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Monday, Leicester City just clinched what might be the most improbable championship in sports history: We watch sports for improbable things, but things as unlikely as Leicester City’s win almost never happen. I’m not being hyperbolic. This is one of the most ridiculous things ever to happen in sports. Leicester City faced ridiculous odds Leicester City faced the longest odds ever to pay off at a…

(AP Photo/John Bazemore) NASCAR made its return to Talladega on Sunday, and to the surprise of exactly no one, there were big crashes. And bigger crashes. This is nothing new at Talladega, the treacherous 2.66-mile tri-oval at which speeds of 200-plus mph are attainable, or at least would be if NASCAR didn’t mandate the use of restrictor plates — which limit engine power by cutting down on air and fuel intake. And…

Joe Bernal, most recently the coach of a swim club that had his name attached to it, has been banned for life by USA Swimming. Earlier this year we reported on the sale of the club, and the subsequent scrubbing of Bernal’s name. Now Bernal has been judged by USA Swimming to have violated the following pieces of the code of conduct: 304.3.5 Any sexual contact or advance or other inappropriate…

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Karishma Kapoor, 20, is a business student, and a fan of soccer — or football, as the game is known outside the U.S. She’s also a betting woman. One day last August, she was at her grandmother’s house. “We just all sat ’round just talking, and then football came up. And we thought, ‘Why not?’” Kapoor recalls. “It’s only a pound, so we put 2 pounds on, at 5,000-to-one odds.”…

International soccer academies are looking to expand into the United States. (Photo: Arsenal Soccer Schools USA) The British are coming, the British are coming! And so are the Spanish and Germans! No, this isn’t a historical recreation in Boston’s North End. It’s the evolution of elite-level soccer training for young American athletes. A growing number of elite European clubs are bringing their brand to the United States and attaching it…

Note: Don’t whiff on this special FanDuel offer. Win your first contest or get your money back (up to $10) to keep playing. Try FanDuel now! We’re going to find out Monday night just how much park factors and matchups matter. Not definitively, but for tonight at least. Jon Gray has had a pretty rough start to his career, but most of the damage he has surrendered has been at…

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — It soon could be the end of the road for Sports Authority. Instead of cutting back or restructuring, the company will sell off its assets and could close all of its stores across the country, including the three in Denver, according to Forbes. A decision to close more than 450 stores nationwide has not been made. The sporting goods giant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in…

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ATTENTION! The following is not about politics. It’s about sports ignorance. Signed, the management. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took to Twitter on Monday to show his appreciation for Bobby Knight’s campaign support. One problem: He misspelled the Basketball Hall of Fame coach’s name: “I will be campaigning in Indiana all day. Things are looking great, and the support of Bobby Night has been so amazing.’’ A possible typo might…

By USA TODAY Fantasy Sports 4 hours ago Follow @USATODAYfantasy

Max Scherzer. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) KANSAS CITY — The best start in Nationals’ history has been powered, first and foremost, by the starting rotation. The Nationals have a 17-7 record thanks to a rotation that boasts a 2.18 ERA, tops in the baseball. The Cubs are close behind (2.27 ERA) and the Mets are third (2.96 ERA). The most recent pass through the Nationals rotation produced dominating results: a 1.08 ERA…

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what’s going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Topspin For Mayor Rahm Emanuel, it pays to have friends in high — or at least wealthy — places. Once again last year, the mayor accepted free sports tickets, a stay as a houseguest and transportation (likely complimentary rides on private jets) from some of Chicago’s…

It’s almost certainly the end of The Sports Authority’s road. In March, the debt-laden retailer filed for Chapter 11 protection in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware, saying that it would close about 140 of its 463 stores. But last week, The Sports Authority gave up hope it could re-organize under bankruptcy protection, opting instead to auction itself off for whatever it can get. The company “will not be able to…

Media playback is not supported on this device Should Lewis Hamilton be worried by Nico Rosberg’s form? Nico Rosberg insists he still faces a tough fight from Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton for the title despite winning the season’s first four races. Rosberg leads the British world champion by 43 points after Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix. “I am well aware Lewis is going to bounce back when he has a clean…

ESPN admits it selectively edited out a key portion of a sports documentary to alter the content, claiming it made the changes due to broadcast time constraints not because of animosity toward ex-Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling. ESPN2, before the Red Sox and Yankees played Sunday evening on ESPN’s main channel, aired a truncated version of the network’s 30 For 30 documentary on Boston’s 2004 epic comeback against the Bronx…

The shape of the ball alone was enough to divert the attention of passers-by who came to Forsyth Park on Saturday to scour some fresh local produce at the Forsyth Farmer’s Market. Next to the rows of produce stands along Forsyth’s main pathway, on the field closest to Whitaker Street, a new sport took root. “What sport is this?” a stranger asked a woman lying barefoot on a blanket, isolated…

Karishma Kapoor, 20, is a business student, and a fan of soccer — or football, as the game is known outside the U.S. She’s also a betting woman. One day last August, she was at her grandmother’s house. “We just all sat ’round just talking, and then football came up. And we thought, ‘Why not?’” Kapoor recalls. “It’s only a pound, so we put 2 pounds on, at 5,000-to-one odds.”…

Frightening crashes that include multiple cars getting airborne. Hold-your-breath racing featuring a pack of cars just inches apart running 200 mph that makes you appreciate the fortitude of those behind the wheel. A garage with parts and pieces strewn throughout because of the inevitable and unavoidable accidents that occur. In every facet Sunday personified a NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway. And that’s a problem. At what point…

Photo credit: Getty Images Remember the end of last year, when NASCAR’s headlines were all dominated with the beef between Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano? It’s baaaaaaaack! This time, Kenseth blamed Logano for contact during today’s Talladega race and gave him a bit of a warning as they were both outside the infield care center. http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/nascars-kenset… NASCAR’s Kenseth Suspended For Two Races For Punting Logano Into Wall NASCAR’s Kenseth Suspended…