KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter was elected NFL Players Association president by the Board of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon during union meetings.

Tretter beat out New York Giants defensive back Michael Thomas and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sam Acho for the president role. He won by a majority of the board members in the room on the first vote, a source told ESPN.

Many players supported Tretter because during a period where people were drawing a line in the sand on key issues of the proposed CBA, he sought to inform and educate players about the important points.

Tretter, 29, has a degree in industrial labor relations from Cornell. He's entering his eighth NFL season and he's been the Browns' starting center for the past three seasons. He was voted an alternate player rep for the Browns in 2018.

Tretter compiled a detailed list of potential drawbacks to the proposed CBA last week to balance the list of highlights that the NFLPA sent out. He was very diplomatic in his approach, and his goal of keeping players informed and educated took priority over his own opinion of the CBA.

Players: We are preparing to vote on a CBA that most of us will play under for the rest of our careers. Before you decide whether you're for or against it, please get informed. Read up on it, talk to your player director/rep, send me questions, etc. Get as much info as you can. https://t.co/ivO7phEFdf

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) March 4, 2020

Thomas -- who voted "no" on the proposed CBA -- might've earn the vote after Russell Okung dropped out to endorse him. Richard Sherman endorsed him as well. But the vote went to Tretter, who has been balanced in his approach to the CBA.

Falcons center Alex Mack was voted as the NFLPA's treasurer.

Tretter replaces Eric Winston, who has been the NFLPA president since March 2014. Winston wasn't eligible for another term because he didn't play in the NFL in 2019.

Players have until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET to put in their "yes" or "no" vote on the proposed CBA, which includes a 17-game schedule starting in 2021 at the earliest. The proposed CBA passes if it receives a simple majority (50 percent plus one vote) of the people who submit a ballot via DocuSign.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer was scratched from Tuesday's scheduled start against Miami because of fatigue on his right side.

"There's not even a strain. There's no MRIs. There's nothing like that," Scherzer said. "This is purely just a fatigue and endurance thing."

The 35-year-old right-hander said his right side has lagged behind the rest of his body as he attempts to build strength in preparation for the season.

"In the grand scheme of things -- knock on wood -- arm, shoulder, elbow, that all feels great," Scherzer said.

Scherzer had made three spring training starts. He expects to pitch Sunday against the Mets and remain on track to start the World Series champions' opener on March 26 at New York. Nationals manager Dave Martinez has not announced his Opening Day starter.

Scherzer is followed in the rotation by World Series MVP, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez. There is a competition for the fifth slot.

A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer was 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA last year, when he pitched 172⅓ innings during the regular season and 30 in the postseason.

Recently-crowned British indoor shot put champions Amelia Strickler and Scott Lincoln among those on the 11-strong squad

An 11-strong British team has been announced for the European Throwing Cup to be held in Leiria, Portugal, from March 21-22.

Recently-crowned British indoor shot put champions Amelia Strickler and Scott Lincoln are among those selected, with Strickler having thrown a PB of 17.97m to win in Glasgow.

Hammer thrower Taylor Campbell also recently achieved a PB, winning in Loughborough with a European Championships qualifying mark of 74.98m.

Also victorious in Loughborough at the weekend and earning selection are discus throwers Nicholas Percy and Kirsty Law.

Craig Murch joins Campbell in the men’s hammer, with Jess Mayho completing the senior team in the women’s hammer.

Bethany Moule, Serena Vincent and Ben Hawkes are selected to compete as under-23s in the javelin, shot put and hammer respectively.

Charlotte Payne, who threw a World U20 Championships standard of 60.73m in Loughborough at the weekend, completes the team with a place in the women’s under-23 hammer.

Peter Stanley, head of field & combined events at British Athletics, said: “The European Throwing Cup is an important event on the international calendar for our athletes and it is fantastic – and demonstrates the strength we currently have – that we have been able to select the maximum number of 11 athletes this year.

“The Winter Long Throws Opportunity at the weekend was once again a great event for many to open their season as shown by the number of personal bests and, along with other performances this year, we are looking forward to seeing our athletes make the most of the opportunity Leiria presents.”

British team

Senior men
Taylor Campbell – Hammer
Scott Lincoln – Shot put
Craig Murch – Hammer
Nicholas Percy – Discus

Senior women
Kirsty Law – Discus
Jess Mayho – Hammer
Amelia Strickler – Shot put

Under-23 men
Ben Hawkes – Hammer

Under-23 women
Bethany Moule – Javelin
Charlotte Payne – Hammer
Serena Vincent – Shot put

New Harlequins winger Chris Ashton says the manner of his departure from Sale last week came as "a shock".

Ashton's former boss at Sale, Steve Diamond, said the ex-England player left after a "difference of opinion".

The 32-year-old said he had "disagreed" with Diamond in a meeting but was "completely unaware of any problem".

"I didn't feel as though we had the relationship that I'd hoped for," Ashton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"We did bang heads on a few things but it's only because I wanted the club to get better and win, it was never any other way than that."

LISTEN: Ashton discusses his Sale exit on Rugby Union Weekly

Ashton is third in the Premiership's all-time list of top try-scorers - with 86 to his name - and joined Harlequins two days after his Sale deal was terminated by mutual consent.

"It is a shock that Steve said that and it's a shock he said it to me last Monday night, that he felt that way," he said.

"I could've gone in and said I want to change this opinion you have of me but I didn't necessarily believe it was right."

'It took a while to sink in'

Ashton won the last of his 44 England Test caps in February 2019 but at club level is six tries behind Tom Varndell's Premiership record, and has targeted reaching 100.

He spent 18 months at Sale after joining them from Toulon, where he broke the Top 14 try-scoring record.

"After I got home from my meeting [with Steve Diamond] my mum and missus said 'what's wrong with you'."

"I must've been as white as some kitchen cupboards.

"They said 'what's up' - 'I haven't got a job, I don't think I've got a job' - it was that fast."

His fellow Rugby Union Weekly presenter, and now Quins team-mate, Danny Care said he tried persuading head of rugby Paul Gustard to sign Ashton on his return from France in 2018.

"I always thought he's exactly the type of player we need at the club. Someone who will drive standards, improve training and he scores tries," he added.

"What I love about this bloke is that he isn't afraid to speak his mind.

"Not many people, especially these days in rugby, do that because they know the consequences of it."

INDIANAPOLIS – IndyCar and PPG have announced that PPG’s ballistic, canopy-like windscreen, a key component of the NTT IndyCar Series’ Aeroscreen, will make its official motorsports debut this week.

Developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies and tested multiple times since its first on-track assessment in October 2019, the Aeroscreen will appear on all cars competing in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the city streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday. The Aeroscreen is IndyCar’s latest safety innovation to reduce the risk of driver injury from flying debris or other objects striking the cockpit area.

“I don’t think any stone has been left unturned, but we will continue to fine tune it,” said Jay Frye, IndyCar president. “The Aeroscreen is an industry-changing, total driver safety solution.”

The Aeroscreen consists of the PPG polycarbonate-laminated ballistic windscreen that is attached to a titanium frame produced by Pankl. The entire Aeroscreen assembly can be fitted on or removed from an NTT IndyCar Series car in less than 15 minutes.

The PPG windscreen will include an interior anti-reflective coating, an anti-fogging device using an integral heating element and up to eight exterior tear-offs that can be removed during pit stops if the screen gets dirty. Weighing 17.3 pounds (7.8 kilograms), the windscreen can withstand a two-pound object striking it at more than 220 miles per hour.

Pankl’s titanium frame weighs 27.8 pounds (12.6 kilograms) and can withstand 34,000 pounds (15,422 kilograms) of force, which is equivalent to 17 tons.

“As an innovative industry leader in aerospace transparencies, PPG is proud to play an important role in ensuring cockpit protection for drivers throughout the NTT IndyCar Series season,” said Brent Wright, PPG global director, aerospace transparences.

AUSTIN, Texas – Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, officials from FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports have agreed to postpone the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of the Americas.

The event, originally scheduled to take place April 3-5, will now be held on Nov. 13-15.

This is the third race on the MotoGP calendar to be changed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The MotoGP portion of the Qatar Grand Prix, originally scheduled for last weekend, and the Thailand Grand Prix (March 22) were previously canceled by officials.

MotoGP will now open its season at Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo in Argentina on April 19.

An update regarding the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas: pic.twitter.com/QgS5y0dMaO

— Circuit of The Americas (@COTA) March 10, 2020

CONCORD, N.C. – Ave Motorsports and Natalie Decker will join forces for the Trans-Am Series West Coast Championship, which begins on March 15 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

This will be Decker’s third year racing for Ave Motorsports. In 2018 and ’19 she raced a handful of the Trans-Am Series races at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Road America, Virginia Int’l Raceway and Sebring Int’l Raceway.

“We are looking forward to running Natalie for a points championship this year, as well as having her help us develop some new equipment for the team,” said Ave. “We’ve got some different things up our sleeve for 2020 and beyond, and Natalie is a perfect fit to both develop the opportunities and reap the benefits in the driver’s seat as well.”

Decker will be honing her skills at unfamiliar race tracks in an unfamiliar race car. The GT4 N29 Technologies LLC Audi piloted by Decker will make its first laps around Sonoma Raceway March 13, with qualifying slated for March 14.

“I am looking forward to getting back on a road course with Ave Motorsports,” said Decker. “Tony Ave has taught me so much the past two years. It’s very exciting to know I have a team like Ave Motorsports to work with and race with, he has been a long time friend of my dads and he truly wants the best for me and my career.”

The Sonoma Raceway road course features more than 160 feet of elevation change from its highest point – 174 feet – to its lowest point – 14 feet.

“Preparing for Sonoma, I have been watching videos and getting on iRacing to make laps to help me with the layout of the track,” Decker said. “That will be most important when I get there, to show up with the knowledge of knowing what turn comes next so I don’t have to waste a session learning the track.”

INDIANAPOLIS – For the third time in his career, Conor Daly will run the full NTT IndyCar Series schedule thanks a renewed relationship with Carlin.

Carlin announced Tuesday that Daly, who drove in four races for the team last year, will be back with the team this year to compete during all oval events except the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 59. Max Chilton will drive for the team on the road and street courses in the No. 59.

Daly previously announced he would be joining Ed Carpenter Racing this year to compete in all road and street course events, plus the Indianapolis 500. The deal to drive for Carlin means Daly will be able to contest the full NTT IndyCar Series schedule between the two teams.

#INDYCAR Welcome back, @ConorDaly22!

We’re excited to announce that Daly will be back w/Carlin in 2020 competing on all ovals except the #Indy500 in the No 59 @GallagherGlobal @TeamChevy w/ teammate @maxchilton already confirmed for all road/street courses &the 500 in the 59! pic.twitter.com/JJ2KCtmFA4

— Carlin (@CarlinRacing) March 10, 2020

Daly previously ran the full NTT IndyCar Series schedule in 2016 for Dale Coyne and 2017 for A.J. Foyt. He has a career-best finish of second, which came in 2016 during the first race of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit.

Last year Daly drove for three different teams in the NTT IndyCar Series – Andretti Autosport, Carlin and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports – scoring a best finish of sixth for Carlin at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Is there a new No. 1 in the SPEED SPORT Power Rankings this week? Find out now by advancing to the next page!

With the coronavirus (COVID-19) still a growing concern in the U.S. and around the world, the PGA of America stated Tuesday that reports that this year's PGA Championship might shift from TPC Harding Park are "inaccurate."

The virus remains on the rise both domestically and internationally, with multiple sports organizations adjusting plans this week to respond to the public health crisis. The BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in California was cancelled, while Monday the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS all jointly barred media from locker room access on a temporary basis. Teams and leagues are also evaluating options for playing games without fans, and Tuesday the Ivy League cancelled its postseason conference basketball tournament entirely because of the virus.

Caught in the midst of the situation is the PGA Championship, which is scheduled to be played in San Francisco May 14-17. With reports circulating earlier this week that tournament organizers are looking into a potential contingency plan, including the possibility of playing the PGA Championship at TPC Sawgrass, PGA of America officials responded.

"Reports that the 2020 PGA Championship will be relocated from TPC Harding Park are inaccurate," read a PGA of America statement. "At this time, no such discussions have taken place. We continue to carefully monitor this rapidly evolving situation, in close coordination and communication with representatives from San Francisco. We will follow the guidance of state and city officials and public health authorities, keeping the safety and well-being of all involved as our highest priority."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was asked directly about the potential move during his Tuesday press conference ahead of The Players, and he reiterated that no plans were currently in the works to have two events this year at TPC Sawgrass.

"They (PGA of America officials) are fully planning on proceeding with the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco," Monahan said. "There is no plan at this point in time for the PGA Championship to be held here. It's going to be held at TPC Harding Park."

But Monahan also cited the "extraordinary circumstances" surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, and with sports teams and leagues announcing changes on a seemingly daily basis, he emphasized the need to respond to developments as they happen.

"I would just pledge to you, as we've pledged to everybody else in all of our tournaments week-to-week, that we've really got to listen and respond to the real information that we're receiving on the ground," Monahan said. "It's important for us to present a complete schedule, complete FedExCup schedule this year."