U.S./World Sports category, Page 227
British Open is back, along with the quirks of links golf
SANDWICH, England — Danny Willett shrugged his shoulders, grabbed his tee and returned to his caddie beside the fourth tee at Royal St. George’s. He’d just hit what he thought was the ideal drive during his final practice round at the British Open, only for one of the bumps on...
Watchdog: FBI greatly mishandled Larry Nassar case
WASHINGTON — The FBI made numerous serious errors in investigating allegations against former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar and didn’t treat the case with the “utmost seriousness,” the Justice Department’s inspector general said Wednesday. The FBI acknowledged conduct that was “inexcusable and a discredit” to America’s premier law...
Lee Westwood, still without a major, reaches unwanted milestone at British Open
SANDWICH, England — The unwanted milestone Lee Westwood has been creeping toward is finally here. The British Open at Royal St. George’s will be Westwood’s 88th major championship, and no other player has competed in that many without winning one. That’s painful, right? Apparently not. “That’s nice, that record,” he...
Mark Madden: Sports are important, even in wake of unacceptable fan behavior
“Sports aren’t that important.” We cling to those words, or some approximation, when the aftermath of a game turns ugly. The latest catalyst for turning to these words of wisdom is England’s loss to Italy on penalty kicks in the final of soccer’s European Championships. Three Black players missed PKs...
Tim Benz: Just enough for Pittsburgh sports fans to get you through the mid-summer lull
We are still about two weeks away from Steelers training camp. The Stanley Cup Finals are over. So is the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Home Run Derby and the draft. Besides the Pirates grinding toward a potential 100-loss season, what can Pittsburgh sports fans watch to get their fix...
This Date in Sports History: July 14
1951 — Citation is the first horse to win $1 million in a career by taking the Hollywood Gold Cup by four lengths in Inglewood, Calif. Citation retires after the race with total earnings of $1,085,760. In 45 starts, Citation ran out of the money only once. 1964 — Jacques...
USA Basketball bounces back, tops Argentina in pre-Tokyo tune-up
USA Basketball finally made it look easy again. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal each scored 17 points, and the Americans took control from the outset, beating Argentina, 108-80, in Las Vegas on Tuesday to avoid what would have been the first three-game losing streak in this era of NBA players...
Suns can hack Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo but know he’ll keep comingVideo
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo pointed to a pair of scratches, one on his forehead and the other on his cheek. Those NBA Finals battle scars are proof, he figures, that the frustrated Phoenix Suns are indeed fouling him. “So they’re making my pretty face ugly,” Antetokounmpo said. The Suns may...
Golf notes: Brooks Koepka/Bryson DeChambeau feud won’t fade
Brooks Koepka has made it abundantly clear he doesn’t like Bryson DeChambeau. That should have no bearing in golf because they don’t have to spend time together, and they haven’t played together on the PGA Tour since the second round at Bay Hill two years ago. Maybe it will be...
Column: Even without Woods, majors not any easier to winVideo
The Masters green jacket had been in his possession for just over three weeks, and Dustin Johnson already was looking ahead at more major titles. U.S. Open champion. Masters champion. Two-time major champion. Which title sounded the best to him? “Masters champion. It’s got a nice ring to it,” Johnson...
Roger Federer says he’s out of Olympics after knee ‘setback’
Roger Federer will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics, writing on social media Tuesday that he “experienced a setback” with his knee during the grass-court season. Federer said before Wimbledon that he would make a decision about going to the Summer Games after the Grand Slam tournament ended. The 39-year-old...
Jeannette grad Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State teammates seeking retroactive restoration
Referring to themselves as the “Tattoo 5,” Terrelle Pryor and four former Ohio State football teammates are asking that their vacated wins be restored, along with their legacy in the program. They want the 2010 season to be wiped clean. In a letter released on social media, Pryor, DeVier Posey,...
Knoch grad Jordan Geist looks forward to training after Olympic Trials experience
After a busy six months of training and competition on some of the biggest stages in track and field, Jordan Geist is enjoying some rest and relaxation. But the Knoch alum and graduate student at Arizona soon will be back in a training mindset to prepare for the stretch run...
Three-quarters of U.S. Olympians have college ties
Three-quarters of the 613-person U.S. Olympic team that was released Tuesday competed in the American collegiate system — the most up-to-date number to illustrate the country’s dependence on NCAA and other college programs to bring home medals. The roster released by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for the Tokyo...
Jon Rahm’s revelation: A club foot at birth and shot at history at British Open
SANDWICH, England — Jon Rahm arrived at Royal St. George’s as a newly crowned major champion with the chance to join an elite group of players who have won golf’s two oldest championships in the same year. Yet, in one way, Rahm already is very different. In a revelation on...
Former wrestling superstar Paul Orndorff aka ‘Mr. Wonderful’ dead at 71
Former World Wrestling Federation favorite Paul Orndorff, who gained fame with fans as Mr. Wonderful in the 1980s, has died at age 71. His death was confirmed via Instagram on Monday by his son Travis, who has documented his father’s recent health struggles. “It is with great sadness that I...
Year since Washington change, Native sports imagery evolving
Washington will not have any kind of Native American imagery as part of its next name, and the subject is still evolving across sports in the year since the storied NFL franchise dropped arguably the most polarizing moniker left in the pros. Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary since Washington dropped...
This date in sports history: July 13Video
1881 — William Renshaw sets the record for the shortest men’s championship match by time and games by beating John T. Hartley, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, in 37 minutes at Wimbledon. 1941 — The PGA tournament is won by Vic Ghezzi with a 1-up 38-hole victory over Byron Nelson at Cherry...
USA Basketball falls again, this time to Australia
LAS VEGAS — These games don’t count. Right now, that is the only saving grace for USA Basketball. And for quite probably the first time in 29 years of NBA players suiting up for the national team, there was a smattering of boos when a game ended — on home...
Giannis the Great: Bucks star making his mark in NBA FinalsVideo
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo shook his head, unwilling to place himself in the class of the only player with a longer streak of 40-point games in an NBA Finals. “I’m not Michael Jordan,” Antetokounmpo said. No, but he’s exactly the player the Milwaukee Bucks need if they are going to...
Lowry parts with the claret jug and sets off to win it backVideo
SANDWICH, England — Shane Lowry kept the silver claret jug for 722 days, the most by any British Open champion in some 75 years. He returned it on Monday to the R&A at Royal St. George’s with mixed emotions. Sure, he was sad to part with it. But that meant...
NASCAR’s Busch brothers closing in on Allisons’ record for Cup winsVideo
HAMPTON, Ga. — The Busch brothers are banging on the Allisons’ rear bumper for the top spot on the list of NASCAR Cup Series wins by siblings. On Sunday, however, the sibling rivalry between Kurt and Kyle Busch was the story. Thanks to Kurt’s win over runner-up Kyle at Atlanta...
Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 41 to lead Bucks to Game 3 victory
MILWAUKEE — When Giannis Antetokounmpo crashed to the court just two weeks ago with what appeared to be a serious knee injury, there was no guarantee he’d be back this season. Maybe, he feared, he might even miss a year. Antetokounmpo refused to stay down. These Milwaukee Bucks just won’t,...
Italy wins Euro 2020, beats England in penalty shootout
LONDON — Italian soccer’s redemption story is complete. England’s painful half-century wait for a major title goes on. And it just had to be because of a penalty shootout. Italy won the European Championship for the second time by beating England 3-2 on penalties on Sunday. The match finished 1-1...
Racist abuse targets 3 English players who missed penalties
LONDON — Three Black players who missed penalty kicks for England in the decisive European Championship shootout against Italy on Sunday night were subjected to racist abuse online, prompting the English Football Association to issue a statement condemning the language used against the players. Bukayo Saka, at 19 one of...
