Newsmakers

Withdraws Olympic figure skating champion Evan Lysacek dropped out of the Grand Prix Series, including the Skate America event that would have been his first competition since winning at the 2010 Vancouver Games. Lysacek gave no reason for his withdrawal.

Fined Chicago Bears safety Brandon Meriweather has been fined $25,000 by the NFL for a hit that resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty during Monday night’s 24-13 loss at Detroit. Meriweather, a two-time Pro Bowl safety with New England, has been a disappointment since he agreed to a one-year deal with Chicago in September. He lost his starting job this week.

Sidelined Washington Huskies basketball guard Scott Suggs is expected to miss at least two months of the basketball season after breaking a bone in his right foot. Suggs and Darnell Gant are the Huskies’ only two scholarship seniors. Suggs played in 31 games last season and averaged 7.4 points. He made 45 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Filed Former baseball star Manny Ramirez pleaded not guilty to a domestic battery charge involving his wife. Ramirez’s attorney filed the written plea ahead of Friday’s scheduled arraignment. Ramirez did not appear at the hearing. He is free on $2,500 bail. The 2004 World Series MVP was arrested Sept. 12. His wife told investigators Ramirez slapped her, causing her head to strike a bed headboard. Ramirez has denied slapping her.

Hired North Carolina hired Tulsa athletic director Bubba Cunningham as the school’s next A.D. University trustees approved the hiring in a meeting Friday morning.

• Former Oakland Athletics manager Bob Geren has been hired by the New York Mets as bench coach, four months after he was fired by the A’s. Geren replaces Chip Hale, who became Oakland’s bench coach last week.

Denied Boston Red Sox owner John Henry popped in on a Boston radio show to deny that the club conducted a smear campaign against manager Terry Francona after letting him go. Henry said he was driving in his car when he heard the hosts on 98.5 The Sports Hub accusing ownership of leaking information to the Boston Globe that reflected poorly on Francona. Henry denied ownership was trying to discredit the manager.