us Page 416 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Russia’s name, flag, and anthem banned for the next two Olympics, athletes to compete as ‘neutral’ . . . again.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Thursday that Russia cannot use its name, flag, or anthem in the next two Olympics or in any world championship for two years....

Texans gather at Deshaun Watson restaurant opening, because of course they do
It’s likely that it won’t become that much of a story, due to the fact that the Houston Texans suck, or that the NFL will almost certainly want it to go away, and that not much will come of it because of that. But the fact that multiple Texans attended a restaurant opening in Houston because Deshaun...

No, the Miami Heat do not <em>need </em>to trade for James Harden right now
Citing loyalty, Giannis Antetokounmpo found 228 million reasons to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks for the next five seasons....

James Harden might not need cheesesteaks
I don’t want to be hard on James Harden. We all ... look different after this year. Cooped up in our house, downing comfort foods more often than we have in the five years previous combined. For me, it’s peanut butter M&Ms. You have yours. Something you run to when it all gets too much, which it doe...
![Keyontae Johnson able to follow 'simple commands' [Updated]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/aj9twanw1s0zcg2bmwms.jpg)
Keyontae Johnson able to follow 'simple commands' [Updated]
[Update]: According to a statement put out by Florida Men’s Basketball, Johnson is now able to follow simple commands....

Houston has a Harden problem, but it's a problem they should wait to solve
Ain’t nobody gonna start defending Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, or as my homie Jarod Hector of TrueHoop calls him, “The Broke Boy.” There’s no “but,” either, that’s just the opening disclaimer to the following passage....

Dan Bailey is a slide whistle and a sad trombone
You can set your watch to Minnesota sports. The Twins will never win a playoff game, the Timberwolves will see anyone with a name you can remember leave to accomplish anything, and no one will ever remember the Wild even exist, as everyone is more concerned with the Gophers anyway. And the Vikings w...

Mike Zimmer ups ante on sideline stupidity by scotch-taping mask to face
A taped-on mask is probably the best metaphor we have for the 2020 NFL season....

Keyontae Johnson remains in critical condition after on-court collapse
Florida basketball standout and NBA prospect Keyontae Johnson remains in critical but stable condition on Sunday, one day after he collapsed in the middle of a game and was rushed to the hospital....

Charley Pride, Negro Leagues veteran and country music trailblazer, dead of COVID complications
You know Charley Pride, the country singer. The three-time Grammy winner recorded over 40 No. 1 hit country songs and became the genre’s first Black superstar. But before his music career, Pride was a professional baseball player....

If something happens in sports and LeBron doesn’t respond, did it really happen?
A youth football coach in Florida assaulted one of his players on December 7, and LeBron James had a lot to say about it....

If nothing else, the MLS Cup final is full circle for Crew fans
It’s dishonest to say that any sporting event can have a feel-good event right now. While sports can be a healthy distraction or unifying force for a community, these days they basically act as a perfect sketch of just about everything wrong with the country’s handling and response to the pandemic, ...

America thinks fans at the Super Bowl is a really stupid idea
Watching a football game during a pandemic is a bit like watching people smoke on the sidelines for three hours. No one on the field will die of lung cancer during the game, but, from a public health standpoint, it’s not good....

The NFL doesn’t want you thinking too hard about its latest COVID meltdown
The Panthers didn’t have any new positive coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which is good. The eight players that Carolina had to put on the COVID-19 reserve list this week, not so good....

Fantasy Football playoff matchups to watch: QB and RB
You made the fantasy football playoffs? In this economy? Congratulations, you lucky SOB! Navigating this season of turmoil deserves a lot of respect — or a tip of the hat to lady luck. Either way, as the Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”...

<em> Sports Illustrated</em> whiffs on Sportsperson of the Year qualifications
This column is not an indictment of LeBron James, Breanna Stewart, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, or Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. It is, however, a callout of Sports Illustrated for limiting their “2020 Sportsperson of the Year: The Activist Athlete” to those who were “champions on the field, champions f...

Karl-Anthony Towns tells of unimaginable loss of seven family members due to COVID-19, including his mother
Karl-Anthony Towns revealed Friday that his life has been hell on Earth since the pandemic began....

Smoke up! NBA won’t test players for weed, could help take the game ... higher
The NBA will not test its players for marijuana during the 2020-21 season, sources tell Ben Dowsett....

Ravens-Steelers disaster was a highlight reel of everything wrong with the NFL this year
As a fan of sports, this year has been very conflicting. If I can’t have sports in person, I at least want sports on my TV. I love sports. I love the competition, the craft, the unreal displays of athleticism, the feeling of belonging to something bigger… I love it all. That said, there’s a pandemic...

Austin Rivers doesn't understand why people don't want to play for the Knicks
The red carpet rolled out overnight for Anthony Davis, who re-signed with the reigning NBA champs LA Lakers for a whopping five-years, $190 million....