U.S./World Sports category, Page 81
Storied football rivalry in Maine takes on extra significance in wake of shooting
LEWISTON, Maine — The city of Lewiston takes another tentative step in its recovery from Maine’s worst mass shooting, as high school football returns Wednesday. Known as the “Battle of the Bridge,” the game features cross-river rivals Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School in Auburn. Friday’s game between...
Breeders’ Cup contender Practical Move dies after gallop at Santa AnitaVideo
ARCADIA, Calif. — A horse set to run in this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup died Tuesday at Santa Anita, and a short time later, Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo dropped out of the $6 million Classic because of a foot issue. Trainer Jena Antonucci said she ran out of time trying to...
Central Michigan investigating if Michigan staffer was on its sideline scouting Michigan State
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan said Tuesday it is investigating whether Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions was on its sideline scoping out Michigan State during its season opener in September. Photos circulating on the internet suggest Stalions was on the Chippewas’ sideline during the Sept. 1 game, about six...
Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Florida State top 4 in 1st CFP rankings; Penn State 11thVideo
Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and Florida State sat atop the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, with unbeaten Washington and its Pac-12 rival, Oregon, next up. Texas was seventh and Alabama eighth. Penn State is 11th. The Buckeyes (8-0) are No. 1 for the fourth time in the...
Hendrick Motorsports took a gamble on William Byron. Now he’ll try to win his 1st Cup titleVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rick Hendrick first met William Byron as a local Charlotte teenager, fan of Hendrick Motorsports and budding NASCAR driver. Something about the 15-year-old struck Hendrick, who recognized a young talent with a potentially bright future in NASCAR. Hendrick snagged Byron away from the Toyota camp in 2016,...
Column: Options abound for getting to the PGA Tour. LIV Golf offers a new wrinkleVideo
Keita Nakajima took a break from staring at all the menu options in a coffee shop down the street from Royal Liverpool and began contemplating his next move in golf. More options. Nakajima, who broke Jon Rahm’s record for most weeks (87) as the No. 1 amateur in the world,...
76ers trade disgruntled guard James Harden to Clippers, AP source says
PHILADELPHIA — James Harden got his trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Philadelphia 76ers sent Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrušev to Los Angeles for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, K.J. Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 draft-pick swap and an additional...
Column: Ryan Blaney carries momentum into NASCAR’s championship finale as he chases 1st Cup titleVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ryan Blaney began to doubt himself and his ability to compete at NASCAR’s top level as he was mired in a 59-race losing streak and all his buddies he had grown up racing against were thriving in the Cup Series. There was Chase Elliott, one of his...
Police investigating death of former Penguin from skate blade cut in English game
SHEFFIELD, England — Police are investigating the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson after his neck was cut by a skate blade in an English game. Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut in a Champions Cup game...
Fishel, Shaw score first U.S. goals and the American women defeat ColombiaVideo
SAN DIEGO — Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw both scored their first international goals and the United States defeated Colombia 3-0 on Sunday. Lindsey Horan added a goal for the United States in the second of two exhibition matches against Colombia. The teams played to a scoreless draw on Thursday...
Blaney wins Martinsville, will race for 1st Cup title in NASCAR’s championship
Ryan Blaney will race for his first Cup championship after qualifying for NASCAR’s title-deciding finale with a win Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. William Byron, who led the Cup Series with six wins this season, earned the fourth and final slot in the championship by limping to a 13th-place finish. Byron...
AP Top 25: Oklahoma slips to No. 10; Kansas, K-State enter poll; No. 1 UGA and top 5 hold steady
Oklahoma dropped four spots to No. 10, the top five teams held their places and Kansas and Kansas State both entered The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday. Georgia is No. 1 for the 20th straight week, receiving 48 of 63 first-place votes, distancing itself from No. 2 Michigan...
Jagger watches Barcelona wear Stones logo in ‘clasico’ but Beatles fan Bellingham gets Madrid winner
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona aligned with the Rolling Stones for Saturday’s “clasico” soccer game against Real Madrid when Mick Jagger showed up to see the home team wear special jerseys featuring the iconic logo of his legendary rock group before a Beatles fan had the last laugh. Jagger and fellow...
NASCAR’s playoff push down to the madness of Martinsville with Hamlin and Truex title hopes on lineVideo
Denny Hamlin elevated his game this year with the aid of a microphone and a popular new podcast that unveils the insights of the driver considered the best in NASCAR history to never win a Cup Series title. He has held nothing back in his weekly “Actions Detrimental” podcast produced...
Rule change gives top seed in NCAA women’s tourney most rest for Final Four after Staley’s criticism
CLEVELAND — The overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament will get preferential treatment moving forward, a response to South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s concerns and criticism. The Division I Women’s Basketball Committee voted unanimously Friday to place the tournament’s top seed in a regional pod with game...
NCAA investigators interview Jim Harbaugh’s staff about sign-stealing scheme
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — NCAA investigators interviewed members of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff Thursday about a sign-stealing scheme, a person familiar with the governing body’s visit told The Associated Press. The investigation has rocked the undefeated and second-ranked Wolverines on their march toward a potential spot in the...
Bud Light to return as the UFC’s official beer next year as it recovers from a conservative backlash
NEW YORK — Bud Light is set to return as the official beer of the UFC in the U.S. next year as the brand tries to recover from a conservative backlash to a promotion with a transgender influencer. Under a new multiyear marketing deal between the promoter of mixed martial...
Next on the Tee: Hal Sutton discusses his time on PGA Tour, course design, Ryder Cup
On this episode of Next on the Tee, host Chris Mascaro is joined by authors and Golf TV broadcast producers Keith Hirshland, PGA Tour legend Hal Sutton, host of “Grilling at the Green” and BBQ aficionado Jeff Tracy, and sports psychologist Dr. Bob Winters. Hirshland has written six books, including...
NBA gets help from ‘Sopranos’ actor to promote in-season tournamentVideo
LAS VEGAS — The NBA enlisted an actor from “The Sopranos” and borrowed the central theme of the film “Ocean’s Eleven” — a Las Vegas heist — to hype the inaugural In-Season Tournament that begins Nov. 3. The latest marketing move, released Wednesday, is a nearly 2-minute spot featuring actor...
Rivals Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline AP preseason women’s All-America teamVideo
Caitlin Clark of Iowa is a unanimous pick for the Associated Press preseason women’s basketball All-America team for the second consecutive season. The star guard was on all 36 ballots from the national media panel that selects the AP Top 25 each week. She led the Hawkeyes to the NCAA...
Purdue, Michigan State look like teams to beat in Big Ten men’s basketballVideo
Handicapping the Big Ten race comes down to this: Purdue, Michigan State, everybody else. The Boilermakers, with reigning national player of the year Zach Edey and his strong supporting cast, are the prohibitive favorites to win a second straight regular-season championship. Michigan State is a possible challenger. “I think other...
No. 2 Duke, No. 13 Miami headline ACC men’s basketball title chaseVideo
Duke spent much of its first season under Jon Scheyer building to another ACC title. Yet it was Miami that outlasted the rest of the league in March for the program’s first trip to the Final Four. They are the ACC headliners to start the 2023-24 season, with the second-ranked...
Zach Edey named unanimous AP preseason All-American, joined by Kolek, Dickinson, Filipowski, BacotVideo
Zach Edey waited until nearly the last second to decide if he should leave for the NBA or return to Purdue for another season. Not sure what he wanted to do, the reigning national player of the year picked up the phone to talk with his mother and agent. Their...
NBA season set to begin with ring night in Denver, and a slew of challengers for titleVideo
Damian Lillard went to Milwaukee, Bradley Beal went to Phoenix, Jrue Holiday ended up in Boston and Chris Paul ended up with Golden State. Victor Wembanyama arrived in San Antonio, Nick Nurse took over in Philadelphia and LeBron James is now the oldest player in the league. As always, the...
With only 1 race left before NASCAR’s Championship 4 is set, drama awaits in Martinsville
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — There will surely be elaborate permutations to show all the possibilities of what awaits this coming weekend at Martinsville, when six drivers will battle for the final two spots in NASCAR’s Championship 4. If this guy does this, and this guy does this, or this guy doesn’t...
