New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin was accused of sexual assault by a team employee in December 2023, resulting in financial settlements, according to a new report from The Athletic.

The 33-year-old forward and the Madison Square Garden Company, which owns the team, each agreed to pay a financial settlement this past August to the employee, while having her sign non-disclosure and no admission of wrongdoing clauses, according to the report.

The report said the alleged assault occurred following a postgame gathering at a hotel. Panarin was accused of taking the employee’s phone and asking her back to his hotel room, where he allegedly attempted the assault before she pushed him away and left the room.

There is no record of the employee reporting the alleged incident to law enforcement, and she did not alert the team until roughly three months later, when the Rangers were investigating a separate matter involving the same employee giving ‘anti-anxiety medicine’ to a player on a team flight. That incident was referenced in a report from lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, in a December 2024 story, which noted that the Rangers’ social media employees were no longer permitted to travel with the team as a result.

Prior to the 2024-25 season, a letter signed by Rangers president Chris Drury, Knicks president Leon Rose and MSG COO Jamaal Lesane was distributed to all team employees issuing “a reminder regarding the expectations of behavior when interacting with the players or coaches of any of our Teams.”

Staffers were told that “absent written approval from an Executive Vice President (‘EVP’) or above,” they were prohibited from staying at the same hotel as any of the teams under the MSG umbrella, including the minor-league Hartford Wolf Pack and Westchester Knicks, traveling on team flights or buses, or attending team social gatherings or meals, according to the memo obtained by lohud.com.

Furthermore, it mandated that employees keep as much distance as possible at the rink.

“Interactions between employees and players or coaches must be strictly limited except as necessary to satisfy the requirements of an employee’s role,” it read. “Failure to comply with the directives set forth in this memorandum may result in disciplinary action, including, without limitation, termination of employment.”

The team employee was asked to clarify why she left the organization shortly after lohud.com’s story was published in December 2024, which she declined while noting she was ‘legally forbidden.’

Regarding the accusations against Panarin, who has been the Rangers’ leading scorer for six straight seasons and will be entering the final year of his seven-year, $81.5 million contract next season, an MSG Sports spokesperson issued a statement saying, ‘The matter has been resolved.’

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

The Buffalo Bills are shoring up their secondary with a familiar face.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Tre’Davious White is signing a one-year deal with the Bills, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and others.

The deal is reportedly worth up to $6.8 million.

Buffalo drafted White in the first round, No. 17 overall in the 2017 NFL draft. White was a contributor immediately, starting all 16 games that season and finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

He led the league in interceptions in 2019 and was a first-team All-Pro. He followed that with another Pro Bowl season in 2020.

Injuries cut short his seasons in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams for the 2024 season but the team cut him midseason. He signed on with the Baltimore Ravens for the final seven weeks of the regular season.

Bills CB depth chart

White joins a crowded cornerback room in Buffalo. Here are all of the cornerbacks currently signed to the Bills’ roster:

• Christian Benford
• Dane Jackson
• Taron Johnson
• Brandon Codrington
• Ja’Marcus Ingram
• Cam Lewis
• Daequan Hardy
• Te’Cory Couch

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Bucks guard Damian Lillard is no longer taking blood thinner medication for deep vein thrombosis and is cleared for full basketball activities, the team announced Thursday, opening the door for a potential return during Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.

Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, the Bucks announced on March 25.

“We’re thrilled for Dame,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst on Thursday. “Our priority has always been Dame’s health. We’re grateful to our medical team for diagnosing and treating his DVT at an early stage, and for the world-renown hematology specialists at Mayo Clinic. Every step of Dame’s recovery has been at the direction of world-class medical professionals and their specific and strict protocols that have allowed for Dame’s safe and healthy return to play.”

Lillard will continue to increase his on-court basketball activity in preparation for his return to play.  

Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 58 for games for Milwaukee this season, and Lillard and All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo were the highest-scoring duo in the league. The Bucks were 32-26 with Lillard in the lineup and were 10-4 without him in the final three weeks of the season.

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Festivus isn’t until December, but Aaron Rodgers is already airing all his grievances.

The former New York Jets quarterback joined ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Thursday to discuss his offseason and where his future is in the NFL.

He’s somewhere between free agency and retirement, but the Jets fit somewhere in the middle. The quarterback took aim at his former organization on the show, detailing how everything ended. New York officially released the future Hall of Fame signal caller when the new league year began on March 12.

The move came just over two months after introducing Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey as the Jets’ new head coach and general manager.

Rodgers was less than pleased with his experience with the new regime.

‘That was an interesting two years to say the least,’ Rodgers said. ‘I figured that when I flew across country on my dime there would be a conversation. The confusing thing to me is I went out there, I meet with the coach, we start talking, he runs out of the room. I’m like ‘that’s kind of strange.’ Then he comes back with the GM and I’m like ‘all right.’ So we sit down in the office and I think we’re going to have this long conversation, I’ve flown across the country, and 20 seconds in and he [Glenn] goes, ‘So do you wanna play football? And I’m like, ‘yeah I’m interested.’ And he said “we’re going in a different direction at quarterback.’”

Rodgers was upset that he flew across the country to hear the news when the team could’ve told him on the phone.

The Jets, on the other hand, wanted to consult with the quarterback about the messaging of the news.

‘I don’t give a (expletive) about the messaging,’ Rodgers said.

He called the situation ‘crazy’ and added that the two years with the Jets were a ‘debacle,’ saying Glenn went rogue.

The quarterback wasn’t surprised by the decision to move on, but was surprised that the team didn’t have an interest in picking his brain for thoughts on the team, players and what the organization could do better.

‘I felt like there wasn’t an ample amount of respect in that meeting,’ Rodgers said. ‘I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised based on some of the things I saw over the two years. But I am thankful for my time with the Jets and disappointed it didn’t work out better on the field.’

The Jets moved swiftly in free agency to secure their next quarterback, inking Justin Fields to a two-year deal.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is left holding his cleats. Time will tell whether he puts them on or hangs them up.

The baseball season is still in its infancy as far as the big leagues are concerned. But at the collegiate level, the season is just past its midpoint.

With NCAA tournament selections just a little over a month away, followers of the top programs are starting to think about their teams’ chances of reaching the promised land – the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Of course there’s a long way to go before then. Teams will have to negotiate four-team regionals and then best-of-three super regionals just to be among the final eight teams that will decide the national title. But that certainly doesn’t stop professional and amateur speculators alike from assessing possibilities.

Here’s a look at the current favorites to win the college baseball title, according to odds courtesy of DraftKings. If you’ve been keeping up with the coaches poll and other rankings up to this point, you will not be surprised to see a strong SEC presence at the top of the list.

Tennessee (+450)

The defending champion Volunteers lost their perch at No. 1 in the poll after losing a series to Texas A&M a couple weeks ago but still have the shortest odds among the SEC’s numerous candidates. It’s hard to find many weaknesses in this squad. Lefty ace Liam Doyle has been involved in two combined no-hitters for the Vols this season.

Arkansas (+500)

The Razorbacks, who also briefly held the top poll position, appear to have the combination of bats and arms necessary to reach Omaha. They lead the SEC in team batting average and are just behind Tennessee in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Arkansas still faces series ahead against Tennessee, Texas and LSU that will provide a good litmus test for its prospects.

LSU (+800)

The Tigers, who emerged as champions in Omaha in 2023, can never be counted out given their pedigree and consistently talented roster. But they were swept by Auburn in their most recent league series as their normally potent bats were silenced. We’ll see if that was just a blip or an ominous sign with series ahead against Tennessee and Arkansas.

Georgia (+1000)

The Bulldogs have, perhaps quietly, crept toward the top of the SEC standings. There’s nothing stealthy about their approach at the plate, however, as they’ve become the first team to mash 100 homers for the season, led by Robbie Burnett’s 16. That offense will be difficult for pitchers to contain in the postseason.

Texas (+1600)

It’s possible the betting public has yet to catch up with the Longhorns’ ascension to the head of the class in both the SEC standings and the polls. They’ve done it on the strength of their deep pitching staff that leads the conference in team ERA and is second nationally in fewest hits allowed per nine innings.

North Carolina (+1600)

Compared to some other teams in their neighborhood in the rankings, the Tar Heels don’t score a ton of runs. They lean heavily on a strong starting rotation, anchored by standouts Jake Knapp and Aidan Haugh, that has them in the upper tier of the ACC. Pitching plays a premium role in the postseason, giving the Tar Heels an advantage.

Clemson (+1800)

The Tigers are in the ACC hunt as well with an 11-4 mark in league play. Their offense is usually productive enough to hand the lead to closer Lucas Mahlstedt, who heads into the weekend tied for the national lead in saves with 12. Righthander Aidan Knaak anchors the starting rotation.

Oregon State (+2000)

With the rebirth of the Pac-12 still a couple of years away, the Beavers are independent this season, so it will be interesting to see how they are treated by the committee for seeding purposes. Among their most notable results among other west-coast contenders are series wins against Cal Poly and UC-Irvine as well as a road triumph at UCLA last weekend.

Odds for other college baseball teams

Vanderbilt (+2200)

Georgia Tech (+2200)

Alabama (+3500)

Wake Forest (+3500)

UC-Irvine (+3500)

Texas A&M (+3500)

Auburn (+4000)

Oregon (+4500)

Mississippi (+5000)

UCLA (+5000)

Aaron Donald has been granted a temporary restraining order against a Los Angeles woman whom the retired NFL star says has been stalking him and his family for several years.

Donald wrote in court documents that the woman, who identified herself as Janelle Anwar, has been sending him unsolicited email and chat messages since 2020 and appears to believe they are married. Anwar, whom Donald said he has never met, even filed a request for divorce with a Los Angeles court last month, claiming they had been married since March 2024. She wrote in the document that she was seeking a ‘settlement’ of $6.5 million in a divorce.

Donald also alleged in court documents Anwar recently sent threatening messages about his family and has previously sent Amazon packages and balloons to his previous home, addressed to his children, all of whom are under the age of 12.

‘Respondent is delusional and I fear that Respondent’s delusions will lead to her attempting to harm me, my wife, my children, and my brother,’ Donald wrote in court documents seeking a temporary restraining order.

A Los Angeles judge granted Donald’s request Tuesday, ordering Anwar to not contact the former Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman and stay at least 100 yards away from him and his family. The judge also scheduled a May 7 court hearing to determine if the restraining order should be extended.

Anwar did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to one of her alleged email addresses Thursday morning.

Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, wrote in court records that he has received messages from Anwar – who also identifies herself in messages as ‘aka Red Berry’ – from at least nine different email addresses since 2020. He wrote that he routinely blocked the addresses and ignored the messages, some of which referenced an imaginary relationship between them. On one occasion, she forwarded him an apparent performance review from her employer with the message ‘Hi Hubby, please save. Love you!’

Donald alleged that, over the past few months, ‘the recent messages have become increasingly more alarming and more threatening.’ He wrote that Anwar has CC’d him on cease and desist emails to unknown people, containing erratic references to musical artist Beyonce and Donald’s former coach, Sean McVay. She also attempted to deliver food to his family’s home, which he said is the first such delivery since he moved in 2022.

Donald, 33, recently wrapped up his first year of retirement after stepping away from football in March 2024. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 seasons in the NFL, all of them with the Los Angeles Rams, and is widely believed to be among the best defensive players of his era. He is eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.

The NFL Draft is a special occasion for all involved. For the Los Angeles Rams, the 2025 NFL Draft will be of even greater significance.

The Rams will conduct their draft operations from Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Air Operations, honoring the first responders who call Los Angeles home. It will mark the first time in NFL history a team will take their draft operations to a fire station.

With the assistance of Zillow, the Rams and LAFD will transform a room within LAFD Air Operations to serve as general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay’s draft headquarters for the three-day event on April 24-26. An adjacent hangar will be used as a space for coaches, scouts, team personnel and media.

LAFD Air Operations will be fully operational during the NFL Draft.

The special Rams draft headquarters site comes in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires that ravaged the Los Angeles area in January, that killed at least 29 people and burned over 37,000 acres, or 57.8 square miles.

The Rams have donated nearly $2 million to fire relief efforts, according to the team. As part of the Rams’ continued efforts to help uplift the community following the devastating blaze, the team and Zillow will work in conjunction to renovate LAFD Air Operation’s recreation room.

“Drafting from LAFD Air Operations is a powerful reminder of what it means to represent Los Angeles,” Rams president Kevin Demoff said in a statement. “Since the wildfires devastated our region in January, we have looked to bring LA together to help with the recovery efforts, raise the spirits of those impacted, and shine a light on our first responders. We are humbled to partner with LAFD during one of the NFL’s biggest moments to express gratitude for those who risk their lives daily to protect our city.”

Former college football coach Lee Corso had what could best be described as a moderately successful career in his chosen profession.

Over 15 seasons as a college head coach and one year in the pros with the short-lived USFL, Corso’s teams had an overall record of 78 wins, 98 losses and six ties.

After such an undistinguished tenure and without a job at age 50, one might think it would be time for Corso to get out of the football business. But …

‘Not so fast, my friend!’

Corso found fame — and a cult following — in broadcasting when he was hired in 1987 to be part of ESPN’s new ‘College GameDay’ show. His nearly 40-year association with the network will come to an end later this year following Thursday’s announcement that Corso is retiring and will make his final ‘GameDay’ appearance on Saturday, August 30, in the program’s season premiere.

Why is Lee Corso famous?

Corso has become an institution in college football over the 38 seasons ‘College GameDay’ has been on the air. He’s the only remaining original cast member on the show, which has won nine Emmy awards for outstanding weekly sports studio program.

His knowledge of the game as a former coach is apparent. However, Corso’s folksy style and his showmanship have helped him form a longstanding bond with television viewers.

Corso’s signature catch phrase, ‘Not so fast, my friend,’ and his tradition of donning a team’s headgear in making his winning pick have become beloved GameDay staples each week.

“My family and I will be forever indebted for the opportunity to be part of ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ for nearly 40 years,” Corso, 89, said in an ESPN news release. “I have a treasure of many friends, fond memories and some unusual experiences to take with me into retirement.”

Lee Corso’s coaching career

A quarterback and defensive back during his playing career at Florida State from 1953-57, Corso got his first coaching job at his alma mater immediately after his eligibility ran out, serving as a graduate assistant in Tallahassee during the 1958 season.

From there, he moved on to become quarterbacks coach at Maryland for seven seasons. He coached defensive backs at Navy for three seasons before getting his first head coaching job at the University of Louisville in 1969.

A year after taking over the Cardinals, Corso led the team to an 8-3-1 record, a Missouri Valley Conference title and a berth in the in 1970 Pasadena Bowl — only the second bowl bid in school history. Two years later, after the Cardinals went 9-1, Corso took the head coaching job at Indiana.

A decided underdog against the traditional Big Ten powers, Corso never enjoyed the success at Indiana that he did at Louisville. The Hoosiers had only two winning seasons over his 10 years in Bloomington — an 8-4 record and Holiday Bowl win in 1979 and a 6-5 mark the following year.

Corso was fired by Indiana after the 1982 season after compiling an overall record of 41-68-2.

He returned to coaching after a one-year break, taking over the program at Northern Illinois and going 4-6-1.

In 1985, he jumped to the pro ranks, taking over as head coach of the USFL’s Orlando Renegades. His team went 5-13 and the league folded after that season.