FOOTBALL

Hall of Fame QB Kelly reportedly clear of cancer — The good news came in Wednesday: Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has beaten cancer once again. His wife, Jill Kelly, shared the news on Instagram. Her message, in part: “Double thumbs up! MRI and CTScans are clear. Still working through major pain management, but PRAISE THE LORD, no evidence of cancer.” On March 1, Jim Kelly, 58, released a statement saying that his oral cancer, which had been in remission for more than three years, had returned. He underwent surgery in April and June related to the disease. On July 18, Kelly stood in front of a crowd at the ESPY Awards and accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. “I will never give up,” Kelly said. “I will keep fighting until the end.”

BASEBALL

Mariners execs accused of inappropriate behavior prior to time with team — In the years before he became president of the Seattle Mariners, Kevin Mather and two other top team executives were accused by women of inappropriate workplace conduct, resulting in the complainants receiving financial settlements. The complaints, which surfaced in 2009-10, roiled the organization internally, triggering reviews and staffwide sexual-harassment seminars. Along with Mather, the complaints also involved then-team president Chuck Armstrong and then-executive vice president Bob Aylward. The three women involved left their jobs. All three executives remained in their positions, and two were later promoted. With the rise of the #MeToo movement, even cases that occurred years ago are receiving new attention and placing increased scrutiny on the culture of organizations and how they handle misconduct allegations. For the Mariners, the complaints did not appear to result in any legal finding of wrongdoing by the team or the three executives. Armstrong and Aylward declined to comment. Mather said in a brief statement that he is proud of the team’s culture and the contributions women make throughout the organization.

SOCCER

USA women set to kick off World Cup tune-up — The veterans of the U.S. women’s national team understand the importance of the four-team Tournament of Nations, which begins with a match against Japan on Thursday night. And they remember losing to Australia in the event last year — the last time the squad was defeated in any competition. But the national team stalwarts also understand that qualifying for next year’s World Cup looms in October. “The priority is performance and winning,” coach Jill Ellis said, pointing out that all four teams — the U.S., Japan, Australia and Brazil — are ranked in the world’s top 10. “We want to come and win this tournament. It gives you a psychologically good feeling to have that.”

— From wire reports