Sports – Page 458 – North Platte Post Archive

Chiefs’ Mascot Reaches Settlement over Injury

Posted on August 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The man who performs as the Kansas City Chiefs’ mascot has reached a legal settlement over severe injuries he suffered last November while practicing a zip line routine.

Lawyers for Dan Meers, better known as KC Wolf, announced the settlement Thursday but said the terms prevent disclosure of the dollar amount or the parties involved.

Attorney Tim Dollar said in a news release that Meers is still recovering and is talking with the Chiefs about a modified role as KC Wolf in the future.

Meers has performed as KC Wolf since the Chiefs adopted the mascot 24 years ago. He suffered what was described as a severe back injury Nov. 23 while practicing the zip line routine at Arrowhead Stadium.

Few details have been disclosed, but Dollar said earlier there may have been an error by a third-party company in securing the rigging.

Diaz Gives Huskers Two Players in FIBA World Cup

Posted on August 21, 2014

Lincoln – A pair of teams in this month’s FIBA World Cup will have Husker connections, as former Husker center Jorge Brian Diaz has been named to the Puerto Rico National Team. He joins Husker sophomore guard Tai Webster, who was selected for the New Zealand National Team earlier this week.

Diaz played at Nebraska from 2009 until 2012 and totaled 765 points, 342 rebounds and 110 blocked shots during his career. His 110 blocked shots ranks ninth on Nebraska’s career chart, including 41 blocked shots as a redshirt freshman in 2009-10. His best year came in 2010-11, when he averaged 10.5 points per game on 54 percent shooting and 3.3 rebounds per game to help the Huskers win 19 games and earn an NIT bid. He was limited to just 16 games in his final year at Nebraska because of foot injuries, averaging 8.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game.

Diaz currently plays professionally for Quebradillas Pirates in his native Puerto Rico, where he averaged 8.0 points on 57 percent shooting and 3.5 rebounds per game during the 2014 season which completed last month.

Prior to this year, only one Husker (Bill Johnson in 1954) had played in the FIBA World Cup, which until 2010 was known as the FIBA World Championships. It is the second straight major competition where at least two Huskers have played, as Aleks Maric (Australia) and Ade Dagunduro (Nigeria) both played in the 2012 London Olympics.

Puerto Rico, which is ranked 17th in the world by FIBA, is in Group B, a six-team pool which includes Argentina, Senegal, Greece, Philippines and Croatia. They open tournament play against Argentina on Saturday, Aug. 30.Puerto Rico has its final pretournament game on Friday night when it takes on Team USA at Madison Square Garden. The game tips Friday night at 6 p.m. central and will be televised on ESPN2.

Broncos, Texans Call Fights Part of Football

Posted on August 21, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Nobody got hurt Thursday in several skirmishes that broke out during team drills between Denver’s record-shattering offense and Houston’s swaggering defense.

Texans talkative safety D.J. Swearinger was once again in the middle of the biggest fracas. Tempers flared when running back Montee Ball was shoved after the whistle. Several players ended up on the ground in all the pushing and shoving that followed, including Denver receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien took exception to the notion the joint practices were chippy, saying, “I’m from Boston, so when chippy was uses that was with the old big, bad Bruins in the ’80s Chippy was a hockey term, not a football term. It was competitive. Two teams going at it.”

Goalie Giguere Retires after 16 Seasons in NHL

Posted on August 21, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere is retiring after 16 NHL seasons in which he won 262 games, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup championship.

The Colorado Avalanche say Giguere made the announcement in Quebec on Thursday while with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada hockey team. He’s part owner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League squad.

Avs executive Joe Sakic calls Giguere a “top-notch goalie.” Giguere served as Semyon Varlamov’s backup last season in Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy’s first season behind the bench.

The 37-year-old Giguere is best known for his time with the Anaheim Ducks. He led the team to two appearances in the Stanley Cup finals, capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy in defeat in 2003 and hoisting the Cup in 2007.

Chiefs’ Charles Back to Practice in Limited Role

Posted on August 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jamaal Charles returned to Chiefs practice Thursday for the first time since hurting his foot last week, though he’s unlikely to play in Saturday night’s preseason game against Minnesota.

Charles hurt the foot last Thursday while moving out of the dormitories at Missouri Western, where the Chiefs start their training camp workouts. He did not make the trip to Carolina for their second preseason game last weekend.

Wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas returned after missing a day of practice with spasms in his hamstring. Defensive back Chris Owens was also back on the field after leaving a day earlier with a knee injury.

Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and linebacker Joe Mays did not practice.

Chiefs Send OG Johnson to Bucs for S McCray

Posted on August 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have acquired safety Kelcie McCray from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for offensive guard Rishaw Johnson in a move that should bolster depth for both teams.

McCray entered the league with Miami as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas State. He’s appeared in 15 games over the past two seasons with the Dolphins and Buccaneers.

The Chiefs are desperate for help at safety, particularly with Eric Berry still dealing with a nagging heel injury. Undrafted rookie Daniel Sorensen has been pressed into a starting role.

Johnson has appeared in three games over parts of two seasons for Kansas City. He had slid down the depth chart after the Chiefs acquired several other linemen in the draft and free agency.

NCAA Files Intent to Appeal O’Bannon Decision

Posted on August 21, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA attorneys have taken the first step in trying to overturn the ruling in the Ed O’Bannon case by notifying the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it intends to appeal.

Chief legal officer Donald Remy issued a statement Thursday, less than 24 hours after the papers were filed, saying the NCAA does not believe it violated antitrust laws.

A formal appeal has not yet been submitted.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled Aug. 8 that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by restricting schools from providing money beyond current scholarship limits to athletes. She said schools should be allowed to place up to $5,000 per year of competition into a trust fund for individual football players and men’s basketball players, which they could collect after leaving school.

Mo’ne Davis Brings Big Ratings to Little League

Posted on August 21, 2014

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Pitching sensation Mo’ne Davis’ latest start has drawn record television ratings for the Little League World Series.

ESPN said Thursday her team’s game earned the highest ever preliminary rating for the event on the network. The 8-1 loss by Davis’ Philadelphia squad to Las Vegas on Wednesday night received a 3.4 overnight rating, up 143 percent from the corresponding game last year.

The 13-year-old Davis rose to a national celebrity after becoming the first girl to pitch a shutout in her team’s LLWS opener. She was removed after just 2 1-3 innings Wednesday, allowing three runs and striking out six.

The game drew a 16.3 rating in Las Vegas and a 14.9 in Philadelphia.

Ratings represent the percentage of homes with televisions tuned to a program. Overnights measure the country’s largest markets.

McBride, De La Rosa lift Rockies past Royals, 5-2

Posted on August 20, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Matt McBride hit his first career grand slam and Jorge De La Rosa pitched eight crisp innings, helping the Colorado Rockies cool off the Kansas City Royals with a 5-2 win on Wednesday night.

The loss trims the Royals’ lead to one game over Detroit in the AL Central.

Danny Duffy (8-11) was cruising along with a 2-1 lead until a two-out error by third baseman Christian Colon in the sixth opened the door for a big inning. McBride lined a fastball from Duffy into the left-field bleachers and then zipped around the bases in exhilaration.

It was McBride’s first homer since Sept. 25, 2012, and third of his career. He was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs the day before.

No. 15 NPCC Lady Knights Open Season Friday, Host Subway Invitational

Posted on August 20, 2014

North Platte – The No. 15 North Platte Community College Lady Knights volleyball team opens up their season on Friday, August 22 as they host the 2014 Subway Invite in North Platte at newly remodeled McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. The Invite also includes Casper College, Eastern Wyoming College, No. 16 (DI) Northeastern Junior College, Sheridan College and Williston State College. The Lady Knights enter the season ranked No. 15 by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in Division II. The ranking is the sixth time the Lady Knights have been ranked during the pre-season and ties their second-highest ranking in the preseason ever.

Lady Knights Rankings

The Lady Knights get the season started on Friday at 5 p.m. as they face Eastern Wyoming College. North Platte then plays right away as they Sheridan College at 7 p.m. in the night cap. On Saturday, the Lady Knights return to the court at 11 a.m. when they face Casper College. North Platte concludes the Subway Invite at 1 p.m. as they take on No. 16 (DI) Northeastern Junior College.

Subway Invite Schedule

North Platte enters the season in head coach Sally Thalken’s 34th year at the helm. Samantha Byrn, Joli Hopping, Samantha Kennedy, Taylor King, Abby Kurtzer and Kylie Wroot return to the Lady Knights after helping last year’s team to a 22-15 overall record and a Region IX Division II Tournament Runner-Up finish. Kennedy is the top returning attacker for the Lady Knights and Hopping the top returning setter.

The Lady Knights welcome Erika Goodwin, Taylor Limoges, Aryn Meisinger, Samantha Morgan, Valerie Most, Gabrielle Nickel and Anissa Quiroga to their roster .

The Lady Knights return to action on Wednesday, August 27 as they travel to Seward to take on Concordia University JV at 7 p.m.