Conn Smythe Watch: Who’s the playoff MVP as final four are set? The San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins are the last four teams standing in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They’ve all received big performances from players en route to the conference finals – but which ones are worthy of being called the most valuable? Here’s how we see the field … [Read more...]
Josh Norman calls Panthers release ‘a freaking gut punch’
Josh Norman calls Panthers release 'a freaking gut punch' When the Carolina Panthers announced last month that they had rescinded the franchise tag on All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman, thus making him a free agent, it took everyone by surprise. Including Norman. In an interview with The MMQB, Norman, who has since signed a five-year, $75 million deal with Washington that includes $50 million … [Read more...]
Q&A with Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy
Q&A with Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy 11:45 AM ET print Stan Van Gundy was a central NBA character during his final seasons in Orlando -- coach of a perennial contender and outspoken fall guy in the absurdist, candy-fueled Dwightmare. He's off to the side now, quietly building an interesting, versatile young Detroit team in what had been a dormant NBA market for too long. At the … [Read more...]
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili still figuring out their Spurs afterlife
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili still figuring out their Spurs afterlife ESPN's broadcasting crew of Mike Breen, Stan Van Gundy and Mark Jackson spent the better part of the second half discussing whether the Oklahoma City Thunder's series-clinching blowout of the San Antonio Spurs would mark the final game of 40-year-old five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan's storied career. To put it a little more … [Read more...]
Detroit Lions sign CMU's Palmer, cut Lamar Holmes – Detroit Free Press
Detroit Lions sign CMU's Palmer, cut Lamar Holmes - Detroit Free Press Devin Gardner of the Michigan Wolverines runs past Louis Palmer, right, of the Central Michigan Chippewas on Aug. 31, 2013, in Ann Arbor.(Photo: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) The Detroit Lions signed veteran offensive tackle Lamar Holmes to a no-risk deal early this off-season, with intentions of letting him compete … [Read more...]
Taysom Hill changing jersey number to No. 7
Taysom Hill changing jersey number to No. 7 BYU quarterback Taysom Hill will be wearing a different number for his final college season. Hill said on Twitter Thursday night that he'd be changing his jersey number to 7 in honor of his late brother. Hill has worn No. 4 for the entirety of his BYU career. To commemorate the life of my brother Dexter, I am officially changing my number to 7 … [Read more...]
Olympic gold medalists from Russia deny doping claims (Yahoo Sports)
Olympic gold medalists from Russia deny doping claims (Yahoo Sports) Two Olympic gold medalists from Russia denied doping Friday, a day after they were named in a newspaper report detailing state-sponsored cheating at the 2014 Sochi Games. Bobsled champion Alexander Zubkov and cross-country skier Alexander Legkov were among the athletes accused in a New York Times article of doping by the … [Read more...]
Women boxers punch through social taboos in Sudan (Reuters)
Women boxers punch through social taboos in Sudan (Reuters) By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sweat drips from Arafat Abkar's brow as she dodges blows in an open-air arena in Khartoum's searing summer heat. Wearing only shorts and a t-shirt, the 22-year-old draws crowds in a country where Muslim mores mean women's boxing is a rare spectacle. "When I train, more spectators watch … [Read more...]
IAAF won’t ban Kenya from Olympics despite WADA decision (Yahoo Sports)
IAAF won't ban Kenya from Olympics despite WADA decision (Yahoo Sports) Kenya's track and field athletes won't be banned from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro despite serious concerns over the African country's anti-doping program, the IAAF said Friday. The IAAF said in a statement to The Associated Press that Kenya remains on a ''monitoring list'' of countries with doping problems until the … [Read more...]
Rayo Vallecano deny match-fixing amid La Liga probe
Rayo Vallecano deny match-fixing amid La Liga probe Madrid (AFP) – Players of La Liga strugglers Rayo Vallecano vehemently denied any wrongdoing on Friday amid an investigation from the Spanish league into suspicious betting patterns before their 2-1 defeat to Real Sociedad last weekend. Rayo now need to win against Levante on Sunday and hope other results go their way to avoid relegation. All … [Read more...]