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PRO FOOTBALL HOUSTON (AP) A person familiar with J.J. Watt’s condition said the Houston Texans’ star defensive lineman had back surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the surgery. Watt was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a back injury. It’s his second back surgery in two months after he…

If this is the future of sports media, folks, well — good luck!  Welcome to the strange saga of the former porn star and the fake sports columnist.  SEE ALSO: How Lagunitas dodged a drug bust to become a craft beer powerhouse Last we checked in on former porn star Mia Khalifa, she was putting a college football player on blast for sliding into her DMs. As good ol’ Wikipedia…

Last Monday night, it’s estimated that over 81 million viewers tuned in for the first presidential debate of 2016, which would be a record number for any debate in U.S. history. A huge part of the reason for that is the spectacle put on during this election year between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but a significant boost came from the fact that you didn’t have to be at home,…

5:23 PM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment What made Bill James, the father of modern sabermetrics, so effective as a writer? There are plenty of plausible answers, from the revolutionary nature of the way James interpreted statistics in the 1980s to his way with words and biting wit. In the last edition of his “Baseball Abstract” series, however, James offered a different explanation. “The secret of the success…

Chris Tanouye/Getty Images To no one’s surprise, Canada are World Cup champs, besting Team (non-Swedish, non-Russian, non-Finnish, non-Czech) Europe in two straight finals games to lift the…trophy? Ribbon? Decorative gourd? Probably a trophy, right? But it was at least a little tougher than everyone figured. Advertisement Give Europe a ton of credit. A surprise qualifier for the knockout rounds, let alone to get past Sweden in the semis, Europe kept…

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Media playback is not supported on this device England manager: Wenger, Pochettino, Howe and Pardew on vacant position Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino say they are open to managing England in the future. The Football Association is searching for a new England boss following Sam Allardyce’s departure after 67 days. Asked about taking the job, Wenger, 66, said: “One day, if I’m free, why not?” Pochettino,…

x Embed x Share When Toyota killed its Scion division, it brought aboard the FR-S and renamed it the 86. USA TODAY”s Chris Woodyard talks about the fun sports car. The Scion FR-S is now the Toyota 86. Same car — with improvements(Photo: David Dewhurst Photography) OJAI, Calif. — The what? The Toyota 86 will be instantly recognizable to anyone who keeps tabs on fun sports coupes as the Scion…

PRO FOOTBALL HOUSTON (AP) A person familiar with J.J. Watt’s condition said the Houston Texans’ star defensive lineman had back surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the surgery. Watt was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a back injury. It’s his second back surgery in two months after he…

Jose Aldo’s decision to request his release from the UFC and essentially walk away from his mixed martial arts career was years in the making and resulted from what he believes was a repeated pattern of disrespect. Globo revealed the news Monday that Aldo was unhappy that he hadn’t gotten a rematch with featherweight champion Conor McGregor and planned to walk away from the sport that had made him rich…

Arsene Wenger is the longest-serving – and most successful – overseas manager in England Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he would be open to managing England in the future, but his current focus is with the Gunners. “One day, if I’m free, why not?” said Wenger, 66, when asked about the role. The Frenchman celebrates 20 years at Arsenal on 1 October and his contract expires at the end of…

To save articles or get newsletters, alerts or recommendations – all free. Don’t have an account yet?Create an account » Subscribed through iTunes and need an NYTimes.com account?Learn more » Need to connect your Home Delivery subscription to NYTimes.com?Link your subscription »

Arsene Wenger is the longest-serving – and most successful – overseas manager in England Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he would be open to managing England in the future, but his current focus is with the Gunners. “One day, if I’m free, why not?” said Wenger, 66, when asked about the role. The Frenchman celebrates 20 years at Arsenal on 1 October and his contract expires at the end of…

PRO FOOTBALL HOUSTON (AP) A person familiar with J.J. Watt’s condition said the Houston Texans’ star defensive lineman had back surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the surgery. Watt was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a back injury. It’s his second back surgery in two months after he…

A British newspaper investigation led to a second soccer coach getting fired in England on Thursday.  Two days after Sam Allardyce lost his job as England manager following an undercover operation by the Daily Telegraph, second-tier club Barnsley fired assistant coach Tommy Wright.  Wright was filmed apparently accepting an envelope which the Telegraph said contained 5,000 pounds ($6,500) from a fake Asian firm to help place players at the northern…

Sidney Crosby (87) passes the championship trophy to his teammates after Canada won the World Cup of Hockey.(Photo: Kevin Sousa, USA TODAY Sports) TORONTO — As the Canadians trailed Team Europe 1-0 late in the third period, with time draining from the clock, winger Patrice Bergeron said it wasn’t a matter of “if” they would come from behind. It was a matter of “when” and who the hero was going…

Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images It’s been 11 years since Lance Armstrong won his last Tour de France. In the intervening years, cycling has undergone a series of reforms aimed at making the sport, above all else, trustworthy. Lance Armstrong became one of the most hated athletes of all time not because he cheated, but because his pathological need to be believed led him to lie on national television, threaten…

Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Thursday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT: – CHASKA, Minn. – Dustin Johnson says it’s best to have a short memory at the Ryder Cup. The U.S. meltdown at Medinah four years ago has not been discussed, nor has the two decades of futility against Europe. – CHASKA, Minn. – Lee Westwood…

Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images It’s been 11 years since Lance Armstrong won his last Tour de France. In the intervening years, cycling has undergone a series of reforms aimed at making the sport, above all else, trustworthy. Lance Armstrong became one of the most hated athletes of all time not because he cheated, but because his pathological need to be believed led him to lie on national television, threaten…

  The weekend of Sept. 27-29, 1996, was the final NASCAR race weekend at North Wilkesboro. Two races were held — the Lowe’s 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday followed by Sunday’s Tyson Holly Farms 400.   The Truck Series race was stop No. 20 of 24 for the season and it was just the second time the series visited the legendary facility.   Sunday’s premier series…