summer Page 9 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Crooked Olympics organizer sentenced alongside corrupt ex-Rio governor by censured Brazilian judge who’s pals with possibly criminal president
The head of Rio’s 2016 Olympic organizing committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on charges of corruption, criminal organization, money laundering, and tax evasion....

Serena Williams is still bothered by what happened at Indian Wells 20 years ago — the tournament should be renamed in her honor
Your apology should be louder than your disrespect....

IOC makes it clear what it is
The case of tennis player Peng Shuai gets scarier by the day. Jane McManus covered the first steps a couple days ago. Since then, the Chinese government, through their propaganda channels, released a statement that Peng is safe, except no one believes the evidence it produced. Which is what any reas...

Kevin Durant might win you over with his explanation as to why he argues with Twitter eggs
Many people, including myself, find it strange that Kevin Durant likes to engage with people on social media, specifically people who make negative comments....

For one moment, Carli Lloyd had it all
It’s strange. For all the absolute world-class players the USWNT has had, and still does, we still think of them as a “team.” Maybe that’s a testament to their absurd depth, and their dedication to being the best as a unit, that we rarely single one out. Megan Rapinoe may have won Player of the Tour...

If you haven’t watched Ja Morant this season, stop what you’re doing and pull up a YouTube clip or 10
Is it too early in the NBA season for Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant to be sending out overcoming adversity tweets after a missed free throw? Probably. Is it too early in the season to consider the Grizzlies a contender in the Western Conference? Absolutely. It’s even too early in the season to t...

The WNBA just finished a legendary season — now they have to address the drama the Atlanta Dream and Phoenix Mercury created
What if I told you that a hometown kid would come home and help deliver a championship to their city — for a franchise that has never won a championship — against the very same team that prevented that hometown team from winning a title seven years ago?...

Sometimes the Hollywood ending works out
Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky did the damn thing, taking the WNBA title in four games with an 80-74 win. They were down 14 at one point in the second half, but roared back through some Allie Quigley threes, some tight defense, and some blown layups from the Mercury, including stalwarts Brittney...

A .500 regular season team is on the doorstep of a title
The Chicago Sky went 16-16 during the regular season, including a 6-10 record at home. It’s also been a month, as of Sunday, since they lost a game in Chicago, and it just so happens that Sunday is the Sky’s next home game, with a chance to win the WNBA title after walloping the Phoenix Mercury, 86-...

No one cares if they can coexist
To claim that there is one tired storyline trope that WWE has to do away with is to bring a squirt gun to a massive inferno. It doesn’t cover the breadth of the company’s problems, and you probably don’t have enough ammo to even take care of the specific portion you want. And it might come down to p...

A steal of home, a catwalk, a double punt, and more in wild night
There were just a handful of games going on last night, but enough fodder produced from both to last as long as that box of Graham Crackers in your pantry....

When is the best time to pay attention to baseball?
Baseball season is six months long, and reaching its dramatic conclusion this weekend, with the American League wild cards and the winner of the National League West still to be decided....

Didn’t see LeBron James on the Manningcast? Here’s what you missed
Lebron James (King James to his minion) took a detour on his way to Lakers training camp to make an appearance on Peyton’s and Eli’s Manningcast. In about five minutes, the trio covered everything from James considering an NFL career to him breaking down a Cowboys scoring play. Lebron even carved ou...

Sue Bird shouldn’t retire, but WNBA would survive — and thrive — after she's gone
The Phoenix Mercury had just beaten Seattle 85-80 OT in the WNBA playoffs late Sunday afternoon when ESPN’s Holly Rowe brought Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi together on the court for the post-game interview. These two have been teammates and rivals for more than 20 years, and Bird quipped to Rowe that ...

Look, I’m really trying to avoid wrestling company tribalism, but…
It would be healthier to not use WWE as a comparison point for AEW, or vice versa. One shouldn’t need the other to prove why it’s good and worthy of fanship. And you can enjoy both equally, which should make this time the best it’s ever been to be a fan (and it is!). These are the tenets I’m trying ...

Becky Lynch’s heel turn proves that WWE doesn’t know what makes its characters successful
It’s clear, no matter what they say, that AEW has WWE scrambling, if only a bit. While they would never admit it, and WWE is in no danger of losing its massive TV deals or its place in wider culture, you can tell by their need to shake things up that they feel something is pressuring them. Even toda...

A salute to Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson, who enter the Hall of Fame this weekend
If you’ve been following the WNBA since it’s first season in 1997, Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson may be two of the stars you remember from the league’s very early incarnations. ...

It’s a Canadian invasion
The main story of the U.S. Open, other than the plethora of five-set matches, or three-set matches for the women, has been the surprising runs of a few teenagers in both the women’s and men’s side of the draw. The longest run so far is by a young Canadian named Leylah Fernandez, who has kneecapped a...

Kevin Durant can’t handle this smoke
Kevin Durant is smoking, er, talking out of both sides of his mouth....

This weekend told you everything you needed to know about what WWE and AEW are
The idea WWE higher-ups have been pushing that they don’t pay attention to AEW seems as flimsy as ever now....