Wednesday's Sports In Brief
NFL
NEW YORK (AP) Noted labor attorney Jeffrey Kessler will aid in the players' union planned appeal of Tom Brady's suspension.
The New England Patriots quarterback was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the 2015 season for his role in the deflating of footballs. He has until 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday to file the appeal. His lawyer, Don Yee, and the union have said they will appeal.
Kessler has litigated some of the most famous sports antitrust cases, including working for a variety of player unions. He was instrumental in getting NFL free agency established and had a key role in helping end the league's lockout of the players in 2011.
Along with Brady's suspension, the NFL fined the Patriots $1 million Monday and stripped them of a 2016 first-round draft choice and a 2017 fourth-rounder.
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has earned $50,000 for childhood cancer research playing ''Celebrity Jeopardy.''
Rodgers beat astronaut Mark Kelly and Kevin O'Leary of ''Shark Tank'' in the episode airing Tuesday evening. Rodgers chosen charity is Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer.
The MVP quarterback muffed the final Jeopardy question which had a Wisconsin angle. The players had to identify photos of two early 20th century men on motorcycles.
The correct answer was Harley and Davidson. Rodgers quipped Ernst & Young.
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NBA
WESTLAKE, Ohio (AP) - Police say Cavaliers forward Kendrick Perkins got into a verbal altercation with his wife on the side of a road.
A 911 caller told police Perkins and his wife, Vanity, were ''fighting'' by their car on Wednesday morning. When officers arrived, the couple claimed they were having an argument. Perkins was driven to his residence and Vanity Perkins left in the car the couple was driving in.
No one was injured or arrested. Police say information was handed over to the city prosecutor, who will determine if any charges will be filed. The complete police report will not be completed until Thursday.
Perkins played just 90 seconds in Cleveland's playoff win over Chicago on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old Perkins signed as a free agent with the Cavs in February. The 6-foot-10, 270-pounder previously played with Boston and Oklahoma City. He won an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008.
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SOCCER
MADRID (AP) - Alvaro Morata shocked his former team with a 57th-minute goal, and Juventus reached its first Champions League final since 2003 with a 1-1 tie against defending champion Real Madrid on Thursday night that gave the Italian club a 3-2 aggregate win.
Seeking its third European title and first since 1996, Juventus plays Barcelona in the final at Berlin on June 6.
Cristiano Ronaldo put the hosts ahead with a 23rd-minute penalty kick after Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson ruled Giorgio Chiellini kneed James Rodriguez. Following Juventus' 2-1 win at home last week, that put Real Madrid ahead on away goals.
But Paul Pogba headed the ball to Morata early in the second half, and the 22-year-old Spaniard beat goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a left-footed shot from 11 yards.
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PREAKNESS
BALTIMORE (AP) - Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah will face seven challengers in Saturday's Preakness.
Vying to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, American Pharoah will part of the smallest Preakness field since 2000.
Trainer Bob Baffert has two entrants: American Pharoah and Dortmund, who finished third in the Derby.
Firing Line, who took second in the Derby, is also entered. Firing Line has come in either first or second in all six of his career races.
The other horses in the field are: Bodhisattva, Danzig Moon, Divining Rod, Tale of Verve and Mr. Z.
Danzig Moon finished fifth in the Derby and Mr. Z, who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, was 13th.
Preakness odds and post positions were to be announced later Wednesday.
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BOXING
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Manny Pacquiao returned home to the Philippines on Wednesday nursing his right shoulder after surgery and weighing up whether to retire or push for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao, wearing a black shoulder brace and arm sling, said his immediate priorities were recuperating from surgery and his duties as congressman and family man. He said he injured his shoulder during training for the May 2 fight which Mayweather won on a unanimous decision.
Pacquiao and his family arrived early Wednesday and rested briefly in his mansion in the Forbes Park residential enclave of Manila. He later joined fans, supporters and politicians for breakfast at a nearby hotel before a motorcade around the Philippine capital.
Thousands lined the streets as his motorcade passed, waving, applauding and taking pictures of the 36-year-old former champion.
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OLYMPICS
LONDON (AP) - The entire U.S. men's sprint relay team was stripped of its silver medal from the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday as a result of Tyson Gay's doping case, two officials with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been announced.
The International Olympic Committee notified the U.S. Olympic Committee by letter that the 4x100 relay team has been disqualified and all the medals withdrawn, the officials said. The letter asks the USOC to collect the medals and return them to the IOC.
Gay returned his own medal last year after accepting a one-year doping suspension and the loss of results going back to July 2012, but the status of the U.S. second-place finish in London and the medals of Gay's relay teammates had remained in limbo until now.
Under international rules, an entire team can be disqualified and stripped of medals because of doping by one member.