Football legend Joe Montana looking to score with marijuana
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco 49er legend Joe Montana is looking to hit pay dirt in the legal marijuana industry.
San Jose, California-based Caliva announced Thursday that the Hall of Fame quarterback’s venture capital firm was taking part in a $75 million investment in the company. It didn’t disclose Montana’s portion of the investment.
Caliva operates a farm and two retail stores in Northern California and distributes its branded products in roughly two dozen other retail outlets in the state.
The 62-year-old said in a statement that he was investing in marijuana in part to combat opioid addiction. Some doctors recommend marijuana to treat opioid addiction.
Former Yahoo! Inc. chief executive officer Carol Bartz also took part in the investment and will join the company’s board of directors.
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AP source: reliever Brach agrees to $4.35M deal with Cubs
CHICAGO (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says free agent reliever Brad Brach and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year contract that guarantees $4.35 million.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. Brach and the Cubs have options for 2020.
The right-hander had 12 saves and a 3.59 ERA in 69 games for Baltimore and Atlanta last season. He posted a 1.52 ERA over 27 appearances following a trade to the Braves.
Brach debuted with San Diego in 2011 and made an All-Star team with Baltimore in 2016. He has a career 3.08 ERA and 33 saves. The Cubs needed bullpen help with closer Brandon Morrow likely missing the start of the season while recovering from elbow surgery.
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Cabrera finalizes $3.5M deal to be Rangers 3B after Beltre
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Two-time All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera will get a chance to replace a likely Hall of Fame player in Texas by shifting to the corner on the left side of the infield.
Cabrera finalized a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Rangers on Thursday to take over at third base for Adrian Beltre, who announced his retirement in November after 3,166 hits in 21 big league seasons, the last eight in Texas.
“Less time there than up the middle, but has obviously a lot of experience on the left side of the infield as far as seeing the ball, the angle,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “Has really good hands, really strong arm … plenty strong enough arm to play there.”
The deal, which includes performance bonuses, became official after the 33-year-old switch-hitting free agent successfully completed a physical.
Cabrera played 90 games at second base for the New York Mets last season before he was traded to Philadelphia, where he played shortstop and third base.
In his 12 big league seasons, Cabrera has started 1,426 games. Only 52 of those have been at third base, 12 for the Phillies last season after 40 in New York in 2017. He has started 1,054 games as a shortstop, 320 at second base and another 21 as a designated hitter.
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Lindsey Vonn skipping World Cup races to rest ailing knees
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Lindsey Vonn has decided to skip the weekend’s World Cup races to give her ailing knees a chance to recover.
“Unfortunately racing this weekend in Garmisch isn’t in the cards,” Vonn said in an Instagram post on Thursday. “My knee is still not ready to race. I am working as hard as I can to be back as soon as possible.”
Vonn skipped the first downhill training run on Thursday before deciding against competing in Saturday’s downhill race and Sunday’s super-G on the almost three-kilometer (1.8-mile) Kandahar course.
It gives her more time to heal what she described Wednesday as “an impact injury to my peroneal nerve” that had caused her so much pain in both knees as she failed to finish a super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy three days earlier.
Vonn, the most successful female skier in World Cup history, had hinted at immediate retirement after the race in Cortina, but now it appears that she has targeted the world championships in Are, Sweden, which open on Feb. 5.
“My deepest apologies to everyone who was planning to come and cheer me on, including the Americans at the military base who have been so supportive over the years,” Vonn wrote. “I will cherish the memories I’ve made in Garmisch, especially my slalom win.”
Vonn has 82 World Cup wins, just four less than overall record-holder Ingemark Stenmark of Sweden. But injuries are taking their toll.
Vonn missed the first months of the season because of a left knee injury, and she finished no better than ninth in three races on her season debut in Cortina.
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Courtney Force ends successful Funny Car career
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) — Courtney Force, the winningest female Funny Car driver in NHRA history, is stepping away from driving.
Force is a 12-time Funny Car winner, was the No. 1 qualifer 28 times and ranked in the top 10 of the NHRA standings in six of her seven seasons. The daughter of 16-time world champion John Force plans to stay involved with the race team and maintain her corporate sponsorships.
Force said in a statement Thursday that stepping away from drag racing was a personal choice as she pursues the next chapter of her life. The 30-year-old Force is married to IndyCar driver Graham Rahal and the two spend more than half the year on their careers and rarely can attend each other’s events.
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