MOTOR SPORTS
NASCAR feud escalates
The bitter fight between NASCAR and two of its teams who have filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock-racing giant spilled into public view Thursday during an acrimonious hearing that included the disclosure of expletive-laden emails and text messages from team owner Michael Jordan and other high-profile litigants. In one exchange, the retired NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of the 23XI Racing Team used disparaging language about Joe Gibbs Racing and the 13 other teams that signed NASCAR’s new charter agreements last September. “Teams are going to regret not joining us,” Jordan wrote in a text message to Curtis Polk, his business manager who, along with Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin own 23XI Racing. That organization and Front Row Motorsports were the only two that refused to sign extension agreements on charter agreements, the equivalent of franchises in other sports. The two teams then sued NASCAR, accusing it of being a bully and monopoly in a brawl that has played out all year and prompted both teams to say they risk going out of business if the series sells their charters out from under them.
GOLF
Three share LPGA lead
Allisen Corpuz kept her patience while spinning her wheels for so much of the year and finally saw some good results Thursday when she opened the FM Championship with a 7-under 65 to share the first-round lead with Sei Young Kim and Jodi Ewart Shadoff. Corpuz had four birdies on her last six holes at the TPC Boston, holing a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth to catch Kim, who played in calmer conditions in the morning. Nelly Korda switched putters to more of a blade and saw it pay off with seven birdies in a round of 67 in her debut on the TPC Boston course that previously hosted one of the four PGA Tour postseason events. Former University of Arkansas golfer Gaby Lopez turned in a 3-under 69. Brooke Matthews (Rogers, Razorbacks) posted a 2-over 74 and Stacy Lewis (Razorbacks) finished at 3-over 75.
FOOTBALL
Bengals add veteran guard
The Bengals signed veteran offensive guard Dalton Risner on Thursday, and Coach Zac Taylor said that there’s “absolutely” a chance that Risner will be active when the Bengals face the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7. “(He’s) another veteran player who has performed well during his time in the league,” Taylor said. “The timing is good to get him in here a week before the game and see where he’s at. We’ll see the timing of getting him out here at practice. It’s good to get a veteran in here who has played a lot of winning football and get him in the mix there in the O-Line.” Risner, a six-year veteran, has made 81 starts and played for the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. He started a postseason game for the Vikings last January, but he was not re-signed by the team. Risner was on the free agent market all summer and did not spend training camp with a team.
BASEBALL
Alvarez suffers broken pinkie
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has a small fracture in his left pinkie after getting hit by a pitch while on a minor league rehab assignment — but it might only slow him down a few days. Alvarez is on the 10-day injured list with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. He began a rehab assignment Wednesday night with Triple-A Syracuse and doubled his first time up against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the New York Yankees’ top affiliate. He caught five innings, but exited the game after getting dinged on the left hand by a pitch. Alvarez was back at Citi Field on Thursday before the Mets hosted the Miami Marlins. He was scheduled to see doctors in the afternoon.
Seager undergoes surgery
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager had an appendectomy on Thursday after experiencing abdominal pain during a game the previous night. Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said Seager had surgery in Texas after the team had traveled to California for the start of a series against the Athletics on Friday night. Young said it was too early to know how much time the two-time World Series MVP will miss. Seager will be placed on the 10-day injured list and the Rangers will call up utility player Dylan Moore, who had just been signed to a minor league contract after being released by AL West rival Seattle. Center fielder Evan Carter (broken right wrist) is going to be transferred to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster.
