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sports Diamars 1 september 2020
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NFL stunner: Jags waive Fournette after failing to trade him

By MARK LONG clears waivers, he would be-
AP Pro Football Writer come a free agent.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Fournette's time in Jack-
(AP) — The Jaguars moved sonville took a turn in 2018,
another step closer to purg- which ended up being the
ing Tom Coughlin's tumul- worst season of his football
tuous tenure in Jacksonville. life. He was injured, sus-
The team waived running pended and on the bench in
back Leonard Fournette on crunch time. He was fined,
Monday, a stunning deci- criticized and admittedly not
sion many outsiders view as in ideal shape late in the year.
the latest in a series of head The Jaguars voided his guar-
scratchers that could help the antees following his one-
franchise tank the season and game suspension for fight-
get the No. 1 draft pick. ing with Buffalo linebacker
"If that's the case, then the Shaq Lawson, and Coughlin
realization is if that happens, ripped him for being "disre-
then I'm not going to be spectful" and "selfish" for sit-
here," coach Doug Marrone ting on the bench — while
said. "At the end of the day, injured and inactive — dur-
if I don't win enough games ing the season finale. Add-
or do enough with this team, ing to the chaos, Fournette
I don't foresee me still being was arrested in April 2019 for
employed. I'm doing every- driving with a suspended li-
thing I can to make sure we cense. He bounced back last
have the best team to make year with his best season.
sure we win football games. He topped 1,600 yards from
That's as simple as I can be on scrimmage in 15 games, car-
it." Coughlin wanted Four- rying 265 times for 1,152
nette as the centerpiece of yards and catching 76 passes
his old-school, run-first phi- for 522 yards. He scored only
losophy. It worked in 2017, three touchdowns. He also
although it became clear that fumbled just once in 341
Fournette needed to be a bet- touches.
ter pro. He was fined repeat- Fournette has 2,631 yards
edly for being late and skip- rushing, 1,009 yards receiving
ping mandatory functions. and 19 touchdowns in three
The Jaguars spent months seasons since he was now-
trying to trade Fournette, fired personnel chief Cough-
the fourth overall pick in Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette pulls in a one-handed catch during NFL lin's first draft pick since re-
the 2017 NFL draft who's turning to Jacksonville. But
coming off a career year. He football training camp, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. with Coughlin gone, general
was on the block during the Associated Press manager Dave Caldwell put
NFL draft and again over the nick Ngakoue to Minnesota the last 10 months. and that's what I'm doing." Fournette on the block and

summer. "We couldn't get in exchange for a second- "It's going to fall to me as to Still, no one expected Jack- declined to pick up the fifth-
anything, a fifth, a sixth, any- round draft pick in 2021 and who those best players are," sonville to part ways with year option in his rookie deal.
thing," Marrone said. a conditional fifth-rounder in Marrone said. "At the end Fournette less than two Marrone insisted Fournette
So they dumped the 25-year- 2020. Jacksonville also traded of the day, I've got to be able weeks before the opener. did nothing to prompt his
old former LSU star one Jalen Ramsey, fellow corner- to field a team that I believe He is due $4.17 million in release, instead pointing to
day after trading former Pro back A.J. Bouye and defen- gives us the best chance to guaranteed salary this season his fit in coordinator Jay
Bowl defensive end Yan- sive end Calais Campbell in win. That's what my role is if someone claims him. If he Gruden's new scheme.q

Horse racing leaders move to set national safety standards

oughbred racing leaders dards and guidelines that bled by schemes to drug
Monday announced the will help protect this sport." horses to make them race
launch of an integrity and The legislation will provide faster and by horse deaths.
safety authority to create federal recognition and en- Santa Anita racetrack has
national standards replacing forcement power for the been rattled by a number of
the patchwork of state regu- new Horseracing Integrity deaths when horses broke
lations overseeing the indus- and Safety Authority to de- down.
try. velop uniform, baseline Unlike other professional
The authority will help set standards for the industry. sports with central league
industry-wide standards for "If we want to preserve horse offices, thoroughbred racing
medication use, track condi- racing and its future, we is regulated at the state level,
tions and other safety stan- needed to act," McConnell resulting in a patchwork of
dards to protect thorough- said at a news conference at rules on medication stan-
breds and their riders. Keeneland in the heart of dards and testing protocols.
In this May 3, 2014, file photo, the field makes its way around The initiative will be backed Kentucky's horse industry. The authority will be an
the first turn during the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby by federal legislation to be "We owe it to the horses. independent, non-govern-
horse race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. introduced by Senate Ma- We owe it to the jockeys. We mental regulatory body that
Associated Press jority Leader Mitch McCo- owe it to the trainers, the will bring more transparen-
nnell. breeders and fans to make cy to the inner-workings of
By BRUCE SCHREINER — Looking to halt doping The Kentucky Republican thoroughbred racing as fair horse racing, industry lead-
Associated Press scandals and horse deaths said the horse racing indus- and as safe as possible." ers said.q
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) marring their sport, thor- try "deserves uniform stan- Horse racing has been hob-