Wednesday's Sports In Brief
NFL
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The NFL has its first full-time female coach.
Kathryn Smith was promoted by the Buffalo Bills to take over as special teams quality control coach on Rex Ryan's staff. She will assist special teams coordinator Danny Crossman and his assistant Eric Smith, filling the role that opened after Michael Hamlin was not retained following the season.
Smith's appointment comes after Jen Welter served a six-week training camp internship last summer coaching inside linebackers for the Arizona Cardinals.
Smith is well-known within the Bills staff after spending this season as an administrative assistant for the team's assistant coaches. She was the New York Jets' player personnel assistant when Ryan took over as coach in 2009. Smith then served as Ryan's assistant in 2014, his final year in New York before he was fired and then hired by the Bills.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Rams say they have collected over 45,000 season ticket deposits in just two days for their upcoming return season in Los Angeles.
The refundable deposits entitle fans to a spot in a virtual waiting line to purchase up to eight season tickets apiece for the NFL club's first season back at the Coliseum after 21 years in St. Louis.
The deposits also entitle fans to a spot on the waiting list for season tickets at the palatial Inglewood stadium currently being built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke. The stadium will open in 2019.
CLEVELAND (AP) - Ray Horton's coming back to the Browns. They haven't changed much since he left.
Horton has been hired as new Cleveland coach Hue Jackson's defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hiring told the Associated Press.
Horton is returning to Cleveland, where he ran coach Rob Chudzinski's defense in 2013, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Browns have not yet announced Horton's addition.
The 55-year-old Horton interviewed to be Tennessee's coach last week, but when the Titans hired Mike Mularkey, Jackson acted quickly to add him to his staff with the Browns. There were mixed reports following his interview that Horton had felt insulted by the Titans.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey has convinced Dick LeBeau to stick around as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, and he also hired Terry Robiskie as the Titans' new offensive coordinator.
The Titans also announced that Bobby April will be their new special teams coordinator.
BASEBALL
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - With worries about terrorism heightened following attacks in France and California, baseball owners began their two-day meeting by discussing threat protection with the U.S. Homeland Security secretary.
Presenting more than 2,400 games a year in venues that attract large crowds, Major League Baseball has tightened checks in recent years. Starting last year, fans were required to go through metal detectors at all 30 ballparks.
After arriving in a seven-car motorcade, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson addressed owners for approximately an hour and took about a half-dozen of their questions. Teams wanted to know what layers to add.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The San Diego Padres and Fernando Rodney have agreed to a one-year contract, pending a physical exam.
Rodney is expected to take over the closer's role vacated when Craig Kimbrel was traded to Boston.
Rodney, who turns 39 on March 18, split the 2015 season between Seattle and the Chicago Cubs. He's also pitched for Detroit, the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay.
NEW YORK (AP) - A person familiar with the deal says free agent reliever Antonio Bastardo and the NL champion New York Mets have agreed to terms on a $12 million, two-year contract.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the deal is pending a physical and no announcement had been made.
Bastardo was 4-1 with a 2.98 ERA and one save in 66 games last season for Pittsburgh, helping the Pirates claim an NL wild card. The left-hander had 64 strikeouts and 26 walks in 57 1/3 innings.
NBA
NEW YORK (AP) - There's only one direction to go when you've been floored.
Kevin Love had 17 points and 18 rebounds to help them bounce back from their embarrassing performance against Golden State with a 91-78 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
LeBron James also had 17 points and neither forward played in the fourth quarter, a welcome rest with a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
More importantly for the Cavs, it was a welcome performance after they were crushed 132-98 on Monday in the NBA Finals rematch.
FIFA ELECTION
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Five weeks before election day, some of the 209 FIFA member federations are publicly pledging their votes in the presidential race.
Prince Ali of Jordan said the Iraqi soccer federation will vote for him on Feb. 26 in Zurich. The German and Swiss federations gave their expected support to UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, who is from Switzerland. Suriname, which is part of the CONCACAF confederation, also pledged to vote for Infantino.
Prince Ali got formal public support from UEFA - but not the Asian Football Confederation - when he tallied 73 votes in losing to Sepp Blatter in May.
Iraq is expected to be joined by other Asian voters for Prince Ali next month despite AFC president Sheikh Salman of Bahrain claiming to have unanimous support from executive committee members for his campaign. Jerome Champagne of France and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale are also in the running.