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As the 2016 football season was winding down Sunday, I did what I annually do. I turned a page on my sports calendar to the 2017 baseball season. It’s not a precise transition. The Mariners’ opener April 3, for instance, poses a scheduling conflict with the Final Four showdown for the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Between now and then, we’ll have a chance to watch 648,000 college basketball games on…

HOUSTON — I now know what it’s like to spend 20 minutes inside a morgue. This one, actually the Atlanta Falcons locker room, had only a few corpses around by the time I strolled into it, all with the same cause of death: Choking. Pats’ epic comeback Brady named MVP Brady sets records Historic overtime Gaga’s epic halftime There is no other way to describe what we saw in Super…

Improved pace of play has been a priority for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who is entering his third full season running the game. That the average contest lasted about four minutes longer in 2016 than 2015 undoubtedly irked Manfred. Unsurprisingly, some rule changes could be coming down the pipe that should shorten games. The most commonly suggested tweak — installing a pitch clock, similar to the one implemented throughout the…

It euphemistically was known as “Black Ball,” a style of baseball that was loose and athletic and fun, and that attracted enthusiastic crowds everywhere it was played during the first half of the 20th century. It was, in large part, a product of big cities, baseball centers such as Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, but it was a phenomenon shared across the nation. Cedar Rapids, though nowhere near…

As the 2016 football season was winding down Sunday, I did what I annually do. I turned a page on my sports calendar to the 2017 baseball season. It’s not a precise transition. The Mariners’ opener April 3, for instance, poses a scheduling conflict with the Final Four showdown for the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Between now and then, we’ll have a chance to watch 648,000 college basketball games on…

MIDFIELD, AL (WBRC) - Shermaine Hollis is a seventh grader at Rutledge Middle School, but this year he’ll play third base for Midfield High School. He tried out for the team in December and has been practicing with varsity players since January. “We’re a good school.” said Hollis. “Some folks try to downplay us, but if you really see us, we’re pretty good.” Hollis has been playing park ball since…

Improved pace of play has been a priority for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who is entering his third full season running the game. That the average contest lasted about four minutes longer in 2016 than 2015 undoubtedly irked Manfred. Unsurprisingly, some rule changes could be coming down the pipe that should shorten games. The most commonly suggested tweak — installing a pitch clock, similar to the one implemented throughout the…

Action is FAST AND FURIOUS at the athletic competition Luke Burbank takes us to this morning — and no, we’re not talking about the Super Bowl: P.J. Ball is a gifted athlete. He’s just 11 years old, but his talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. He’s been interviewed on national TV, his Instagram page is a hit, and with his medal wins, he’s got more hardware to dangle around his neck than…

NEW YORK (AP) Lady Gaga promised a Super Bowl halftime show infused with the ”spirit of equality” for all her little monsters and tens of millions more, with Tony Bennett to join for the biggest appearance of her career. For hardcore bettors, Las Vegas even set odds on her hair color, with blonde being the top pick. Before the game, singers Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones…

After two weeks of seemingly endless hype, Super Bowl 51 between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons is finally here. Join the Shutdown Corner and Yahoo Sports crew starting at 5:30 p.m. ET as we chat about everything: the game, the commercials, the halftime performance and everything in between. Reader participation is not only welcome, it’s encouraged so submit your best comments and one-liners in the box above. We’ll…

Fox Sports acknowledged the elephant in the stadium — the depth of the nation’s political divide in the Trump era — with the “Ragged Old Flag” segment that led into the final half-hour before the Super Bowl kickoff. The short film opened with Harry Belafonte and Olympic star Simone Biles discussing the importance of the American flag serving as “a symbol of our unity,” as Belafonte stated. The 1974 Johnny…

Action is FAST AND FURIOUS at the athletic competition Luke Burbank takes us to this morning — and no, we’re not talking about the Super Bowl: P.J. Ball is a gifted athlete. He’s just 11 years old, but his talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. He’s been interviewed on national TV, his Instagram page is a hit, and with his medal wins, he’s got more hardware to dangle around his neck than…

What if NFL teams made the jump to soccer? It may seem like a ridiculous question, but we aren’t alone in pondering such whimsy. Designer Noah Kline had a similar thought and put together concept soccer kit designs for every NFL team. (He even made a tutorial as to how he did it here.) He made them before the Chargers moved to LA, but the designs still hold up…

The 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea will begin just a year from this week. It will feature events many of us have never heard of before, let alone seen. Pyeongchang, the host city, is not Pyongyang, which is an entirely different place across the border. As the countdown begins, here are 18 things to know about the Games — which will take place from Feb. 9 to 25, 2018….

A sport-by-sport look at the US prospects for the XXIIIrd Winter Games, which begin in Pyeongchang a year from this week, with 2014 and projected 2018 medals in parentheses: Alpine skiing (5/2): If the Americans can stay out of the operating room they could match their Sochi haul. Mikaela Shiffrin will be favored to repeat her slalom victory and also should medal in the giant slalom. Ted Ligety, who won…

All eyes will be glued on Lady Gaga’s performance at halftime of Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons tonight at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. @TheBuzzer’s Daryl Motte recently asked NASCAR drivers who their ideal Super Bowl halftime show performers would be. Check out their reactions, quite a few interesting choices. We’re looking at you, Ryan Blaney. Play Now!

A little less than 22 years ago, Tom Brady made a decision that is still reverberating as we approach the kickoff for Super Bowl LI. It could be argued this decision changed the landscape of two sports, not just the one he’s famous for dominating, and the future of two franchises, one of which became the most successful in its sport, and the other which no longer exists in its…

Improved pace of play has been a priority for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who is entering his third full season running the game. That the average contest lasted about four minutes longer in 2016 than 2015 undoubtedly irked Manfred. Unsurprisingly, some rule changes could be coming down the pipe that should shorten games. The most commonly suggested tweak — installing a pitch clock, similar to the one implemented throughout the…

For anybody who has ever played the game of baseball, whether it be in the sandlot with neighborhood friends, or in the Bronx in front of 54,000 screaming fans, the most vital component to success is eyesight. Every coach has uttered the age old direction, “keep your eye on the ball.” We have heard it time and time again, but often don’t realize how fortunate that we are to even…