Monday's Sports in Brief
PRO FOOTBALL
LAKE FOREST, Illinois (AP) — Star receiver Alshon Jeffery was suspended for four games without pay for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, the latest staggering blow for the reeling Chicago Bears.
Jeffery posted on Twitter that he took a supplement for inflammation containing a substance banned by the league.
"I take full responsibility and I'm deeply upset with myself for not doing the proper research on this supplement," he wrote. "I want to apologize to my family, the Bears organization, my teammates, and Bears fans."
His suspension was another dose of bad news for a team that lost several players to injuries in an embarrassing 36-10 loss at Tampa Bay that left the Bears with a 2-7 record. Now, they will have to get by without arguably their best player, starting with Sunday's game at the New York Giants.
PRO HOCKEY
GLENDALE, Arizona (AP) — When the city of Glendale backed out of an arena lease deal with the Arizona Coyotes last year, it put the future of the franchise in doubt yet again.
Turns out, Glendale may have done the Coyotes a favor.
The Coyotes announced a proposal to build a 16,000-seat arena near Arizona State University's main campus by 2019, a deal that would put the team in the heart of the Phoenix area's population and financial center.
The new arena will be on a 58-acre parcel within Arizona State's Athletic Facilities District, less than two miles from campus. The NHL arena will include an attached 4,000-seat multi-sport arena that would be used for Coyotes practices as well as by ASU athletics and youth hockey teams.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
JEFFERSON CITY, Tennessee (AP) — Carson-Newman coach Ken Sparks has retired, ending a 37-season career in which he won 338 games to rank fifth on the NCAA's all-time list.
"It's been an unbelievable journey," Sparks said during a news conference at the athletic complex that has been named after him.
The only coaches with more career wins are John Gagliardi (489), Joe Paterno (409), Eddie Robinson (408) and Bobby Bowden (377). Sparks went 338-99-2 and had the most wins of any active coach.
Sparks, 72, had continued coaching even after announcing in 2012 that he had cancer. Sparks said Monday that he was "at peace" and indicated his health issues played a role in his decision to retire now.
SOCCER
COMMERCE CITY, Colorado (AP) — Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard will undergo season-ending surgery Thursday for an injury he sustained in last week's World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Mexico.
Howard will miss the Rapids' appearance in the MLS conference championship against Seattle this month.
Howard was diagnosed with a right adductor injury. He is expected to be sidelined four months.
Surgery is set for Thursday in Los Angeles by Dr. Michael B. Gerhardt.
OTHER
SEATTLE (AP) — Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is joining the investment group looking to build a new NBA/NHL arena in Seattle's stadium district.
Lead investor Chris Hansen said Wilson is "a young, smart and passionate entrepreneur," and is joining the group as a business partner.
Hansen's been the primary investor in the project, with members of the Nordstrom family and former Seattle SuperSonics team president and minority owner Wally Walker also part of the investment group.
Hansen last month announced his intention to privately finance the proposed project in exchange for tax breaks.
The city has acknowledged Hansen's intent while also opening a request for proposals for a possible renovation of KeyArena, the former home of the SuperSonics. The proposals are due in early 2017.
