Yahoo SportsJoey Logano earns Busch Pole Award for Martinsville
After his Bristol Dirt Race win, Joey Logano will start on the Busch Pole for Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
After his Bristol Dirt Race win, Joey Logano will start on the Busch Pole for Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
The Canucks and Oilers will not Friday as originally rescheduled.
Did OG Anunoby put Gary Trent Jr. on silk?
LaMarcus Aldridge said his irregular heartbeat was "one of the scariest things I've ever experienced."
The Bulls will reportedly lose their best player as they fight for a playoff spot after he entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Lisa MacLeod says the province was days away from approving the OHL's plan to return to play in hub cities in late March before the third wave of the pandemic began in earnest.
When asked if it was a recurrence of a wrist injury from earlier in the season, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said, "It's similar but not the same."
DeMar DeRozan heaped praise on his former teammate following Toronto's win over San Antonio on Wednesday.
Jordan will be the presenter for both Kobe Bryant and Baylor coach Kim Mulkey.
The 19-year-old had nine goals and four assists in 39 games with Ufa Salavat Yulayev of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League this past season.
It's time to take the temperature on some of the Blue Jays' early-season concerns and how much of a problem they pose moving forward.
Dustin Poirier has offered a mea culpa regarding his recent Twitter spat with Conor McGregor.
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San Francisco Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained lat muscle. The team said Thursday that Cueto has a Grade 1 strain beneath his pitching shoulder. A corresponding roster move will be made Friday. Cueto exited in the sixth inning of his start Wednesday against Cincinnati. He wound up as the winner in a 3-0 victory and improved to 2-0 this season. The 35-year-old Cueto left after striking out Nick Castellanos. The pitcher motioned to the Giants dugout and walked to the clubhouse, accompanied by a member of the training staff. ___ More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Manager Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers started Jackie Robinson Day, several hours before Thursday night's game against the Colorado Rockies, with a private tribute to the Hall of Famer and civil rights advocate. Wearing their No. 42 jerseys in honour of the Brooklyn Dodgers great, on-field personnel and others from the organization — approximately 75 in total — gathered around the Jackie Robinson statute at Dodger Stadium to pay their respects. “It was great,” Roberts said. “Any time you can get the players and staff, front office and ownership, with a central thought and moment of recognition for Jackie Robinson Day, I thought it was special. It’s something the Dodgers plan on doing every year as far as gathering around Jackie to pay our respects and love of Jackie." “As a Dodger, it’s rewarding to wear No. 42 and bring his name and legacy to life. It’s something we’re looking forward to," he said. Mookie Betts and the Dodgers did so this year as the defending World Series champions, having won for the first time in 32 years. They’re also the first team to reach double-digit victories, as they’re off to a 10-2 start. Stan Kasten, the president and CEO of the Dodgers, and Lon Rosen, the executive vice-president and chief marketing officer, came up with the idea and ran it by Roberts. “The most important part was that the players and staff understood the importance of it,” Roberts said. “It was received really well.” Robinson broke the big league colour barrier on April 15, 1947. Major League Baseball has retired his No. 42 and every player, manager, coach and umpire now wears it on the anniversary of his debut. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Jill Painter Lopez, The Associated Press
Charlie Culberson belts a two-run home run to left field to score Nick Solak, giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the 4th inning
CLEVELAND — Following the guidance and advice of Browns centre and NFL Players Association President JC Tretter, Cleveland’s players joined a growing list of teams vowing to skip voluntary in-person workouts this off-season. The Browns followed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and New York Giants in saying they’ll exercise their collectively bargained rights not to take part in the workouts, which were scheduled to begin next week. The Las Vegas Raiders followed suit later Thursday with their players releasing a statement through the NFLPA that they also wouldn't participate in the voluntary off-season program. On Wednesday, the league issued a memo to all 32 teams announcing that the first four weeks of the voluntary program will be virtual before transitioning to in person at the team's respective training facilities. Last year, the off-season programs were all done virtually and training camp was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Browns players released a statement through the NFLPA saying they are opposed to the idea. “The NFL’s memo outlining how they plan to implement voluntary workouts falls short of what we as players believe is adequate,” the statement said. “The Cleveland Browns players agree that a virtual off-season, like we had last year, is the best decision for everyone in our league. “COVID-19 continues to affect our players, our families and our communities, and we must continue to take it seriously. In addition to the ongoing threat of the pandemic, we felt healthier both mentally and physically last year, which we attribute to sufficient recovery time and the lack of additional wear and tear on our bodies during the spring months. The league-wide injury data supports us as well, as NFL players experienced a 23% reduction in missed-time injuries last season. “For these reasons, we stand in solidarity with players from other clubs by exercising our CBA right to not attend in-person voluntary workouts this off-season. We are professionals who train year-round, wherever we spend our off-season. As we proved last year, we will be ready to compete this upcoming season.” One of the arguments against the programs used by Tretter, who was elected union president last year as the pandemic hit, is statistics support that less workouts last season led directly to less injuries, including concussions. Although Browns coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t have an in-person off-season program in his first year in 2020, he managed to overcome the challenge and led Cleveland to its first post-season appearance since the 2002 season. The Raiders players gave a similar statement, but did leave open some room for players with off-season workout bonuses to participate. The Raiders have nine players, according to the website Over The Cap, who can earn bonuses by participating in the off-season program. “We respect those players on our team and across the NFL who have contractual incentives linked to their participation in the program, but we stand in solidarity with our fellow players who are making the best decision on behalf of themselves and their families,” the statement from the players said. ___ AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report. ___ More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL Tom Withers, The Associated Press
Austin Meadows drills a RBI single to right field to score Mike Brosseau, tying the game at 1 in the 3rd inning
Thursday's WNBA draftees didn't let a pandemic stop them from celebrating in style.
UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko doesn't think Jessica Andrade can hit harder than Amanda Nunes and says her 28 years of experience as a mixed martial artist will play heavily into their bout at UFC 261 on April 24.
ROME — In a country known for boisterous soccer club presidents, the new American owners of Roma are bucking the trend with the silence treatment. Dan and Ryan Friedkin have frustrated Italy’s lengthy all-sports newspapers to no end by not conducting a single interview since they purchased the club from fellow American James Pallotta last year. Unlike the more outspoken and often foul-mouthed Pallotta, who largely preferred to direct the club from Boston and Miami, the Friedkins (father and son) are showing their dedication to the club in a more old-fashioned manner — by being constantly present. The Friedkins — who made a fortune distributing Toyotas in Texas — have been a fixture at the empty Stadio Olimpico all season, quietly observing the team’s troublesome campaign in Serie A and successful performance in the Europa League. Dressed in suits as always, they were sitting in their usual spots in the otherwise empty VIP tribune for a 1-1 draw with Ajax on Thursday that earned Roma a spot in the semifinals of Europe’s secondary competition. Seventh in Serie A and losing sight of the Champions League places, Roma is desperate to win the Europa League to earn a spot in the continent's elite tournament next season. “I’ve never reached a semifinal before, so this makes me very proud, especially as we are representing Italy right now,” coach Paulo Fonseca said, referring to Roma being the only Italian club remaining in European competition. “It’s a source of pride for Roma.” Fonseca reportedly needs to guide Roma to the trophy to keep his job, so reaching the last four apparently doesn’t secure his future. “It doesn’t change anything. I don’t know if I will be the Roma coach next season, just that I will be the coach for the next game, Fonseca said. “As I’ve always said, I’m not remotely concerned with the future. All that matters now is Roma. The club owners have always been very close to us all and we feel their presence.” Edin Dzeko’s late equalizer secured a 3-2 aggregate victory for Roma and brought a sense of redemption for the veteran striker, who was stripped of the captaincy by Fonseca following an alleged dispute with the coach earlier in the season. At the final whistle, young centre back Gianluca Mancini dropped to the grass distraught over a yellow card that will force him to sit out the first leg of the semifinals — raising the question of whether former United defender Chris Smalling can return from injury to play in his old stadium. It will be Roma’s second European semifinal in four years after stunning Barcelona to reach this stage in the 2017-18 Champions League. Roma’s next opponent is Manchester United, which brings back memories of a dark page in the Giallorossi’s history. In the 2006-07 Champions League, Roma was routed 7-1 at Old Trafford — a game that current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played in. “If we’ve reached this point, it means we can play with anyone,” said Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout. Indeed, Roma has won nine of 12 Europa League games this season. The toughest part for Roma might be maintaining its focus for Serie A, with a tricky visit to relegation-threatened Torino coming up on Sunday. “I never get too excited,” Fonseca said. “I’ll go home now and celebrate with my wife but then after that I’ll focus on the next game.” As for the Friedkins, they’re one step closer to closing out their debut season with a European trophy. “We feel that Roma is somewhat of a ‘sleeping giant,’” Ryan Friedkin told the club’s website in September in what remain the family’s only public comments. “There is no reason that, in time, this club can’t seriously compete for trophies at all levels,” he added. “With the fans, and the city, behind us, anything is possible at Roma. The club is very special.” ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ___ Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press