Sports shorts: Ex-MLB star Carl Crawford arrested on assault charge
College Basketball
NCAA hits Oklahoma St with postseason ban in corruption case
Oklahoma State has become the first school to be punished by the NCAA in the fallout from the federal corruption investigation into college basketball. The school plans to fight — and likely won't be the only one.
The Cowboys' men's basketball team was banned from the upcoming postseason among numerous penalties handed down Friday by an NCAA infractions committee panel, which found that former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepted up to $22,000 in bribes intended to help steer athletes to certain financial advisers.
That ruling made Oklahoma State the first to make its way fully through the infractions system, ahead of schools like Kansas, North Carolina State, Louisville, South Carolina and Southern California. Some of those cases have already had contentious exchanges signaling the schools were ready to fight.
That list now includes Oklahoma State, which vowed to appeal after being “stunned by the severity of the penalties."
Baseball
Ex-MLB star Carl Crawford arrested on assault charge
Former Major League Baseball star Carl Crawford has been arrested after his former girlfriend accused him of assaulting her during an argument over a man she had begun dating.
An arrest affidavit filed Wednesday by Houston police states that the ballplayer-turned-record producer went to the home of Gabriele Washington on May 8, produced a handgun from which he unloaded the ammunition in her presence, then demanded information on her latest dating relationship.
Washington told investigators Crawford pushed her to the floor, slammed her head against a wall and choked her. Crawford is free on $50,000 bond.
When her year-old daughter walked up, she distracted Crawford, who is her father, and Washington ran to call police. Crawford then fled but followed up with threatening cellphone texts to Washington, according to the affidavit.
A message to his attorney, Rusty Hardin, seeking comment was not returned immediately.
The incident happened a week before a 5-year-old boy and a woman drowned in the backyard pool at Crawford's Houston home.
From Houston, the 38-year-old Crawford was a four-time All-Star outfielder. He last played in the major leagues in 2016 with the Dodgers.
Golf
With governor's approval, Memorial Tournament to have fans
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine approved a plan for Muirfield Village Golf Club to have at least some fans for the Memorial in July, which would make it the first PGA Tour event with a crowd since the tour was shut down March 13 by the coronavirus.
DeWine announced the decision Friday. He said on Twitter that casinos, racinos, amusement parks and water parks will be able to open on June 19.
“In addition, we received safety plans for the Memorial Golf Tournament to be held July 13-19,” he wrote. “We are approving that plan.”
The PGA Tour resumes its schedule next week at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. That is to be followed by the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, the Travelers Championship in Connecticut and the Rocket Mortage Classic in Detroit. The tour said the opening four events would not have spectators.
The John Deere Classic was the first possibility for fans until it decided last week to cancel this year's event. It was replaced by another tournament, also to be held at Muirfield Village, only without spectators.