U.S./World Sports category, Page 321
IOC looking at postponing Tokyo Olympics, but not cancelingVideo
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The IOC will take up to four weeks to consider postponing the Tokyo Olympics amid mounting criticism of its handling of the coronavirus crisis that now includes a call for delay from the leader of track and field, the biggest sport at the games. The IOC is...
Half of NBA and NHL coronavirus cases are linked to Staples Center. What happened?
LOS ANGELES — The NBA’s reach extends across the globe, broadcasting to more than 200 countries and territories while generating almost $9 billion in annual revenue. Its top players are the most powerful in sports, able to reach tens of millions and spark change with a single social media post....
Global athletes group calls for postponement of Olympics
A worldwide group representing Olympic hopefuls is calling on the IOC to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until the coronavirus pandemic is under control. “As the world unites to limit the spread of covid-19 virus, the IOC … must do the same,” Global Athlete said in a news release Sunday. This...
NBA’s Adam Silver seeking answers, which are in short supplyVideo
NBA commissioner Adam Silver finds himself almost constantly looking at financial numbers and projections. And like the rest of a world that is dealing with the seismic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, he still isn’t sure how bad things will get. Silver said Saturday the league is considering all options...
Wells Bayou wins $1 million Louisiana Derby in front of empty grandstandVideo
NEW ORLEANS — As Wells Bayou completed a wire-to-wire victory in the $1 million Louisiana Derby, there was hardly a cheer to be heard — other than the isolated triumphant shouts of trainer Brad Cox and his stable crew. In the 107th running of the qualifying points race for the...
Drivers use simulated racing games to stay sharp as virus shuts tracksVideo
DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Le Mans winner Neel Jani won’t feel his tires grip the road in a competitive environment for quite some time with the Formula E season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. That doesn’t mean he can’t find a race worth his time. To do that, he’s been...
Italy virus cases soar again; N.Y. eyes temporary hospitals
The coronavirus pandemic took an increasingly bleak toll Saturday in the U.S. and Europe, producing staggering caseloads in New York and Italy and setting off a desperate scramble to set up thousands of additional hospital beds at convention centers and college campuses. Italy, at the heart of western Europe’s rampaging...
USA Swimming urges USOPC to ask for delay of Tokyo GamesVideo
DENVER — The head of USA Swimming urged the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to push for a 12-month postponement of the Tokyo Games, signaling the first fissure between powerful American factions attempting to maneuver the U.S. team through the coronavirus crisis. CEO Tim Hinchey sent a letter Friday to...
Pittsburgh native Matthew Driscoll gets extension as North Florida men’s basketball coachVideo
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — North Florida and men’s basketball coach Matthew Driscoll agreed to a three-year contract extension. Athletic director Lee Moon made the announcement Friday, saying Driscoll, a Pittsburgh native and Northgate graduate, “has established a standard for developing a championship-level culture both on and off the court.” “He has...
Horse racing ‘living on borrowed time’ as it grapples with risks running during pandemicVideo
Horse racing is quickly learning it is not totally immune to the effects the coronavirus pandemic has had on other sports, and now it’s grappling with the risks of continuing operations. The Louisiana Derby for now is still set for Saturday, the world’s richest day of races is scheduled to...
XFL cancels comeback season because of coronavirus pandemicVideo
NEW YORK — The XFL has canceled the remainder of its return season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league played five games of a 10-game regular season in eight cities. It was a revival of the XFL that played one season in 2001. Commissioner Oliver Luck released a statement...
Marbles, obscure sports rule in coronavirus pandemicVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Welcome to the Marble Universe, where the rushing of glass balls down race tracks, around sandy beach corners or getting thumped by fidget spinners has suddenly become as captivating as any dunk contest. Losing your marbles looking for sports to watch during the coronavirus pandemic? Get in on...
The shots that helped put the madness in MarchVideo
This is the time of year people usually start tweeting at Ali Farokhmanesh. The Northern Iowa fans who remember his back-to-back buzzer-beaters to beat UNLV and Kansas and usher the Panthers to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament a decade ago. The Missouri and Kansas State fans still thankful...
NBA shutters facilities as more players test positive for coronavirusVideo
The number of known coronavirus cases within the NBA doubled to 14 on Thursday, when Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics pleaded with people to take social distancing more seriously and the league ordered all teams to shutter their training facilities indefinitely. Smart revealed he tested positive, and the Los...
England suspends soccer until April 30, will extend season
English soccer authorities reached an unprecedented agreement to extend the season “indefinitely” on Thursday in an effort to complete all competitions disrupted by the virus outbreak that has brought sport almost to a standstill worldwide. As well as announcing that the professional game in England will remain suspended until at...
Waynesburg grad Rachel Rohanna, fellow Symetra Tour competitors concerned for future
When news broke Tuesday that the USGA canceled two of its amateur events and will modify qualifying for the U.S. men’s and women’s opens, Rachel Rohanna took notice. Rohanna, a Waynesburg High School graduate and player on the Symetra Tour, wondered: If the USGA already canceled events set for April...
NBA tinkering with ideas in hopes play can resumeVideo
The NBA is considering an idea where some players would be quarantined or isolated for purposes of being able to compete against one another and provide basketball fans with some sort of diversion from the coronavirus pandemic. NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed that notion as one of several items under...
Report: Oakmont could be backup plan if June’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot is scrapped
Oakmont Country Club has long carried a reputation for being one of the toughest golf courses in the world. Its members might even be considered braggadocious about it, saying the club could host a U.S. Open any day of the week, any time of year. That sentiment might be put...
Kansas tops final AP Top 25 pollVideo
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas coach Bill Self spent much of the past week mulling ways to commemorate one of the more remarkable seasons in the school’s proud basketball history, one that began with off-the-court distractions too numerous to count and ended in the unprecedented cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. The...
Trump says U.S., Canada agree to close border to ‘non-essential traffic’
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Canada have agreed to temporarily close their shared border to nonessential travel, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday as the two nations work to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Both countries are eager to choke off the spread of the virus but also maintain...
PGA Championship the 2nd major postponed by coronavirusVideo
First the Masters, now the PGA Championship. Two days after a federal recommendation to not hold events of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks, the PGA of America decided to postpone the second major of the year, which was set for May 14-17 at Harding Park in...
Kevin Durant among 4 Nets players to test positive for coronavirusVideo
NEW YORK — Four Brooklyn Nets players, including Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to seven known players in the NBA. The Nets did not name the players Tuesday, but Durant confirmed he was one of them to The Athletic, saying: “Everyone be careful, take...
French Open postponed until September because of coronavirusVideo
The French Open was postponed for about four months because of the coronavirus pandemic, shifting from May to September. The French tennis federation announced the decision Tuesday. Main-draw matches for the clay-court tournament at Roland Garros in Paris were scheduled to begin May 24. This is the first instance of...
NASCAR tackling how to reschedule races, keep teams afloatVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR plans to reschedule the seven Cup Series races already postponed due to the the covid-19 pandemic. Figuring out how to cram the events and the All-Star race into the crowded 36-race schedule could be difficult. NASCAR has already postponed its season until May 9 at Martinsville...
Kentucky Derby postponed until September
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Change does not come easily to the Kentucky Derby. Fans sip mint juleps, don fancy hats and dress clothes and sing to the melancholy strains of “My Old Kentucky Home” as the thoroughbreds step onto the track on the first Saturday in May. It has always made...
