Sports

‘Controlled environment’: NCAA plunges ahead with tourneys

Published on Fri, 03/12/2021 - 4:15pm
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By The Associated Press

 

Mount St. Mary’s earned its sixth bid to the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday night by beating Bryant in the Northeast Conference Championship game, setting off a postgame celebration that included joy, anticipation, hugs — and COVID-19 testing. 

Before the Mountaineers made the 7 1/2-hour bus trip from Smithfield, Rhode Island, back to Emmitsburg, Maryland, they were tested again Wednesday morning.

Clippers snap 3-game skid with 130-104 rout of Warriors

Published on Fri, 03/12/2021 - 4:14pm

By The Associated Press

 

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

The Atlanta Braves are planning to open Truist Park to about 13,500 fans to start the new season.

The three-time reigning NL East champions will allow 33% capacity at their 41,084-seat stadium beginning with opening day against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 9.

March 11, 2020: The night sports, as we always knew them, ended

Published on Thu, 03/11/2021 - 3:17pm
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By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

Nobody knew exactly what to say in Oklahoma City around 7:10 p.m. local time on March 11, 2020. That was an issue for Mario Nanni, whose job as the Oklahoma City Thunder public-address announcer is to tell fans exactly what’s happening.

Duke exits ACC Tournament, NCAA tourney streak ends

Published on Thu, 03/11/2021 - 3:15pm

By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Duke arrived at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament hoping to make an unprecedented run to extend its long NCAA Tournament streak.

Instead, the Blue Devils abruptly had to pull out of the tournament and end its season due to a positive COVID-19 test and the resulting quarantining and contact tracing.

Baylor women going for 10th Big 12 tourney title before NCAA

Published on Wed, 03/10/2021 - 4:37pm
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By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

 

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey is no advocate of playing conference tournaments, especially after winning a regular-season title like the Lady Bears have now done in the Big 12 for 11 years in a row. 

“I don’t think conference tournaments do anything but hurt you,” Mulkey said. “I just don’t put much stock in it.”

Still, if they’re going to have to play those extra games before the NCAA Tournament, they might as well try to win those, too.

NFL sets salary cap at $182.5 million, down 8% from 2020

Published on Wed, 03/10/2021 - 4:36pm

By BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer

 

The NFL’s salary cap will be $182.5 million per team in the upcoming season, a drop of 8% from 2020.

The league’s loss of revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic caused the first decrease in the cap since 2011, which followed an uncapped season.

Free agency begins next Wednesday, though the “legal tampering” period starts Monday.

The NFL is close to agreement on extensions of its broadcast contracts, but those deals will not affect the 2021 season.

Big Ten entering postseason eager to end the NCAA title drought

Published on Tue, 03/09/2021 - 2:49pm
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By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

 

The coach of the Big Ten’s last national championship team believes the conference’s 20-year title drought could end this season.

“We’ve got four or five teams that are on top that could do it,” Michigan State’s Tom Izzo said. “There’s enough good teams that we could get a couple teams in the (Final Four).”

Iditarod musher suffers concussion, injuries in fall

Published on Tue, 03/09/2021 - 2:48pm

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Veteran musher Aliy Zirkle’s last Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ended not with her first championship but with a medical rescue flight to Anchorage, suffering from a concussion and other injuries to her upper torso, officials said Tuesday.

Judge tosses suit over ‘race-norming’ in NFL dementia tests

Published on Mon, 03/08/2021 - 3:21pm

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit that challenged “race-norming” in dementia tests for retired NFL players, a practice that some say makes it harder for Black athletes to show injury and qualify for awards.

A hearing had been set for Thursday. The judge instead ordered the NFL and the lead lawyer in the overall $1 billion settlement to resolve the issue through mediation. That process would appear to exclude the Black players who sued.

Ranger wrestling claims gold, silver

Published on Mon, 03/08/2021 - 3:20pm
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It’s time to roll up the wrestling mats after a sensational season of Ranger wrestling.

The Park/Sweet Grass wrestling squad had not one, but two state champions this year. Following Jessica Gubler’s championship win at the girl’s tournament in February, Danyk Jacobsen took home the gold in his weight class at the Class A Montana State Tournament in Miles City over the weekend. 

Of the eight state-ranked Ranger wrestlers that travelled to the Class A Montana State Championship Friday and Saturday in Miles City, two came home with medals.