Sports briefs
Polamalu, Faneca are HOF finalists
Reggie Wayne and Troy Polamalu are among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s modern-day 2020 class.
The former Colts receiver and Steelers safety are joined by five others who have never been finalists: Packers safety LeRoy Butler; Rams receiver Torry Holt; Panthers linebacker Sam Mills; Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas; and 49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young.
They are joined by past finalists Broncos/Jets safety Steve Atwater; Jaguars tackle Tony Boselli; Rams/49ers receiver Isaac Bruce; Steelers/Jets/Cardinals guard Alan Faneca; Seahawks/Vikings/Titans guard Steve Hutchinson; Colts/Cardinals/Seahawks running back Edgerrin James; Buccaneers/Broncos safety John Lynch; and Patriots/Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour.
These 15 will be considered for selection on Feb. 1 in Miami. A player must receiver 80% of votes from the selection committee. A maximum of five modern-day players can be chosen.
Lynch, now the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, is a finalist for the seventh time. Faneca is a fifth-time finalist, while Boselli, Bruce and James are in their fourth year making the finals. Atwater and Hutchinson have done so three times, Seymour twice.
The class of 2020 will be introduced Feb. 1.
Dukes win A-10 opener
Marcus Weathers scored 26 points on 8-of-10 shooting and Tavian Dunn-Martin scored 21 points off the bench to lead Duquesne past Saint Louis 73-59 on Thursday night.
In an Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both teams, the Dukes (11-2) used a 16-6 run to after halftime for a 13-point lead with 13:33 remaining. Terrence Hargrove Jr. made a pair of layups to bring St. Louis (11-3) to within four points on two occasions but they never got closer.
Weathers made 9 of 12 from the foul line, Dunn-Martin made 5 of 10 from 3-point range and Sincere Carry scored 12.
Jordan Goodwin scored 14 for Saint Louis and Hargrove scored 11.
Yankees’ German to miss first 63 games
New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán will miss the first 63 games of the 2020 season as part of an 81-game ban for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
The league announced the suspension Thursday. Germán has agreed not to appeal.
Germán was put on administrative leave on Sept. 19 while MLB investigated an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, with whom he has at least one child. He missed the final nine games of the 2019 regular season and all nine of New York’s postseason games. Those missed games will count toward his ban.
The right-hander was the Yankees’ winningest pitcher last season, going 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 24 starts.
Cincinnati routs BC
Desmond Ridder ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns and threw a scoring pass to lead No. 23 Cincinnati to a 38-6 victory over Boston College on Thursday in the weather-delayed Birmingham Bowl.
The Bearcats (11-3) reached 11 wins for the second straight season and fourth in program history, bouncing back from two straight losses to No. 15 Memphis.
The Eagles (6-7) were outgained 459-164 in total yards to finish a turbulent postseason. Coach Steve Addazio was fired after seven seasons and star tailback A.J. Dillon declared for the NFL draft and skipped the bowl game.
The game was interrupted by a weather delay of about 1 1/2 hours midway through the first quarter.