c Page 646 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Fresh off 7-0 streak-buster, Mammoth take aim at sliding Canucks
The plucky Utah Mammoth, coming off their first win in five games, are hoping to show the host Vancouver Canucks what a four-game losing streak feels like on Friday night.,Utah snapped its own four-game skid with an overpowering 7-0 win over the Ducks in Anaheim on Wednesday. The Canucks have lost t...

NFL to add quality control system for playing surfaces
The NFL is putting the field under review.,Beginning in 2026, clubs will be able to choose new fields only from a league-approved library of surfaces, with every selection vetted through an accreditation process.,The goal is that by the end of the 2027 season, any stadium replacing its turf will ins...

Rockets' paint-first offense looks to keep rolling against Suns
The Rockets' rousing offensive start to the season relies on an unorthodox approach, at least in terms of the present-day NBA.,Houston dominated the Sacramento Kings 121-95 on Wednesday in the first of back-to-back home games, which also includes a visit from the Phoenix Suns on Friday.,Despite only...

MOUZ, Team Spirit, FURIA, G2 start Stage 3 strong in Budapest
MOUZ, Team Spirit, FURIA and G2 Esports separated themselves from the pack to kick off Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major event in Hungary on Thursday.,Those teams, who were among the eight clubs to receive byes directly into Stage 3, won their Round 1 and Round 2 matches Thursday to advance t...

Banged-up Bulls, run-prone Pacers each chase reset in Chicago
Losses are starting to snowball for the banged-up Chicago Bulls.,For the Indiana Pacers, opponents' big runs have been bothersome.,Reversing course and building momentum will be the aim for both sides during Friday's game in Chicago.,Indiana bemoaned the 22-3 run it yielded at the end of the first h...

Cincinnati, Xavier trumpet importance of crosstown rivalry
One of college basketball's most intense rivalries renews Friday night when Xavier hosts Cincinnati in the annual meeting known as the "Crosstown Shootout.",The two schools are meeting for the 93rd time. Cincinnati leads 52-40 but Xavier has won five of the last six, nine of the last 12 meetings and...

Late bogey drops Scottie Scheffler into share of lead in Bahamas
Scottie Scheffler's bogey-free run at Albany Golf Course came to a sudden end on the 18th hole Thursday, dropping the world's No. 1-ranked player into a five-way share of the lead after the first round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.,Scheffler, competing for the first time since the Ryde...

Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke guide Europe to World Champions Cup lead
Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland were the best tandem on the course Thursday as they helped Team Europe open up a lead at the Skechers World Champions Cup at Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Fla.,Team Europe scored 57 points over two sessions on Day 1 of the eve...

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy clears concussion protocol, set to start Sunday
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is on track to start Sunday against the Washington Commanders after clearing concussion protocol on Thursday.,McCarthy, 22, was a full practice participant for the second consecutive day. He missed last Sunday's 26-0 loss at Seattle after sustaining a conc...

Police: Lane Kiffin escorted to airport, fan road rage claims false
Mississippi State Police provided departing coach Lane Kiffin a police escort to catch his flight to Baton Rouge and said his claims of fans "trying to run him off the road" were false. ,The escort using multiple police vehicles to safeguard Kiffin's transport to the airport was confirmed by Mississ...
Could the 12-Team CFP Include Two Group of Six Teams? This Year Says Yes
The latest CFP rankings show a real chance for two Group of Six teams to make the 12-team playoff, creating a scenario that could leave a Power Four team out....
Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Destinations: Three Teams That Could Trade With Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo could miss four weeks, fueling trade speculation. Here are three teams that make the most sense if the Bucks decide to move their superstar....

Inter Miami, Whitecaps meet in star-studded MLS Cup final
A pair of international stars will be on Major League Soccer's biggest stage when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami host Thomas Muller and the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday in the MLS Cup final at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,Both clubs will be chasing their first MLS title, with an opportunity to raise the P...

Lakers' Luka Doncic (personal) out vs. Raptors
Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic will not be available for Thursday's game against the host Toronto Raptors.,Doncic officially has been ruled out for personal reasons. He reportedly is in Slovenia for the birth of his second child with fiancee Anamaria Goltes.,Doncic, 26, is averaging ...

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses Thursday practice
Lamar Jackson missed practice on Thursday as the Baltimore Ravens shifted gears on preparation for a collision with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday that will set the top of the AFC North standings. ,Jackson had three turnovers on Thanksgiving night in the Ravens' loss to the Cincinnati Benga...

Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez granted contract extension
Mountain West Conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez received a four-year contract extension on Thursday, keeping her on the job through Dec. 31, 2030.,She started as commissioner on Jan. 1, 2023, amid upheaval in college sports, and the Mountain West has not been spared.,The conference is poised to...

Lightning D Ryan McDonagh inks 3-year, $12.3M extension
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension Thursday.,McDonagh, 36, has six points (three goals, three assists) in 15 games this season while playing in the final campaign of a seven-year, $47.25 million contract. He currently is on injured rese...

Report: Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) out 2-4 weeks
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined approximately two-to-four weeks with a right calf strain, ESPN reported Thursday.,Antetokounmpo underwent an MRI after sustaining an injury during the first quarter of the Bucks' 113-109 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.,...

Sexual assault suit against Conor McGregor dropped
The civil lawsuit filed against MMA fighter Conor McGregor for an alleged sexual assault at a 2023 NBA Finals game in Miami has been dropped.,The anonymous complainant voluntary filed for dismissal of the suit earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Florida.,The woman had alleged that McGregor f...

Undefeated, top-10 bluebloods Duke (9-0), Michigan State (8-0) duel in East Lansing
Contrary to their usual form, neither coach doused the energy and expectations for Saturday's fight between college hoops heavyweights in a hype-worthy pairing of undefeated Duke and Michigan State in East Lansing.,Now that No. 4 Duke has been pushed to the end of a game, the Blue Devils might be in...