NFL and NFLPA: Eric Reid tested ‘normal’ amount of times

NFL

NFL and NFLPA: Reid tested “normal” amount of times

The NFL and the NFL Players Association say outspoken Eric Reid was not singled out with excessive drug tests.

The joint statement released Wednesday said an independent administrator found Reid received the “normal” number of drug tests this season. The statement said, “there is no evidence of targeting or any other impropriety with respect to his selection for testing.”

Reid has said he believes he was repeatedly tested because of his pending lawsuit against the league.

The Carolina Panthers safety said in December he had been tested seven times by the NFL. Reid said the league was targeting him because of the ongoing collusion case against the NFL in which he alleged team owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his decision to kneel alongside former 49ers teammate Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem to protest racial and social injustice.

However, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Reid was not tested as many times as Reid said he was. The person did not say the exact number of times Reid was tested.

“We take any claim questioning the integrity of our collectively bargained performance enhancing drug policy seriously,” the joint statement from the NFL and the Players Association read.

The statement said an independent administrator was asked to review the policy and produce a report on Reid’s claims of targeting. A copy of this report, which contains personal and confidential testing information, was recently provided to Reid.

“We will not breach any player’s confidentiality, but can confirm that the report documents the dates he was randomly selected for testing and the actual dates of the drug tests,” the statement said. “The report also demonstrates that Mr. Reid’s tests were randomly generated via computer algorithm and that his selection for testing was normal when compared with the number of tests players were randomly selected for throughout the league during the time that he was on an active roster.”

He joined the Panthers on Sept. 27 as a free agent.

Because of when he joined the league he was immediately subject to two drugs tests — one for performance enhancing drugs and another for substance abuse, per league policy.

However, Reid claimed he was tested an additional six times the next 11 weeks, which would be high above the league norm. Most players say they are subject to testing about two or three times per year for the course of a 17-week regular season.

Reid was also fined four times by the NFL this season for illegal hits, costing him more than $50,000. He appealed all of the hits and one of them was overturned.

NFL drops appeal on dementia claims in concussion case

The NFL abruptly dropped its plan to challenge approved dementia diagnoses in a landmark concussion case as players’ lawyers accuse it of trying to delay payments and rewrite the $1 billion settlement.

A federal court hearing set for Thursday on the NFL’s appeal was canceled Wednesday afternoon as the league dropped its appeal. Instead, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody issued an order requiring doctors to explain their findings in certain cases.

The NFL had asked to challenge some diagnoses made by settlement-approved doctors and upheld by a court-appointed administrator whose decisions are supposed to be final. The league nonetheless filed an appeal on the grounds that the standards used to diagnose the ex-players with dementia were not being applied consistently.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

AP Source: Alabama QB in transfer portal

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has taken an important step toward transferring.

Hurts entered his name into the NCAA transfer database portal, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Putting his name on the list allows other schools to contact Hurts, who has already graduated and is eligible to play his final season as a graduate transfer. It’s not a binding decision to transfer.

Hurts, a dual threat as a runner and passer, will likely be a hot commodity. He was a two-year starter who led Alabama to a pair of national championship games and was Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year as a freshman.

Alabama lost to Clemson in the national championship game Monday night.

Hurts is likely to join other high-profile quarterbacks in moving to other schools. Georgia freshman Justin Fields , who had been one of the nation’s top recruits, has enrolled at Ohio State and former Clemson starter Kelly Bryant picked Missouri .

NBA

Wolves’ Wiggins tries to clarify comments

Saying he respects the gay and lesbian community, Minnesota forward Andrew Wiggins tried Wednesday to clarify comments he made about Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder’s behavior during a heated game.

Thunder center Nerlens Noel was taken off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after Wiggins collided with Noel on a dunk attempt Tuesday night. Schroder, unhappy about the play and other incidents, eventually was given a technical foul for an altercation with Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague.

After the game, Wiggins said Schroder’s actions were unwarranted. According to audio from the locker room, Wiggins appeared to say: “He was just gay. He was acting crazy for no reason.”

A few hours later, Wiggins went on Twitter and tried to explain what he said. “I’d like to clarify what I said tonight during my postgame media session. I said: ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with him he was just getting...acting crazy for no reason,” he tweeted.