Sports News Roundup: Murray withdraws from third-place; Carlos leads U.S. cal for scrapping and more

The 75-year-old former sprinter on Saturday joined with active American athletes to send a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calling for the abolition of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which bans political protests.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Murray withdraws from third-place match at Battle of the Brits

Andy Murray has withdrawn from his third-place playoff match against Cameron Norrie in the Battle of the Brits exhibition tournament, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said on Sunday. Former world number one Murray, 33, returned to action following a seven-month injury layoff at the charity event organized by his brother Jamie this week.

Olympics: Carlos leads U.S. call for scrapping of protest ban

John Carlos, one of the two American Olympians who famously gave the Black Power salute on the podium at the 1968 Mexico Games, is leading a call for rules banning athlete protests at the Olympics to be scrapped. The 75-year-old former sprinter on Saturday joined with active American athletes to send a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calling for the abolition of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which bans political protests.

Todd charges into lead with 61 at Travelers

Brendon Todd drilled nine birdies and carded a career low nine-under 61 to take a two-stroke lead in the third round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut on Saturday. Todd's error-free round positioned him atop the leaderboard at 18-under for the tournament as the 34-year-old American continues his quest for his third win this season and fourth overall.

Report: Non-Orlando teams want their own camp, de facto league

As 22 NBA teams prepare to report to Florida to resume the regular season, the league has yet to figure out what to do with the eight teams left out of the Orlando bubble. And based on recent reports, there may be conflicting opinions between the league and those eight teams -- creating doubt as to whether the teams will do anything at all.

Poirier outlasts Hooker in highlight bout at UFC Fight Night

Dustin Poirier absorbed several heavy blows but delivered a few more Saturday night, ultimately outlasting Dan Hooker for a unanimous decision victory in a "fight of the year" candidate in the main event at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Poirier (26-6) and Hooker (20-9) boxed at an incredible pace throughout the first two rounds, both remaining standing despite being rocked multiple times. Hooker nearly ended it late in Round 2, after both fighters had already been bloodied, but Poirier slowly took control down the stretch. He showed his conditioning in an impressive final round to claim scores of 48-47 from two judges and 48-46 from the third.

Under Armour to discontinue record apparel partnership with UCLA

Athletic apparel maker Under Armour said on Saturday it will discontinue its partnership with UCLA - a 15-year, $280 million accord announced in 2016 that was billed as the largest apparel deal in the history of American collegiate sports. The University of California, Los Angeles promised to fight the move.

Report: Rangers staff 'terrified' as virus spreads

Texas Rangers employees told ESPN they are "terrified" after several co-workers tested positive for COVID-19. The staff members said they hope the organization will allow them to work from home but have felt pressured to report to their offices at the new $1.2 billion Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Idea for LeBron's 'The Decision' came from fan

Nearly 10 years after LeBron James announced his decision to play for the Miami Heat on a live show on ESPN titled "The Decision," the network revealed Saturday that the idea for the show actually came from a fan. There have long been rumors that a fan actually came up with the idea, as a person identified only as "Drew" from Columbus, Ohio, proposed the show in a mailbag column published by then-ESPN writer Bill Simmons. That column ran Nov. 26, 2009 -- more than seventh months before "The Decision" aired on July 8, 2010.

NFLPA's Smith: Workouts 'not in best interest' of safety

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith took issue with NFL players working out together despite a recent recommendation from the union stating that they should refrain from doing so. During an interview with USA Today, Smith was asked about social media posts following workouts by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

NWSL players take a knee during national anthem as Courage prevail

Every player from the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns took a knee during the U.S. national anthem and wore t-shirts with the slogan "Black Lives Matter" prior to their National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) match on Saturday. In a joint statement, the players said they did so to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and other people of color in America.