U.S./World Sports category, Page 135
Houston back at No. 1, Kansas State jumps to 11th in AP poll
Houston is back at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the second time this season, while Kansas State continued its unexpectedly strong start by leaping from unranked to the verge of the top 10. The Cougars received 34 of 60 first-place votes in...
Jon Rahm wins a stunner at Kapalua after Morikawa wipeout
KAPALUA, Hawaii — Jon Rahm left Maui with a trophy he wasn’t expecting, all because of a collapse from Collin Morikawa no one saw coming. Rahm started the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions seven shots behind. He bogeyed his first hole. He was six shots back at...
Different Dakota: SD State wins 1st FCS title over ND State
FRISCO, Texas — Mark Gronowski threw three touchdowns passes and ran 51 yards for another one as South Dakota State won its first national championship with a 45-21 win Sunday over North Dakota State, which lost for the first time in its 10 FCS title-game appearances. As a freshman two...
No. 1 Georgia tries to launch dynasty against emboldened TCUVideo
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Georgia coach Kirby Smart was part of college football’s greatest dynasty as an assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama. Now, he is on the verge of launching his own. After going through the Crimson Tide last season to win Georgia’s first national title in 41 years,...
Mikaela Shiffrin shows her emotions after matching Lindsey Vonn’s record
KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia — The emotions came pouring out of Mikaela Shiffrin when she matched Lindsey Vonn’s women’s World Cup skiing record with her 82nd win Sunday. First there was a scream of delight following a serious case of nerves that had been building inside her throughout the day. Then...
Stars matter? Georgia, TCU both excel in player developmentVideo
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Based solely on the recruiting rankings, this national championship game between No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 TCU is the most lopsided in the nine-year history of the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs are a recruiting juggernaut, brimming with four- and five-star high school players. The...
3-3-5: Atypical defense takes TCU to national title gameVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — Sonny Dykes needed only about five minutes with Joe Gillespie to know that he wanted the defensive coordinator who wields an atypical 3-3-5 base scheme on his staff at TCU. While utilizing the unorthodox lineup with three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs, the Horned...
Mark Madden: Reyna-Berhalter saga makes U.S. Soccer an international laughingstock
U.S. Soccer is a nonstop PR nightmare. The U.S. women’s team went from being arguably America’s most beloved athletes to being disliked by half the country via over-politicizing that resulted in polarizing (but did get them paid more). Now Claudio and Danielle Reyna are treating the U.S. Soccer Federation like...
WWE’s Vince McMahon is back after misconduct investigation
Vince McMahon is rejoining the board of WWE several months after he retired from the sports entertainment company during an investigation into alleged misconduct. WWE said Friday that McMahon, the founder and majority shareholder of WWE, would return as executive chairman. It also announced a board shakeup. Shares surged more...
Michigan: NCAA looking into potential football infractions
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan announced Friday that it has received notice from the NCAA that it is looking into potential rules infractions in the Wolverines football program. Athletic director Warde Manuel said the “draft allegations” were received Thursday. “We have cooperated and will continue to cooperate with this investigation,”...
QB Sam Hartman announces transfer from Wake Forest to Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Sam Hartman is transferring to Notre Dame, giving the Fighting Irish a dynamic quarterback for coach Marcus Freeman’s second season. Hartman, a three-year starter at Wake Forest, was widely regarded as the top quarterback in the transfer portal. He announced his decision Thursday by tweeting pictures...
Changes on horizon for bowls as CFP expands to 12 teamsVideo
College football’s bowl season began Dec. 16, at 11:30 a.m. with two .500 teams squaring off in a 15,000-seat stadium in the Bahamas. UAB’s 24-20 victory against Miami (Ohio) drew an average of 822,000 viewers to ESPN. It ended up being the least-watched of 39 bowl games on ESPN’s networks...
Jim Harbaugh: ‘I expect’ to be back at Michigan next season
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jim Harbaugh said he expects to coach Michigan’s football team next season, posting a statement Thursday on the team’s social media accounts following reports of his interest in returning to the NFL. “I am aware of the rumors and speculation over the past few days,” Harbaugh...
Texas fires Chris Beard amid felony domestic violence charge
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas fired basketball coach Chris Beard on Thursday while he faces a felony domestic family violence charge stemming from a Dec. 12 incident involving his fiancée. The Associated Press obtained the termination letter that was sent to Beard’s attorney. Beard had five years left on a seven-year...
‘Been Everywhere’: TCU conference-hopping run to title game
FORT WORTH, Texas — TCU had quite the conference-hopping journey on its way to the national championship game. The Horned Frogs won or shared titles in three leagues over 16 seasons after the Southwest Conference disbanded. The small, private school was left out when four other Texas schools from the...
Canada thumps U.S. in world junior hockey semifinalsVideo
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Adam Fantilli scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Thomas Milic made 43 saves and Canada overcame an early deficit to beat the United States 6-2 on Wednesday night to advance to the world junior hockey championship game. Seeking its 20th title, Canada will face...
FCS football title game features battle of North, South DakotaVideo
The tiny South Dakota town of Rosholt isn’t that far from the North Dakota state line and is a place where allegiances are split between the Jackrabbits and Bison year-round — and never more pronounced than this week. The South Dakota State Jackrabbits from Brookings and North Dakota State Bison...
Reyna family flagged Gregg Berhalter incident; interim U.S. soccer coach namedVideo
NEW YORK — The U.S. soccer team was plunged into public turmoil Wednesday when the family of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said it notified the U.S. Soccer Federation of a decades-old incident involving Gregg Berhalter and his wife in response to the coach’s disparagement of Claudio’s son, young star...
Brazilian players face backlash for skipping Pelé’s funeral
SAO PAULO — Brazilian soccer stars past and present are under fire from fans for skipping Pelé’s funeral and opting to pay their respects on social media. The three-time World Cup champion was buried in his hometown Tuesday after more than 230,000 mourners passed by his casket at Vila Belmiro...
Georgia’s 2-TE set uncertain for national title game vs. TCUVideo
ATLANTA — A big part of Georgia’s offense — big in every way — could be hampered in the national championship game against TCU. Georgia’s two-tight end formation is uncertain because of an ankle injury suffered by Darnell Washington in Saturday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal win over Ohio State....
Ronaldo rejected offers elsewhere for top salary Saudi dealVideo
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Cristiano Ronaldo was presented as the superstar new signing of Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on Tuesday, with the team’s president saying the Portugal great deserves to be the highest paid player on the planet. Ronaldo said he turned down “many clubs” around the world to...
Pele buried at cemetery in Brazilian city he made famousVideo
SANTOS, Brazil — Brazil said a final farewell to Pele on Tuesday, burying the legend who unified the bitterly divided country. Newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid his respects at Vila Belmiro, the stadium where Pelé played for most of his career. Pelé was laid to rest...
Ken Block, champion pro rally driver and social media icon, dies at 55
LOS ANGELES — Most of Ken Block’s social media messages to his nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers and half a million Twitter followers touted the “Go Fast Risk Every Thang” mantra that enabled him to become the world’s most famous rally car racer and ambassador for the sport. But his...
U.S. men’s coach Gregg Berhalter admits kicking future wife in 1991
NEW YORK — The U.S. Soccer Federation revealed Tuesday it is investigating men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter for a 1991 confrontation in which he kicked the woman who later became his wife. The federation said it learned of the allegation on Dec. 11 and hired the law firm Alston...
Column: New year on the PGA Tour more mysterious than everVideo
KAPALUA, Hawaii — One moment the splash of a humpback whale’s tail pierced the Pacific blue below the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Before long, as players began lining up for practice rounds, a brief shower sent everyone seeking cover. It was a fitting start to a new year on the...
