Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 PM EST on Wednesday, March 25
March 25 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 PM ET on Wednesday: - - - - The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427 - - - - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Goodell discusses L.A., Deflategate PHOENIX - NFL owners meetings wrapped at the Biltmore with Roger Goodell's news conference, where the hot topics were Los Angeles and proposed rules changes. (FBN-NEWS/GOODELL, expect by 3 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Howard Balzer, 750-850 words) - - Blandino outlines rules changes Vice president of officiating Dean Blandino discusses changes and proposals from the NFL owners meetings. (FBN-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 375 words) - - Buccaneers leaning Winston at No. 1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith says the team has a leader for the No. 1 overall pick in Jameis Winston, but cautions not to call a winner until the game is over. (FBN-BUCCANEERS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 425 words) - - Zimmer: Vikings have no plans to trade Peterson Running back Adrian Peterson is not long for the Minnesota Vikings, if you ask his agent, Ben Dogra. Coach Mike Zimmer tells another story on the final day of NFL owners meetings. (FBN-VIKINGS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 437 words) - - Cowboys not worried about WR Bryant's deal Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not worried star wide receiver Dez Bryant remains unsigned. Bryant has yet to sign his franchise tag, guaranteeing him $12.7 million in 2015, but Jones said at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix that he is confident Bryant will be under contract before the season starts. (FBN-COWBOYS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 377 words) - - Packers Pro Bowl WR Nelson had hip surgery Pro Bowl wide receiver Jordy Nelson had hip surgery following the Pro Bowl, coach Mike McCarthy says. (FBN-PACKERS-NEWS/, expect by 5 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - NFL roundup News and notes from around the league. (FBN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 7:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Bulls' Rose pain-free, eyes return before playoffs Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose says he feels pain-free in his surgically repaired knee and remains optimistic for a return before the regular season ends. (BKN-BULLS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 335 words) - - Clippers and Hornets to play two pre-season games in China The Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers will play two pre-season games in China, including a first visit to Shenzhen, as part of the league's Global Games China 2015 program. (NBA-CHINA/, moved, 229 words) - - TSX covers all NBA games, highlighted matchup below - - Oklahoma City at San Antonio SAN ANTONIO, Texas - MVP contender Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder (41-30), clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Wester Conference, head to the land of the Alamo to visit the defending champion San Antonio Spurs (44-26), a club that's lost to OKC six straight times. (BKN-SPURS-THUNDER-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after the 9:30 PM ET scheduled tip-off, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Today's NBA schedule at a glance Brooklyn at Charlotte, 7 PM ET (PIX) Los Angeles Clippers at New York, 7 PM ET (PIX) Atlanta at Orlando, 7 PM ET (PIX) Indiana at Washington, 7 PM ET (PIX) Chicago at Toronto, 7 PM ET (PIX) Miami at Boston, 7:30 PM ET (PIX) Cleveland at Memphis, 8 PM ET (PIX) Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota, 8 PM ET (PIX) Houston at New Orleans, 8 PM ET (PIX) Philadelphia at Denver, 9 PM ET (PIX) Portland at Utah, 9 PM ET (PIX) Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 9:30 PM ET (PIX) Sacramento at Phoenix, 10 PM ET (PIX) - - NBA Roundup Roundup of all of the day's action in the NBA. (BKN-ROUNDUP/, running copy beginning with the end of the first game of the day, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - NBA Notebook The latest moves and news from the NBA. (BKN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - - - COLLEGE BASKETBALL UK, Calipari shoot to break Huggins' hold John Calipari is undefeated over almost 12 months of basketball, but the Kentucky coach is just 2-8 against Bob Huggins in their coaching careers. Does West Virginia hold an edge? (BKC-KENTUCKY-WESTVIRGINIA-NOTEBOOK/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 600 words) - - - - GOLF Spieth and Johnson head strong field in San Antonio American world No. 6 Jordan Spieth and his ninth-ranked compatriot Dustin Johnson head a strong field at the TPC San Antonio for this week's Texas Open. We preview the PGA Tour event won last year by Australian Steven Bowditch. (GOLF-PGA/PREVIEW (PIX), expect by 6 PM ET, 350 words) - - Woods confident of 2016 Ryder Cup spot, says captain Love LONDON - Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods expects to be challenging for a place on the U.S. team for next year's Ryder Cup, according to skipper Davis Love III. (GOLF-WOODS/RYDER, moved, 253 words) - - - - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Toronto Blue Jays spring report Checking in on the Toronto Blue Jays from spring training. (BBO-BLUEJAYS-NEWS/, expect by 8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 450 words) - - New York Yankees spring report A spring training snapshot from New York Yankees camp. (BBO-YANKEES-NEWS/, expect by 8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Boston Red Sox spring report A spring training snapshot from Boston Red Sox camp. (BBO-REDSOX-NEWS/, expect by 8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Tampa Bay Rays spring report A spring training snapshot from Tampa Bay Rays camp. (BBO-RAYS-NEWS/, expect by 8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE - - TSX covers all NHL games, highlighted matchup below - - Chicago at Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA - The Chicago Blackhawks, 9-2-1 in their last 12 games and sitting five points behind the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Central Division, visit the Philadelphia Flyers, a club that's stumbling down the stretch and is 11 points out of a playoff spot. (HKN-BLACKHAWKS-FLYERS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after the 8 PM ET scheduled start, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Today's NHL schedule at a glance Chicago at Philadelphia, 8 PM ET (PIX) Colorado at Edmonton, 8 PM ET (PIX) Dallas at Calgary, 10 PM ET (PIX) - - NHL roundup Running capsule recaps of all the games on the NHL schedule. (HKN-ROUNDUP/, expect first version ASAP after 8 PM ET games end, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - NHL Notebook The latest moves and news from the NHL. (HKN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) See also: Rangers G Lundqvist to return as backup (HKN-RANGERS-NEWS/) - - - - SOCCER MLS names Minnesota as newest expansion team Minnesota United, a club that's competed in the second-tier North American Soccer League since 2010, is officially confirmed as the next Major League Soccer expansion team. (SOCCER-MLS/MINNESOTA (UPDATE 2, PIX), moved, by Simon Evans, 438 words) - - - - FIGURE SKATING Canadians steal spotlight from Chinese lovebirds North America rules on the first day of the world championships after Canadian pair Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford produce a flawless skate to steal the spotlight from Chinese stalwarts Pang Qing and Tong Jian. (FIGURE SKATING/WORLD (PIX), moved, 441 words) - - - - TRACK & FIELD Bolt to return to U.S. for New York race in June Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt will make his first appearance in the United States in five years when he competes in the Adidas Grand Prix Diamond League meeting in New York City on June 13. (ATHLETICS-BOLT/, moved, 279 words) See also: LONDON - The world governing body for track appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over punishments handed out by Russia's anti-doping agency to six of its athletes. (ATHLETICS-IAAF/APPEAL) - - - - JURISPRUDENCE EX-Philadelphia sportscaster faces 37 years prison PHILADELPHIA - A former Philadelphia sportscaster faces up to 37 years in prison at his sentencing after being convicted of using unregistered charities and non-existent tickets to sporting events to scam people out of money. (USA-CRIME/SPORTSCASTER, expect by 2:30 PM ET, 300 words) - - Boston bombing jury sees fuse, debris from suspect's apartment BOSTON - The Boston Marathon bombing jury sees evidence, including a fuse and a piece from a pressure-cooker lid, seized at the apartment where accused bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his other brother lived. (BOSTON BOMBINGS-TRIAL/ UPDATE 1), moved; will be led, by Scott Malone, 500 words) - - - - TENNIS ATP/WTA: Miami Open, Miami (to April 5) MIAMI - Play gets underway at the Miami Masters where later this week top seed Novak Djokovic begins his attempt to retain the title while four-time finalist Rafael Nadal will be aiming to win the trophy for the first time. Floridian Sloane Stephens, the world's 42nd-ranked player, faces Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer tonight. (TENNIS-MIAMI/ (PIX), by Simon Evans, 400 words) - - - - OLYMPICS Munich would have been awarded 2022 Games 'on silver platter' BERLIN - Munich would have easily defeated Beijing and Almaty in the race to stage the 2022 Winter Olympics if they had gone ahead with a bid, according to German sports chief Alfons Hoermann. (OLYMPICS-MUNICH/, MOVED, 253 WORDS) See also: Canoeist Cal, Spain's most decorated Olympian, retires. (OLYMPICS-SPAIN/CAL) - - - - MOTOR CYCLING Pro motorcycle rider Westby dies in Tulsa street crash OKLAHOMA CITY - Professional motorcycle racer Dane Westby, 28, is killed in a Tulsa, Okla., street crash when the motorcycle he was riding jumps a curb and hits a concrete wall and utility pole. Westby was a rising star on the AMA Pro Racing circuit. (USA-OKLAHOMA/WESTBY, moved, 133 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (Expect by 8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
