Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo: ‘Luxury tax wasn’t meant to be a wage

MESA, Ariz. – The query to Kyle Schwarber about how cash modifications folks wasn’t even completed when a primary baseman with rabbit ears piped in from 4 lockers away Wednesday morning. “Money talks,” Anthony Rizzo mentioned. If that wasn’t a tone-setter for the beginning of Cubs spring coaching, think about it not less than one other voice in a rising refrain of gamers important of the sport’s financial squeeze on salaries — and extra centered on upcoming collective bargaining negotiations than gamers have been in a technology. “I think the luxury tax wasn’t meant to be a salary cap, and teams are treating it like that,” Rizzo advised the Sun-Times. “Are you sacrificing winning a championship

Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson Wasn’t Thrilled By Brad

Brad Marchand largely was on his finest conduct within the first spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One sport into the second spherical, nevertheless, and it looks like the Boston Bruins agitator may be as much as his outdated tips. Marchand appeared way more prepared to get somewhat nasty Thursday night time through the Bruins’ 3-2 time beyond regulation win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The All-Star winger might be seen chirping at occasions after the whistle, however his most notable interplay got here with CBJ winger Cam Atkinson in OT. As the 2 gamers jockeyed for place on a neutral-zone faceoff, Marchand stepped on Atkinson’s stick blade. The blade broke, and Atkinson

Tigers’ Ron Gardenhire Wasn’t Amused By Red Sox Fans’ Cell Phone Light Show

Tigers’ Ron Gardenhire Wasn’t Amused By Red Sox Fans’ Cell Phone Light Show

Red Sox manager Alex Cora found humor in fans at Fenway Park shining their cell phone lights Wednesday night while the Tigers batted in the seventh inning of Boston’s 7-1 win over Detroit. Tigers skipper Ron Gardenhire wasn’t as amused by the fans’ antics, though, and wondered after the game why the umpires didn’t intervene sooner. “You ever tried to hit with a light like that in your face? It’s not supposed to happen,” Gardenhire told reporters, per ESPN.com. “The umpires should have, in my opinion, stopped it right away. They see it happen — it’s right in dead center field. “The fans are just having fun. I get it. But ... NESN.com

Dean Blandino: DeflateGate Wasn’t A Sting; PSI In Footballs Weren’t Logged

PHOENIX — It’s Walt Anderson’s word against the New England Patriots’. The NFL has no proof that the NFL referee checked the PSI in the Patriots’ footballs prior to the AFC Championship Game, the league’s VP of officiating Dean Blandino told a group of reporters after a news conference Thursday. NFL officials don’t log the PSI in footballs. They either approve them or disapprove them. “We did review what happened pregame, and from everything that we reviewed and all the information we had, the balls were properly tested prior to the game,” Blandino responded during the news conference when asked if the NFL had proof beyond taking ...