March 11, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

nuttiwut rodbangpong/iStockBy MEREDITH DELISO and LUKE BARR, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — A prominent sports gambler faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to threatening Tampa Bay Rays players.

Benjamin Patz, 24, of Napa, California, pleaded guilty Wednesday to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, the Department of Justice announced.

Patz, also known as “Parlay Patz,” sent threatening direct messages on Instagram to four members of the Rays while they played a home game against the Chicago White Sox on July 20, 2019, according to a plea deal announced Wednesday.

One player received messages that included the string of text: “I will enter your home while you sleep”; “And sever your neck open”; “I will kill your entire family”; “Everyone you love will soon cease”; “I will cut up your family”; and “Dismember then [sic] alive,” according to the plea deal.

“Patz sent the messages knowing that they would be viewed by the player and his family members as a true threat to injure the person of another,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said in a statement.

The Tampa Rays players were identified in the plea deal by their initials as E.P., A.K., T.P. and C.R.

A member of the Chicago White Sox identified as A.C. also received threats over Instagram, the plea deal stated.

The messages were sent during the last hour of the nearly four-hour game, according to the plea deal. The Rays lost 2-1.

The IP address for the Instagram account, which was traced to Sacramento, was the same one that was logged for the account @parlaypatz the day after the game and a Yahoo email under the name Ben Patz, according to the plea deal.

Patz is prominent in the world of parlay sports betting. In 2019, he amassed $1.1 million in gross winnings in under two months through parlays, according to Action Network.

In addition to up to five years in prison, Patz faces a maximum $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

A sentencing date has not yet been set.

ABC News was unable to reach Patz’s lawyer for comment.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 11, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

iStockBy ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Memphis 127, Washington 112
Dallas 115, San Antonio 104

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Minnesota 4, Vegas 3
Edmonton 7, Ottawa 1
Colorado 2, Arizona 1 (OT)
Los Angeles 5, Anaheim 1
Montreal 5, Vancouver 1

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 10, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

EricVega/iStockBy CARMEN COX, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The NFL and the NFL Players Association have reached an agreement on team salary caps. On Wednesday, the league and its players’ union agreed to cap each team’s salary at $182.5 million in 2021 — down 8% from last season, according to a memo obtained by ESPN.

In previous years, teams saw increasing salary caps as league revenues continued to rise. But as the COVID-19 pandemic forced city and statewide lockdowns, game attendance fell by 92% and caused a decline in 2020 revenues.

Teams must comply with the new salary cap limits by next Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET — the start of the new league year. The decreased limits will likely mean teams will have to make difficult roster decisions and release a significantly high number of players into the free agent market to bring team salaries below the league’s required cap.

As COVID restrictions relax and the NFL works to lock in new broadcasting deals, pro football attendance and revenues are expected to rebound in the 2021 season.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 10, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesBY: LEIGHTON SCHNEIDER, ABC NEWS

(MIAMI) — The Miami Heat have announced center Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely after Leonard used an anti-Semitic slur while streaming a video game he was playing on Twitch. 

“The Miami HEAT vehemently condemns the use of any form of hate speech. The words used by Meyers Leonard were wrong and we will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with our franchise. To hear it from a Miami HEAT player is especially disappointing and hurtful to all those who work here, as well as the larger South Florida, Miami HEAT and NBA communities. Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely. The Miami HEAT will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation,” the team said in a statement. 

Leonard apologized later in a post on Instragram.

“I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday. While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong. I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it. I acknowledge and own my mistake and there’s no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else. This is not a proper representation of who I am and I want to apologize to the Arisons, my teammates, coaches, front office, and everyone associated with the Miami Heat organization, to my family, to our loyal fans and to others in the Jewish community who I have hurt. I promise to do better and know that my future actions will be more powerful than my use of this word,” Leonard wrote. 

ASTRO Gaming, a gaming headset maker, announced on Facebook they are no longer going to sponsor Leonard. 

“We are aware of comments made by sponsored streamer, Meyers Leonard. ASTRO is committed to creating an inclusive gaming environment and one that combats racism and other forms of discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. For that reason, we are ending our relationship with Meyers Leonard, effective immediately,” the post said. 

Leonard is in his 9th season in the NBA and his second with the Heat. He sustained a season ending shoulder injury in January and only appeared in three games this season. He can become a free agent this summer if Miami does not pick up his option for next season. 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 10, 2021 • No Comments • Sports News

Joe Faraoni / ESPN ImagesBy SHANNON MCLELLAN, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Over the past year dealing with the pandemic, many have had a hard time navigating fitness, mental health and parenting — and WNBA star Candace Parker is no exception.

Parker is a five-time WNBA all-star and a broadcaster for Turner Sports. Her most important role, however, is being a mother to 11-year-old Lailaa.

Like so many parents around the world, she has had to find balance for herself, her work and her child during this difficult year.

“I kind of always have been the Uber driver, the doctor, the chef, the teacher and all that stuff,” Parker said. “Now it’s just more hours.”

More hours equals more time spent together.

While Parker said she has really enjoyed getting to spend more time with her daughter, she also said it’s been important for each of them to find time for themselves.

“I know sometimes it’s hard with single parents,” Parker said. “But just finding that ‘me’ time, whether it’s waking up 30 minutes earlier or going to bed 30 minutes later, trying to carve out some time that you get to do what you want to do.”

Part of Parker’s “me” time, as a professional athlete, is finding time to work out.

For many, finding time for fitness can be difficult while trying to balance everything else during the pandemic.

“I schedule my workout like it’s in my calendar as a meeting,” Parker said. “For Zoom meetings, you show up for them because they’re in your calendar, and you know what time you’re supposed to do it. There’s really no excuse. That’s kind of my best way in trying to hold myself accountable.”

With fitness also comes healthy eating. Parker recently partnered with Sabra to promote healthy snacks, not just for herself, but for her daughter as well.

“Sabra is a part of our refrigerator because of my daughter,” Parker said. “To have something that’s accessible, that’s good — it’s something that we can agree on. I feel like that’s kind of one step in the right direction of something that she enjoys eating as well as something that I am OK with having her eat.”

Apart from prioritizing her and her daughter’s physical health, Parker said she has also focused on prioritizing their mental health throughout the pandemic.

“We have a lot of conversations, I would say just to make sure and check in sometimes and asking somebody what they need,” Parker said. “She’ll get to pick what we have for dinner or pick a book we read aloud together — making sure that we’re still able to do what we like and and what we’re passionate about.”

Passion also played a major part in Parker’s latest career decision. After 12 years with the LA Sparks, Parker signed with the Chicago Sky — in her hometown — for the 2021 season.

“I’m going to be able to take my kid back and play on the same court and the same swing set that I played on and be around people that helped me grow up,” Parker said. “I think it’s just being close to family. If anything during COVID, that’s what we’ve learned is that’s what’s important.”

When asked what advice she has for parents trying to navigate life amid the pandemic, Parker said, “I just think that there’s no blueprint for these times. You just do the best you can as a parent and then as an individual really. Check on the people that you love. We’re all just trying to do the best we can.”

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