Newsmakers

Died Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who pulled off some of horse racing’s biggest upsets and was affectionately known as “The Chief,” died Wednesday at 85. Horses from Jerkens’ barn twice pulled off memorable upsets of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, first with Onion in the ‘73 Whitney Handicap and then with Prove Out in the Woodward Stakes.

Withdrawn Masters champion Bubba Watson has withdrawn from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Watson informed the PGA Tour that he was pulling out of Bay Hill because of the death of a childhood friend.

• Forward Abby Wambach is taking the season off from playing for the Western New York Flash in the National Women’s Soccer League to focus solely on representing the United States in the World Cup this summer.

Sacked Fordham fired men’s basketball coach Tom Pecora after five seasons. Pecora compiled a 44-106 record at the school. The Rams were 10-21 this season and 4-14 in the Atlantic 10.

Suspended The International Tennis Association banned American tennis player Wayne Odesnik for 15 years after a second doping violation. The ITF said the 29-year-old Odesnik tested positive for several banned substances, including steroids, during tests in December and January.

Talked The NHL general managers wrapped up three days of meetings with talk of making changes to faceoffs. The faceoff proposal has the player closest to his goalie putting his stick down first, except at center ice. Currently, the visiting player must declare first. The GMs also agreed to recommend some type of three-on-three overtime play beginning next season.

• A person with knowledge of the meeting said cyclist Lance Armstrong talked last week with the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in hopes of potentially reducing his lifetime ban. Armstrong and Travis Tygart met for six hours. The meeting was first reported by The New York Times. Armstrong previously met with European officials investigating doping.

Broadened Owner Chip Ganassi is expanding into Global Rally Cross this season with a two-car team that includes 13-time X Games medalist Brian Deegan and dirt racing champion Steve Arpin. It will be the fourth major American motorsports series for the Ganassi organization. The team owner fields cars in IndyCar, NASCAR and the United SportsCar Championship.