Russian Olympic gold medalist swimmer Evgeny Rylov has been banned from competition for nine months after appearing at a rally in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Driving the news: FINA, swimming's international governing body, said in a statement Thursday that Rylov was suspended "from all competitions and activities organized or sanctioned by FINA" for nine months.
Referees often get an earful from fans and players, but the behavior has gotten so bad in youth sports that they're now quitting en masse.
State of play: 50,000 high school referees (roughly 20% of the nationwide total) quit between 2018 and 2021, per the National Federation of State High School Associations, NYT reports.
Jersey advertisements have long evaded the Big Four leagues, but that valuable real estate has become too tempting to ignore.
Driving the news: The Padres on Tuesday became the first MLB team to announce a jersey patch sponsor, signing a multi-year deal with Motorola reportedly worth $10 million annually.
Jay Wright stunned the college basketball world on Wednesday, announcing his retirement after 21 seasons, 520 wins, two national championships and four Final Fours at Villanova.
Why it matters: Wright leaves at the top of his profession. He was the fifth-highest paid coach this past season ($6+ million) and guided the Wildcats to the Final Four just three weeks ago.
Thirteen sexual assault survivors abused by USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar have filed claims against the FBI totaling $130 million.
State of play: Lawyers for the survivors said the FBI failed "to properly investigate sexual abuse allegations" against Nassar. His victims as a result suffered "continued physical trauma and abuse, subsequent mental anguish, and emotional trauma," per the lawyers.
