MLB Umpire Dale Scott Quietly Comes Out In "Referee Magazine"

This announcement makes him the first out gay male official currently active in all four major leagues. Scott been an MLB umpire since 1985.

MLB umpire Dale Scott came out quietly in a profile in a subscription-only, low-circulation publication called Referee Magazine. Scott been an MLB umpire since 1985.

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

This is not a surprise to Major League Baseball, the people I work for. It's not a surprise to the umpire staff. Until Mike and I got married last November, he was my same-sex domestic partner and had his own MLB I.D. and was on my insurance policy.

Via outsports.com

Ted S. Warren / AP Photo

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NFL Considering Limiting Roger Goodell's Disciplinary Power

In a letter to the NFL Players Association, the league said they are considering whether the Commissioner should determine initial disciplinary action.

In a letter to the NFL Players Association, league chief counsel Jeff Pash says the organization is willing to restructure its process of disciplining players who have violated the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.

The letter to the NFL Players Association was first obtained by The Washington Post , though the NFL will make it public shortly.

Mike Segar / Reuters

In the letter, Pash says the league is willing "to consider modifying" the clause in the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows the commissioner to be the sole determinant of player disciplinary action, from initial decision through appeal. The letter to the NFLPA makes it clear that the Commissioner, currently Roger Goodell, would still retain the power to determine appeals, or appoint someone to do so.

Pash says the NFLPA proposed an extreme reform of the process, including waiting to punish players at all until they've been convicted of the alleged crime in a court of law. It's a motion the league is very unlikely to accept, and Pash makes that clear in his letter to the NFLPA.

As you know, that is not how the policy has been applied, as the legal considerations and standards applicable to a criminal conviction are quite distinct from those that apply to a violation of a workplace policy. We do not agree that the Commissioner's disciplinary authority should be limited to cases involving a criminal conviction.

Via washingtonpost.com

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Gabrielle Union Bombards Dwyane Wade's Post-Game Interview

“He did good for an old geezer.”

ESPN / espn.go.com

ESPN / espn.go.com

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Janay Rice Tells ESPN Her Side Of The Ray Rice Elevator Incident

Jemele Hill of ESPN of the story on the incident — and the history behind it — that shocked fans and the league.

Earlier today, Ray Rice won his appeal against his indefinite suspension from the NFL and was immediately reinstated to the league.

Matthew Emmons/Usa Today Sports

In conjunction with the news of Rice's reinstatement, ESPN has released Janay Rice's full account of what happened between her and her husband that night.

Mike Segar / Reuters

After the club, our friends from Baltimore, Ray and I decided to go to the late-night restaurant in the casino. Ray and I were bickering. We were drunk and tired and while I know that some people may find it hard to believe, none of the six of us can remember exactly what Ray and I were arguing about. It was that insignificant.

As we were arguing, he was on his phone and not looking at me. I went to reach for his phone, and when he grabbed it back, he spit at me and I slapped him.

We got into the elevator and what happened inside is still foggy to me. The only thing I know -- and I can't even say I "remember" because I only know from what Ray has told me -- is that I slapped him again and then he hit me. I remember nothing else from inside the elevator.

The next thing I do recall is being in the casino lobby, surrounded by cops.

Via espn.go.com

Janay tells the story of how she and her future husband met as teenagers, eventually turning their friendship into a relationship while Ray Rice was at Rutgers. She mentions an often-ignored challenge for wives of NFL players, discussing how difficult it is to transition to a strange, new city and build an identity and life for herself. Rice says that "until this past year, that first one in Baltimore was the most difficult in our relationship. After their daughter Rayven was born, the couple entered premarital counseling as a precautionary measure to set themselves up for success.

Rice explains: "Even though counseling has a certain stigma among both men and women -- especially in the African-American community -- Ray and I wanted to work toward building better communication between us."

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Redskins Reach New Level Of Tone Deafness With Thanksgiving Tweet

Yikes.

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Soccer Legend Pelé Hospitalized In Special Care Unit

The Brazilian soccer legend has been interned for four days. He was moved to a “special care unit” to receive renal support.

The greatest soccer player in history is in the hospital with a urinary tract infection and has been moved to a "special care unit", AFP reported Thursday.

Ricardo Moraes / Reuters

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paolo four days ago, after he developed a urinary tract infection following a surgery to remove kidney stones.

Doctors said the 74-year-old soccer star is "clinically unstable" but "conscious and conversational." He is receiving renal support therapy in the hospital's special care unit. The special care unit is reserved for patients who need a higher level of support but whose condition is not critical enough to merit a bed in intensive care.

In a statement, Pelé reassured his fans that he is doing well, and insisted that the move to the special care unit should not be interpreted as a worsening of his health.

"I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I am doing fine. I was not put into intensive care today, I was simply relocated to a special room within the hospital for privacy purposes only," the statement read.

Considered by many a Brazilian national hero, Pelé led the South American nation's team to three victories at the FIFA World Cup. He holds the record for the most goals scored during league games — a grand total of 541.

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