Sports briefs
Kaepernick case sent to trial
An arbitrator is sending Colin Kaepernick’s grievance with the NFL to trial, denying the league’s request to throw out the quarterback’s claims owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his protests of social injustice.
Kaepernick’s lawyer Mark Geragos tweeted a picture Thursday of a ruling by arbitrator Stephen B. Burbank.
The former 49ers quarterback argues owners have colluded to keep him off any NFL roster since he hit free agency in 2017.
Kaepernick began a wave of protests by NFL players two seasons ago, kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. The protests have grown into one of the most polarizing issues in sports, with President Donald Trump loudly urging the league to suspend or fire players who demonstrate during the anthem.
Kaepernick contends the owners violated their collective bargaining agreement with players by conspiring to keep him off of teams.
The case hinges on whether owners worked together rather than decided individually to not sign Kaepernick.
A similar grievance is still pending by unsigned safety Eric Reid, who played with Kaepernick in San Francisco and joined in the protests.
Warriors’
West retires
David West, a key big man off the bench for the Golden State Warriors’ past two championship seasons, has retired.
West’s Twitter announcement Thursday – one day after his 38th birthday – wasn’t a surprise as he made it clear he would take some time after the team’s latest title run to contemplate calling it a career. He left the Spurs following the 2015-16 season for a chance to chase a championship with the Warriors, and wound up winning his first career title and then a second one this past June.
He averaged 13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists over a 15-year career with New Orleans, Indiana, San Antonio and the Warriors.
In golf
Kramer Hickok shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the DAP Championship in Beechwood, Ohio, the second of four Web.com Tour Finals events that will determine 25 PGA Tour cards.
Hickok had eight birdies and a bogey at Canterbury Golf Club. The 26-year-old former Texas player already earned a PGA Tour card with a 23rd-place finish on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list. He was the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada player of the year last season.
Justin Hueber was a stroke back, and Adam Schenk, Stephan Jaeger and Eric Axley shot 66. Defending champion Nicholas Lindheim and five-time PGA Tour winner Ben Crane topped the group at 67.
Steve Wheatcroft of Washington is tied for 51st after shooting even-par 70.
- Jeff Wilson became the first medalist in 31 years to win the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, beating defending champion Sean Knapp 2 and 1 at Eugene Country Club In Eugene, Ore.
The 55-year-old Wilson, a car dealership owner from Fairfield, Calif., won his first USGA title. He won the 13th, 14th and 15th holes to take a 2-up lead and ended the match with a par halve on the par-4 17th.
The 56-year-old Knapp, from Oakmont, was trying to become the first back-to-back champion since William C. Campbell in 1979-1980.
- Marina Alex matched the Columbia Edgewater course record with a 10-under 62 Thursday to take a two-stroke lead over Brooke Henderson and Minjee Lee in the Cambia Portland Classic.
Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 28-year-old Alex birdied the last four holes and five of the last six in a back-nine 30.