The Baltimore Ravens agreed to trade veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a fourth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, a person with knowledge of the agreement told the Associated Press. Flacco, the MVP of the 2013 Super Bowl following a miraculous win at top-seeded Denver, became expendable in Baltimore with the emergence of rookie Lamar Jackson, the former Louisville star who led the Ravens into the playoffs after Flacco got hurt . . . The Houston Texans released veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, whose 2018 season ended prematurely when he tore his left Achilles’ tendon.
. . . Place kicker Josh Lambo signed a four-year contract extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars, keeping him from hitting free agency next month . . .
AAF ratings solid in debut
The Alliance of American Football was a ratings winner in its inaugural weekend. The games Saturday on CBS averaged 3.25 million viewers, which was more than ABC’s broadcast of the Houston Rockets against the Oklahoma City Thunder (2.67 million), according to Nielsen.
However, the broadcasts Saturday from San Antonio and Orlando will be the only games on CBS until the championship game on April 27 in Las Vegas.
Emmitt Thomas announced his retirement Tuesday as the defensive backs coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, ending an NFL career that began as a Hall of Fame player and wound up spanning five decades.
Basketball
BC no match for Notre Dame
Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points to move into second place on Notre Dame’s all-time scoring list, and the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish women’s team (23-3, 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) coasted to a 97-47 victory over Boston College at Conte Forum. Taylor Soule led BC (14-11, 3-9) with 11 points . . . The Boston University women (12-10, 8-4 Patriot League) earned their fourth straight win on the road, beating Colgate (9-13, 5-7), 61-53, in Hamilton, N.Y. Payton Hauck scored 22 points for the Terriers . . . Led by sophomore Javante McCoy’s game-high 19 points, the Boston University men’s team (11-15, 4-9 Patriot League) cut a double-digit deficit to one possession on multiple occasions in the second half but was unable to get past Army (12-4, 7-6) in a 71-61 loss at West Point, N.Y. It was a season sweep (2-0) of the Terriers for the Black Knights, who were led by Tommy Funk’s 17 points . . . NBA center Enes Kanter joined the Portland Trail Blazers. Kanter was waived by the New York Knicks along with Wesley Matthews following the trade deadline last week.
. . . Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he had “no knowledge’’ of a woman’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted by a former Blue Devils player. He believes the school should and will investigate. Lawyer Nancy Erika Smith has said her client, Meredith Watson, was raped by a player while she was a student at Duke. The New York Times and other publications have identified the player as Corey Maggette, who has denied the allegation. Watson also has said that Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her when they were students at Duke.
Baseball
Nola gets $45m from Phillies
Pitcher Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a $45 million, four-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration. The 25-year-old righthander set career bests last season when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA . . . Shohei Ohtani wouldn’t change how he handled his elbow injury late last year, continuing to hit for the Los Angeles Angels until season’s end even if it meant delaying reconstructive surgery and his ability to pitch again until 2020. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is recovering from an Oct. 1 Tommy John surgery with the hope he will be able to bat in the Los Angeles lineup as early as May if all stays on schedule . . . Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Alex Wood won their salary arbitration cases, giving players a 6-3 advantage over teams to ensure a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90. Bauer won his hearing for the second straight year and was awarded $13 million instead of the Indians’ $11 million offer. Cole was given a $13.5 million salary rather than the Astros’ offer of $11.4 million. Wood will get $9.65 million instead of the Reds’ $8.7 million offer . . . Doug Fister, a reliable righthander for the Detriot Tigers’ dominant rotations in the early years of this decade, is retiring. Fister pitched 18 games and started 15 for the Red Sox in 2017, going 5-9 with a 4.88 ERA.
. . . Catcher Caleb Joseph and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a one-year contract that calls for a $1.1 million salary in the major leagues and a $250,000 salary in the minors.
Golf
Garcia apologizes for damage
Sergio Garcia apologized in a statement and in person to the players in his group when he damaged five greens at the Saudi International tournament. ‘‘I’m sure I’m going to hear it throughout the year,’’ Garcia said in his first interview since he was disqualified Feb. 2 for the damage he did to five greens out of frustration early in the third round. Garcia is playing in the PGA’s Genesis Open this week.
