U.S./World Sports category, Page 195
Dale Earnhardt Jr. matches his father as NASCAR Hall of Famer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. recognized early he would never be a seven-time NASCAR champion like his dad. It was unrealistic to believe he would match the late Dale Earnhardt on the track. The Intimidator was tough as nails, didn’t tolerate any nonsense and built a winning resume that...
University of Michigan reaches $490M settlement over sexual abuse
The University of Michigan has agreed to a $490 million settlement with more than 1,000 people who say they were sexually assaulted by a former sports doctor during his nearly four-decade career at the school, the university and those involved in the settlement announced Wednesday. The university said 1,050 people...
Boost in Women’s Open purse, are men’s majors next?Video
HONOLULU — The U.S. Women’s Open is nearly doubling its prize money to $10 million, an announcement that was celebrated across golf and genders. The LPGA Tour this week starts its 73rd season of running a league on its own, and no one begrudges the players finally getting paid big...
Andy Murray wins in Australia for 1st time since 2017Video
MELBOURNE, Australia — Five years and five long sets later, five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray finally has won another match at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament. The former No. 1-ranked Murray, playing thanks to a wild-card invitation as he continues his career comeback from hip operations and thoughts of...
Nets guard Kryie Irving steadfast in decision not to get vaccinated for covid-19Video
CLEVELAND — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving insists an injury to teammate Kevin Durant won’t change his stance on not getting the covid-19 vaccine. Irving, who only recently returned to action after a drawn-out stalemate over getting vaccinated, said Monday following a loss to the Cavaliers that he has no...
Novak Djokovic lands in Serbia as questions arise over French Open
BELGRADE, Serbia — Novak Djokovic returned home Monday after being thwarted from defending his Australian Open title only to face a new predicament: He could be barred from the French Open this year, too, if he’s still not vaccinated against covid-19. A plane carrying the No. 1-ranked player touched down...
South Carolina still No. 1 in women’s Top 25; Oklahoma jumps 9 spots
South Carolina remained the No. 1 team in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll released Monday. The Gamecocks received 28 of the 30 first-place votes from a national media panel after beating Texas A&M and Arkansas last week. South Carolina is off until hosting Vanderbilt next Monday. There was...
Gonzaga back at No. 1 in AP Top 25; Auburn up to No. 2
A wild week of upsets led to big changes in the AP Top 25. Amid the chaos, a familiar team returned to the top. Preseason No. 1 Gonzaga climbed back to the top of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday, ending Baylor’s five-week run. The Bulldogs had...
With Novak Djokovic gone, Naomi Osaka starts her Australian Open defenseVideo
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian Open started Monday without nine-time champion Novak Djokovic and, finally, the focus was on forehands and backhands instead of his fight to avoid deportation because he isn’t vaccinated against covid-19. And it got started in a big way, with a combined 64 matches scheduled on...
Hideki Matsuyama caps big rally with eagle to win Sony Open in playoffVideo
HONOLULU — Hideki Matsuyama made up a five-shot deficit on the back nine and then won the Sony Open in a playoff with one of the best shots he never saw, a 3-wood into the sun to 3 feet for an eagle to beat Russell Henley on Sunday. The eighth...
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz disbands diversity group created after 2020 probeVideo
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz disbanded an alumni advisory committee that was created after a 2020 investigation found evidence of racial bias against Black players in his program and bullying behavior by some of his assistants. The Gazette reported Ferentz’ decision to end the committee came...
Australian court upholds decision to deport Novak Djokovic
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia on Sunday after losing a bid to stay in the country to defend his Australian Open title despite not being vaccinated against covid-19. A masked Djokovic was photographed in a Melbourne airport lounge with two government officials in black uniforms before...
Clap, don’t chant: China aims for ‘Zero Covid’ Olympics
Athletes will need to be vaccinated — or face a long quarantine — take tests daily and wear masks when not competing or training. Clapping is OK to cheer on teammates, not chanting. Anyone who tests positive for covid-19 will be sent into isolation and unable to compete until cleared...
Hawaii football coach Todd Graham steps down
HONOLULU — Todd Graham resigned as the University of Hawaii’s football coach Friday, stepping down amid controversy after completing the second-year of a five-year contract. Graham resigned a week after former players and some parents testified before a state legislative hearing, criticizing the coach’s management style and relationships with players....
Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert says she has ovarian cancer
Former tennis star Chris Evert says she was diagnosed with an early stage of ovarian cancer. The 67-year-old Evert revealed the illness in a story posted Friday on ESPN.com; she is an on-air announcer for ESPN. She learned of the cancer last month and began chemotherapy treatments this week. “I’ve...
Longest tenure grows as Iowa extends Ferentz’s contract
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The nation’s longest-tenured FBS head coach plans to stick around a lot longer as the University of Iowa on Friday announced it was extending Kirk Ferentz’s contract through the 2029 season. Iowa athletic officials announced the four-year extension that followed a 10-4 record in 2021. It...
Column: Novak Djokovic whiffed on 2 shots, 3 if you count boosterVideo
After more than a week of lies, hypocrisy, partisan bickering, bureaucratic bumbling and the inevitably idiotic comparison to the crucifixion of Jesus — by his own father, no less — the Novak Djokovic story still boils down to this: He threw away a chance to make history at the Australian...
Novak Djokovic faces deportation as Australia revokes visa again
MELBOURNE, Australia — Tennis star Novak Djokovic faces deportation again after the Australian government revoked his visa for a second time. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Friday he used his ministerial discretion to revoke the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public interest grounds three days before the Australian Open is to...
Novak Djokovic in Australian Open draw despite visa uncertainty
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic now knows he’ll face fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of his Australian Open title defense, if he’s allowed to play. Djokovic’s visa status dominated attention until the moment the draw was conducted Thursday, after a postponement of 75 minutes, to determine the...
U.S. Olympic men’s hockey roster includes 15 college playersVideo
Matty Beniers called his parents to ask them to answer a group FaceTime request so he could deliver some big news. Of course that’s how the 19-year-old would tell loved ones he is going to the Olympics. Beniers was one of 15 college players named Thursday to the U.S. Olympic...
Australian Open draw delayed amid uncertainty over Djokovic
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian Open draw was delayed indefinitely on Thursday amid uncertainty over top-ranked Novak Djokovic’s visa status. The draw, to determine men’s and women’s singles brackets at the year’s first tennis major, was scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. local time in Melbourne, but a tournament...
Texas doctor charged with giving Olympic athletes performance drugs
NEW YORK — U.S. prosecutors charged a Texas man on Wednesday with providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes competing in last summer’s Olympics in Tokyo, including star Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare. Eric Lira, 41, of El Paso, is the first person to be charged under a new U.S. anti-doping law governing...
Webb Simpson looks to atone for missing favorite events this week at Sony OpenVideo
HONOLULU — Webb Simpson has been on the PGA Tour long enough and won enough to not be in a hurry. He was no less eager to fly to the middle of the Pacific for one week at the Sony Open. “I realized that when I got off the plane...
U.S., Canada women eager to resume fierce hockey rivalry
Forward Brianna Decker was unable to contain her enthusiasm in being selected to represent the United States in hockey for a third Olympics. She then bluntly declared the team’s one and only objective heading to the Beijing Games next month. “Our business isn’t finished until we come back with a...
No NHL boosts Russian hopes for Olympic gold in men’s hockey
When the National Hockey League and its players agreed to pause the season and participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics, it came with the caveat of pandemic conditions not making it impractical to go to China. Seven weeks before puck drop at what was supposed to be the first Olympics...
