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Leslie Jones is a big sports fan and has no problem going all-in on things. We saw that at the Olympics, when she became America’s No. 1 fan and even got flown to Rio de Janeiro to check it all out. Well, the Saturday Night Live star is now all-in on soccer. And it all started with finding out that the players are attractive. (Warning: the videos in the tweets have…

A slot in NASCAR’s record books is absolutely in reach for Jimmie Johnson.  Johnson earned one of four coveted spots in next month’s title-deciding season finale on Sunday when he scored his ninth career victory at Martinsville Speedway. The six-time NASCAR champion will race for his seventh championship, which would tie him for the all-time record with Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr.  The victory blocked Joe Gibbs…

The New York Red Bulls are on their way to one of their best seasons in franchise history. They claimed the top spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference and have a strong chance at winning their first ever title. Fans have been eager to support the team in all the traditional ways, like waving scarves and screaming their heads off. But a surprising number have contacted the team because…

You’re reading Back of the Envelope, an experiment that aims to bring shorter, quicker content to FiveThirtyEight. More Sports Today, the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB all play games. It’s a sports equinox, the 16th in history: Will all four leagues play at the same time? They sure will! Indians-Cubs is scheduled for 8:00 p.m ET. At 8:30 Eagles-Cowboys kicks off, and at least three NBA games and two NHL…

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. and Sagard Capital Partners have agreed to make a joint bid to acquire Performance Sports Group Ltd. for more than $550 million as the sports equipment maker considers a plan to auction itself under bankruptcy court protection, one person familiar with the plans said. Performance Sports is preparing to file for protection from its creditors as early as Monday under chapter 11 in the United States…

Unlike many drivers from the open-wheel ranks, 2016 IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud says he would like to give NASCAR a try on an oval track rather than a road course. The Team Penske driver scored five IndyCar victories this season, but has yet to score his first oval win, but admitted he would love to try a left-turn-only course in a stock car. During an appearance on Sunday…

Photo credit: Daniel Shirey/Getty Images Remember grade school, when you got behind the line leader and stayed there? Well, a late caution in NASCAR’s Martinsville race was like picture day in grade school, when you had to confusingly line up by height. Not even officials knew where drivers were supposed to be, and they ran 30 laps trying to figure it out. Advertisement The caution came in the NASCAR Sprint…

The Department for Culture Media and Sport wants transparency in the sport of cycling MPs want to question British Cycling about therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) and are concerned about transparency. Several athletes have come under scrutiny after stolen medical records showed they used banned substances for medical reasons under TUE rules. Culture, media and sport select committee chairman Damien Collins, said MPs wanted to understand the system. “It may well…

On the sports front of the Sunday Telegraph, cycling gets the big headline, the NFL game nary a mention. (Liz Clarke/Washington Post) The NFL has a long way to go before becoming a top-three sport in the United Kingdom, at least based on a highly unscientific yet spirited survey of London newspapers on Sunday morning. On Page 55 of The Sun, there’s a story about Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko’s…

The fact he has no experience doesn’t scare NHRA Funny Car driver Robert Hight. On Nov. 6, Hight will debate NASCAR racer Joey Logano at the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR race in Ft. Worth. The debate will kick off at 9:45 a.m., CST. at the AAA display. The great debate, Hight hopes, will determine which is better, racing in a straight line or turning in circles. “No experience whatsoever with…

Southampton boss Claude Puel made nine changes for the EFL Cup win over Sunderland but reverts back to his Premier League side. He makes just one change from the side which drew with Manchester City in the club’s last top flight match as left-back Ryan Bertrand replaces Sam McQueen to face his former club. Southampton’s record signing Sofiane Boufal scored in midweek but is on the bench. Southampton XI: Forster,…

CHICAGO – In one month, Terry Francona has reminded the baseball world that modern managers can be brains more than button pushers. This isn’t simply a matter of Francona following the axiom of using his best players at the biggest times, which, yes, he does quite well, as his Cleveland Indians are one victory from their first World Series title in 68 years. No, this is more than that, bigger…

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CHICAGO – In one month, Terry Francona has reminded the baseball world that modern managers can be brains more than button pushers. This isn’t simply a matter of Francona following the axiom of using his best players at the biggest times, which, yes, he does quite well, as his Cleveland Indians are one victory from their first World Series title in 68 years. No, this is more than that, bigger…

Key matchup: Josh Norman vs. A.J. Green While he flies somewhat under the radar, Green has quietly been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season. Norman, on the other hand, has been equally great for the Redskins. This is a marquee matchup that London fans will be treated to, assuming Norman is a full-go after suffering a concussion. Fun fact: Since 2011, the Bengals are…

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One of the watch world’s current obsessions is the period in the early and mid-Seventies which gave us the idea of the sports luxe watch. In retrospect, it’s such an obvious idea that it’s a wonder there was a need to define it in the first place, particularly now that you would be pushed to find a non-luxe sports watch. Nevertheless, there was a gap, both real and perceived, between…

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RELATED: Complete race results | Standings | Truck Chase Grid MARTINSVILLE, Va. — With a finish that was the diametric opposite of his last run at Martinsville Speedway, Johnny Sauter punched his ticket to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship race with a victory in Saturday’s Texas Roadhouse 200 at the .526-mile short track. After a restart with 18 laps left, Sauter, who finished last at Martinsville in April, held…

Last week, I wrote a story about the challenges facing NASCAR and racetrack owners as attendance declines. Ticket sales have been falling for years for a host of reasons, including anemic wage growth among its core fan base, changes in the rules of the sport and fans’ penchant for digital engagement on their smart phones. But judging by the number of emails, comments, tweets and other messages I received from…