Weekend Sports in Brief – Centre Daily Times

Peyton Manning said a report by Al Jazeera set to air Sunday that suggests he obtained performance-enhancing drugs was “completely fabricated, complete trash, garbage.”

Manning angrily denied allegations to ESPN on Sunday morning he used HGH in 2011.

The report is based on secret recordings made by a former intern at an Indianapolis anti-aging institute who now says he fabricated the allegations.

Al Jazeera sent British hurdler Liam Collins undercover to expose performance-enhancing drug use in sports. Collins made secret recordings of Charles Sly, a former intern at the Guyer Institute, where Manning was treated in 2011 following four neck surgeries.

Sly has recanted the claim that Manning used HGH. Sly, who also named other high-profile athletes on the secret recordings, told Al Jazeera the statements attributed to him “are absolutely false and incorrect.” Sly told ESPN that he fabricated the allegations to test Collins’ legitimacy.

NHL

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane is the subject of a sex offense investigation by Buffalo police, the team confirmed in a statement.

“We take the allegation made today against Evander Kane very seriously,” the Sabres said in the statement. “We are gathering facts and have been in touch with the NHL and Evander’s representatives. Until we have more information we will not have any additional comment.”

The Buffalo News, citing unidentified police sources, said Kane is being investigated for an alleged incident Sunday morning in a downtown hotel room. The newspaper said Kane hasn’t been charged, and police officials would confirm only that there is an ongoing investigation.

A police spokesman and Kane’s agent, Craig Oster, did not return messages left by The Associated Press.

Kane’s attorney, Paul Cambria, declined comment.

The 24-year-old Kane had a goal Saturday night in the Sabres’ 6-3 victory in Boston. He has eight goals and five assists in 25 games this season.

SOCCER

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Authorities in El Salvador say gunmen shot and killed former national soccer team player Alfredo Alberto Pacheco at a gasoline station in a municipality west of the country’s capital.

El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office and its National Police said unidentified assailants aboard a vehicle approached Pacheco and some of his friends in the city of Santa Ana early Sunday and opened fire. Pacheco was killed, while two people accompanying him were injured.

Pacheco was one of the players on El Salvador’s national team who was banned for life by the Salvadoran Soccer Federation in 2013 — a punishment ratified by FIFA — for match-fixing. He played for the Salvadoran teams FAS, Metapan and Aguila as well as the national selection.

Police did not provide a motive for his killing.

BASEBALL

SEATTLE (AP) — Dave Henderson, the former major league outfielder who hit one of the most famous home runs in postseason history, died Sunday after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 57.

Henderson died early Sunday morning at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to a statement from the Mariners, one of five teams Henderson played for in his career. Henderson had a kidney transplant in late October.

Henderson was best known for his home run in the 1986 AL Championship Series for Boston. With the Red Sox one strike from elimination in Game 5, Henderson hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth against the California Angels to send the series back to Boston. The Red Sox won Games 6 and 7 to advance to the World Series.

But beyond his memorable playoff moment, Henderson was a reliable contributor to four teams that reached the World Series and played 14 seasons total in the majors. His greatest success came from 1988-91 with Oakland. During that four-year stretch, the A’s went to the World Series three times.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jim O’Toole, a star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1960s, has died after a long battle with cancer. O’Toole was 78.

The team said O’Toole died Saturday at his home, a day after celebrating Christmas with his large family.

The lefty started the opening game of the 1961 World Series, losing to Yankees ace Whitey Ford 2-0. He also lost Game 4 to Ford, as a New York team featuring Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Yogi Berra won the series in five games. O’Toole gave up four earned runs over 12 innings.

He was the National League’s starting pitcher in the 1963 All-Star Game. O’Toole called that one of his proudest career moments, recalling that manager Alvin Dark chose him to start with a roster that included future Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn.

O’Toole debuted at age 21 for the Reds late in the 1958 season and was 98-84 over 10 seasons, finishing with the White Sox in 1967. He was 19-9 in 1961 and twice won 17 games.

OTHER

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry, whose deft dribbling and long-range shooting led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA title in 40 years, is The Associated Press 2015 Male Athlete of the Year.

Curry finished first in a vote by U.S. editors and news directors, joining LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as the only basketball players to win the honor in the 85 years of the award. Curry beat out golfer Jordan Spieth, who won two majors, and American Pharoah, who became the first horse since 1978 to win the Triple Crown.

Curry won the league MVP last season when he helped the Warriors topple James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals and then led Golden State to a record 24 straight wins to open this season.