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What do the media giant Disney, the cable colossus Comcast, the storied private equity firm KKR, and the National Basketball Association have in common? Not much really, in the scheme of things, besides a willingness to invest in the absolutely booming industry of American fantasy sports. Fantasy sports has been around for years and traditionally involved groups of friends or colleagues competing against each other as the owners or general managers of imaginary…

Michael Phelps is clear to return to competitive swimming Monday after serving a six-month suspension from USA Swimming as punishment for his drunken driving arrest in September. lRelated Olympics Michael Phelps suspended 6 months, won’t swim in world championships See all related The record-setting Olympian is expected to return to the pool in less than two weeks for the Arena Pro Swim Series event in Mesa, Ariz. The meet, which runs…

The tales vast in number seem more folklore than genuine, and yet the authenticity is 100 percent. Each underlining the long held doctrine that NASCAR drivers are tough guys, who will do anything to win even if it’s at the expense of their personal well-being. There was the time Richard Petty raced despite sustaining a broken neck. Or the time Ricky Rudd barrel rolled in a Daytona 500 preliminary…

i The Minnesota Twins warm up before their Opening Day game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit Monday. Leon Halip/Getty Images hide caption itoggle caption Leon Halip/Getty Images The Minnesota Twins warm up before their Opening Day game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit Monday. Leon Halip/Getty Images In 204 days, two teams will face off in the World Series. Until then, fans can…

Baseball’s Opening Day often occasions syrupy prose about optimism and opportunity and clean slates. Every team starts with the same record. Have hope. Anything could happen. Even the most reliable losers could be winners this time around! I say, no. Be a realist. This is going to be a tough year for fans of the Texas Rangers. And a disorienting one for baseball junkies in the Bronx who no longer…

The 2015 Major League Baseball season has officially begun, with the first game taking place Sunday and additional first games of the season scheduled to kick off Monday. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 at Wrigley Field Sunday night, and the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, and the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins were among the 14 matchups set for…

This Closter, N.J., field was once used for competitive Little League games but now is mainly a practice field for locals. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post) Rob Albericci saw the curve coming. He saw his son Austin’s Little League baseball team struggle to recruit enough kids to fill a roster. He saw the rising demands of Austin’s football team, the growing pressure for kids to focus on a single sport,…

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For a list of all the latest deals, check out the transfers page. TRANSFER GOSSIP Daily Star back page on Monday Chelsea are monitoring the situation of Liverpool vice-captain Jordan Henderson, after the 24-year-old midfielder turned down a new contract worth £80,000 a week. (Daily Star)  The Anfield side are in talks with Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao,…

Piqué is no stranger to technology. With over 10 million followers on Twitter and nearly 3 million on Instagram, the soccer phenom is an avid user of social media. He said he would jump at the chance to do business with Dallas Maverick’s owner and tech mogul Mark Cuban. Yet Piqué acknowledges that, even among today’s tech savvy sports stars, launching a gaming company is an unusual side gig….

FILE – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, center, smiles as he officially opens the refurbished Sunnydale rink with Toronto Maple Leafs’ coach Ron Wilson, right, and other dignitaries who were on hand as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs NHL hockey team, who practiced on the outdoor rink in Toronto in this Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 file photo. Ford, who became a global sensation in 2013 after admitting he’d smoked crack…

  Between 2010 and 2011, I covered five postseason games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Last year, I covered two exhibition games at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Based on my firsthand experience, I can tell you — unequivocally — that there is greater passion for baseball in Montreal than Tampa Bay. Does that mean the Tampa Bay Rays are about to become the Montreal Expos? No. The Rays have…

(CNN)Since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, women have been barred from attending most sports events involving men. But the situation appears set to improve in the coming months after a top Iranian sports official said that the ban will be lifted for some events. A plan to allow “women and families” to enter sports stadiums will come into effect in the next year, Deputy Sports Minister Abdolhamid Ahmadi said Saturday,…

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For a list of all the latest deals, check out the transfers page. TRANSFER GOSSIP Former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, 29, is a £10m target for Arsenal after failing to secure a regular first-team place at Paris St-Germain . (Sunday Mirror)  Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Germany midfielder Sami Khedira, who is out of contract at…

It’s an important lesson to remember when you’re sitting down in front of a microphone: Your mic is always on. So when a reporter asks about Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky and you’re Andrew Harrison and you just lost a tough, hard-fought game and the dorkiest looking guy in Indianapolis dominated all night, it’s probably best not to say, “F— that n—-.” That’s sure what it sounds like Harrison says in the…

Skip the protein bars and sports drinks after your run—you might as well go ahead and grab a burger. A study published March 26 in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise found that fast food is just as good at stimulating recovery from the depleted nutrients after a workout as foods marketed as post-exercise meals. In the study, conducted by researchers at the University of Montana, 11 male recreational…

Montreal crowd at game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays at the Olympic Stadium.(Photo: Eric Bolte, USA TODAY Sports) MONTREAL — It’s more than a decade since baseball turned its back on Montreal … or was it the other way around? It no longer matters, judging by the city’s love-fest for the game, a time-warp weekend that was a wistful combination of nostalgia and hope. “We’re in…

Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each…