Sports chatter: Unnamed NFL player suing United Airlines over alleged sexual assault

An unnamed NFL player is suing United Airlines for failing to properly respond to his reports of sexual assault and harassment on a Feb. 10 flight from Los Angeles to Newark.

In the lawsuit, the unnamed player claims that the flight attendants didn’t move the woman until after his fourth complaint that she allegedly grabbed his penis and removed his protective mask, according to Bleacher Report’s Master Tesfatsion.

Tesfatsion reported that the NFL player is one of two men to file a complaint against the female passenger. The two males are described as African Americans, and the woman is believed to be a middle-aged Caucasian female who was intoxicated and taking prescription pills.

Attorneys Darren Darwish and Benji Azizian released a statement.

“Our goal is to shine a light on how assaults can, and are, being made on men, and not just women," part of the statement read. “This is significant because assault is assault, regardless of the gender, race, and physical attributes of the victim.”

One of the biggest complaints about The Last Dance was Michael Jordan’s huge hand in how the film was created. Jordan’s influence was at its peak when he said Horace Grant leaked confidential team information in Sam Smith’s book, The Jordan Rules.

Grant denied the claims and fired back in a radio interview with Kap and Co. on ESPN 1000.

“He goes out and puts this lie out that I was the source behind [the book],” Grant said. “Sam and I have always been great friends. We’re still great friends. But the sanctity of that locker room, I would never put anything personal out there.”

Grant was a vital member of the Bulls’ first three-peat from 1991-93. He left the Bulls, joined the Magic and defeated Jordan’s Bulls in the 1995 playoffs, which is something that was frowned upon by Jordan.

“I’m telling you, it was only a grudge," Grant said. "And I think he proved that during this so-called documentary. When if you say something about him, he’s going to cut you off, he’s going to try to destroy your character.”

One takeaway from the Last Dance was Jordan’s unorthodox methods to get the best out of his teammates by calling them out of their names, outplaying them in practice, or even physical altercations. From Grant’s interview, it’s clear that he was one of the guys who didn’t back down to Jordan.

Felix Hernandez has been one of the best pitchers in the last 15 seasons. He’s a six-time All-Star with a 3.42 ERA, but he isn’t calling it quits until he reaches his next set of goals.

Hernandez said he’ll retire when he reaches 200 wins and 3,000 career strikeouts. King Felix currently has 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts.

“If I can get to that goal, I’m gonna hang my spikes,” Hernandez said on 710 ESPN Seattle. “I’m done.”

The odds are stacked against Hernandez. It took Hernandez four seasons to record his last 31 wins and 476 strikeouts. Granted, he hasn’t started more than 16 games in two of those seasons, but that’s the problem. Hernandez is starting to wear down after pitching more than 200 innings in eight straight seasons.

Hernandez, 34, is in his first season with the Braves after 15 years with the Mariners. In spring training, Hernandez showed glimpses of a resurgence. He was 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts before baseball’s postponement.

Only 18 pitchers in MLB history have 3,000 strikeouts and 200 wins. Justin Verlander is the only active pitcher in the club. Hernandez’s goal won’t be easily achievable, but three above-average seasons as a starter would get him there.