HIGH SCHOOLS
Sophie Smith notched a hat trick and Adelaide Strout scored twice as Yarmouth/Freeport (2-0) earned a 7-3 win over Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland (2-1) in a girls’ hockey game Thursday at Troubh Ice Arena.
Sadie Carnes contributed a goal and two assists. Kate Tracey also scored for the Clippers.
Libby Hooper netted a pair of goals and Marina Bassett had a goal and an assist for Cape.
FOOTBALL
NFL: The Washington Commanders created a “toxic work culture” for more than two decades, “ignoring and downplaying sexual misconduct” and what former female employees described as hundreds of instances of sexual harassment by men at the top levels of the organization, according to a report published by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Commanders owner Dan Snyder was involved in the misconduct, according to the report, which said he inappropriately touched a former employee at a dinner, had staffers produce a video “of sexually suggestive footage of cheerleaders,” and ordered that women who were auditioning to be cheerleaders walk on the field “while he and his friends gawked from his suite through binoculars.”
The House committee opened its investigation in October 2021 after the NFL did not release a written report of an independent review of the team’s workplace culture. The review by attorney Beth Wilkinson was completed in summer 2021 and resulted in a $10 million fine to the team.
Using hearings, interviews and depositions to create its report, the House oversight committee said Snyder interfered in Wilkinson’s investigation, which stemmed from former employees alleging in 2020 rampant sexual harassment by team executives.
Snyder also conducted a separate shadow investigation, which the report said was used by his lawyers to “cast him as the victim of a defamation campaign … and deflect responsibility for the team’s toxic work culture.”
The team owner also interfered with the House committee’s investigation by “intimidating witnesses,” “refusing to release former employees from their confidentiality obligations” and using a “secret” agreement with the NFL to block access to more than 40,000 documents collected during Wilkinson’s review, according to the report.
The House committee also said Snyder was evasive, misleading and said more than 100 times he did not recall things during his deposition.
The NFL was not shielded from criticism in the committee’s report, which said the league “misled the public about its handling of the Wilkinson Investigation” and “has not sought true accountability for those responsible.” The report also said the NFL doesn’t ensure “that its own workplaces are free from discrimination and harassment,” citing the fact that the NFL does not require teams to report confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements to league headquarters.
The NFL did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
• The Kansas City Chiefs promoted veteran defensive tackle Brandon Williams to their 53-man roster, and there’s a chance the longtime Baltimore Ravens run-stopper will play when they visit the Denver Broncos this weekend.
HOCKEY
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returned to practice with his teammates, just 10 days after suffering the second stroke of his career.
Letang, 35, remains out indefinitely, with the club describing him as “day to day.”
Letang said he felt “pretty good” after being greeted by stick taps from his teammates when he skated onto the ice at the team’s practice facility. Still, the married father of two called the experience “scary,” particularly for his family.
“My kids, they don’t care if I’m a hockey player or not,” he said. “They care about having a dad. Same with my wife. She could care less about hockey. She knows there’s so much more. After hockey, there’s a long time and you want to be able to enjoy those moments with your family, with your kids.”
Letang missed more than two months in 2014 after his first stroke, which was caused by a small hole in the wall of his heart. The condition also led to the second stroke, which Letang suffered on Nov. 28 after dealing with a series of debilitating headaches.
This time, the symptoms have resolved themselves much more quickly, according to team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas, who described this stroke as “smaller” than the one Letang endured in 2014.
BASKETBALL
NBA: Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is expected to miss about two weeks because of a sprained left ankle, the third Atlanta starter to go down with an injury in the past week.
Atlanta was already missing forwards John Collins (sprained left ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (right hip flexor strain).
• New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin will miss at least two weeks because of a fracture in his right leg.
Toppin was hurt in the second quarter of the Knicks’ 113-89 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday.
BASEBALL
MAJOR LEAGUES: The Los Angeles Dodgers signed outfielder Jason Heyward to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training.
Hayward, 33, was released by the Chicago Cubs earlier this offseason.
GOLF
DP WORLD TOUR: Dean Burmester of South Africa made six birdies on the back nine to complete his 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa.
Lukas Nemecz of Austria was one shot back. Deon Germishuys eagled the par-5 18th and joined fellow South Africans Darren Fichardt, Branden Grace and Jaco Ahlers in a tie for third with Frenchman David Ravetto, two strokes off the lead.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.