Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 4-5-19

Sports
Buccaneers Quietly Seeking Millions In Compensation From BP's Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Colin Kaepernick Threw
A federal judge’s decision Friday publicly revealed a legal battle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have apparently been trying to keep quiet: the team’s claim of millions of dol- lars in damages for the Deep- water Horizon oil spill that ruined lives, killed billions of animals and decimated the Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem.
Judge Gregg J. Costa of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected the team’s request to seal the courtroom for its legal chal- lenge against the payout it re- ceived from the BP oil spill. The decision’s conclusion:
As is its right, Claimant ID 100246928 has used the fed- eral courts in its attempt to obtain millions of dollars it be-
BP has paid out billions in legal decisions and fines for the damages caused by its negligence in the run-up to the ecological disaster in 2010, when a drilling rig explosion led to the release of roughly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s not entirely clear how the Buccaneers were affected by the catastrophe (for starters, the team’s stadium is landlocked), but it seems the team is still fighting to receive a small fortune for its troubles. Tampa Bay wasn’t among the communities that had large globs of oil wash ashore, but the ecologically consequential nature of massive oil spills means there could have been plenty of collateral effects.
Football Game
It's not entirely clear why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are seeking damages from BP.
lieves BP owes because of the oil spill. But it should not able to benefit from this public re- source while treating it like a private tribunal when there is no good reason to do so. On Monday, the public will be able to access the courtroom it pays for.
Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played in an NFL game since Jan. 1, 2017, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his touch.
Kaepernick played in the second annual Huncho Day charity football game on Sun- day, an event put on by the rapper Quavo, and he looked good while mixing it up with a number of other NFL stars. Saquon Barkley was there, as was Cam Newton, Josh Norman and Alvin Ka- mara. Eric Reid was also there, and he walked into the stadium right next to Kaeper- nick.
During the game, Kaeper- nick threw a great, patient touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley, who caught it with his typical flair and athleti- cism.
Kaepernick also threw a two-point conversion to Quavo himself. Quavo
COLIN KAEPERNICK
stretched and jumped for an impressive, acrobatic catch.
It’s been a long time since Kaepernick was publicly on a football field to play a game. And both Barkley and Ka- mara were thrilled that he came out for the game.
Even though it was just a charity game, teams can see Kaepernick has stayed in shape and still has those quar- terback instincts.
A Touchdown To Saquon
Barkley At A Charity
Westbrook Erupts For 20-20-20 Triple-Double Vs. Lakers
John Calipari Confirms
Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook ac- complished something that hadn't been done in 51 years Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The guard finished with 20 points, 21 assists and 20 re- bounds in the 119-103 win, becoming the first player to finish with 20-20-20 since
Wilt Chamberlain in 1968. Chamberlain is the only other player to accomplish the feat; he had 22 points, 21 assists and 25 rebounds in
1968.
After the game, West-
brook said he dedicated the performance to Nipsey Hus- sle, a rapper who was shot and killed Sunday.
He Has Signed Lifetime
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
John Calipari is the sub- ject of NBA coaching rumors seemingly every offseason, and a report this week claimed he
Deal With Kentucky
JOHN CALIPARI
was being heavily recruited to leave the Wildcats to coach at UCLA. Those rumblings can all stop now.
On Monday, Calipari con- firmed that he has agreed to a lifetime deal to remain at Ken- tucky. He said the new agree- ment has nothing to do with UCLA’s reported interest in hiring him.
Calipari has been at Ken- tucky since 2009 and taken the team to four Final Fours. He also led them to a national championship in 2012 and has won five SEC Championships. He’s one of the best recruiters in the country, so Kentucky probably told him to name his price. College coaches continue to get richer off Black athletes in the NCAA. Basketball and Football.
PAGE 14-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019