Sports News Roundup: Australian Open to plough ahead despite players' quarantine anger; It's official: Arthur Smith signs on as Falcons coach and more

Tennis-COVID cases on player flights leave Australian Open buildup in disarray The build-up to next month's Australian Open was thrown into disarray on Saturday when 47 players were forced into two weeks of strict hotel quarantine after coronavirus infections were reported on two chartered flights carrying them to Melbourne.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Australian Open to plough ahead despite players' quarantine anger

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has confirmed the year's first Grand Slam will go ahead from Feb. 8 despite anger from players forced into hard quarantine in Melbourne due to positive COVID-19 cases on their charter planes. Forty-seven players and their entourages have to isolate for two weeks in their hotel rooms in Melbourne and are no longer able to leave them to train after infections were reported on two chartered flights carrying them to Melbourne.

It's official: Arthur Smith signs on as Falcons coach

Arthur Smith officially signed his contract on Saturday to become the next coach of the Atlanta Falcons. "We are thrilled to welcome Arthur to Atlanta and introduce him to our city and fans as the Falcons new head coach," team owner and chairman Arthur Blank said in a team statement. "Throughout our research and interview process, Arthur stood out amongst a very deep and very talented candidate pool with an outstanding plan for our organization to return to the level of competition our fans deserve and expect.

" Reports: Ravens CB Marcus Peters fined $15K for taunting

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was fined $15,000 for taunting the Tennessee Titans after his game-clinching interception last Sunday, according to multiple reports. Peters was fined for "physical actions directed at the Tennessee bench." Olympic hurdles champion McNeal denies testing positive for banned substance

American Olympic 100 metres hurdles gold medallist Brianna McNeal has denied testing positive for any banned substance in a statement released by her management agency on Saturday. The 29-year-old, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was world champion in 2013, was charged with "tampering within the results management process" and provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) earlier this week.

Tennis-COVID cases on player flights leave Australian Open buildup in disarray

The build-up to next month's Australian Open was thrown into disarray on Saturday when 47 players were forced into two weeks of strict hotel quarantine after coronavirus infections were reported on two chartered flights carrying them to Melbourne. Two dozen players and their staff landed from Los Angeles to go into quarantine after an aircrew member and a passenger, who was not a player, tested positive for COVID-19.

Penguins F Jared McCann fined $10K for elbowing

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jared McCann was fined $10,000 on Saturday for a hit against Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Sanheim one day earlier. The $10,000 fine is the maximum allowable under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Zango leaps into record books with world indoor triple jump mark

Hugues Fabrice Zango became the first athlete from Burkina Faso to set a world record when he posted the longest ever indoor triple jump with a leap of 18.07 metres at an event in Aubiere in France on Saturday. Zango, who won bronze at the World Championships in 2019, added 15 centimetres to the previous record, set by his own coach, Frenchman Teddy Tamgho, in 2011.

NHL roundup: Avalanche annihilate Blues 8-0

The Colorado Avalanche scored six power-play goals in an 8-0 onslaught of the visiting St. Louis Blues on Friday night in Denver. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists while Gabriel Landeskog scored twice to reach 200 goals for his career. New Pacers G Caris LeVert sidelined due to mass on kidney

Newly acquired Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert will be sidelined indefinitely after a small mass was found on his left kidney during his physical, the team announced Saturday. The mass was discovered during an MRI exam. The club said LeVert will undergo further medical tests. Urban Legend or Myth? Jaguars about to find out

What's not to like about Urban Meyer? The appointed savior of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team won more than 85 percent of his games during an illustrious 17-year college-coaching career. He was as sure of a bet to win in the postseason as almost anyone, as his teams have gone 12-3 in bowl games, including a perfect 3-0 in title games.

(With inputs from agencies.)