In brief: 49ers reach 6-year deal with Kaepernick
NFL: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick received a six-year contract extension Wednesday that keeps him with the franchise through the 2020 season.
One of the NFL’s most dynamic young playcallers, Kaepernick received a $126 million, six-year contract extension that keeps him with the organization through the 2020 season. The deal includes $61 million in guaranteed money, a person with knowledge of the contract said, speaking on condition of anonymity because terms weren’t disclosed.
Kaepernick had been due to make less than $1 million this season. Now, he instantly becomes one of the league’s richest stars.
“I’m always striving to be in that elite group in the NFL, not in pay but as a player,” said Kaepernick, a second-round draft pick out of Nevada in 2011. “I’m very grateful for it. … I don’t think my motivation is money-driven.”
• Super Bowl takes Roman holiday: The Super Bowl will scrap the Roman numerals for a year.
The 50th edition of the game will be played in February 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The NFL said it will be called “Super Bowl 50” instead of “Super Bowl L.”
In 2017, the league will revert to Roman numerals, referring to the 51st edition as “Super Bowl LI.”
• More players join painkillers suit: Former Pro Bowl defender Marcellus Wiley is among a second wave of players joining a lawsuit accusing NFL teams of illegally dispensing painkillers and other drugs to keep players on the field without regard for their long-term health.
The lawsuit was filed May 20 and amended Wednesday to add 250 more former players, bringing the total number of plaintiffs to 750. Wiley becomes the ninth former player in the lawsuit identified by name.
Baseball lifer Zimmer dies at age 83
MLB: Don Zimmer, a popular fixture in professional baseball for 66 years as a manager, player, coach and executive, died Wednesday. He was 83.
Zimmer was still working for the Tampa Bay Rays as a senior adviser, and the team confirmed he had died.
Zimmer had been in a rehabilitation center in Florida since having seven hours of heart surgery in mid-April.
After starting as a minor league infielder in 1949, Zimmer went on to have one of the longest-lasting careers in baseball history.
Zimmer played for the only Brooklyn Dodgers team to win the World Series, played for the original New York Mets, nearly managed the Boston Red Sox to a championship in the 1970s and was Joe Torre’s right-hand man with the New York Yankees’ most recent dynasty.
• Rockies’ Gonzalez on DL: The Colorado Rockies placed All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed left index finger that’s bothered him most of the season.
• Tigers’ Iglesias out for year: The Detroit Tigers don’t expect shortstop Jose Iglesias to return this season from stress fractures to both legs. General manager Dave Dombrowski said not much has changed since spring training, when the team first realized Iglesias would be out for several months.
• Elbow sidelines Rangers’ Ogando: The Texas Rangers placed reliever Alexi Ogando on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right elbow and recalled left-handed reliever Aaron Poreda from Triple-A Round Rock.
Durant unanimous All-NBA selection
Miscellany: Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant capped his MVP season by being the lone unanimous choice to the All-NBA first team.
Durant was a first-teamer on all 125 ballots, and made the top squad for the fifth time. Miami’s LeBron James got 124 first-team votes on the way to being selected for the eighth time, while the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul earned his fourth first-team selection.
Houston’s James Harden and Chicago’s Joakim Noah are first-time first-team choices.
Second-team All-NBA selections were San Antonio’s Tony Parker, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, Houston’s Dwight Howard and Minnesota’s Kevin Love.
Portland’s Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, Phoenix’s Goran Dragic, Indiana’s Paul George and Charlotte’s Al Jefferson were third-team selections.
• Haas captain for Presidents Cup: Jay Haas will be going to the Presidents Cup in October for the fourth straight time, and this time he’ll be giving the speeches.
The PGA Tour selected Haas to be the U.S. captain for the 2015 matches in South Korea in what amounts to a role reversal. After three years as an assistant captain to Fred Couples – all three U.S. victories – Haas will in charge and Couples will be his assistant.
Nick Price was selected to return as captain for an International team that has one only once since this event began 20 years ago.