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CHICAGO—The World Series won’t begin for more than a week, but this postseason already looks historic: It appears to mark the end of the modern bullpen. On the teams still standing in the 2016 playoffs, the managers have smashed through baseball’s fossilized conviction in traditional bullpen roles. Instead of sticking to a rigid script, managers…

    Nigel Hayes, star forward on the University of Wisconsin basketball team is my favorite collegiate athlete. Hayes perhaps first stole the affections of me and others during last year’s NCAA tournament when he and several teammates became fascinated with the stenographers attached to the press pool who produce the “rush” transcripts of all postgame commentary. In a challenge to the…

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Foley died in the Paris hotel where Munster were staying prior to Sunday’s scheduled game against Racing 92 Munster Rugby head coach Anthony Foley has died suddenly at their team hotel in Paris. Foley, 42, died overnight at the hotel, where the team were staying prior to Sunday’s game against Racing 92. The European Champions Cup game was postponed following the former Ireland international’s death. A statement by the Irish…

Cam Newton didn’t feel like talking following the Panthers’ 41–38 loss to the Saints on Sunday, deciding to cut his postgame press conference short after just over a minute. Newton replied to six questions with very brief answers before saying, “next question,” in response to a reporter asking about his frustration level. After one more, he was asked again about his level of frustration, and said, “next question” again…

Erik Jones is having a very good day. The 20-year-old driver just won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Chicagoland Speedway, branded the “Drive Safety 300” thanks to a deal with, as unlikely as it may sound for a sport based around the danger of high-speed driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Having survived 300 miles of racing, Jones stands atop his battle-scarred car in victory lane, with…

x Embed x Share USA TODAY Sports’ Brant James looks ahead to the Hollywood Casino 400 and the story lines that fans should keep an eye on leading up to this weekend’s race. USA TODAY Sports Sprint has been the sponsor of NASCAR’s premier series since 2004.(Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports) KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sprint employees will convene at Kansas Speedway today for their final homecoming game. There…

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x Embed x Share USA TODAY Sports’ Brant James looks ahead to the Hollywood Casino 400 and the story lines that fans should keep an eye on leading up to this weekend’s race. USA TODAY Sports Sprint has been the sponsor of NASCAR’s premier series since 2004.(Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports) KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sprint employees will convene at Kansas Speedway today for their final homecoming game. There…

Enlarge this image A cyclist rides on the sidewalk in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Parth Shah/NPR hide caption toggle caption Parth Shah/NPR A cyclist rides on the sidewalk in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Parth Shah/NPR Bicycles are a type of vehicle so they belong on the road, right? This is how the wheels turn in places such as New York City and San Francisco, where bicyclists…

When NASCAR introduced the elimination format for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2014, Chairman and CEO Brian France said he want a style of playoffs that would produce “Game 7 moments.” By that, he meant high drama, edge-of-your-seat excitement, and must-see TV. Frankly, this year’s edition of the Chase has produced less of that than we saw in the first two years. Yes, there’s been some good racing,…

The man some NASCAR racing fans call the last of the ‘old school’ drivers is retiring soon. Tony Stewart is known for his aggressive and controversial style.

Enlarge this image A cyclist rides on the sidewalk in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Parth Shah/NPR hide caption toggle caption Parth Shah/NPR A cyclist rides on the sidewalk in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Parth Shah/NPR Bicycles are a type of vehicle so they belong on the road, right? This is how the wheels turn in places such as New York City and San Francisco, where bicyclists…

9:31 AM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment CHICAGO — Javier Baez was at it again on Saturday. Game 1 of the NLCS, as big a stage as he’s been on, and there he was in the third inning diving into second base for a pop fly double, driving in a run. Going to third on a wild pitch. Then stealing home, the Chicago Cubs’ first playoff steal of…

Andy Murray also won the Shanghai Masters in 2010 and 2011 Britain’s Andy Murray beat Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters and edge closer to Novak Djokovic in the world rankings. The Scot recovered from a stutter in the first set to win 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 against the Spanish world number 19. Bautista Agut beat Djokovic in the semi-finals, but Murray ultimately eased to his…

The Associated Press Cubs wait to see who they’ll meet after reaching NLCS again Cubs pitcher Aroldis Chapman (second from left), catcher David Ross (third from left) and teammates provided baseball with another magical performance. Posted: Saturday, October 15, 2016 10:30 pm SZVETITZ: The magic of baseball BY MIKE SZVETITZ RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH Richmond Times-Dispatch Joe Posnanski said it best. The national columnist for NBC Sports and one of the best…

RELATED: Race results | Standings | Chase Grid | Photos from the day SHOP: Busch gear KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Busch‘s domination of Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway was about the only predictable thing that happened in the first race of the Round of 8 in the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. In winning his fourth XFINITY race at the 1.5-mile track, his ninth of the season and…

RELATED: Tackling the Jimmie question in fantasy KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Win a Chase race and take it easy? Put the ol’ piece on cruise control until the next round? Not so fast, say NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. “The 48 (of Jimmie Johnson), I don’t think he’s going to ride around the track because he’s already won,” said Matt Kenseth, pole winner for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (2:15 p.m….

Clint Bowyer’s year of purgatory is almost over and for the Kansas native, it can’t end too soon. In the spring of 2015, Bowyer signed a contract extension to remain at Michael Waltrip Racing, where he finished a career-best second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2012. But MWR folded at the end of the year, a shock to Bowyer given that he had just re-upped with the…