AP-NW–Sports Right Now/579
LIONS-MARQUARDT
Lions sign free agent tackle Luke Marquardt
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have signed free agent tackle Luke Marquardt.
The team announced the move Thursday. The New York Jets signed the 26-year-old Marquardt in April, but he was waived less than two months later.
Marquardt was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent from Azusa Pacific University in 2013, but has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. He missed his senior season of college with a foot injury and spent his rookie season with the 49ers on the non-football injury list.
He was released by San Francisco in May 2014 after injuring his foot again.
GLF-TAHOE CELEBS
NBA MVP Curry, Aaron Rodgers playing in Tahoe celebrity golf
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Leave it to Charles Barkley to capsulize the challenges he and others will face atop the Sierra this weekend trying to keep their golf balls in the fairway, away from the galleries and out of the water during the 27th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe.
“Golf is fun, until you hit somebody in the head,” said Barkley, the Hall of Fame basketball player who’s a 6,000-to-1 long shot to win but still draws some of the biggest crowds at Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline.
Two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, singer Justin Timberlake and comedian Ray Romano are among the 90 athletes and entertainers who tee off Friday in the 54-hole tournament running through Sunday near the California border, about 60 miles south of Reno, Nevada.
OLYMPICS-RUSSIA
Russia loses appeal against track and field ban
LONDON (AP) — Russia has lost its appeal of the ban against its track and field athletes competing in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport today rejected the appeal by 68 Russian track and field athletes seeking to overturn the ban imposed by the athletics’ governing body following allegations of state-sponsored doping and cover-ups.
CAS noted that the decision is not binding on the International Olympic Committee, which has the final say as the organizer of the Rio Games.
The ruling could influence whether the entire Russian Olympic team is banned from the games by the International Olympic Committee.
The IOC says it will study the full CAS decision and make its own final ruling on the participation of Russian athletes “in the coming days.” The Olympics open in Rio on August 5th.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says athletes banned from competing in Rio Olympics could go to a civil court.
BBM-OKC DODGERS-RAINIERS
OKC Dodgers top Tacoma Rainiers 6-4
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — O’Koyea Dickson hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning, leading the Oklahoma City Dodgers to a 6-4 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Thursday.
The home run by Dickson scored Rob Segedin and Corey Brown and was the game’s last scoring play.
The Rainiers took a 4-3 lead when Tyler Smith hit an RBI single, bringing home Patrick Kivlehan in the seventh.
Sam LeCure (5-2) got the win in relief while Blake Parker (1-2) took the loss in the Pacific Coast League game. Matt West retired the side in order for his fifth save of the season.
Stefen Romero tripled and doubled, driving in a run and also scoring one for the Rainiers.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
