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More women are playing sport in England than ever before as the keep-fit boom combines with a Rio 2016 effect to close the gender participation gap, according to the latest figures from Sport England. The government agency’s Active People Survey, which has been running since London won the right to host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2005, measures the number of over-14s taking part in sport for at least 30…

1:00 PM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment Fun. Edgy. Fun. Global. Fun. Those buzzwords rang through the NASCAR news conference last week when the league introduced Monster Energy as the sponsor of its Cup series, or whatever it chooses to call it in the future. The news conference included two mentions of “global” and three references to “edgy” … but “fun” — a fun, fun, fun 10 times….

For years, the cost of participating in baseball showcases has been rising. Parents have been spending hundreds of dollars for their sons to be seen by college coaches or professional scouts. Major League Baseball and USA Baseball announced on Wednesday the creation of the Prospect Development Pipeline, a program of 17 free events across the country for invited high school players ages 16 to 18. “We’re tasked with growing our game and…

JUDY WOODRUFF: But first: a pioneer in the traditionally male-dominated world of sports writing. Claire Smith has been covering baseball for more than four decades. She was the first African-American female reporter to cover the game for a newspaper. Working for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Hartford Courant during her career. She’s now with ESPN. And, yesterday, she was awarded the top honor for a baseball…

A look at what’s happening today at the baseball winter meetings in Oxon Hill, Maryland: ——— CLOSING TIME It was a good week for several top closers, with Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon getting rich deals and Wade Davis winding up with the World Series champion Cubs. As teams pack up and leave the D.C. area, star reliever Kenley Jansen is still on the free agent market. Who knows —…

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — The Chicago Cubs could use a closer, maybe someone like Wade Davis. Texas needs a center fielder, and most every team wants an extra arm. So now that Chris Sale got traded, baseball executives are trying to figure out who’s next. Andrew McCutchen is still available, perhaps the Tigers really would deal Miguel Cabrera or Justin Verlander, and Cincinnati speedster Billy…

Photo credit: Rick Scuteri/AP By pretty much any and every baseball metric, aspiring outfielder Timothy R. Tebow did not have a successful stint in the Arizona Fall League. His .194 batting average (.242 slugging) included 20 strikeouts in 70 plate appearances. But when it comes to attracting interest (guilty) in otherwise meaningless games, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, best-selling author, and regular miracle-performer Tim Tebow is a star. Advertisement So, frankly, there…

Media playback is not supported on this device This Girl Can: New campaign urges more women to get active The number of women playing sport regularly has reached an all-time high of 7.21m, research published by Sport England shows. The Active People Survey found the number of participants has increased by 250,000 since the organisation launched its This Girl Can campaign in 2014. The difference between the number of men…

The chairman of Sports Direct has criticised MPs, trades unions and the media for waging a campaign against the business as the retailer reported a 57% drop in first-half profits. The sports retailer, reeling from a year-long scandal over working practices, said underlying profit before tax slumped to £71.6m from £166.4m in the six months to 23 October. Chairman Keith Hellawell, a former police chief who has been widely criticised…

Eddie Jones has been named coach of the year at the 2016 Pride of Sport Awards. The former Japan coach has transformed England’s rugby union side after their shambolic World Cup campaign. England went unbeaten in 2016, a year that included four wins against Australia and a Six Nations triumph. “Firstly I’m a bit embarrassed to get this given what the rest of the contestants have done,” said Jones. “We’ve…

1:00 PM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment Fun. Edgy. Fun. Global. Fun. Those buzzwords rang through the NASCAR news conference last week when the league introduced Monster Energy as the sponsor of its Cup series, or whatever it chooses to call it in the future. The news conference included two mentions of “global” and three references to “edgy” … but “fun” — a fun, fun, fun 10 times….

Eddie Jones has been named coach of the year at the 2016 Pride of Sport Awards. The former Japan coach has transformed England’s rugby union side after their shambolic World Cup campaign. England went unbeaten in 2016, a year that included four wins against Australia and a Six Nations triumph. “Firstly I’m a bit embarrassed to get this given what the rest of the contestants have done,” said Jones. “We’ve…

For years, the cost of participating in baseball showcases has been rising. Parents have been spending hundreds of dollars for their sons to be seen by college coaches or professional scouts. Major League Baseball and USA Baseball announced on Wednesday the creation of the Prospect Development Pipeline, a program of 17 free events across the country for invited high school players ages 16 to 18. “We’re tasked with growing our game and…

JUDY WOODRUFF: But first: a pioneer in the traditionally male-dominated world of sports writing. Claire Smith has been covering baseball for more than four decades. She was the first African-American female reporter to cover the game for a newspaper. Working for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Hartford Courant during her career. She’s now with ESPN. And, yesterday, she was awarded the top honor for a baseball…

Photo credit: Rick Scuteri/AP By pretty much any and every baseball metric, aspiring outfielder Timothy R. Tebow did not have a successful stint in the Arizona Fall League. His .194 batting average (.242 slugging) included 20 strikeouts in 70 plate appearances. But when it comes to attracting interest (guilty) in otherwise meaningless games, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, best-selling author, and regular miracle-performer Tim Tebow is a star. Advertisement So, frankly, there…

12:51 AM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The prospects keep flying out the revolving door. But Dave Dombrowski doesn’t care. He didn’t come to Boston to pile up names on Keith Law’s Top 50 prospects list. He didn’t come to Boston to help his good friends in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, finish first in the International League. He came to Boston to spray champagne and…

It’s extremely rare to see a one-for-one deal involving major league talent. It’s even more rare that both players involved in the deal go into better situations. That’s exactly what happened Wednesday when the Kansas City Royals traded closer Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs for Jorge Soler. As if that wasn’t enough, we also get the bonus of a new elite closer in Kelvin Herrera. Let’s start with the…

You can learn a lot about the state of the economy by following the ebbs and flows of the Major League Baseball free agency market. Pro sports revenue grows faster during economic expansions than during recessions. Billionaire owners feel a little more flush during bull markets and are more willing to break the bank to acquire a prized free agent. And superstar players, advised by their agents, try to time…

Dickson County’s Jack Sensing is flanked by coaches and family as he finishes signing with Vol State.(Photo: Andy Simmons/The Dickson Herald) A couple of months from now, Dickson County’s Jack Sensing and Creek Wood’s Zeke Lecomte will face each other on the diamond. After that happens, however, they’ll be teammates. The two standout players for their respective ball clubs signed with Vol State Community College Wednesday afternoon. They’ll join Creek…

Who’s got spirit? The International Olympic Committee (IOC), that’s who. The Olympic Games’ executive board voted yesterday to recognize cheerleading as well as the combat sport of Muay Thai, setting the stage for each to become an Olympic sport, the committee announced. The provisional recognition by the IOC will last for three years, during which committee members can vote to fully recognize the sports at any of the IOC’s annual…