COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS

Governor disputes former WSU coach’s claims about vaccine order

UNDATED (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is disputing claims by former Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich that the governor targeted Rolovich with his statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public employees.

Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk said of the coach: “He’s just wrong,” according to The Spokesman Review.

Rolovich was fired in October for not complying with the governor’s order that all state employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The 42-year-old coach was the highest-paid state employee with an annual salary of more than $3 million in a contract that runs through 2025. Because he was fired for cause, the coach will not be paid the balance of his contract.

An appeal letter sent to the university this week argued that Rolovich believed the governor imposed the mandate to try to force his hand. Inslee’s spokesman says the state’s goal was “to maximize vaccinations to save as many lives as possible.”

In other college football news:

— California quarterback Chase Garbers will not play against Arizona while in COVID-19 protocols. Cal says Garbers is one of “multiple” players who will miss the game. Garbers leads the Pac-12 in total offense with 293 yards per game and has rushed for a Cal quarterback record 1,083 yards this season. Senior Ryan Glover will make his first career start for the Golden Bears. Arizona has lost 20 games in a row, the longest losing streak in the nation.

— Ohio State’s leading receiver Garrett Wilson was listed as unavailable for Saturday’s game against Nebraska. Wilson, projected to be a high NFL draft pick in 2022, has 43 catches for 687 yards and six touchdowns this season. He had caught at least one pass in 29 straight games. The sixth-ranked Buckeyes are looking for their seventh straight win over the Huskers.

— James Madison has decided to pursue a move to the Sun Belt Conference despite being told by the Colonial Athletic Association that it will be barred from participating in CAA championships before its actual departure. League president Joe D’Antonio says James Madison’s withdrawal from the CAA is effective June 30, 2022. The Dukes, two-time national champions at the Football Championship Subdivision level, will not be barred from representing the league in the football playoffs because different bylaws govern that sport in the CAA, and the league does not play a championship game.

NFL-NEWS

Browns place All-Pro tackle Conklin on injured reserve

UNDATED (AP) — Cleveland Browns All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin will miss at least three games after being placed on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow.

Conklin got hurt in the second quarter of last weekend’s 15-10 loss to Pittsburgh. He had just returned after missing two games with a knee injury.

Any player placed on IR must miss a minimum of three games. It’s possible Conklin could be out longer, but coach Kevin Stefanski said he expected him to return this season.

Blake Hance will start for Conklin on Sunday as the Browns visit the Cincinnati Bengals.

In other NFL news:

— Wide receiver Calvin Ridley will miss at least three games for the Atlanta Falcons after being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. Players on the list must miss a minimum of three weeks. The move follows Ridley’s announcement last week that he needs “to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing.” Ridley was a late scratch for last week’s game against Carolina. He will miss Sunday’s game at New Orleans. Ridley also missed the Falcons’ win over the New York Jets in London on Oct. 10 for what the team described as personal reasons.

— The Detroit Lions have waived wide receiver Tyrell Williams from injured reserve with an injury settlement. The winless team made the announcement Friday night during its bye week. Detroit signed the veteran in March and he had a concussion in Week 1 — after catching two passes for 14 yards — and went on IR. Shortly before the Lions signed Williams, the Las Vegas Raiders released him after he had two injury-filled seasons. Williams has 199 career catches for 3,915 yards and 23 touchdowns in 70 games.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER-DEATH

Autopsy: Football player died from heart problem, not heat

MACON, Ga. (AP) — An autopsy has found that a 15-year-old Georgia high school football player died from an “abnormal heart rhythm” and not heat-related illness.

Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says an autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found Joshua Ivory Jr. died July 26 of cardiac dysrhythmia which triggered “sudden cardiac arrest.”

The 15-year-old collapsed on the first day of fall football practice at Macon’s Southwest High School. Ivory died in a hospital emergency room. The district says it took extra precautions to avoid heat illness beyond what Georgia rules require. A coach was placed on leave but quickly reinstated.

TENNIS-DJOKOVIC

Djokovic reaches Paris final to end record 7th year as No. 1

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) will end the year at No. 1 for a record seventh time after rallying to beat Hubert Hurkacz (HUR’-kahts) 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 in the Paris Masters semifinals on Saturday.

Djokovic, who also stays on course for a record-extending sixth Paris Masters title, moved one ahead of American Pete Sampras, who secured his six top year-end finishes from 1993-98.

Djokovic also finished the year top in 2011-12, 2014-15, 2018 and 2020.

Djokovic eclipsed Roger Federer’s all-time mark of 310 weeks at No. 1 on March 8 and will finish 2021 having held the top ranking for 348 weeks.

Another win on Sunday will give Djokovic a record 37th Masters title to move one clear of fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.

SHIFFRIN-BAD BACK

Olympic champion ski racer Shiffrin dealing with back issue

UNDATED (AP) — Two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin tells The Associated Press she is not able to ski and prepare the way she would like to currently because of a hurt back.

She likens the problem to “a very severe muscle spasm or kind of a strain.” In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, the Alpine star said she hasn’t “really been able to do much of any skiing at all” since Oct. 23. That is when she won the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, for her 70th career World Cup victory.

The 26-year-old American is expected to be one of the main faces of the Beijing Games in February.

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