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Chase Elliott does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Chase Elliott ends week of misery with overdue Cup victory

May. 29, 2020 12:01 AM EDT

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Chase Elliott's streak of bitter defeats in NASCAR's frantic first push of rescheduled races finally ended with his first Cup victory of the season. Elliott won Thursday night in the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway to close a brutal 12 days for NASCAR. The event,...

FILE - In this April 15, 2019, file photo, the elite men break from the start of the 123rd Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Mass. The 2020 Boston Marathon, which was rescheduled to run on Sept. 14th, was canceled Thursday May 28, 2020 for the first time in its 124-year history due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)

Boston Marathon canceled for 1st time in 124-year history

May. 28, 2020 8:20 PM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — Organizers canceled the Boston Marathon on Thursday for the first time in its history, bowing to the social distancing requirements of the coronavirus outbreak and ending a 124-year run that had persisted through two World Wars, a volcanic eruption and even another pandemic. The race, which...

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, then-Washington Redskins running back Chris Thompson (25) warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J. Reporters from The Associated Press spoke to more than two dozen athletes from around the globe -- representing seven countries and 11 sports -- to get a sense of how concerned or confident they are about resuming competition. Thompson is an NFL running back. He’s also the father of a 4-month-old daughter, Kali. “If I go practice or play and I come back home with the virus, she’s not strong enough yet to fight something like that. For me, that’s my biggest worry,” said Thompson, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this month after seven seasons with the Redskins. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

AP Exclusive: Athletes wary about virus, testing upon return

May. 28, 2020 2:55 PM EDT

Chris Thompson is an NFL running back. He also is the father of a 4-month-old daughter, Kali. Guess which of those facts matters more to him when he ponders eventually returning to work amid a pandemic. “If I go practice or play and I come back home with the virus ... that’s my biggest...

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2016, file photo, Tennessee Titans' Rashad Johnson, center, and Kevin Byard (31) try to control an onside kick by Cleveland Browns' Cody Parkey (3) during the second half of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. The Browns recovered the ball on the play. The NFL desperately is seeking ways to eliminate the more dangerous plays, and the onside kick has been deemed one. It occurs rarely, and in recent years with alterations to alignments and run-ups, the probably of it succeeding has plummeted. So Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie suggested giving teams an alternative. They could still try the onside kick, or they could opt for a fourth-and-15 play from the kicking team's 25-yard line. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)

Analysis: Onside kicks versus fourth-and-15s

May. 29, 2020 2:05 AM EDT

For a league that took so many years to find a catch rule that makes sense — we think the current one does that — it can't be a surprise that the somewhat radical proposal of an alternative to the onside kick has been tabled. No, fourth-and-15 is not a dead issue, and very likely will be revisited...

FILE - In this April 8, 2020, file photo, an empty Parkview Field minor league baseball stadium is viewed in downtown Fort Wayne, Ind. Minor league umpires are out of jobs so far and maybe all year with no minor league seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Mike Moore/The Journal-Gazette via AP, File)

A tough call: Minor league umps squeezed as lost year looms

May. 29, 2020 2:50 AM EDT

Any other May weekend, Trevor Dannegger might’ve been in Hartford or Richmond or Akron on a Double-A diamond, wrangling players, coaches and managers. In a day or so, he could be on a field in northern Missouri — tending peas, corn and melons. All across baseball, farm systems are shut down because...

In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020 photo, Marina, a medical worker, boxes during a training session with French boxer Hassan N’Dam, at the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges hospital, outside Paris. A world champion French boxer is taking his skills to hospitals, coaching staff to thank the medical profession for saving his father-in-law from the virus, and giving them new confidence and relief from their stressful jobs. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Punching through turmoil: Pro boxer helps medical staff cope

May. 29, 2020 3:01 AM EDT

PARIS (AP) — Hassan N’Dam, former middleweight boxing champion of the world, wanted to repay the French hospital that cared for his father-in-law through his bout with COVID-19. Perhaps with Champagne? Or chocolate? No, N’Dam thought: “These are things that won’t last. I wanted...

FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2017, file photo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell answers questions during a season ticket member fan forum before practice at the Cleveland Browns NFL football team's training camp facility in Berea, Ohio. Several NFL teams are reopening their training facilities Tuesday, May 19, 2020, while many are prohibited by government restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Roger Goodell gave the 32 clubs the go-ahead for limited reopenings as long as state and local municipalities allow them. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

NFL coaches could return to team facilities next week

May. 28, 2020 5:00 PM EDT

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is hopeful that coaches will be able to return to their team facilities by next week. Goodell said Thursday following an owners conference call that the virtual offseason is being extended for two more weeks. In a memo sent to the 32 teams and obtained by The Associated Press, he...

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers passes against the Oakland Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Carson, Calif. The Indianapolis Colts bet big on 38-year-old Philip Rivers. They're hoping the $25 million investment in a new starting quarterback pays off with a playoff appearance and perhaps Super Bowl run. Colts coach Frank Reich insists he's seen no physical decline in the eight-time Pro Bowler. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Colts hoping for lucrative payoff from betting big on Rivers

May. 29, 2020 2:02 AM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Frank Reich jumped right into research mode when he knew Philip Rivers would hit free agency. The Indianapolis Colts coach studied tapes of Rivers' throws from an uncharacteristically poor 2019 season to compare with those he made earlier in his career. Reich saw no difference. When...

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2019, file photo, sports agent Scott Boras listens as Gerrit Cole is introduced as the newest New York Yankees player during a baseball media availability in New York. Boras recommends his clients refuse Major League Baseball’s attempt to cut salaries during negotiations with the players’ association, claiming team financial issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic have their origin in management debt financing. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Boras to clients in memo: Don't bail out baseball owners

May. 28, 2020 10:59 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Agent Scott Boras recommends his clients refuse Major League Baseball’s attempt to cut salaries during negotiations with the players’ association, claiming team financial issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic have their origin in management debt financing. In an email...

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In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020 photo, Marina, a medical worker, boxes during a training session with French boxer Hassan N’Dam, at the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges hospital, outside Paris. A world champion French boxer is taking his skills to hospitals, coaching staff to thank the medical profession for saving his father-in-law from the virus, and giving them new confidence and relief from their stressful jobs. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Punching through turmoil: Pro boxer helps medical staff cope

May. 29, 2020 3:01 AM EDT

PARIS (AP) — Hassan N’Dam, former middleweight boxing champion of the world, wanted to repay the French hospital that cared for his father-in-law through his bout with COVID-19. Perhaps with Champagne? Or chocolate? No, N’Dam thought: “These are things that won’t last. I wanted...

FILE - In this April 8, 2020, file photo, an empty Parkview Field minor league baseball stadium is viewed in downtown Fort Wayne, Ind. Minor league umpires are out of jobs so far and maybe all year with no minor league seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Mike Moore/The Journal-Gazette via AP, File)

A tough call: Minor league umps squeezed as lost year looms

May. 29, 2020 2:50 AM EDT

Any other May weekend, Trevor Dannegger might’ve been in Hartford or Richmond or Akron on a Double-A diamond, wrangling players, coaches and managers. In a day or so, he could be on a field in northern Missouri — tending peas, corn and melons. All across baseball, farm systems are shut down because...

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2016, file photo, Tennessee Titans' Rashad Johnson, center, and Kevin Byard (31) try to control an onside kick by Cleveland Browns' Cody Parkey (3) during the second half of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. The Browns recovered the ball on the play. The NFL desperately is seeking ways to eliminate the more dangerous plays, and the onside kick has been deemed one. It occurs rarely, and in recent years with alterations to alignments and run-ups, the probably of it succeeding has plummeted. So Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie suggested giving teams an alternative. They could still try the onside kick, or they could opt for a fourth-and-15 play from the kicking team's 25-yard line. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)

Analysis: Onside kicks versus fourth-and-15s

May. 29, 2020 2:05 AM EDT

For a league that took so many years to find a catch rule that makes sense — we think the current one does that — it can't be a surprise that the somewhat radical proposal of an alternative to the onside kick has been tabled. No, fourth-and-15 is not a dead issue, and very likely will be revisited...

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers passes against the Oakland Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Carson, Calif. The Indianapolis Colts bet big on 38-year-old Philip Rivers. They're hoping the $25 million investment in a new starting quarterback pays off with a playoff appearance and perhaps Super Bowl run. Colts coach Frank Reich insists he's seen no physical decline in the eight-time Pro Bowler. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Colts hoping for lucrative payoff from betting big on Rivers

May. 29, 2020 2:02 AM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Frank Reich jumped right into research mode when he knew Philip Rivers would hit free agency. The Indianapolis Colts coach studied tapes of Rivers' throws from an uncharacteristically poor 2019 season to compare with those he made earlier in his career. Reich saw no difference. When...

Chase Elliott does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Chase Elliott ends week of misery with overdue Cup victory

May. 29, 2020 12:01 AM EDT

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Chase Elliott's streak of bitter defeats in NASCAR's frantic first push of rescheduled races finally ended with his first Cup victory of the season. Elliott won Thursday night in the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway to close a brutal 12 days for NASCAR. The event,...

FILE - In this March 15, 2020, file photo, Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball player Jesus Navarro, left center, wears a mask while he prepares to fly home along with his teammates from the Dominican Republic at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla. Unlike the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball that can run on television revenue, it's impossible for some minor sports leagues in North America to go on in empty stadiums and arenas in light of the coronavirus pandemic. These attendance-driven leagues might not play again at all in 2020, putting some teams in danger of surviving at all and potentially changing the landscape of minor league sports in the future. (Octavio Jones/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)

At least 10 MLB teams pledge more stipends to minor leaguers

May. 28, 2020 11:26 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — At least 10 major league franchises have informed minor leaguers they will continue to provide allowances after the May 31 expiration of Major League Baseball’s policy guarantying those players $400 per week. The San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners are promising...

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2019, file photo, sports agent Scott Boras listens as Gerrit Cole is introduced as the newest New York Yankees player during a baseball media availability in New York. Boras recommends his clients refuse Major League Baseball’s attempt to cut salaries during negotiations with the players’ association, claiming team financial issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic have their origin in management debt financing. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Boras to clients in memo: Don't bail out baseball owners

May. 28, 2020 10:59 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Agent Scott Boras recommends his clients refuse Major League Baseball’s attempt to cut salaries during negotiations with the players’ association, claiming team financial issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic have their origin in management debt financing. In an email...

Kristen Pankratz, center, poses with her parents David and Anne on their yacht Amazing Grace in Tahiti on April, 23, 2020. Pankratz gave up her advertising job in Dallas and set sail with her parents in January. But now, along with hundreds of other sailors, the family finds themselves stranded in paradise. They made it as far as Tahiti in remote French Polynesia, one of the last places to offer refuge as borders slammed shut. (Kristen Pankratz via AP)

Stranded in paradise: Hundreds of sailors stuck in Pacific

May. 28, 2020 9:21 PM EDT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — For as long as she can remember, 28-year-old Kristen Pankratz has shared in her dad’s dream to sail around the world. Life somehow always got in the way. But after giving up her advertising job in Dallas, she finally set sail with her parents in January. Now, along...

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2020, file photo, Oklahoma's Maggie Nichols competes during an NCAA gymnastics meet in Anaheim, Calif. Two-time NCAA all-around champion gymnast Nichols and Heisman Trophy runner-up Jalen Hurts were honored Thursday, May 28, as the Big 12 Athletes of the Year, giving Oklahoma a sweep of the conference's top individual awards for the third time in five years. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)

"Athlete A" gymnast Nichols, OU QB Hurts Big 12 top athletes

May. 28, 2020 9:15 PM EDT

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Two-time NCAA all-around champion gymnast Maggie Nichols and Heisman Trophy runner-up Jalen Hurts were honored Thursday the Big 12 Athletes of the Year, giving Oklahoma a sweep of the conference's top individual awards for the third time in five years. It was the second time for...

Stuart Robinson leaving SUNY New Paltz to become NYU’s AD

May. 28, 2020 9:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stuart Robinson is leaving SUNY New Paltz to become NYU's athletic director. NYU said Thursday that Robinson will take over Aug, 3. Christopher Bledsoe recently retired as athletic director after 23 years. Robinson served as director of athletics, wellness, and recreation; coached...

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