FOOTBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Chargers hired Anthony Lynn as their head coach one day after announcing their relocation to Los Angeles.
The 48-year-old Lynn is a respected veteran assistant who spent the last two seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He moved up during this season from running backs coach to offensive coordinator to interim head coach, presiding over the Bills’ final game after Rex Ryan was fired.
Lynn attracted extensive interest on the NFL job market, and the Chargers took a break from planning their move out of San Diego to secure a deal with him. Lynn becomes the first black coach in franchise history.
Lynn replaces Mike McCoy, who was fired on Jan. 1 after going 27-37 in four seasons.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, Washington star Bryce Harper and Baltimore standouts Manny Machado and Zach Britton got big-money deals Friday as more than 100 major leaguers reached agreements for 2017 and left just 27 players on track for salary arbitration.
After helping lead the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908, Arrieta agreed to a one-year deal for $15,637,500. He can become a free agent after this season.
Harper, who slumped after winning the 2015 NL MVP award, agreed at $13,625,000, leaving himself with one more year of arbitration eligibility before he can go on the open market.
Machado, the Orioles’ slugging third baseman and Gold Glove winner, got $11.5 million, while Britton, who led the AL in saves, accepted $11.4 million. Like Harper, both can become free agents after two more seasons.
Colorado Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado agreed to a $29.5 million, two-year contract, one of just two multiyear deals among the 119 players who settled Friday. Third baseman Yangervis Solarte agreed to a two-year contract with San Diego, which hopes to finalize a long-term agreement with first baseman Wil Myers next week.
Only a handful of players are likely to go before three-person arbitration panels next month. Players won three of four hearings last year, their first winning record since 2011. Management has a 302-224 advantage since arbitration started in 1974.
SOCCER
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jurgen Klinsmann is proud of his half-decade in charge of the U.S. national team, and the coach believes he left successor Bruce Arena in a position to make the Americans even better.
Klinsmann made his first public remarks since his firing when he spoke at a convention of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in downtown Los Angeles. Klinsmann agreed to speak at the session before losses in the first two games of the final round of World Cup qualifying led to his dismissal.
Klinsmann also was the program’s technical director for his final three years in charge, supervising every aspect of the team’s development and training.
“The results will tell in the future if it helped Bruce to achieve the goals that are set,” Klinsmann said. “But I think whenever you have the chance to put your stamp on a program, you do it with everything you have, and that’s what I tried to do. I think we achieved a lot within the system of U.S. Soccer, connecting a lot of dots - even though there are so many out there that are disconnected, which we know. But now it’s there for the next group of leaders to continue that.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Expansion Major League Soccer franchise Minnesota United chose UCLA forward Abu Danladi with the first overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
United selected the Ghanaian prospect, bypassing better-known names on the board.
Danladi moved to the U.S. in 2011 and became a consistent goal-scorer for the Bruins. He led UCLA this season with seven goals despite playing in just 11 matches because of injury.
Fellow expansion team Atlanta United chose Syracuse defender Miles Robinson with the second pick and added Providence midfielder Julian Gressel with the eighth overall pick.
New York City FC traded up for Chicago’s No. 3 pick and used it on Akron forward Jonathan Lewis.
Portland traded up for the No. 4 pick and chose French-born Duke forward Jeremy Ebobisse.
LONDON (AP) - Diego Costa’s Chelsea career could be coming to a fiery abrupt end, in a setback to the English Premier League leaders’ pursuit of the title.
The league top-scorer has not traveled with Chelsea to Leicester following a dispute with the coaching staff, and won’t be playing against the champions on Saturday, a person familiar with the situation told The Association Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday because they were not authorized to discuss Costa being dropped from the team.
The discord between Antonio Conte’s side and Costa follows the striker becoming aware of interest from China, the person said, referencing the country’s wealthy and ambitious Super League.
Costa’s only response on Friday was an Instagram post which featured the message “Come on Chelsea!!!” followed by a heart symbol.
OLYMPICS
MOSCOW (AP) - Still mired in a doping scandal and with a track team banned from international competition, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee said his country may put forth a bid to host the 2028 Games.
Alexander Zhukov said Russia is considering three cities as candidates for a 2028 bid, even as it battles accusations of a mass doping cover-up at the Sochi Olympics three years ago.
Bidding for the 2024 Games is still under way, with a vote in September set to choose between Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest. The 2028 host is expected to be decided in 2021.
Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, spending about $51 billion on the games, but is under intense pressure following accusations of a massive doping cover-up at the games. World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren has said there is evidence that doping test samples given by 12 Russian medal winners at the games were tampered with.
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