Ohio State takes away players’ wristbands honoring Jim Tressel

Two days after several Ohio State freshmen proudly displayed wristbands supporting deposed football coach Jim Tressel, the university took them away and refunded the players’ money.

Jerry Emig, a spokesman for the school, said officials were looking into whether players’ wearing the wristbands — which carried the initials “JT” — could be an NCAA violation.

He added that Ohio State decided to take a cautionary approach after the wristbands, which were sold by an Ohio State employee, were mentioned prominently in media reports. After players turned in their wristbands, $15 was refunded.

ETC.

Avery accused of battery

New York Rangers forward Sean Avery was arrested early Friday after he was accused of battery on an LAPD officer, authorities said.

Authorities responded about 1 a.m. to a neighbor’s complaint about loud music at Avery’s Hollywood Hills home, police said.

Avery, 31, is alleged to have argued with officers before pushing one and slamming the door, said LAPD Officer Cleon Joseph. After the confrontation, additional officers were called to the home and Avery eventually was taken into custody, he said. Avery was later released on bail.

— Richard Winton

Vaughn Taylor shot a six-under-par 66, taking a one-stroke lead midway through the PGA Tour’s Reno-Tahoe Open. Taylor had an eagle and four birdies to move to nine-under 135. That was one shot better than Will MacKenzie (69).

Jay Haas aced the fourth hole and finished with four consecutive birdies en route to an eight-under 64 that had him tied for the lead with John Huston after the first round of the Champions Tour’s 3M Championship at Blaine, Minn. Gary Hallberg, Tom Lehman, Peter Senior and Rod Spittle were one shot back.

Donald Young reached his first ATP semifinal by beating No. 7-seeded Marcos Baghdatis, 6-3, 7-6 (4) Friday at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington. In the semifinals Saturday, Young meets Radek Stepanek, who beat Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 6-4. John Isner reached his third consecutive ATP semifinal by beating Viktor Troicki of Serbia, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1. Isner next faces top-seeded Gael Monfils, who beat Janko Tipsarevic, 6-4, 6-4.

Cincinnati’s Rau’shee Warren made history when he made his third Olympic team, beating Shawn Simpson in the flyweight finals of the U.S. Boxing Olympic trials at Mobile, Ala. Warren cruised to a 31-18 win over Simpson, whom he also defeated Wednesday. Warren still must qualify in the top 10 at the world championships in Azerbaijan on Sept. 22 to make it to the London Olympics.

Olympian Garrett Weber-Gale won the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. national swimming championships in Palo Alto in 48.87 seconds, defeating Jimmy Feigen, who was second in 48.99.

Brad Keselowski said a broken left ankle will not keep him from driving the No. 2 Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Sunday at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. He was injured Wednesday when his car’s brakes failed and he crashed head-on into a wall at Road Atlanta.