Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo among five female soccer players to file wage complaint against U.S. Soccer

The Women's World Cup champions are calling out their own federation.

Five leading stars of the United States women's national team announced Thursday on NBC's "Today" show that they have filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against U.S. Soccer, claiming wage discrimination relative to the men's national team.

"I think the timing is right," co-captain and reigning world player of the year Carli Lloyd told Matt Lauer on the show. "I think that we've proven our worth over the years. Just coming off of a [2015 Women's] World Cup win, the pay disparity between the men and women is just too large. And we want to continue to fight."

Becky Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo and Carli Lloyd.

The four other players in the filing, which requests an investigation into U.S. Soccer, are goalkeeper Hope Solo, striker Alex Morgan, playmaker Megan Rapinoe and central defender and co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn.

They believe that the women's national team, which enjoys a national popularity that often exceeds the men's in the mainstream, drives far more revenue to the U.S. Soccer Federation than they are compensated for. The trouble is, as laid out in a recent investigation by the New York Daily News, the financial constructions that channel those incomes are so tousled that there's no telling what money is brought in by the women and how much of it by the men. The women say they have been stonewalled by the federation in their attempts to see the financial statements for themselves.

The players point to the vast disparity in performance bonuses. Indeed, the men's team received more – a shared $2.5 million just for reaching the World Cup – than the women did for winning the entire thing ($1.8 million). A similar gap exists in all other bonuses as well – the men sometimes collect 10 times more for winning a friendly than the women do. The matter, however, is more complex than that. The women, unlike the men, also draw a full-time salary from the federation of up to $72,000, not including up to hundreds of thousands in bonuses they typically collect, a baseline guarantee the men don't enjoy. They are also compensated by the federation for participating in the National Women's Soccer League.

But the men's top earners tend to exceed the women's most years. And while U.S. Soccer deserves credit for investing heavily in the women's program for many years when it was a loss leader, the women argue that they are now being short-changed.

"We have been quite patient over the years with the belief that the Federation would do the right thing and compensate us fairly," Lloyd said in a statement released to The New York Times.

"The numbers speak for themselves," Solo added. "We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships, and the USMNT get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships."

	Danny Page @DannyPage
To head off "But do the women bring in equal revenues?" bros: Yes. In FY2017 USWNT will pull in $8M more than USMNT: pic.twitter.com/Iof0ZCLCOb 4:50 AM - 31 Mar 2016

The action comes just months before the women will attempt to win a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. And it further escalates the standoff with U.S. Soccer over their working conditions. In December, the women refused to play in one of the friendlies scheduled in a nationwide tour to celebrate the World Cup victory. They argued that the field in Hawaii was subpar, the day after Rapinoe tore her ACL on a poor practice field. U.S. Soccer acknowledged its mistake and apologized.

But within a few months, the two sides had filed a suit and counter-suit against each other over the players' right to strike. The players and the federation are hashing out a new collective bargaining agreement after the last one expired in 2012. While the federation argues that the memorandum of understanding both parties have been working under since then conserves the no-strike clause from the original CBA, the players counter that it does not, because it isn't specified. When the players, through their representative, wouldn't rule out a strike, U.S. Soccer sued to pre-empt one and the players counter-sued.

This entire debate rests on a larger question over women's sports: if women generate less money than men, are they entitled to the same pay for the same work? FIFA pays out a good deal more prize money for the men's World Cup than it does for the women's, arguing that the disparity in revenue is vast. Again, the Daily News pointed out that this was presently impossible to verify, and the Women's World Cup drew enormous television ratings stateside, yet FIFA awards a Women's World Cup-winning team $2 million. When Germany won the men's World Cup in 2014, it collected $35 million.

The women’s national team posits that this entire argument is moot.

"The women have without dispute vastly outperformed the men," their attorney Jeffrey Kessler told the Times, "not just on the playing field but economically for the USSF. The women have generated all the money in comparison with the men."

They just want their fair share. If their complaint is successful, they could be awarded millions in back pay. Meanwhile, U.S. Soccer points to its history of funding the women's game and said through a spokesman that it was "disappointed."

"These women are very disappointed in U.S. soccer,'' Kessler countered to Lauer. "When they asked for the same treatment as the men, they were told it was irrational. Now, that might be a good answer in 1816. It's not acceptable answer in 2016."

Why female players' fight with U.S. Soccer for equal pay is 'much bigger than sports'

They won Olympic gold, they won the World Cup, they won the attention and adulation of their nation, and now they want something else they feel they've earned: equal treatment and equal pay.

Five members of the U.S. women's national soccer team have filed a federal complaint charging U.S. Soccer with wage discrimination. The complaint, first reported by The New York Times on Thursday, argues that the women's team is more of an economic lift for U.S. Soccer, and yet it is still paid less.

"We're on the right side of history," defender Becky Sauerbrunn said on a teleconference Thursday morning. "U.S. Soccer has no justification to pay us what they do."

"While we have not seen this complaint and can't comment on the specifics of it," U.S. Soccer said in a statement, "we are disappointed about this action. We have been a world leader in women's soccer and are proud of the commitment we have made to building the women's game in the United States over the past 30 years."

The players say that although five of them are named – Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Hope Solo – they have the full support of the entire team.

The five are represented by attorney Jeffrey Kessler – who has served as counsel to the NFL Players Association and National Basketball Players Association and previously had Tom Brady as a client in the deflate-gate case – and their complaint was submitted to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination.

Asked if the players had ever considered a work stoppage of some sort, Solo said "all options are available to us," and players are "prepared to take any action."

On the teleconference, the players and Kessler spoke of larger societal forces at play, perhaps a reflection of the recent international debate over equal pay in tennis. Solo said the players "look to women in all walks of life," including Hollywood. Kessler said this is "much bigger than sports."

Although FIFA pays out far more to men's teams than the women, that doesn't mean the numbers are kind to U.S. Soccer. While the men are paid $5,000 for a loss, the women's team members receive $1,350 only if they win. The men's World Cup championship bonus was set at $9.3 million, according to the New York Daily News, while the women's bonus – which they collected – was $1.8 million. This is despite at least one projection that the women are set to bring in more revenue in fiscal year 2017 than the men. The women's national team's championship game last summer was the most watched in U.S. Soccer history. Kessler said the women were "justified to ask for more" than the men, but equal pay was an "easy step" for U.S. Soccer.

Although pay is a primary concern, this is clearly about more than that. Players on the call mentioned coverage of women's sports on ESPN, which Solo said was disproportionately low compared to the amount of women athletes in the U.S. There have also been issues with hotel accommodations. And there is the lingering concern over artificial turf, which was used in the Women's World Cup last summer even though the men have never had to play on the surface in World Cup play.

The complaint not only puts pressure on U.S. Soccer, it also will add a spotlight to the men's team, which has accomplished little on the world stage, relative to the women. There will be questions for the men about whether they deserve to be paid more than the women, and whether they support the women's push for better pay. When asked about feedback from the men's players on this movement, Alex Morgan said, "We'll get back to you."

"We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships and the USMNT get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships," Solo said in a statement.

That discrepancy is likely to widen over the coming months, as the women's team is favored to repeat as Olympic champions in Rio. That may lead to another opportunity for revenue in the form of a victory tour in the latter part of this year and into 2017.

U.S. Soccer is expected to fight back by pointing to collective bargaining, which the women's players agreed to. Although that's certainly a valid retort, the soccer world has clearly changed over the past year. The women's squad is every bit the "America's Team" as the men's side, perhaps more so. And at the very least, the women are refusing to keep quiet over what they feel is prolonged injustice.

These are members of the Title IX generation, and they are not simply happy to be here.

D'Angelo Russell hears the boos and begins his long walk back

Los Angeles Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell spent Wednesday being raked over the coals after mainstream sports media picked up on the public revelation of a video he'd surreptitiously recorded in which teammate Nick Young discusses relationships with women outside of his engagement to musician Iggy Azalea. All manner of takes flew fast and furious, with much of the commentary focusing on the 20-year-old's breach of locker-room decorum and unwritten intra-squad rules — basically, you don't put teammates' personal business out in the street, and you super don't secretly record private conversations about teammates' sex lives, even if you have no intention to make them public and have no idea how they'd ever get out — and the long, difficult road Russell faces as he attempts to regain the trust of his teammates and rehabilitate his reputation in an NBA world that's an awful lot smaller than many might realize.

(And here, before we go any further, is where I say something that should go without saying: while none of us knows the particulars of the relationship between Young and Azalea, cheating on your significant other is a bad thing, and is not something that anyone should condone or support. I find it hard to excuse Russell too much for the consent-free taping that landed him in this mess, but I also find the "bro code"-pounding justification for his public pummeling to be some pretty weak sauce; on that score, The Nation's Dave Zirin has more.)

After apologizing profusely for what he termed a prank gone wrong — first to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, then to a horde of reporters prior to Wednesday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat — Russell began the process of facing the music in public, hearing boos when he was introduced at Staples Center:

	Serena Winters @SerenaWinters
Mixed reviews for D'Angelo Russell's intro in tonight's starting lineups pic.twitter.com/IcdHNmkgVk 7:40 PM - 30 Mar 2016

The chilly reception continued after the opening tip, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes:

When the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft touched the ball for the first time on offense, fans continued to boo. When the former Ohio State standout launched his first shot, a 3-point attempt from the right wing, fans continued to boo. And when Russell stood at the free throw line to complete a three-point play after scoring his first basket, fans continued to boo.

Indeed, it was evident from the outset of the game that he would receive no sympathy from the Lakers' faithful in attendance a day after ESPN reported that a rift had developed between Russell and his teammates when a video that Russell secretly recorded of Nick Young surfaced on social media.

Some fans shouted "Snitch!" and "Traitor!" — calls that were crystal clear for all to hear.

Russell responded by doing the only thing he can do: putting his head down and trying to play through the noise.

He once again struggled with his shot, as he has for most of the past few weeks, finishing just 6-for-19 from the floor. But with the Lakers hanging in against a Heat team that disappointingly played down to the level of its competition, Russell stepped up when it counted, playing tough defense on Dwyane Wade to force a miss on a potential game-winner late in regulation before scoring five quick points to spark the Lakers' offense in OT:

And after fellow young Laker lottery pick Julius Randle made a sweet spin move and canned a short jumper to seal a surprising 102-100 L.A. win over the playoff-bound Heat, there was Russell, joining his teammates in mobbing Randle:

	gifdsports @gifdsports
D'Angelo Russell celebrates with teammates after beating the Heat in OT pic.twitter.com/kJRL8B6JXK 10:08 PM - 30 Mar 2016

	Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers
Dab it out for the #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/tZd9JYG2oi 10:14 PM - 30 Mar 2016

But while an all-too-rare and much-needed victory had Russell and company flashing smiles on the court, after the game, he acknowledged that he's not seeing too many friendly faces right now, and that he doesn't expect to for the foreseeable future:

	Rob Perez @World_Wide_Wob
D'Angelo Russell postgame interview (Part 1) pic.twitter.com/EQumAwAID2 10:40 PM - 30 Mar 2016

	Rob Perez @World_Wide_Wob	22h
	D'Angelo Russell postgame interview (Part 1) pic.twitter.com/EQumAwAID2
	View photo·

	Rob Perez @World_Wide_Wob
D'Angelo Russell postgame interview (Part 2) pic.twitter.com/IvS3eA5Mdu 10:42 PM - 30 Mar 2016

Russell expected boos and insults and worse, and he got them all, and he'll probably continue to get them for at least a while. After the game, Lakers star Kobe Bryant — who knows a thing or two about unflattering footage getting out and about the broiling of intra-team extramarital beef — offered his view on both the incident and how Russell can, and should, proceed in its aftermath:

It's, uh, unfortunate, man. It's tough. I think there's a lot to learn from that, and I'm sure he is. I'm sure he'll evolve, I'm sure he will grow, and I'm sure he'll be better from it. I don't think there's much he can do about it now; outside of the countless apologies, there's not really anything else but just continue to perform, continue to win the trust of his teammates and peers, and onward he goes.

I think the guys [in the locker room] are understanding. I think we're all human beings. I don't think anybody can really hold anybody to strict judgment, because everybody makes mistakes. If we're being honest with ourselves or sincerely self-assessing, I think we'll realize that we've all made mistakes and we've all made massive ones at times. I think the important thing is to show compassion, empathy, and help him grow, and help us grow as a team, as a unit.

I had a chance to talk to him earlier today. All I can do is just, like, do my best Yoda impersonation and just give him that kind of sage advice, I guess, you know. One day pass, this shall. Something like that.

Until that day comes, though, Russell knows he has to keep working to prove that he's learned from his grievous error in judgment, both on and off the court. More from Holmes:

"You can't undo the damage that's been done. All you can do is stay apologetic from your heart and show how much you care and how sorry you are to your teammates for putting them through something like this that really could tear a locker room apart. It's all on me. It's my job to let guys know that I messed up and I've got to bounce back from it."

NCAA mistakenly called South Carolina with tournament invitation

South Carolina was so close to making the NCAA tournament that the team believed for a brief time on Selection Sunday that it was part of the 68-team field.

South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner told WISTV in South Carolina that NCAA officials told the them it was a part of the NCAA tournament at 6:30 p.m.

One problem: the Gamecocks weren't officially part of the tournament.

Oops.

The invitation was a mistake and an official notified South Carolina approximately 10 minutes later to inform the Gamecocks of the error and let the team know it would not be participating. The news of the mistake was first reported by NOLA.com Thursday morning.

"Unfortunately, during the selection show a junior men’s basketball staff member mistakenly sent a text to a member of the University of South Carolina athletics department staff via an app we used for the first time during the 2016 tournament," NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt said in a statement. "The text was supposed to go to all teams, congratulating them for making the tournament. Regrettably, a text meant for another institution went to South Carolina instead.
"While the Gamecocks were given serious consideration, at no time during the selection process was South Carolina voted into the field. Ultimately, they were one of the last four teams left out of the tournament. I take full responsibility for this clerical error and apologize to Coach [Frank] Martin, his staff and team and the entire University of South Carolina community."

While South Carolina didn't get in, one of the final teams in the tournament was fellow SEC member Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost to Wichita State by 20 points in a First Four game and the Shockers went on to upset Arizona in the round of 64. Another USC, the University of Southern California, was also a member of the tournament. Perhaps there was USC confusion on the app.

The mistaken invitation meant an extension of what's now a 12-year absence from the NCAA tournament for South Carolina. The Gamecocks last made the tournament in 2004. That season South Carolina was a No. 10 seed and lost to No. 7 Memphis in the first round. After missing out on the NCAA tournament, South Carolina went to the NIT and lost in the second round to Georgia Tech.

Despite the tournament miss, South Carolina's board of trustees is meeting on Friday and is expected to approve a contract extension for Martin.

Martin has a record of 70-62 in four seasons at South Carolina and has improved the team's SEC record in every season.

Andrew Miller will pitch through hand injury

The New York Yankees aren't about to panic just yet. Reliever Andrew Miller may have a fracture in his non-pitching hand, but that won't prevent him from taking the mound during the regular season. Miller has decided to pitch through the injury rather than go on the disabled list, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.

The news probably comes as a big relief to Yankees fans, as the club was set to open the season without two of its three vaunted relievers. Aroldis Chapman will miss time serving a 30-game suspension after an offseason domestic violence incident. With the 30-year-old Miller also out, that would have left Dellin Betances as the only elite back-end option for New York.

That will no longer be the case. Miller and Betances will again team up to form one of the best late-inning duos in the game. The on field results should only get better once Chapman arrives.

While a hand injury to a pitcher never seems like a good thing, the Yankees escaped without a major issue here. Considering much of their roster construction in the offseason was based on having multiple elite relievers, the club is likely breathing a huge sigh of relief.

 

OTHER SPRING HEADLINES

Benched: Travis Shaw, not Pablo Sandoval, will open the season as the Boston Red Sox's starter at third base. [The Stew]

 

Disappointed: New York Mets ace Matt Harvey is upset some members of the media made fun of his recent health issue. [New York Daily News]

 

Looking good: Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is getting rave reviews from scouts this spring. [New York Post]

 

Made it: After two Tommy John surgeries, reliever Cory Luebke has made the Pittsburgh Pirates opening day roster. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2012. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

 

Don't budge: Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim is resisting being sent to the minors. Kim has a clause in a contract that requires his consent if the club sends him down. The team can either put him on the 25-man roster, or release him. [@Ken_Rosenthal]

 

Get him: The Chicago White Sox are among the teams aggressively pursuing recently released pitcher Miguel Gonzalez. [@ChrisCotillo]

Nate Diaz says UFC babies Conor McGregor, gives him whatever he wants

Nate Diaz has fought 22 times in the UFC against 21 different opponents while compiling a 14-8 mark in the promotion. After each of those eight losses, to Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, Gray Maynard, Dong Hyun Kim, Rory MacDonald, Benson Henderson, Josh Thomson and Rafael dos Anjos, he wanted a chance at revenge.

The only time, though, he got it was when he met Maynard, but it was nearly four years before he got the chance to make amends.

Diaz became animated when asked if he respected Conor McGregor for seeking a rematch against him at the same terms as they were in their bout in UFC 196 on March 5. Diaz submitted McGregor with a rear naked choke in the second round of that fight, leading to a rematch on July 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas which will headline UFC 200.

"It's the biggest fight out there," said Diaz, who has made it clear he only wants big fights.

But Diaz wasn't about to pat his opponent on the back. McGregor is the featherweight champion, which has a limit of 145 pounds, and agreed to fight Diaz at 170 on March 5 after dos Anjos broke a foot and had to pull out just 11 days before the fight.

Diaz isn't thrilled with the questions he's gotten since the rematch was announced Wednesday about McGregor insisting upon the rematch.

Specifically, he's been asked if his respect for McGregor has increased since McGregor demanded a rematch under the same terms he lost at UFC 196.

"[Expletive] no, it doesn't," Diaz said. "[Expletive] no! I'm sick of hearing this shit. Everybody's talking that. Even [UFC president] Dana White is pushing it out there that they admire this. Yeah, 100 percent he wants redemption, but guess what? I've been 100 percent on redeeming myself in every loss I've had. They were like, 'Don't even call. You're not getting a rematch.' It wasn't even a consideration. I don't want to hear any more praise about that [expletive] wanting a rematch. Or course he wants a rematch, which is how you should be if you get your ass whipped by anyone.

"If you don't feel like that, you shouldn't even be in this [expletive] game. Redeem himself? [Expletive] no! He's lucky he's getting a second chance. Me and a lot of other people who have lost before have never gotten that second chance. One and done. Lose a fight and you'll never see that guy again. I wanted 10 rematches and I didn't get those. So [expletive] no. He's like a spoiled little kid. He should be thanking me for this [expletive] rematch."

In the aftermath of UFC 196, White had mentioned Diaz might make a good challenger for welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. And Diaz said he'd brought up a rematch with dos Anjos, who defeated Diaz in 2014.

Dos Anjos now holds the lightweight title and a bout with him would give Diaz the opportunity to avenge that Dec. 13, 2014, defeat as well as give him another crack at the championship. DIaz lost to Henderson for the title in 2012.

He said he mentioned dos Anjos to UFC officials, but got nowhere with it.

"Without a question [I asked for a dos Anjos rematch], but they [expletive] want to baby McGregor," Diaz said. "They give him whatever he wants. I decided I'm not going to hold out like everyone else. I'm going to get down to business, slap this [expletive] and then be on my way and get my rematches."

NHL in Mexico City? Preseason games may head South of Border

OK, let’s just get this out of the way up front: Yes, we imagine they would throw sombreros for a hat trick.

Mexican news agency NOTIMEX is reporting that Mexico City officials have had two meetings with NHL officials about bringing two preseasons games South of the Border, presumably in the 2016-17 season, before President Trump constructs an impenetrable wall forever separating the nations.

The report states that the games would likely be held at Mexico City's Palacio de los Deportes. According to Wikipedia, the stadium seats 17,800 and hosted an NBA regular season game between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks in 1997. If not, there are two convention centers that might be available.

The Dallas Stars don’t appear to be one of the teams the Mexico City officials are interested in, although we imagine the NHL might negotiate on that point. Joaquin de la Garma, president of the Sports Federation of Mexico Ice Hockey, said that the NHL teams that most fans have in Mexico are San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The officials want to play one game on a Friday night and another on Sunday afternoon.

Bill Meltzer took a look at hockey in Mexico for NHL.com in 2010, and it remains a robust niche sport for those who participate. But it’s been growing for over a decade, and perhaps the time is right for the NHL to bring an exhibition series there.

If nothing else, we’ll finally have an appropriate venue for the Taco Cannon.

Philadelphia's apology to Jackie Robinson is long overdue

It’s been nearly 69 years since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and the city of Philadelphia is finally getting around to apologizing to Robinson for the way he was treated in the City of Brotherly Love in 1947 while making history as the first black player in the game.
The city will officially apologize to Robinson’s widow, Rachel, after the city council passed a resolution on Thursday naming April 15 a day to honor Robinson. It is the anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier.
Better late than never.

Credit the current members of the council for deciding to do what’s right, but it’s a shame it took so long and so many others in their shoes in the past didn’t think it important enough to address. It would have been much more appropriate and meaningful to take this step when Robinson was still alive to receive the apology in person. He died in 1972.
Robinson endured racism and vile abuse as he made history playing as a member of the major league team in parks around the country and never lashed out at the people calling him names and mistreating him simply because of the color or his skin. Some of the worst of it came during his first trip to play the Phillies in Shibe Park in Philadelphia.
The Dodgers were refused service at the Ben Franklin Hotel because of Robinson’s presence. They moved to the Warwick Hotel where they were welcomed.

Some members of the Phillies, including manager Ben Chapman, threatened to boycott games against the Dodgers but they ultimately agreed to play after realizing not playing would lead to forfeiting. Chapman and the Phillies had already confronted Robinson and the Dodgers in a series in New York and they were not shy about showing their racism then.
So it was no surprise that Robinson faced even worse treatment when traveling to Philadelphia, according to a story originally publish in the Philadelphia Daily News on the 50-year anniversary of Robinson breaking the barrier in 1997.
Major League Baseball honors Robinson each year on the anniversary by having all players, managers and coaches in uniform where his 42 jersey number, which has been retired across the game.

TODAY IN HISTORY - MARCH 31ST

1685 – Johann Sebastian Bach, German organist and composer (d. 1750) is born

1774 – American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.

1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.

1909 – Construction of the ill fated RMS Titanic begins.

1913 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier, founded J.P. Morgan & Co. (b. 1837) dies.

1917 – The United States takes possession of the Danish West Indies after paying $25 million to Denmark, and renames the territory the United States Virgin Islands.

1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.

1928 – Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey legend is born.

1929 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer, founded Liz Claiborne Inc. (d. 2007) is born.

1930 – The Motion Picture Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years.

1931 – TWA Flight 599 crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, killing eight, including University of Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.

1935 – Georges V. Matchabelli, Georgian-American businessman and diplomat, founded Prince Matchabelli perfume (b. 1885) dies.

1948 – Al Gore, American soldier and politician, 45th Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize laureate is born.

1951 – Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.

1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.

1970 – Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.

1972 – Evan Williams, American businessman, co-founded Twitter and Pyra Labs is born.

1978 – Charles Herbert Best, American-Canadian physiologist and biochemist, co-discovered Insulin (b. 1899) dies.

1980 – The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.

1985 – The first WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling event from the WWE (then the WWF), takes place in Madison Square Garden in New York.

1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.

1998 – Netscape released Mozilla source code under an open source license.

D’Angelo Russell faces long road to earn back teammates’ trust

With D'Angelo Russell, the concern has always been about maturity more than basketball ability. Byron Scott couldn’t ignore the talent but was reluctant to let him loose, bumping heads with his promising rookie with a tough-love approach that was intended to make Russell earn what he wanted most – the ball in his hands and the trust that he could run the team as he saw fit.

Even before Scott relented, Russell sought the approval of his teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers, putting their opinion of him ahead of Scott's or anyone else's on the coaching staff. Russell was finally beginning to earn their respect, as evidenced by the mob of revelers hopping on his shoulders in a March 1 win against Brooklyn in which they learned he has ice in his veins. After a recent string of 20-point games, Russell was asked about the most difficult challenge he faced as a young point guard in earning the trust of veterans.

D'Angelo Russell (left) and Nick Young during

better times. (NBAE/Getty Images)

"You've got to show it,” Russell told The Vertical. “You've got to show it. When I show it every once in a while, people see it and then once I get the opportunity to show it all the time towards the end of the year, you really get to see it, so it's cool."

But any progress Russell gained on the court has been shattered by a violation of trust off the court from which he won't easily recover. In what seems to be a prank run afoul, Russell recorded Nick Young discussing cheating on his fiancée, pop star Iggy Azalea, and Russell reportedly has been shunned by his teammates after a gossip website got the video and released it last week. In the aftermath, a fractured Lakers team lost by 48 points in Utah on Monday, matching the worst defeat in franchise history.

Professional athletes are trained to be guarded and to view the locker room – and its expansive outposts for connectivity among teammates (homes, hotel rooms, charter planes, practice courts, etc.) – as a sanctuary in which they're allowed to freely express themselves without fear of being shamed or violated publicly, especially by one of their own. This can't be easily brushed aside as a rookie mistake because Russell, who turned 20 last month, was a teammate long before he became a professional basketball player.

Hitting record on his phone has now put three people in extremely uncomfortable positions. Young played with Gilbert Arenas as a rookie, so he has experienced pranks before – Arenas once took the wheels off Young's car and placed the vehicle on cinder blocks. But the situation with Russell could now also affect the woman he plans to marry. Young certainly made errors of his own – being unfaithful to Azalea (who thanked Russell for the video on Twitter) and talking about it. Even if unintentional, Russell exposing Young as if he worked for TMZ, however, has made him more of a pariah among his peers.

An apology is a good start but the finish line for Russell – not only as it relates to Young but anyone who is or will be his teammate – is uncertain. Russell is in the beginning stages of his career, one in which long-lasting reputations are built and cemented. Stellar play and winning can come to the rescue down the road, but damage control will require considerable time and work. Kobe Bryant recovered from a similar incident involving Shaquille O'Neal – Bryant mentioned O'Neal's infidelity to investigators in Eagle, Colo., when he was charged with sexual assault in 2003 – and is mostly revered on his way out.

Russell has slumped some in his past eight games. While he hasn't established himself as a franchise cornerstone and Bryant was unwilling to declare him ready to carry the torch for the organization, the Lakers remain relatively high on the player they drafted second overall last June. But his latest mishap as added some credence to the early season criticism from Scott, who questioned Russell’s attitude and preparation. Scott didn’t want to let Russell lead the Lakers when Russell had no idea where he was going. Russell was drafted to be part of the foundation of the future, to help usher in the post-Bryant era, provide flair and help attract potential free agents. Anyone considering the Lakers might wonder what kind of mess in which they are stepping.

This season can't end soon enough for Russell or the Lakers, who have matched their embarrassing play with eye-rolling behavior elsewhere. They have the league's second-worst record and are on pace to finish with the fewest wins in franchise history, completing a precipitous three-year decline. Last week, Young and teammate Jordan Clarkson were accused of sexually harassing two women at a Los Angeles intersection; the team later stated its "support" for the two players, who called the incident a “miscommunication.”

Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis will probably finish first and second in Rookie of the Year voting for a class that has considerable depth. But the players drafted between them – Russell and Jahlil Okafor – have had tumultuous rookie campaigns, shrouded by unconscionable losing and very public growing pains.

Russell and Okafor were linked the moment the Lakers took the potentially exciting playmaker Philadelphia coveted over the player who led Duke to a national title in his only season with the Blue Devils. Okafor has been able to move past his early transgressions – fighting outside a club, having a gun pulled on him, speeding – and avoided drawing more negative attention during a 76ers season headed down the toilet. But Russell has managed to produce a closing act on a horrifically bad season, somehow hijacking the only remotely positive aspect the team had going – Bryant's farewell tour. Russell's recovery from this incident will take much longer than the steps he takes in the immediate fallout.

Once the news cycle has moved on and the Internet memes have subsided, Russell will face a more difficult challenge than earning the opportunity to play and learn from his mistakes: He will have to win and win over people who don’t necessarily have a reason to trust him.

Miller breaks wrist in Yankees' 2-0 win over Braves

The Yankees' heralded bullpen depth could be tested early.

Andrew Miller broke his non-pitching wrist when struck on the right arm by a line drive in the seventh inning of New York's 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

The left-hander threw his glove and walked into the Yankees' dugout after pinch-hitter Willians Astudillo's comebacker went off his arm, just above the wrist. X-rays were negative, but a CT scan revealed a chip fracture.

''He will see a hand specialist, who will determine the next course of action,'' New York said in a statement.

Miller was the Yankees' closer last year and was slated to fill that role while Aroldis Chapman serves a 30-game suspension under baseball's new domestic abuse policy. If Miller is sidelined, Dellin Betances would open the season as closer.

Competing for the fifth spot in New York's rotation, Ivan Nova pitched six innings of two-hit ball. He struck out two and walked one.

''I did my part and they're going to make the decision,'' Nova said. ''Remember, I'm not fighting against a guy with one year or two years. CC Sabathia has a lot of history. He's not an easy fight, but I did my part and hopefully I won the spot.''

Julio Teheran, Atlanta's scheduled opening-day starter Monday against Washington, allowed four hits in five scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked none.

''I feel good about my whole spring. This was my last start and I feel ready for the season,'' Teheran said. ''Everything is working now. I'm just trying to pitch like it's a regular game.''

Back-to-back triples by Dustin Fowler and Billy Fleming and a single by Austin Romine off Alexi Ogando accounted for the Yankees' runs in the eighth.

Aaron Hicks had three of New York's 10 hits.

 

STARTING TIME

 

Yankees: Nova went 6-11 with a 5.07 ERA in 17 starts last season.

Braves: Teheran, who issued 73 walks in 200 2-3 innings last season, felt good about only walking two this spring.

''That's part of what I want to do,'' he said. ''I want to be attacking hitters, even when I get behind in counts. That's something you want to get into before the season starts.''

 

TRAINER'S ROOM

 

Yankees: CF Jacoby Ellsbury had the day off after playing three consecutive games after missing a week due to a bruised right wrist. He is scheduled to play in a split-squad game Thursday against Detroit. ... RHP Bryan Mitchell sprained his left big toe in the eighth inning and will have an MRI.

 

WHAT TO DO WITH NO. 6?

 

One of the complications in the Yankees' decision on a fifth starter is what to do with the loser of the competition.

''I really don't think any of them have really pitched out of the pen. Nova has a marginal amount of games,'' general manager Brian Cashman said. ''If you ask him, it's completely foreign. If you ask CC it's foreign. Whoever is not going to be the fifth starter is going to be asked to do something they're not comfortable doing, period.''

 

WORTH NOTING

 

Yankees: RHPs Nick Goody and Branden Pinder and LHP Tyler Olson were send down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... Girardi named Ronald Torreyes as the backup infielder. ... The winner of the backup catcher competition between favorite Romine and Carlos Corporan will be announced Thursday.

 

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, and Atlanta also reassigned C Ryan Lavarnway and C Blake Lalli, leaving 32 players in camp, including 18 pitchers.

 

UP NEXT

 

Yankees: Girardi said he will check on RHP Masahiro Tanaka's bullpen session before naming a starter for Monday's season opener. RHP Michael Pineda is scheduled to face the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday in Tampa while RHP Nathan Eovaldi pitches a split-squad game against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland.

Braves: RHP Bud Norris will make his final spring training start against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota on Thursday.

Lamar Odom attends Lakers game as Kobe Bryant's guest

Lamar Odom has slowly become more a public presence in the months since his October overdose at a Nevada brothel, appearing at events such as Kanye West's February music-fashion event and the Kardashians' Easter Sunday gathering. But Odom had not yet appeared where he had his greatest professional success — as a Los Angeles Lakers forward at Staples Center.

That changed on Wednesday when the Lakers hosted the Miami Heat for Kobe Bryant's final game against Dwyane Wade. As first reported by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Bryant left a pair of tickets for his former teammate Odom. The two-time champion showed up and was seen around the arena talking with team officials and other fans.

	Rachel Nichols @Rachel__Nichols
Lamar Odom walking into the Staples Center. Amazing. Told me he is feeling good. pic.twitter.com/9QoK9Na1pO 7:07 PM - 30 Mar 2016

 

	Arash Markazi @ArashMarkazi
Lamar Odom is back at Staples Center for tonight's Lakers-Heat game. pic.twitter.com/YzerbhiFiQ 7:24 PM - 30 Mar 2016

	Ben Golliver @BenGolliver
Lamar Odom at Lakers vs. Heat pic.twitter.com/gMvwhVL4Q5 8:09 PM - 30 Mar 2016

	CJ Fogler @cjzero
Lamar Odom hugging Jeannie Buss and talking with folks at Staples pic.twitter.com/aXjgnpLL9V 8:11 PM - 30 Mar 2016

Bryant considers Odom one of his closest teammates and has shown lots of respect for him since their days playing together. He also visited him with general manager Mitch Kupchak on the night of his hospitalization. (The Lakers were in Las Vegas for an exhibition game.) Byron Scott and Metta World Peace spoke about Bryant and Odom's relationship in October. From Bill Oram of the Orange County Register:

“He’s very close to Lamar,” Scott said. “Loves him like a brother. So, it’s just a rough time for Kobe dealing with that. This is probably the first time he’s had a teammate that’s gone through something like this.” [...]

“Kobe’s amazing,” World Peace said. “Kobe left right after the game; he went to go visit Lamar and stayed there with him, and I thank him.”

Given that bond, It's likely that Bryant would have left Odom tickets for any game he had requested.

Odom played for the Lakers from 2004 to 2011, winning two championships with the franchise in 2009 and 2010. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011 but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks following that summer's league-wide lockout.

It's official: Conor McGregor gets his wish, will rematch Nate Diaz at UFC 200

Every fighter remotely close to Conor McGregor in weight seems desperate to fight him. The legendary former middleweight champion Anderson Silva recently became the latest (and most ridiculous) to pitch a bout between himself and the Irish superstar when he said he wanted to test McGregor's skills.

The man who will get the gig, though, is one who wasn't necessarily looking for it.

Nate Diaz, who submitted McGregor in the main event of UFC 196, will face McGregor in the main event of UFC 200, which will be held July 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC announced. The bout will, as it was at UFC 196, be contested at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds.

GIven that McGregor won't be defending the featherweight title, the UFC announced that ex-champion Jose Aldo will face Frankie Edgar in a rematch of a 2013 bout.

If ever there was a sign that it's about the business and not about the sport aspect of mixed martial arts, this announcement was it.

UFC 196 did massive numbers, and company president Dana White said without releasing the official figures that it has become the best-selling MMA bout in pay-per-view history. He said it has exceeded 1.5 million buys. To put that into perspective, only six boxing bouts in history have exceeded 1.5 million sales:

 

• Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, 4.6 million

 

• Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather, 2.48 million

 

• Floyd Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez, 2.25 million

 

• Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson, 1.98 million

 

• Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield II, 1.98 million

 

• Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield I, 1.59 million

 

Clearly, the McGregor-Diaz bout, which also featured a women's bantamweight title match between Holly Holm and Miesha Tate in the co-main event, was a massive event.

But the pairing puts a big dent in McGregor's plan to make history in the sport. Following his title-winning knockout of Aldo at UFC 194, McGregor said he wanted to face lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Importantly, though, McGregor said he wanted to retain the featherweight title and then defend both belts.

Shortly thereafter, the UFC booked McGregor-dos Anjos for the lightweight belt at UFC 196. But 11 days before the fight, dos Anjos announced he was pulling out because of a broken foot, and Diaz was brought in as a late replacement.

White agreed to allow the McGregor-dos Anjos bout in the first place because McGregor promised to defend both belts. But UFC 200 will mark the second bout in a row that McGregor won't be able to defend the featherweight title he won, which is why Aldo-Edgar II was announced as well on Wednesday.

McGregor's bid for history was so compelling, but it seems like a pipedream to believe that can ever happen under current circumstances. Sooner or later, McGregor is no longer going to be able to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds, so in order to have an opportunity to hold two belts simultaneously, he'd seem to need to do it soon.

Fighter careers are notoriously short and in almost every circumstance, it's wisest to take the fight that will pay the most. Clearly, McGregor and the UFC believes that is a bout with Diaz, given that they're putting it on their biggest show.

But a McGregor featherweight title defense, against either Aldo or Edgar, wouldn't have been much less.

There were a lot of interesting matches that could be made for Diaz. White said in the aftermath of UFC 196 that a welterweight title fight with Robbie Lawler made sense. But Diaz has been brilliant on a promotional tour following the win over McGregor and that perhaps compelled the sides to make the rematch.

In addition to McGregor-Diaz II and Aldo-Edgar II, UFC 200 will include a heavyweight bout between Cain Velasquez and Travis Browne, a lightweight bout between Joe Lauzon and Diego Sanchez, and a welterweight match between Johny Hendricks and Kelvin Gastelum.

Yao Ming elected for enshrinement into Hall of Fame

Former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, a transcendent 7-foot-6 Chinese icon, has been elected for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016, league sources told The Vertical.

Yao had been nominated and enters the Hall of Fame under a newly created Direct Elect International Committee. The formal announcement is expected to come at the NCAA Final Four in Houston this weekend.

Yao, 35, is largely responsible for the NBA’s massive reach into China and the Far East. Television ratings and merchandise sales exploded there upon Yao’s rise to stardom in the NBA.

As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, Yao made a dramatic and celebrated entrance into the league. After rapidly developing into a dominant force, several lower leg and foot issues severely damaged his durability and shortened his career. Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game across parts of eight seasons.

In a career cut short because of chronic injuries – including a third left foot fracture in 2010 –Yao retired in 2011. He was twice voted to the All-NBA second team (2007 and ’09) and three times made the All-NBA third team (2004, ’06 and ’08).

Included among the traditional North American Committee finalists for the class of 2016 are Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

Xfinity Series driver Derek White arrested in smuggling ring

Xfinity Series driver Derek White was reportedly arrested in what law enforcement officials termed the biggest tobbaco smuggling bust in North American history.

According to Bloomberg, White, 45, was a high-ranking member in the smuggling operation. White is a member of the Mohawk tribe in Kahnawake, Quebec, and the Kahnawake chief peacekeeper said White was one of three people in the tribe who had an arrest warrant.

Lieutenant Jason Allard, spokesman for the Quebec provincial police, said the tobacco operation was tightly organized. It bought shipments of tobacco leaf in North Carolina, trucking them north and reselling them in Canada. Profits from tobacco were used to purchase cocaine, and some of the money was laundered abroad, in Europe, he said. The tobacco shipments were not declared at the border and disclosed to government officials, thereby avoiding taxes and allowing the cigarettes to be manufactured and sold for less money. Baggies of 200 cigarettes can be purchased for $5 at Native smoke shops on the U.S. side of the border.

The arrests took place in 70 raids at residences and shops in Montreal and surrounding areas, as well as in Ontario, police said. Almost 700 Canadian and U.S. police were involved in the bust, according to a statement from Frederick Gaudreau, an investigator at the Surete du Quebec. Zacharie said no searches or arrests took place on Kahnawake territory in connection with the investigation.

According to NBC Sports, White turned himself in after learning of his arrest warrant and he's set to face seven charges.

Police said 52,800 kilograms of tobacco, 836 kilograms of cocaine, 21 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 35 pounds of pot were seized. If you're not familiar with the metric system, a kilogram is approximately 2.2 pounds.

White has made 22 career Xfinity Series starts including 13 in 2015. He also made his first Sprint Cup Series start in 2015, finishing 39th at New Hampshire. Per Motorsport.com, NASCAR is "looking into" the report of his arrest.