Sports briefs
Former 1st-round pick files $180M suit
Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd has filed a lawsuit against famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews and several other parties for alleged negligence during a 2016 knee surgery that caused career-ending complications, seeking at least $180 million for potentially lost earnings.
Brad Sohn, an attorney for Floyd, confirmed the complaint was filed in Orlando, Florida, in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court for Orange County. Sohn said he believes the case can be made for damages exceeding $200 million, when projecting career contract values for the NFL’s premier defensive tackles.
Floyd carried that potential, but he played in only 44 games, the last Sept. 11, 2016.
Floyd was drafted by the Vikings out of Florida with the 23rd overall pick in 2013, and he became a full-time starter in his second season. Floyd missed three games in 2015 for cartilage cleanup in his left knee, which continued to bother him the following training camp. After playing in the 2016 season opener, Floyd needed a similar arthroscopic operation on the right knee.
During that surgery, Sohn said, doctors determined a more comprehensive procedure was necessary to help stimulate regrowth of Floyd’s cartilage. After drilling into the knee bone, a post-operation pain blocker was injected into the nerve.
Floyd’s leg never fully recovered enough to be able to return to the field. He was placed on the non-football injury list before the 2017 season, after which his rookie contract expired.
Jets’ Darnold injured
Sam Darnold could be headed for the sideline this week – and maybe longer.
The New York Jets rookie quarterback has a strained right foot, coach Todd Bowles announced Wednesday, leaving Darnold’s status for the team’s game Sunday against Buffalo in doubt.
Bowles said it was too early to rule out Darnold for the game, and clarified that the injury was a strain – not a sprain, contrary to published reports.
Darnold was surprisingly wearing a boot on his foot at the start of practice Wednesday, and watched in sweats and a green Jets cap as McCown and Davis Webb, currently on the practice squad, threw passes in individual drills.
In college basketball
Kaleb Wesson scored 15 points, and C.J. Jackson hit a driving bank shot and a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds Wednesday night as Ohio State held on for a 64-56 victory over Cincinnati, spoiling the Bearcats’ return to their on-campus arena.
The Bearcats (0-1) played last season at Northern Kentucky University – losing only once – while their on-campus arena underwent a 20-month, $87 million renovation. They held a pregame celebration – former Bearcat star Kenyon Martin roused the crowd of 12,012 with a dunk – but couldn’t make a shot when it counted.
In the NBA
Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 28 points in replacing injured star Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 95-86 on Wednesday night.Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 28 points in replacing injured star Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 95-86 Wednesday night.
Westbrook sprained his left ankle Monday, but the Thunder withstood Cleveland’s fourth-quarter run without the two-time MVP to win its sixth straight game after starting the season 0-4.
- Andre Drummond had 23 points and 19 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 103-96 to snap a five-game losing streak. Blake Griffin added 20 points, Reggie Jackson had 15, and Stanley Johnson 13.