U.S./World Sports category, Page 307
Conor McGregor makes 3rd retirement announcement in 4 years
Conor McGregor has announced his retirement for the third time in four years. McGregor abruptly made his latest dubious declaration Sunday morning on his Twitter account, where the former two-division UFC champion also announced his retirement in 2016 and 2019. “Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting,” McGregor wrote...
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says he’s “embarrassed as a white person”Video
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he’s “embarrassed as a white person” that George Floyd could die in such a “nonchalant” manner. The 71-year-old Popovich addressed Floyd’s death in a video released Saturday by the Spurs as part of the team’s #SpursVoices social media series. Floyd...
Honor A. P. wins Santa Anita Derby; Improbable takes Gold CupVideo
ARCADIA, Calif. — Honor A. P. won the $400,000 Santa Anita Derby by 2 3/4 lengths Saturday to move into the Kentucky Derby picture. Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Honor A. P. ran 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute, 48.97 seconds and paid $6.40, $2.60 and $2.20. It...
Kurt Thomas, first US man to win world gymnastics title, dies at 64Video
Kurt Thomas, the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world championship gold medal, has died. He was 64. Thomas’ family said he died Friday. He had a stroke May 24, caused by a tear of the basilar artery in the brain stem. “Yesterday, I lost my universe, my best...
NBA offers clarity on tiebreakers with uneven scheduleVideo
MIAMI — The NBA has told teams that playoff seeding will be based on winning percentage, and that any tiebreakers necessary after that will follow the usual procedures. It was an issue that needed clarity because the 22 teams that will be going to the Disney complex near Orlando, Fla.,...
NBA coaches Spoelstra, Clifford say league, players can help initiate changeVideo
MIAMI — The NBA plans to go to Disney World next month to finish a season, with a schedule calling for the 22 remaining teams to play more than 150 more games and for the league to eventually crown a champion. Coaches are seeing potentially a bigger purpose as well....
NASCAR looks to steer clear of protests over George Floyd
HAMPTON, Ga. — NASCAR has a checkered racial history. From an affinity for Confederate flags among the fan base to a driver losing his job just this season for casually uttering a racial slur, the good ol’ boys have never been known for diversity. Maybe it’s not surprising this mostly...
Michael Jordan giving $100 million for racial equality, justiceVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand are giving $100 million to organizations dedicated to promoting racial equality and social justice. In a joint statement Friday on social media, Jordan and the Jordan Brand said money will be paid over 10 years with the goal of “ensuring racial...
Steelers among handful of NFL teams with coaches back at their facilitiesVideo
More than half of the 32 NFL teams did not have their coaching staffs back at their facilities Friday even though the league approved such returns where local governments allow them. Clubs with coaches in place at their training complexes were Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta. While...
Oklahoma State men’s hoops fined, banned from upcoming postseason for infractions by former assistantVideo
Oklahoma State was fined $10,000, and its men’s basketball team was banned from the upcoming postseason Friday after the NCAA found former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepted up to $22,000 in bribes intended to help steer athletes to certain financial advisers. The NCAA ruling included three years of probation, the...
German basketball returns in bubble format, protests likely
DÜSSELDORF, Germany — With teams living in a bubble, no fans in the arena and likely anti-racism protests on the court, German basketball will show how the NBA’s future could look. The Basketball Bundesliga, or the BBL for short, returns Saturday after a three-month break caused by the coronavirus pandemic...
MLS players express concerns over returning to play
ATLANTA — The first day of small group training for Atlanta United and three other MLS teams was accompanied by ongoing worries from veteran defender Jeff Larentowicz about plans for a MLS tournament in Florida. The first-day participation was voluntary, and there was no contact as social distancing continued to...
NASCAR schedule gets another set of revisionsVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s All-Star Race will be a midweek event July 15 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of a revision to the schedule that runs through the first weekend of August. NASCAR already has rescheduled races through June 21, and the update released Thursday begins the next weekend...
AP source: NBA owners approve 22-team season restart planVideo
A person with knowledge of the situation said the NBA’s Board of Governors approved a 22-team format for restarting the league season in late July at the Disney campus near Orlando, Fla. The format calls for each team playing eight games to determine playoff seeding plus the possible utilization of...
Horse named for Dr. Anthony Fauci finishes second in debutVideo
A racehorse named for Dr. Anthony Fauci finished second in his debut Wednesday at Belmont Park in New York. Fauci, a 2-year-old colt, was beaten by a horse named Prisoner in the third race. Fauci was the even-money favorite. Co-owner Phillip Antonacci named the horse for Fauci in mid-March after...
AP source: NBA presents players with plan for season restartVideo
The NBA has told the National Basketball Players Association that it will present a 22-team plan for restarting the season to the league’s board of governors on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The teams that will be going to the ESPN Wide World...
Blackhawk’s Sean Miller adds international flavor to Arizona rosterVideo
Sean Miller has reeled in some of nation’s best recruiting classes during his 11-year stint at Arizona, players who starred in college, won multiple NCAA Tournament games, went on to the NBA. His latest group has a distinctly international flavor to it. Filling the gaps left by three potential first-round...
Former Mars pitcher Will Bednar named to freshman All-American team
Although his freshman season was cut short, former Mars pitcher Will Bednar received postseason honors this week. After pitching 15⅓ innings this season for Mississippi State, the 6-foot-2, 229-pound right-hander was named to Collegiate Baseball’s 2020 Freshman All-American team. Bednar was one of 24 relief pitchers named to the team...
PGA Tour announces coronavirus testing detailsVideo
The PGA Tour announced a deal with Sanford Health to conduct covid-19 testing of players, caddies and essential personnel five days before the season resumes. That applies to every stop on the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and the developmental Korn Ferry Tour. Sanford Health is based in South Dakota...
Report: NBA to return in July, have 22 teams
The NBA has a plan that would see a 22-team return of the league that would start in July, according to ESPN. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, each of the 22 teams will play eight regular-season games in Orlando for seeding purposes for the playoffs. The plan calls for games...
NASCAR City USA: Cup Series set for 2021 return to NashvilleVideo
It’s music to NASCAR’s ears: The stock car series is set to return to Nashville, Tenn., in 2021. Nashville Superspeedway will hold a Cup race for the first time next season, ending NASCAR’s decade-long absence from the track. The Nashville track is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc., which has held...
On the Fringe: Golf delivers quiet, measured response on civil unrestVideo
Golf never has been known to move quickly. Harold Varner III illustrated as much with thoughtful observations he posted on social media after civil unrest in America over the weekend reached levels not seen in more than 50 years. “I’ve received more messages than ever before, mostly from people who...
Despite bad breaks and bad luck, Chase Elliott having solid season in NASCARVideo
Chase Elliott has been tantalizingly close to winning NASCAR races so many times it is hard for him not to be disappointed. Sure, Elliott understands he can’t win them all, but he has flirted with victory in four of the five Cup races since NASCAR resumed competition May 17 after...
Bowling Green baseball program back after team alumni, donors pledge $1.5 million
CLEVELAND — Thrown out, Bowling Green baseball is now safe. The school said Tuesday it is immediately reinstating its baseball program, which was dropped last month because of financial hardships caused by the covid-19 pandemic. Bowling Green was facing a $2 million athletic budget shortfall, and baseball was cut in...
Basketball Hall of Fame mulls date for Kobe Bryant, Class of 2020 induction
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was gearing up for a great year: not just the all-but-certain election of NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, but also a chance to unveil a completely renovated museum. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, the reopening has been pushed...
