Month: March 2022

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — After cutting ties with Freddie Freeman, the Atlanta Braves have signed new first baseman Matt Olson to a $168 million, eight-year contract. Olson was not eligible for free agency until after the 2023 season. But the World Series champions quickly locked down the 27-year-old slugger through

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Swiss swimming federation has threatened to boycott this year’s world championships if the sport’s governing body allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. FINA has so far been reluctant to ban Russian athletes following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The body instead decided they can compete at the worlds in

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Three congressional lawmakers say the NCAA has made “inadequate progress” in addressing the inequities in the treatment of male and female athletes. The lawmakers singled out the college basketball tournaments that begin this week and sent a six-page letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert. The lawmakers say he has

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has imposed sanctions on Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich as part of a new package of measures targeting Russia. The EU on Tuesday included the Russian oligarch in its updated list of individuals facing assets freeze and travel bans over their role in

MILAN (AP) — Hellas Verona has been ordered to play its next home match with part of its stands empty following racist chants and anti-territorial insults during a game against Napoli. The chants directed at Napoli players Kalidou Koulibaly and Victor Osimhen came during a 2-1 loss for Verona on Sunday. Both Koulibaly and Osimhen

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Cantlay is set to become the fifth player that will be part of the PGA Tour board of directors. The tour for years had four players and four independent directors on the board. That changed in 2017 when a fifth business-oriented director

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have agreed on a contract with free agent linebacker Oren Burks. Burks tweeted that he is leaving Green Bay after four seasons to join San Francisco, where he is expected to play significantly on special teams. The former third-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2018 played

By JAKE SEINER AP Baseball Writer TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball is tweaking a rules experiment in the independent Atlantic League that forced teams to forfeit their designated hitter when removing a starting pitcher from the game. The double-hook designated hitter was first tested in the Atlantic League last season, with teams losing

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer Left tackle Andrew Whitworth is retiring after a 16-season NFL career capped by his first Super Bowl championship last month with the Los Angeles Rams. Whitworth turned 40 last December and became the oldest player in the modern NFL to start a game at left tackle. The two-time All-Pro

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Offensive lineman Connor Williams agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal Tuesday with the Miami Dolphins, who went into free agency knowing that position group was one in need of upgrades. Williams comes to the Dolphins after spending his first four NFL seasons with

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have signed unrestricted free agent Tracy Walker to a $25 million, three-year deal and he is determined to be part of the team’s turnaround. The Lions also signed restricted free agent Evan Brown, keeping the center off the market with a

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer Pat Chambers convinced Florida Gulf Coast that he was the right person to take over its men’s basketball program. He vowed not to squander his second chance. FGCU introduced Chambers as its coach Tuesday. His hiring came about 18 months after he had to resign as coach at Penn

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson says Cameron Smith can be overlooked because his game is not long and rarely straight. But he’s hard to ignore now. The 28-year-old Australian is the No. 6 player in the world after winning The Players Championship. His

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms on a two-year, $12 million contract with linebacker Jordan Hicks. Hicks spent the last three seasons with Arizona. The 29-year-old was a third-round draft pick by Philadelphia in 2015 who played his first four seasons with the Eagles.

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — The ban on Russian soccer teams from European competition has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The urgent CAS ruling is an interim judgment pending a full appeal hearing in the weeks ahead. It does not apply to Russia’s chances of being reinstated

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer Jonathan Isaac’s return to the Orlando Magic won’t happen this season. The Magic announced the decision Tuesday. It means the earliest the 24-year-old Isaac will play is October. He last played in August 2020 when he tore the ACL in his left knee during a game at the NBA’s

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer Wagering on all those parlays and long shots on the betting app is fun. Filling out a bracket and waiting for the upsets to begin — that’s why they call this March Madness. Legal sports gambling across wide swaths of the United States might have made the next three

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the situation tells AP the Cleveland Browns met with quarterback Deshaun Watson in Houston about a possible trade. A contingent met with Watson, who was the subject of 22 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and harassment. The person spoke on condition of anonymity

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Mike Shula has been hired to be the Buffalo Bills senior offensive assistant in coach Sean McDermott’s latest move to restructure his staff following Brian Daboll’s departure. Shula has 30 years of NFL coaching experience and previously worked with McDermott and newly promoted offensive

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian soccer federation president Armand Duka has been overwhelmingly re-elected for a sixth four-year term. Duka won 37-4 with two invalid ballots in a vote boycotted by one of the federation’s regional associations. A third candidate for the post also boycotted the voting and called the process illegal. The assembly was

LILLE, France (AP) — Lille will be without injured Renato Sanches when the team plays defending champion Chelsea on Wednesday in the second leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League. Lille coach Jocelyn Gourvennec says the Portugal midfielder will be the only one missing for the French champions. Lille trails 2-0 from

By The Associated Press Take a deep breath after a long week at The Players Championship. The PGA Tour plays its final event of the year in Florida at the Valspar Championship. The Copperhead course at Innisbrook is among the most respected in Florida, and it shows in the field. Even in the week after

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer Henrik Stenson is Europe’s next choice to be Ryder Cup captain for the 2023 matches in Italy. The announcement also indicates the Swede has decided not to join a Saudi-funded rival golf league. Stenson was a logical choice for Europe. He is a major champion, has played on five