Jerry Sloan, coaching great of Jazz glory days, dies at 78

Jerry Sloan walked up the steps to the stage at the Basketball Hall of Fame to give his enshrinement speech in 2009, almost as if he were dreading what the next few minutes would bring. He never wanted the spotlight. “This is pretty tough for me,” Sloan said that night. Talking about himself, that...

NHLPA approves going forward with 24-team playoff talks

The NHL Players’ Association's executive committee authorized moving forward in talks with the league on returning to play from the coronavirus suspension, approving 24 teams making the playoffs with other aspects still to be negotiated The NHLPA did not provide a breakdown of the vote of its 31 player...

Bald truth: Cincinnati MLS team tweets wrong photo of coach

CINCINNATI (AP) — Oops! Cincinnati's Major League Soccer team posted the wrong photo in its tweet announcing the hiring of former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam. And it wasn't the first time the coach with a shaved head has been confused with someone else who has the same look. “It's happened...

Unemployment rate soars past 15%; COVID-19 cases near 91,000

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts unemployment rate soared to 15.1% in April — up from about 2.8% in March — as the state’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus shuttered wide swaths of the economy, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday. The...

AP source: NHL Players' Association's executive board voting on 24-team playoff proposal as return to play format

Analysis: The NBA seems on the cusp of a comeback plan

Something is finally clear in the uncertain NBA: Players believe they’re going to play games again this season. The obvious questions — How? Where? When? — remain unanswered. Testing, part of the new normal of this coronavirus era, will be a major component to any return-to-play plan that the...

Cubs institute pay cuts, Pirates announce furloughs

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates are trimming payroll while they await word on the fate of the Major League Baseball season. The Cubs are instituting pay cuts because of the coronavirus pandemic, but there will be no furloughs through the end of June. The Pirates announced Thursday...

Sabres sue US over denial of strength coach's green card

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Federal immigration officials wrongly denied a petition by the Buffalo Sabres to secure a green card for their British-born strength and conditioning coach, the team argued in a lawsuit. According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo on Tuesday, U.S Citizenship and...

Coach's payments to player lead to Iowa volleyball sanctions

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa women's volleyball program was placed on probation for one year and must vacate 33 wins over two seasons as part of its penalties for violations committed by former coach Bond Shymansky. The university's athletic department also will pay a $5,000 fine to the NCAA under terms...

NFL studying helmet face guard that works like surgical mask

ATLANTA (AP) — With an eye toward getting back on the field during a pandemic, the NFL is working on a helmet face guard that might provide the same sort of protection as a surgical mask. Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, who heads up the league's competition committee, said the issue was raised during...