U.S./World Sports category, Page 320
Azubuike, Toppin among five finalists for Wooden AwardVideo
LOS ANGELES — Udoka Azubuike of Kansas, Luka Garza of Iowa, Markus Howard of Marquette, Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Obi Toppin of Dayton are the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as the nation’s top college basketball player. The 44th annual award will be presented April...
Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t leave quarantine in homeland for UFC 249Video
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said he won’t leave quarantine in Russia to fight, dealing another blow to UFC president Dana White’s determination to hold UFC 249 in two weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nurmagomedov made his announcement Wednesday on Instagram, telling the mixed martial arts world to “take care...
Simone Biles said ‘nothing set in stone’ regarding plans for rescheduled OlympicsVideo
There is a large whiteboard calendar on a wall inside the massive gym owned by Simone Biles’ family that outlines every major gymnastics event of the year, the 2020 Olympics included. When the Tokyo Games were postponed to the summer of 2021 because of the covid-19 pandemic, one of the...
British man runs marathon in backyard during lockdownVideo
CHELTENHAM, England — Being stuck at home didn’t stop a British man from running an outdoor marathon. James Campbell, a former professional javelin thrower, spent his 32nd birthday on Wednesday doing 20-foot shuttles from one end of his small backyard to the other after promising to run a marathon if...
Wimbledon canceled for 1st time since WWII because of virusVideo
For the first time in its nearly century-and-a-half history, Wimbledon was canceled for a reason other than war, scrapped in 2020 on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic. With Britain under a nationwide lockdown, the All England Club announced its decision to call off its storied two-week grass-court tennis tournament,...
Gronkowski to serve as grand marshal for NASCAR virtual racingVideo
Gronk is coming to iRacing. Woodland Hills product Rob Gronkowski and WWE star Mojo Rawley are set to serve as grand marshals for the NASCAR virtual racing event Sunday. Gronkowski, the retired New England Patriots tight end, also is scheduled to host WrestleMania. WrestleMania, WWE’s signature event, is held over...
Nevada bettor turns $50 into nearly $10K from a 10-leg parlay on Ukrainian table tennisVideo
A bettor from Nevada won $9,676 during the weekend after hitting a 10-team parlay on Ukrainian table tennis via a William Hill mobile sports betting app, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. The person placed $50 on 10 favorites in the pingpong tournament while chances to gamble on sports...
Lakers clear 2-week quarantine, no players show coronavirus symptomsVideo
LOS ANGELES — Having finished their home quarantine, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Tuesday that none of their players has covid-19 symptoms. Two players tested positive two weeks ago after most of the team was administered tests while sitting in their cars in the parking lot of the Lakers’ facility...
Countdown clock clicking again for Tokyo OlympicsVideo
TOKYO — The countdown clocks have been reset and are ticking again for the Tokyo Olympics. The model outside Tokyo Station, and others across the Japanese capital, were switched on almost immediately after organizers announced the new dates — July 23 to Aug. 8, 2021. The clocks read 479 days...
On the Fringe: Postponement of Olympics merely an inconvenience for golfVideo
The move was expected, yet no less exceptional, when the IOC decided to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until next year. It brought mixed reactions from so many Olympic athletes. Those from smaller sports might require another year of funding or sponsorship. Others were on the homestretch of a training cycle...
‘The Last Dance,’ look at Michael Jordan’s last title, starts April 19Video
The long-awaited look at Michael Jordan’s last championship season with the Chicago Bulls finally is set for release. ESPN and Netflix announced Tuesday that the 10-part documentary series called “The Last Dance” will run in the U.S. over five consecutive Sunday nights starting April 19 and running through May 17....
Plastic cutouts to replace live fans for German soccer clubVideo
BERLIN — A German club’s supporters are planning to replace real-life fans with plastic ones when the Bundesliga resumes — and raise some money for a child’s medical treatment in the process. Borussia Monchengladbach supporters have come up with a novel way to support their team, even though they probably...
NCAA gives spring athletes extra year of eligibility, no guarantee of financial aidVideo
The NCAA will permit spring sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus outbreak to have an additional year of eligibility. The NCAA Division I Council voted Monday to give college athletes who compete in spring sports such as baseball, softball and lacrosse a way to get back...
Iowa’s Spencer Lee wins Hodge Trophy, college wrestling’s Heisman
In a nearly unanimous vote, Iowa’s Spencer Lee was announced Monday as the winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy, college wrestling’s version of the Heisman Trophy. Lee, a junior from Franklin Regional, received 52 of 57 first-place votes. Lee went 18-0 and was the top seed at 125 pounds for...
Tokyo Olympics rescheduled for July 23-Aug. 8 in 2021Video
TOKYO — The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in the same time slot scheduled for this year’s games. Tokyo organizers said Monday the opening ceremony will take place on July 23, 2021 — almost exactly one year after the games were due to start this year. “The schedule for...
Former Washington football coach Jim Lambright dies at 77Video
SEATTLE — Former Washington football coach Jim Lambright died at age 77, the school announced Sunday. Lambright spent nearly four decades associated with the Washington program as a player, assistant coach and head coach. “I’m deeply saddened by the news of Coach Lambright’s passing. Coach Lambright is synonymous with Husky...
Stephon Marbury wants to send NYC 10 million surgical masks in the next monthVideo
It was 4 a.m. in Beijing when former Knicks player and Coney Island native Stephon Marbury got on the phone with the Daily News. He didn’t want to talk about basketball. He wanted to talk about how he could help the U.S., and particularly his beloved native New York, battle...
Timmy Hill wins NASCAR iRacing event at virtual Texas Motor SpeedwayVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead sang the national anthem from a remote location. Troy Aikman, borrowing Matthew McConaughey’s trademark phrase “Alright, alright, alright,” commanded drivers to start their, uh, simulators. NASCAR’s new normal resumed Sunday with another virtual event, the second in an iRacing series thrown...
Signs suggest summer dates in 2021 for Tokyo OlympicsVideo
TOKYO — Tokyo Olympic organizers seem to be leaning away from starting the rescheduled games in spring 2021. More and more signs point toward the summer of 2021. Organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori suggested there would be no major change from 2020. “The games are meant to be in summer,...
Chris Webber’s timeout vs. North Carolina among iconic March Madness momentsVideo
The most famous timeout called in the history of the NCAA Tournament has been variously called the biggest mistake, the biggest choke, the most embarrassing gaffe, all because that timeout didn’t actually exist. Eric Montross calls it a perfectly executed defensive strategy. It was the waning seconds of the 1993...
Knicks owner, MSG chairman James Dolan has coronavirusVideo
James Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Company and owner of the New York Knicks, has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Knicks announced Dolan’s diagnosis Saturday night. It is not clear when he was tested or when he received the diagnosis. Dolan is the first U.S. major...
Tiz the Law wins a very unusual Florida Derby at GulfstreamVideo
MIAMI — If there is a Kentucky Derby this year, Tiz the Law will have a shot to be there. And if he runs the way he did in the Florida Derby, he very easily could be a contender. Tiz the Law ran away in the stretch Saturday to easily...
Athletic trainers step up: App aids overworked hospitalsVideo
Athletic trainers across the country are changing their routines and joining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The National Athletic Trainers Association put together an app aimed at helping trainers assist understaffed hospitals. The app was intended to give health care providers a database to look for help nationwide. More...
Runners find ways to push on amid coronavirus concernsVideo
Henry Ton was looking for a way to help himself and neighbors stay fit and active after his gym closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 46-year-old software engineer in suburban Phoenix organized a small running group he jokingly calls his “Social Distance Distance Running Club.” Runners across the country...
Celtics coach Brad Stevens adjusting to NBA’s virus-imposed stoppageVideo
BOSTON — Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens can remember leaving his home on only a few occasions over the past two weeks. It is part of the new status quo for coaches and players across the NBA since the coronavirus pandemic sparked a rolling shutdown of professional sports across the...
