An internal investigation has determined that two West Point cadets and a Naval Academy midshipman who displayed hand gestures in the stands on ESPN's pre-game coverage of the Army-Navy football game on Dec. 14 were playing a known game and did not have racist intentions, West Point Public Affairs announced on Friday.
Details: The “OK” hand gesture is the same as a symbol used by white supremacists to "signal their presence to the like-minded, as well as to identify potentially sympathetic recruits among young trolling artists flashing it," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The sign took on the new meaning around 2017 when it was co-opted by online trolls and later white supremacists, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Former No. 1 recruit and potential No. 1 draft pick James Wiseman announced on Instagram yesterday that he will leave Memphis, hire an agent and prepare for the 2020 NBA draft.
Background: Wiseman missed the past seven games due to a 12-game suspension, which came as a result of his coach Penny Hardaway paying Wiseman's mother $11,500 in 2017 before accepting the Memphis job. Per the NCAA, Hardaway was considered a booster at the time, making his payment an "improper benefit."
Senators Rick Scott and Josh Hawley have called on NBCUniversal, which has broadcast rights for the Olympics, to refuse to air the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, according to a letter obtained exclusively by Axios.
Why it matters: Consider this the opening shot in the struggle between human rights advocates, who believe that a country currently operating concentration camps should not host the Olympics, and the Chinese Communist Party, which will defend its successful bid to host the 2022 games at all costs.
Last year, the two biggest MLB free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, didn't sign until late February. This year, the stove has heated back up — and super agent Scott Boras is reaping the rewards.
By the numbers: Boras has already negotiated four deals this winter worth a total of $878 million, which puts $43.9 million in his pocket (he gets 5%, per NY Post).
