Sports in The News

Start to NHL season shrouded in controversy

The first week of the NHL season got off on the wrong foot as player suspensions and drug allegations made headlines around the league.

The first controversy began with Montreal Canadiens forward Zack Kassian who suffered minor injuries in a car accident. The Gazette reported Kassian was later admitted to the NHL’s substance abuse program. Just a few days later, according to NHL.com, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended for 41 games by the NHL for his vicious hit to the head on Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg. Torres is a repeat offender and his latest suspension will leave him out for half of the season.

Lastly, in a report by TSN, it was discovered and acknowledged by the NHL that cocaine use is on the rise amongst players. While the NHL does comprehensive drug testing, the league does believe it needs to do more to combat the issue.

Miami Dolphins fire head coach

TSN.ca reports the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Joe Philbin this past week after a lackluster start to the NFL season. After a 27-14 loss to the New York Jets in London, England, the team decided that Philbin was no longer a good fit for the team.

The Dolphins have shown a lack of effort out on the field so far this season and they are now at the bottom of the AFC East standings with a 1-3 record. Amongst the team’s problems is quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was slated to have a great season, but his performance on the field has been lacking. It has also been reported that Tannehill has been taunting players in practice. As a result, his leadership has been brought into question.

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini suspended

FIFA’s problems were made worse this past week when FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini were suspended for 90 days by the FIFA Ethics Committee. According to The Guardian, Platini was set to become Blatter’s successor as President of FIFA. Both suspensions came in the wake of a Swiss criminal investigation that claimed that Blatter had misused FIFA money to pay Platini a sum of $2 million. Blatter has also been accused of selling broadcast rights at an inexpensive price to former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner. Due to these lowered prices, Warner was able to take home a huge markup. Issa Hayatou, who is the president of the African Soccer Confederation will take over as president of FIFA.

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