AP – Sports
August 28, 2026
She was a pain specialist to top athletes. Her opioid prescribing alarmed the DEA
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Joan Rubinger overcame a catastrophic biking accident that left her paralyzed to become an influential pain-relief specialist helping top-tier athletes get back on the field after acute and chronic injuries. Her website touts a client list that includes 169 NFL Pro Bowl selections, 29 NBA and WNBA champions and 15 Olympic medalists. Among some of her most notable patients: NBA All Stars Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleged in court filings, Rubinger doled out thousands of illegal prescriptions for highly addictive painkillers, a “covert and slinking” scheme the nurse practitioner likened to selling hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant.
Panthers LB Thomas Davis suffered opioid addiction that opened the door to sprawling drug case
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An opioid addiction sullied the once-stellar reputation of one of the NFL’s good guys, Thomas Davis. The linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, once named a Walter Payton Man of the Year, said he became addicted to the painkillers toward the end of his 16-year career in the league. It was his addiction that led to the downfall of Joan Rubinger, a self-styled healer who listed Davis among her dozens of high-profile pro-athlete clients who swore by her pain-relief miracles. Davis, still a fixture in Charlotte, says he’s gotten the help he needed to overcome his addiction but concedes his reliance on pills made it hard for him to be the kind of father he wanted to be.
Key takeaways about pain specialist to star athletes accused of issuing illegal opioid prescriptions
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Joan Rubinger, a nurse practitioner, built a sports medicine practice treating top athletes. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleges she wrote illegal prescriptions for painkillers to clients in over 20 states. The DEA last month revoked her authority to prescribe controlled substances, citing egregious conduct. Rubinger agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a Justice Department civil complaint without admitting wrongdoing. Court records reveal she created rules to avoid detection and collected payments through a digital app. The investigation began in 2022 after Kelly Davis, wife of former NFL player Thomas Davis, reported Rubinger. Rubinger has not been criminally charged.
Judge will hear recantation of sexual abuse claim against ex-Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — A judge has granted a hearing to explore claims that a man wants to recant allegations of sexual abuse years ago by Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky is now 82 years old. He’s been serving a decades-long prison sentence since he was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse involving multiple boys in 2012. Sandusky says he’s innocent, but he has repeatedly lost efforts to get a new trial. A man identified in court documents as R.R. says he was coached extensively by authorities. A hearing is set for Sept. 8.
Roger Federer heads to the Tennis Hall of Fame and says he ‘had the best time’ during his career
NEW YORK (AP) — Roger Federer loved to win, of course, and at the peak of his career almost always did. All those victories and trophies he piled up alone would have made Federer remembered forever in tennis, but they were only part of the reason he enjoyed playing. He liked traveling to tournaments, meeting people and making new friends and opponents and fans. Only after he finished competing did Federer realize how much that impacted his legacy in the sport. Federer will have a chance to reflect back on it all Saturday when he is enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Texas judge puts SEC’s new eligibility rule on hold
Two days after the Southeastern Conference passed a rule barring players from returning to the league from the pros, a Texas judge put that rule on hold in a case involving more than 40 players. It was the latest piece of news in what has turned into a breakneck week of legal wrangling over the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility rule. The rule does not apply to college players who exhausted their fourth year of eligibility last spring; many are suing across the country for that fifth year.
Good Good to no longer be title sponsor of PGA Tour event and loses Callaway sponsorship
ATLANTA (AP) — The fallout from the Good Good Golf video depicting a man shoving a woman to the ground continues. The PGA Tour confirms the YouTube Golf content creators will no longer be title sponsor of a FedEx Cup Fall event. Callaway Golf has ended its three-year sponsorship. Good Good has said the video that was taken down on the same day it showed up on social media channels was meant as a spinoff from a movie. Criticism was immediate and sharp and led to the growing company losing its name on a PGA Tour event for Austin, Texas, in November.
MLB proposes limiting free agent signings to a few weeks in December and then from February on
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has proposed limiting free-agent signings to several weeks in December and then from early February on. The plan aims to create an offseason transaction flurry similar to the NFL and NBA. MLB presented the idea to the players’ association on Thursday, but it hinges on adopting a salary cap system proposed in May. The union has vowed never to accept this system. Union head Bruce Meyer immediately criticized the plan. MLB also suggests lowering the maximum in-season options to the minor leagues and adopting weekly rosters. Teams would be allowed 14 pitchers when the 26-man roster limit is in effect.
Tampa approves $2.3B deal for a new Rays ballpark
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — City officials have approved a $2.3 billion agreement for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark funded by public and private money. The 4-3 vote Thursday by the Tampa City Council came three months after a tentative deal was reached for a stadium, which would include $967 million in tax money. Hillsborough County Commissioners will vote on the project Friday morning. The Rays ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and mixed-use entertainment district on the college campus and to renovate some of the college’s buildings.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs facing misdemeanor charges of battery, criminal damage to property
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is facing misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from what police described as a physical confrontation with his girlfriend three months ago. Jacobs was arrested May 26 and released from jail the next day as prosecutors decided whether to file charges. Jacobs was back on the field for organized team activities less than a week later and has been with the Packers for training camp. Jacobs’ attorneys issued a statement acknowledging the charges Thursday and saying the allegations will be addressed in court, not in the media.
