Packers’ WR Allison
suspended first game
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The NFL has suspended Green Bay Packers receiver Geronimo Allison without pay for the season opener on Sept. 10 against Seattle for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
The league said in a statement on Wednesday that Allison would be eligible for all preseason practices and games. He would be eligible to return from his Week 1 suspension on Sept. 11.
The Packers declined comment, citing confidentiality.
Allison was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession last September stemming from a traffic stop in Manitowoc County. He reached a plea deal with prosecutors in April, paying $330 to settle the charge after it was amended to a local violation.
Allison had 12 catches for 202 yards and two scores last season, with eight catches over the final two regular-season games.

Former NFL player’s
death ruled a suicide
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — The death of former NFL wide receiver James Hardy has been ruled a suicide by Indiana officials.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office said Wednesday that the 31-year-old Hardy died of “asphyxia due to drowning.” Michael Burris, chief investigator for the coroner’s office, says the determination of suicide was based on Hardy’s medical and psychiatric history, his contacts with law enforcement and other evidence, including some found on his body.
Hardy’s body was found June 7 at a dam along the Maumee River in his hometown of Fort Wayne. Relatives had reported the former Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens player missing a few weeks earlier.
The former Indiana star was a second-round pick of the Bills in 2008. Injuries limited him to 16 games over two seasons. He also played for Baltimore before being released in 2011.

Tuberville joining ESPN
as college game analyst
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Former Auburn and Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville is joining ESPN for the upcoming season as a game analyst.
In 21 seasons as a head coach, Tuberville won 159 games with Mississippi, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. He stepped down at Cincinnati after the Bearcats went 4-8 last season.
ESPN announced Wednesday that Tuberville will call games each week and a play-by-play partner will be named soon.
After starting his head coaching career at Ole Miss in 1995, Tuberville took over at Auburn in 1999 and spent 10 seasons as Tigers coach, winning 85 games and a Southeastern Conference title in 2004.
The 62-year-old Tuberville kicked around the idea of running for governor of Alabama in 2018, but decided to stay out of politics for now.

Syracuse transfer ruled
medically disqualified
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse has medically disqualified a redshirt junior defensive lineman after he was diagnosed with a cardiac condition.
Josh Allen, a junior college transfer from Hawthorne, California, joined the Orange in early July in preparation for the start of preseason camp later in the month. Allen previously played two seasons at Long Beach City College in California.
In 21 career games for the Vikings, Allen had 88 tackles, including 29 for a loss, and 9.5 sacks. As a freshman, he earned Southern California Football Association All-Central League second-team honors after making 58 tackles, including 17 for a loss, and registering seven sacks in 11 games.

WWE exec on helicopter
making ocean landing
GILGO BEACH, N.Y. (AP) — The son of World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Vince McMahon has been rescued unhurt from a helicopter that made an emergency landing in the ocean waters off New York.
Shane McMahon was the passenger in the Robinson R 44 helicopter that came down in the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island’s Gilgo Beach late Wednesday morning. The red aircraft could be seen bobbing on its bright yellow pontoons as small boats circled.
Shane McMahon is also a WWE executive. His mother is Linda McMahon, who heads the Small Business Administration in President Donald Trump’s White House.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the helicopter had taken off from Westchester County Airport in White Plains. The pilot issued a mayday call before going into the water.
It’s not yet clear what went wrong.