’ll move west into the Rockies when the higher, summer temperatures arrive.
Boxler said miller moths are also known as army cutworm moths. They lay eggs in the open fields of the Central Plains, and this spring their emerging larvae caused problems as they fed heavily in alfalfa and wheat fields.
The moths will return this fall to lay eggs in Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Lancaster County sheriff says two deputies who shot and killed a man they were trying to remove from a Lincoln house properly followed departmental policies.
The deputies say 64-year-old Doug DaMoude was armed with a rifle when he confronted them as they rammed into the house’s entryway on Friday afternoon. One deputy grabbed the rifle and struggled with DaMoude, who was shot four times by two other deputies. They learned later the rifle wasn’t loaded.
Sheriff Terry Wagner said Wednesday that the two deputies who opened fire, Capt. Thomas Brookhouser and Sgt. Tommy Trotter, have returned to their regular duties.
Lincoln police are still investigating, and a Lancaster County grand jury will determine whether the deputies broke any law.
Rosemont, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference announced today that the Council of Presidents/Chancellors unanimously approved a recommendation from university administrators for future Big Ten Football Championship Games to be held in Indianapolis and for upcoming Big Ten Basketball Tournaments to be hosted by both Chicago and Indianapolis.
The Big Ten Football Championship Game will remain at Lucas Oil Stadium through the 2021 season. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will rotate between Chicago and Indianapolis, with the United Center hosting the event in 2019 and 2021 and Bankers Life Fieldhouse serving as the tournament’s home in 2020 and 2022. Bankers Life Fieldhouse will also host the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament from 2017 through 2022.
“The Big Ten Conference and member institutions are excited to return to Chicago and Indianapolis for future football championship games and basketball tournaments,” said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. “These two cities have been tremendous hosts and partners with first-class facilities and an outstanding base of Big Ten alumni and fans who support conference events. We are proud of the history that we have developed with these two great cities and look forward to maintaining a significant presence in both locations.”
“To announce today that our community will host the first 11 Big Ten Football Championship Games at Lucas Oil Stadium and consistently bring the premier basketball events of the country’s marquee conference to Bankers Life Fieldhouse is simply incredible,” said Allison Melangton, Indiana Sports Corp President. “We continue to enjoy an amazing partnership with the Big Ten Conference, and we thank Commissioner Delany and the university leadership for placing their trust in Indianapolis once again. Locally, the support we receive from our financial partners, government entities, venues, committee members, and volunteers allows us to continually host the nation’s best events. It is truly a team effort.”
“Hosting the Big Ten Tournament in 2013 was an amazing experience for Chicago and with our hundreds of thousands of Big Ten alumni, the city was buzzing with excitement,” said Chicago Sports Commission Executive Director Kara Bachman. “We eagerly await the tournament’s return to our world-class city in 2015, and with it look forward to seeing an even broader, national fan base with the additions of Rutgers and Maryland, two great institutions with strong alumni networks in Chicago. We applaud Commissioner Delany’s vision and can’t wait to see it further realized in 2019 and 2021 when the tournament returns to the United Center. ”
The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2011, the start of a five-year agreement with Indianapolis which now extends through 2021. The annual championship game has featured four different teams in the first three years, with two appearances each by Michigan State and Wisconsin and one trip for both Nebraska and Ohio State. The Badgers were victorious in the first two title contests, while the Spartans earned the win last December. The 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game produced the highest attendance yet, with 66,002 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament has been held in either Chicago or Indianapolis through the first 17 years of its existence. The annual event returns to the United Center for the ninth time in 2015 and will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the 10th time in 2016, before making its first appearance on the East Coast when the 2017 event is held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The site of the 2018 tournament will be announced at a later date. Six Big Ten programs have officially won the tournament, including Michigan State claiming a fourth crown in March. Each of the last two tournaments have been sold out, including a conference record of more than 124,000 fans at the United Center in 2013 and over 111,000 fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse earlier this year, the largest attendance in Indianapolis. More than 1.6 million fans have enjoyed the tournament since the inaugural event in 1998.
The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament has been played in Indianapolis in 18 of 20 years since 1995. Bankers Life Fieldhouse has hosted the tournament in 12 of the last 13 seasons, while Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., served as the event’s home in 2013 and will host again in 2015. Seven different Big Ten teams have claimed the tournament title, including Nebraska winning the event for the first time in March. The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament has averaged more than 30,000 fans each year, including each of the last six events held in Indianapolis, with a tournament record attendance of 38,748 in 2012.
