Football

Texans’ owner McNair dies at 81 — Robert “Bob” McNair, billionaire founder and owner of the Houston Texans, has died. He was 81. One of the NFL’s most influential owners, McNair had battled both leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma in recent years before dying in Houston on Friday. The team did not immediately release a cause of death, but said he died peacefully with his wife Janice and his family by his side. “He was a very caring, thoughtful and passionate individual,” coach Bill O’Brien said in a statement. “As much as he cared about winning, I think the thing I will remember most about Mr. McNair is the way he cared about the players.” When Houston lost the Oilers to Tennessee after the 1996 season, McNair made it his mission to return the NFL to the city. He was awarded the 32nd NFL franchise in 1999. “He was the reason professional football returned to Houston and he (led) our franchise with a laser focus on honesty, integrity and high character,” team president Jamey Rootes said in a statement.

Baseball

Star Japanese pitcher to negotiate with MLB teams — The Seibu Lions will begin the posting process for left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on Dec. 3 so that he can negotiate with Major League Baseball teams. The posting period begins on Dec. 5, and Kikuchi will have 30 days to sign a contract with a major league team. The Lions would then receive a posting fee based on the dollar amount of the pitcher’s contract. If he fails to reach a deal within 30 days, he remains with the Lions. Since Kikuchi cannot file for international free agency until 2020, he needed Seibu’s approval in order to use the posting system to move to the majors. Kikuchi has a 73-46 career record with a 2.77 ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball. He went 14-4 this year and struck out 153 batters in 1632⁄3 innings.

— From wire reports