PRESS BOX: Packers make Matthews rich; NASCAR hammers Penske teams
Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews signed a contract extension on Wednesday reported to be for five years and $66 million.
Matthews confirmed the news by tweeting a picture of himself signing the contract, which runs through the 2018 season. The team followed with an announcement.
In 55 starts since he was the Packers' first-round draft pick in 2009, Matthews has 42 1/2 sacks, including 10 last season.
According to NFL.com, the deal will make Matthews the league's highest-paid linebacker, and reportedly includes more than $40 million in guaranteed money.
The Packers next begin work on a long-term contract for QB Aaron Rodgers.
AUTOS: Penske Racing teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano were each stripped of 25 points in the Sprint Cup standings after technical violations with their cars were uncovered before the start of last Saturday's race at Texas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR fined Keselowski's and Logano's respective crew chiefs, Paul Wolfe and Todd Gordon, $100,000 and were each suspended from competition for six races.
In addition, Keselowski's car chief Jerry Kelley, team engineer Brian Wilson and Penske competition director Travis Geisler were suspended for six races. Logano's car chief Raymond Fox and team engineer Samuel Stanley also were suspended for six weeks.
Also, all penalized Penske team members were placed on probation until Dec. 31.
The Penske penalties resulted from the rear-end housings failing pre-race inspection. The issue stemmed from NASCAR-mandated approval of the suspension systems and its parts.
Martin Truex's team, Michael Waltrip Racing, won't appeal its penalty after Truex finished second in the race behind Kyle Busch and his car was found to be too low in post-race inspection. Truex lost six championship points while crew chief Chad Johnston was fined $25,000 and placed on probation through June 5.
NHL: The NHL suspended Montreal Canadiens forward Ryan White for five games without pay for his illegal check on Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Kent Huskins during Monday night's game, the league's department of player safety announced Wednesday.
The suspension will result White losing $18,581.10 based on his contract, but he will be able to return for Montreal's regular-season finale.
White received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head in the first period. Huskins had passed the puck when White hit Huskins in the chin with a shoulder. Huskins suffered a concussion on the play.
CFB: Florida State released quarterback Clint Trickett from his scholarship to allow him to transfer to another school.
Trickett, who will graduate in May but has one year of eligibility remaining, was battling with sophomore Jacob Coker and freshmen Jameis Winston and Sean Maguire to replace departed E.J. Manuel as the starter.
Trickett started two games as an injury replacement for Manuel in 2011, He threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns in a game against Clemson. Last season, Trickett was Manuel's backup.
WCBK: A discrimination and assault lawsuit filed against Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma, the NBA and USA Basketball has been dismissed.
New York Supreme Court Justice Cynthia Kern said in a ruling that New York courts do not have jurisdiction because Auriemma lives in Connecticut.
The lawsuit was filed in June 2012 in state court in Manhattan by Kelley Hardwick, the NBA's director of security and a former New York police detective. Hardwick said in the suit that she was removed from the security detail for the USA women's basketball team at the London Olympics and that she also had resisted sexual advances by Auriemma, the coach of the U.S. team, during a trip to Russia in 2009.
Hardwick acknowledged that she was reinstated to the national team's security duty, but she argued that she had fewer responsibilities. She also contended that Auriemma screamed at her in front of the team.
Auriemma has denied the allegations.
Hardwick's attorney, Randolph McLaughlin, appealed the ruling to the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division.