Press Box: Colorado suspends two players, one leaves

CFB

--Colorado suspended wide receivers Jeffrey Thomas and DaVaughn Thornton and a third player, linebacker Jermane Clark, left the program voluntarily after being involved in an air gun incident Saturday.

Thomas and Thornton were in separate cars pulled over and surrounding by 10 Bounder police officers who were responding to reports of a gunman pointing a weapon at another car.

Players were reportedly hostile when forced from their cars at gunpoint. No players were arrested or cited in the incident that involved six other players.

Coach Jon Embree said Thomas and Thornton were suspended for the first two games of the season, against Colorado State and Sacramento State.

"For the most part, our players, with an exception here or there, have done a great job of trying to be the type of citizens that we want and that we want our fans to be proud of," he said. "I know no charges were filed and any of that, but at the end of the day, we don't behave that way. There is no gray area when you behave like those guys behaved. They've been punished appropriately."

--Miami (Fla.) senior safety Ray-Ray Armstrong is in the process of filing an injunction in an attempt to be allowed to return to the Hurricanes' football team for the 2012 season.

He was suspended by coach Al Golden without explanation last month, less than a week after the NFL supplemental draft was held and only a few weeks before fall practice began at Miami.

Armstrong's attorney, Matt Morgan, told the Sun Sentinel that he plans to argue the university caused irreparable harm to Armstrong's NFL prospects with the timing of the suspension.

Armstrong is allowed to remain on scholarship but cannot practice or take part in team activities. Miami also cleared him to transfer without restriction.

Morgan said the school suspended Armstrong only to appease NCAA investigators inquiring about details of Armstrong posting pictures on Twitter of a dinner with a PR firm tied to other professional athletes, a possible violation for accepting impermissible benefits and contact with agency representatives.

--West Virginia and head coach Dana Holgorsen have agreed to a new contract that will span at least the next six seasons.

CBSSports.com reported the new deal is through 2017.

Holgorsen led the Mountaineers to a 10-3 record and a 70-33 blowout of Clemson in the Orange Bowl. It was Holgorsen's first season as head coach, and West Virginia's last in the Big East.

The former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator, recognized as a mastermind of the spread offense, was hired to serve in the same position last season at West Virginia with a coach-in-waiting title. But instead of waiting to become head coach in 2012, Holgorsen replaced Bill Stewart in June 2011, who allegedly asked members of the media to dig up details of alcohol-related incidents involving Holgorsen to use against the coach.

Stewart, who replaced Rich Rodriguez, died of a sudden heart attack at age 59 in May.

Holgorsen's contract included an escalator to $1.4 million for last season, when he became head coach. Athletic director Oliver Luck said in July that he and agent Jeff Nalley were in talks aimed toward securing Holgorsen for the long term.

NASCAR

As NASCAR free agents go, none would be more coveted than 22-year-old rising star Joey Logano.

Currently in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, Logano wants a full-time Sprint Cup schedule that currently isn't on the table from JGR. He does have an offer to remain with the team -- despite its insistence that it hoped Logano would retire as a team member -- and his pending offer from his current employer is dependent upon finding a lead sponsor.

"I've got a couple of offers," Logano said Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, adding that he's in the process of sorting through what will be best for him. "What's going to give me the most trophies and win the most races out of?"

Logano said the next few days will be critical in his decision to sign with a team for next season and beyond, but he wouldn't touch rampant speculation that his best offer was from Penske Racing. The No. 22 car was vacated by AJ Allmendinger, who was suspended by NASCAR in July and released following by Penske after his "B" sample came back positive. Allmendinger, who said Tuesday he tested positive after a one-time use of prescription Adderall, will not return to Penske if he is eligible.

Logano drives the No. 20 Toyota for Gibbs and multiple reports have Matt Kenseth jumping from Roush Fenway Racing to replace Logano in 2013. Kenseth announced in June that he had a deal in place already to leave the No. 17 Ford, which he has driven for all but one of his career starts, but per terms of his contract the deal cannot be announced until the end of August.