U.S./World Sports category, Page 376
No. 3 UNC tops No. 4 Duke to earn share of ACC title
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Third-ranked North Carolina handled every push fourth-ranked Duke could manage, both in building a big lead and then hanging onto what was left of its edge in the final minutes. When it was over, the Tar Heels were ready to cut down nets, too. Freshman Coby...
7-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson looks to heat up in desert
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Jimmie Johnson is fighting a cold. It’s the kind of debilitating, in-your-throat cold that makes it painful to swallow, much less go for a run. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion tried on a cool morning in the desert but quickly bailed, putting off the resumption of...
Santa Anita tested as hoof beats give way to sounds of silence
ARCADIA, Calif. — The dirt track at eerily quiet Santa Anita is being tested extensively after the deaths of 21 thoroughbreds in two months forced the indefinite cancellation of racing and disrupted the workaday world of horses, trainers and jockeys. The sound of pounding hooves on the dirt was replaced...
Rafa Cabrera Bello leads Bay Hill as Phil Mickelson salvages wild round
ORLANDO, Fla. — Rafa Cabrera Bello had a Bay Hill debut to remember with a 7-under-par 65 for a two-shot lead while playing with Arnold Palmer’s grandson. The entertainment, as usual, came from Phil Mickelson. Back at the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the first time in six years, Mickelson capped...
Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim deemed ‘not reckless’ in fatal crash
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim will not be charged in last month’s fatal highway accident, and the case is closed. Boeheim was “not reckless,” Onondaga County district attorney William Fitzpatrick said Thursday. Fitzpatrick added his decision came after reviewing the police accident report. Boeheim declined to comment,...
LeBron James passes Michael Jordan for 4th in career scoring
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James moved past Michael Jordan into fourth place on the NBA’s career scoring list Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar scored his 32,293rd point on a driving layup in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets, getting fouled in the act and hitting the ensuing...
Kansas’ historic streak in Big 12 comes to end
Devonte Graham called up his former teammates at Kansas a couple of weeks ago, offering them encouragement in the midst of a rough season and gently reminding them about “the streak.” The one Graham helped keep alive for four seasons. The one that stretched back 14 years. The one that...
Rory McIlroy defends title at Bay hill with Augusta on his mind
ORLANDO, Fla. — Rory McIlroy has few complaints about the state of his game, only the results. That doesn’t bother him, either. At least not yet. Behind him are 12 months since his last victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a title he defends this week against a typically strong...
School lessons targeted by climate change doubters
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut lawmaker wants to strike climate change from state science standards. A Virginia legislator worries teachers are indoctrinating students with their personal views on global warming. And an Oklahoma state senator wants educators to be able to introduce alternative viewpoints without fear of losing their jobs....
Official: Santa Anita cancels racing after 21 horse deaths
ARCADIA, Calif. — Santa Anita has canceled racing indefinitely to re-examine its dirt surface after the deaths of 21 horses in the last two months. Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that racing won’t be held this...
Ajax eliminates Madrid in round of 16 of Champions League
MADRID — Real Madrid’s Champions League reign is over. Ajax stunned Madrid 4-1 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday, eliminating the three-time defending champion 5-3 on aggregate in the round of 16 — and ending an unprecedented era of dominance by the Spanish team in the competition. Ajax needed less...
Professional wrestler King Kong Bundy dies at 61
GLASSBORO, N.J. — Professional wrestler King Kong Bundy has died at age 61. Promoter and longtime friend David Herro says Bundy died on Monday. Herro posted on Facebook : “Today we lost a Legend and a man I consider family.” The cause of death and other details were not disclosed....
Tiger Woods withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational because of neck injury
Tiger Woods is withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to a neck injury, delivering a big blow to the Orlando tournament that surged in popularity when he played last year. Woods announced his decision Monday afternoon in two posts on his Twitter account. “Unfortunately due to a neck strain...
Trump celebrates North Dakota football champs with fast food
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is again feting football champions with burgers and fries. Trump is celebrating the FCS champion North Dakota State University football team at the White House with a lunch that includes Big Macs, french fries and Chick-fil-A sandwiches. Trump served a similar spread that included hundreds...
Keith Mitchell gets his first PGA Tour win, taking Honda Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Keith Mitchell’s first and until now only win as a professional was three years ago, on something called the G Pro Tour. As is the case with minitour life, hardly anybody was watching and hardly anybody noticed. He earned $5,600. Those days are long gone....
Joey Logano holds off Brad Keselowski for Vegas NASCAR win
LAS VEGAS — Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were side by side off the fourth turn, teammates fighting for the last burst of speed on the final lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Logano barely managed to block Keselowski’s move, and the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion hung on for...
John Steigerwald: Transgender athletes endanger women’s sports
It’s time to stand up to the stupidity. Have you seen what’s happening to women’s sports? Transgender women are threatening the existence of them, and if you have a problem with that, you will be told you are the problem. Martina Navratilova, who came out as gay in 1981 when...
One for the aged: Vijay Singh can become oldest PGA Tour winner on Sunday
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Vijay Singh’s last PGA Tour victory was in 2008. His only win at The Honda Classic was in 1999 on a course he couldn’t remember. And he arrived at PGA National a few days ago wondering if his game is still good enough to be...
NASCAR’s new rules package in full effect for Sunday race in Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Ty Dillon and his fellow NASCAR Cup Series drivers are eager to see what the whole package can do. The world gets its first real look at a new vision of NASCAR racing Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when its new rules package is implemented fully...
Legalized sports betting unlikely in 3 largest U.S. states
Over the past decade, teams from California, Florida or Texas have competed in more than half the championship series in the four major professional sports — including every NBA final. That may be no surprise, considering the three states account for 27 percent of all franchises in those leagues. The...
Vegas takes first-round lead at PGA Tour’s Honda Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A year ago at The Honda Classic, Jhonattan Vegas made seven birdies all week. He is off to a much better start this time. Vegas made six birdies and no bogeys Thursday, shooting a 6-under-par 64 to open a two-stroke lead after the first round....
Busch Brothers headlining NASCAR’s West Coast swingVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Busch Brothers lead NASCAR into its three-race West Coast swing coming off another set of accomplishments that have established them among the all-time greats of the sport. The Las Vegas natives return home as two of the headliners of NASCAR’s young season. Kyle Busch on Thursday...
Johnny Manziel released, barred from other CFL teams
MONTREAL — Johnny Manziel’s time in the Canadian Football League is over. The CFL terminated the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner’s contract with the Montreal Alouettes on Wednesday. The league also informed the eight other teams that it wouldn’t register a contract for Manziel if any tried to sign him. The...
Businesses cover funeral costs for man killed in Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim crash
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The funeral for a man who was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by Syracuse University basketball coach Jim Boeheim is being held at no cost to the family. Manager Jan Maloff of A. Dewitt Memorial Funeral Homes says businesses have donated the funeral, cremation and...
Portland Trail Blazers stuck in elevator going to practice
BOSTON — The Portland Trail Blazers might want to use the stairs after the squad got stuck in an elevator. They were headed to practice Tuesday at Emerson College in Boston when the elevator stopped between floors. Center Enes Kanter tweeted a video in which team members looked at their...
