U.S./World Sports category, Page 353
First Call: Pro Football Hall of Fame expanding next class; T.J. McConnell could stay with 76ers
In “First Call” Tuesday, T.J. McConnell may be staying with the Philadelphia 76ers. The NFL could expand its next Hall of Fame class. And we keep an eye on Long Island. Staying put in Philly? T.J. McConnell may stay in Philadelphia after all. At the end of the NBA season,...
Egan Bernal set to impress at unpredictable Tour de France
PARIS — Egan Bernal is just 22 years old. Two years younger than Eddy Merckx was when the Belgian great won his first Tour de France half a century ago. Gifted with superb bike handling and climbing skills, Bernal has matured by leaps and bounds to become cycling’s most exciting...
Maple Leafs acquire defenseman Tyson Barrie in trade with Avalanche
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Tyson Barrie, forward Alex Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft from the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Toronto is sending Colorado forward Nazem Kadri, defenseman Calle Rosen and its third-round selection in the 2020 draft. Colorado will retain 50 percent...
Klay Thompson staying with Warriors; Jimmy Butler-to-Miami gets done
Klay Thompson is staying home with Golden State. Jimmy Butler finally has a new home in Miami. And the wait continues for Kawhi Leonard. Thompson announced his decision to stay with the Golden State Warriors for $190 million over the next five years, meaning the five-time reigning Western Conference champions...
Neville’s leadership has England in Women’s World Cup semis vs. U.S.
LYON, France — Phil Neville’s path to the Women’s World Cup semifinals began with a phone call persuading him to consider the England manager’s job. Late in 2017, Sue Campbell, the baroness in charge of English women’s soccer, was bemoaning the lack of female coaches to fill the vacancy after...
15-year-old Coco Gauff stuns Venus Williams at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — Coco Gauff grew up admiring the Williams sisters. Picked up a tennis racket as a little girl because of them. And Monday at Wimbledon, the 15-year-old Gauff beat one of them. Gauff, already the youngest competitor to qualify at the All England Club in the professional era,...
ESPN takes a gulp of competitive eater Kobayashi in new film
NEW YORK — Twinkies, pizza, hot dogs, even cow brains. If it can be eaten, chances are Takeru Kobayashi holds the world record for eating it. The 41-year-old competitive eater has no problem consuming 62 slices of pizza in 12 minutes, or 337 chicken wings in a half hour. But...
NBA free agency begins with flurry of big-money deal
Damian Lillard wasn’t a top-five pick. Tobias Harris wasn’t a lottery pick. Khris Middleton wasn’t even a first-rounder. Their bank balances won’t know the difference. Free agency opened Sunday with nearly $2 billion in deals getting struck in the opening hours — and that’s even without Kyrie Irving officially joining...
Alex Bowman notches 1st NASCAR Cup Series win at storm-delayed Chicagoland Speedway
Alex Bowman raced to his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday, leading a terrific performance for Hendrick Motorsports at Chicagoland Speedway. Bowman had one of the fastest cars during practice, and the strength of his No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet showed after the race was delayed by a summer...
Kevin Durant to leave Golden State and sign with Brooklyn Nets
NEW YORK — Kevin Durant is headed to the Brooklyn Nets, leaving the Golden State Warriors after three seasons. His decision was announced Sunday at the start of the NBA free agency period on the Instagram page for The Boardroom, an online series looking at sports business produced by Durant...
Alex Morgan grabs attention, adjusts game at Women’s World Cup
LYON, France — After collecting five goals in her first game, Alex Morgan is getting a lot of attention at the Women’s World Cup — from defenders. The U.S. forward has been shut down scoring-wise since her splash in the opener, as opponents have honed in on her, often with...
Win at Wimbledon last year brought Djokovic back to top form
WIMBLEDON, England — A year ago, Novak Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon in a rut. Still working his way back from elbow surgery, still fine-tuning a new service motion, he was more than 24 months removed from his most recent Grand Slam title. His ranking had tumbled out of the top...
Much-anticipated NBA free agency finally arrives
Kawhi Leonard is planning meetings in Los Angeles. Kevin Durant will do the same in New York. Those are the cities where they’ll begin free agency. Where they will end it will finally start to get clearer soon. NBA teams will start opening their checkbooks at 6 p.m. Sunday, when...
Serena Williams says she’s healthy, ready for Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — It’s hard to know exactly what Serena Williams will be able to do over the next two weeks at the All England Club. On the one hand, partly because of an injured left knee, Williams is short on matches and training time this season, factors she cited...
Women’s World Cup roundup: Sweden, Netherlands advance to semifinals
With Germany out of the way, Sweden believes it could win it all. Stina Blackstenius scored the go-ahead goal just minutes into the second half, and Sweden surprised Germany with a 2-1 quarterfinal victory Saturday night at the Women’s World Cup. It was Sweden’s first victory over Germany in a...
Megan Rapinoe makes statement with play for U.S. women
PARIS — With a colorful vocabulary and manner to match her pinkish-purple hair, Megan Rapinoe stands out simply by being Megan Rapinoe. She celebrated her two goals in the quarterfinal match against France at the Women’s World Cup by raising both arms in victory, reminiscent of Russell Crowe in “Gladiator.”...
NASCAR returns to Chicago after wild finish last year
JOLIET, Ill. — When Kyle Busch looks back on last year’s dramatic finish at Chicagoland Speedway, nothing in particular stands out to him. He remembers every little detail. Moving into the lead. Getting slowed by lapped cars at the back of the field. Winning a last-lap duel with Kyle Larson....
Despite win, U.S. learns challengers to throne are gaining strength
PARIS — The world is coming for the U.S. women’s soccer team. If the early stages of the knockout round at the World Cup have offered a lesson, it’s that France, England and other nations that are investing in women’s soccer are catching up to the skill, fitness and mental...
Nate Lashley shoots 67 to keep Rocket Mortgage Classic lead
DETROIT — Cameron Champ played one of the best stretches on the PGA Tour this season, matching the lowest nine-hole score and the longest birdie-eagle streak. Champ had an 8-under-par 28 on the front nine thanks, shooting under par for six straight holes. “The hole looked pretty big for a...
Analysis: In big-money times, NBA teams face biggest risks
Golden State owner and CEO Joe Lacob often uses the same phrase when asked about how much money the Warriors are willing to spend to keep a championship-contending roster together. “Whatever it takes,” Lacob says. In the NBA, those words never have been as weighty. The summer spending starts Sunday...
U.S. outlasts France in Women’s World Cup quarterfinals
PARIS — Megan Rapinoe went from controversy to triumph, scoring twice for the United States in the much-anticipated clash with host France to send the defending champions into the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup with a 2-1 victory Friday night. France had been vying to become the first nation...
Franklin Regional grad, Marquette lacrosse coach Andrew Stimmel is rising star in sport
It’s summertime, but Andrew Stimmel never has been this busy. That comes with the territory when accepting a new job, which the 2006 Franklin Regional graduate did June 14 when he became coach of the Marquette men’s lacrosse program after a highly successful three-year run as offensive coordinator at Yale....
Wimbledon draw sets up possible Nadal-Federer semifinal
WIMBLEDON, England — Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were set up for a potential semifinal at Wimbledon in Friday’s draw, while Serena Williams was placed in what shapes up as by far the toughest quarter of the women’s field. With defending champion Novak Djokovic in the top half of the...
France expected to turn heat up on United State in Women’s World Cup
PARIS — The United States has its ranking and its trophies, and that’s all the motivation France needs. The Americans face the French on Friday at the Women’s World Cup, a match that’s been described as a final in the quarterfinals. It really has it all: The defending champions against...
Big Apple battle in NBA free agency
NEW YORK — It’s been seven years since the Nets crossed over the Hudson River and took up residence in the Knicks’ city. A real rivalry might finally arrive Sunday. Rarely relevant at the same time on the basketball court, the Knicks and Nets are front and center in the...
