nas Page 49 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Venus Williams Stares, Smiles Into Void During Hilarious U.S. Open Presser
While most of Wednesday’s U.S. Open slate was rained out, unseeded Venus Williams still battled No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina under the roof on Louis Armstrong. The centerpiece was a Williams service game at 5-3 in the second that spanned 15 minutes, eight deuces, five match point saves, and several i...

The Reason Justin Verlander Had A Reporter Barred From The Club House Is So Dumb
It seems we finally have an explanation for why Astros pitcher Justin Verlander insisted on having Detroit Free Press reporter Anthony Fenech blocked from entering the Astros’ club house after a game last week. You probably won’t be able to guess where this is going....
![Astros Bar Reporter From Postgame Presser At Justin Verlander's Request [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/v21wickhqyoo6fcrd7ix.jpg)
Astros Bar Reporter From Postgame Presser At Justin Verlander's Request [Update]
A Detroit Free Press reporter was barred from the Houston Astros’ postgame press conference last night because Justin Verlander said he would refuse to speak with media if the reporter was present....

NASCAR Cowards Dropped Slayer As A Race Car Sponsor Because Of "Reactionary Concerns"
The legendary thrash metal band Slayer announced on Friday that they had been dropped as the primary sponsor of the No. 54 racecar that J.J. Yeley was set to drive at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday. In a statement given to Billboard, the band cited concerns from other legacy sponsors as the reas...
![Dale Earnhardt Jr. And Family Reportedly "Safe" After Plane Crash At Tennessee Airport [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/iehxsukhops8m156aq9g.png)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. And Family Reportedly "Safe" After Plane Crash At Tennessee Airport [Update]
Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family were taken to a hospital for evaluation today after their plane crashed at an airport in Tennessee. Earnhardt Jr.’s sister Kelley confirmed the news and added that everyone on board was “safe.”...

Commissioner For A Day: Let’s Make NASCAR’s Championship Race Less Random
NASCAR currently decides on a champion at its top level through a process that’s somehow both complicated and arbitrary. The result is more about entertainment than staying true to what motorsports is, which is why, as “commissioner” of NASCAR for a day, I’ll try to make it all a little better. Lend...

Simone Biles Has Once Again Broken Gymnastics
American gymnast Simone Biles won the all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championship on Sunday, making this the sixth time she’s taken home that title in the last seven years. She also unleashed two moves that no gymnast has ever done in competition before....

Yordan Alvarez And The Astros Made A Strong Case For Relegating The Orioles
In only the second-worst beatdown the Orioles have suffered at the hands of a Texas-based team in Camden Yards, the Astros ran roughshod all over Baltimore in a 23-2 win on Saturday. The hapless O’s were only allowed two innings of scoreless respite as the remaining seven included at least one run t...

Simone Biles Dissatisfied With Her Own Performance That Included History-Making Dismount
Even on days where she’s far from perfect, Simon Biles is still able to prove that labeling her as the greatest gymnast of all time might be an understatement. The latest example of this came on Friday in Kansas City, Mo. at the U.S. Gymnastics championships, when she decided to become the first per...

Simone Biles Tears Up While Expressing Anger At USA Gymnastics
Simone Biles is getting ready to compete in the U.S Gymnastics Championships in Kansas City, Mo. this weekend, and Wednesday night she met with reporters after her training session. When she was asked about how she feels to be competing under the USA Gymnastics banner after the organization failed t...

Carmelo Anthony Says He Doesn't Understand Why The Rockets Didn't Want Him Anymore
I can’t decide what’s weirder: the realization that Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career is likely all the way over, or remembering that Carmelo Anthony played in an NBA game as recently as this past season. He bombed out of the rotation in Houston after 10 games, was dumped in a trade with Chicago, and the...
![The Strikeout Machines In Houston Are Firing At Full Capacity [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/uqozbulnnrk2s7ksxzfp.gif)
The Strikeout Machines In Houston Are Firing At Full Capacity [Update]
Justin Verlander’s still got it. The 36-year-old Houston Astros starter flexed his muscles once again on Tuesday night, striking out 13 Cleveland Indians over seven innings of scoreless two-hit ball as his team picked up its 10th win in the past 12 games. It was the Astros’ fourth straight win with ...

Lou Anna Simon Is Finally Leaving Michigan State
Disgraced former Michigan State president Lou Anna Simon will retire from the university at the end of August, according to a report from MSU Today. It’s been a long and ignominious slide for Simon, whose 15-year tenure as president at MSU was marked by a “culture of indifference and institutional p...

Calgary Cut $60M In Social Services One Day After Endorsing $275M For A New Flames Arena
The Flames’ new arena deal, endorsed by the mayor and city council just a week before a (rubber-stamp) vote to be held Tuesday, is a great deal for the Flames and their billionaire ownership, and thus not a good deal for the city of Calgary. It looks even worse after what the council did about 24 ho...

Yuli Gurriel Can't Stop Smashing Dingers
Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel is on a remarkable run. Coming into Tuesday night he’d crushed 11 home runs in 17 games in July, including six over the course of five games* to open the month. That’s two more homers in three weeks than he’d hit in the other three whole months of the season. Tuesda...

Justin Upton Makes A Spectacular Leaping Attempt Really Nowhere Near The Ball
Justin Upton leads all active MLB outfielders with 82 career errors. The galaxy-brained solution to avoid adding to that tally? Misplay a ball so badly he ends up nowhere near it, giving the official scorer no choice but to rule it a hit....

Measured By Length Of Suspension, A Reckless Beaning Is Worse Than Trucking A Catcher
Angels pitcher Noé Ramirez was suspended by Major League Baseball for three games for plunking Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick Tuesday night. This is MLB determining that the beaning was intentional and, notably, hitting Ramirez with a longer suspension than the one given to Marisnick for bulldozin...

Jake Marisnick Is Ready For This To Be Over
The Astros played the Angels in Los Angeles last night, marking the first time Houston outfielder Jake Marisnick had to face Angels fans since knocking out Jonathan Lucroy with a brutal home-plate collision. He did not receive a warm reception....

Alex Bregman Fielded A Grounder With His Face
Baseball’s back! One game, anyway. Lance Lynn, having the best season of his career at age 32, struck out 11 and became MLB’s first pitcher to 12 wins as the Rangers beat the Astros 5-0 Thursday night. And Alex Bregman put the lie to that old John McGraw quote....

It's Time To Get Unreasonably Excited About These Summer League Players
It’s the middle of July, the worst part of the year for sports. There’s exhibition baseball, MLS, and, uh, the World Series of Poker. But never fear: The doldrums of cucumber season aren’t just a dry spell that pushes you to go outside, travel, and reevaluate your life. It’s also a brief, wonderful...