Newsmakers
Nearing Soccer player Lionel Messi is three goals away from equaling the Spanish league’s all-time scoring record, a milestone that has stood untouched for almost 60 years. The Barcelona forward said “right now I am not thinking about the record … it will come when it is supposed to.” Athletic Bilbao great Telmo Zarra scored 251 goals in 271 games from 1940-55. Since netting his first goal for Barcelona in 2005, Messi has scored 248 goals in league play.
Signed The Ottawa Senators signed forward Bobby Ryan to a $50.75 million, seven-year extension. The NHL team also selected star defenseman Erik Karlsson as the ninth captain in team history.
Dropped A prosecutor dropped charges against a former North Carolina tutor who worked with Tar Heels football players for violating the state’s sports agent laws. Orange County district attorney Jim Woodall said he dropped the four counts against Jennifer Thompson because she is cooperating with the investigation. A grand jury indicted her a year ago for providing benefits to former UNC football player Greg Little in 2010 to help agent Terry Watson sign Little.
Charged The comptroller of the athletic booster club at Florida State University remained in jail Thursday, accused of “misappropriating” between $500,000 and $700,000. Sanford Lovingood turned himself in to the Leon County Sherriff’s Office on Wednesday. He is charged with first-degree grand theft of over $100,000. Lovingood told police he had been stealing money from the club since 2011.
Promoted Montana Tech football coach Chuck Morrell will also serve as the school’s athletic director. Morrell takes over for Dave Lau, who resigned from the position for family reasons after serving for about three months.
Suspended Trainer Doug O’Neill has been suspended 45 days and fined $10,000 by the New York State Gaming Commission after one of his horses tested positive for a banned substance after a race at Belmont Park in June 2013. O’Neill’s suspension begins Nov. 3 – two days after the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in California – and ends Dec. 18.