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7:35 AM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Neither the New England Patriots nor Rob Gronkowski offered an update on the tight end’s status Monday, after he absorbed a crunching hit that knocked him out of Sunday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks for five plays. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter has been told the injury is “not overly serious” and that Gronkowski does not have a…

Amid the acres of coverage about England’s win over South Africa in the rugby autumn test last weekend, there was no mention at all of the player appearing on the international stage for the 115th time, becoming England’s most-capped player in the process. How to explain this editorial oversight, especially as the player scored the opening try in the game that made her a record-breaker? Unless of course the pronoun…

Ultra supporters and fans of the Beijing Guoan FC celebrate together after a goal against Chongcing Lifan FC during their Chinese Super League match on June 28, 2015 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer / Stringer China has already come a long way in its plan to become a world soccer superpower by 2050, according to a new report from Nielsen. Soaring interest? Check. Big investments? Check. A winning national team?…

5:55 AM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment Historically reticent when it comes to retirement talk, Venus Williams finally opened up about when she might call it a career. Appearing on the Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family,” Williams said she hopes to play long enough for another opportunity at gold: “I’m kind of targeting the next Olympics [Tokyo 2020], and that’s in, what, three-and-a-half years … and I’m not…

Eric Lindros carved an unprecedented path to hockey stardom, including where the incoming Hall of Famer lived when he entered the NHL. It was about a month into Lindros’ rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers that the prodigy asked to move in with veteran teammate Kevin Dineen and his newlywed wife, Annie. “And I was like, ‘Ah, let me go home and talk to my wife about that,’” Dineen recalled…

Caption Close A local soccer coach was arrested Monday after allegedly showing nude pictures of himself to one of his female athletes during a practice in October, police said. Marcelo Gomez, 50, a freelance soccer instructor, has been charged with display of harmful material to a minor, a class A misdemeanor, according to an arrest affidavit. Gomez was coaching at least three girls at the time of the incident, including…

NHL meetings are set for this week to discuss whether the league will participate in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. League officials will meet with the International Ice Hockey Federation in New York on Wednesday. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL hopes to learn if any traction has been made between the IIHF and the International Olympic Committee with regard to potential sticking points, including money issues. NHL…

There’s no doubt what Cubs fans will be expecting when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announces its Most Valuable Player awards Thursday. Wrigley Field chants of ‘‘MVP! MVP!’’ have made it clear fans think the National League award should go to Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. The numbers agree with the fans. By wins above replacement at Baseball-Reference.com, Bryant was the NL leader at 7.7. Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager…

12:44 AM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Neither the New England Patriots nor Rob Gronkowski offered an update on the tight end’s status Monday, after he absorbed a crunching hit that knocked him out of Sunday night’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks for five plays. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter has been told the injury is “not overly serious” and that Gronkowski does not have a…

Alex Gallardo/AP The Cleveland Cavaliers are the new highest-paid sports team in the world, with players making an average of $8.7 million during the 2016-17 season. This is according to the annual “Global Sports Salaries Survey,” published by Sporting Intelligence. The study looks at the first-team pay for 333 teams across seven different sports in 17 different leagues around the world. Thanks to smaller rosters and television revenue that is skyrocketing,…

A NASCAR racer and several drivers’ crew members paid tribute to a North Carolina boy who died last week after battling leukemia. Jake Leatherman, 5, had always wanted a NASCAR-themed funeral, and his wish was granted on Nov. 9. NASCAR racer Joey Logano, Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Ellis J.J. Yeley, and crew members from the teams of Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. attended the boy’s funeral,…

12:43 PM ET Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment TORONTO — The NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation will meet Wednesday in New York to discuss the NHL’s participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he doesn’t expect big news to emerge from the meeting — one that will also include representatives from Hockey Canada and USA Hockey — but time…

Shohei Otani is the best baseball player currently working in Japan, a 6-foot-4 slugger who’s just 22 years old and who also happens to be able to throw a baseball 101 mph. He’s Japanese Babe Ruth, and when he finally does come to MLB (could be as early as next season, but probably another year), he is going to make a lot, lot, lot of money. Also this week, in…

As the players and owners continue to negotiate the collective-bargaining agreement, the inequities created by the qualifying offer remain infuriating. Kenley Jansen received a qualifying offer. Fellow free-agent closers Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon did not, only because they were traded in the middle of the season. Mark Trumbo received a qualifying offer. Fellow sluggers Mike Napoli and Kendrys Morales did not, only because they played for lower-revenue clubs that…

Brandon McIlwain will spend parts of December and all of January and February with the South Carolina baseball team before his spring schedule is determined, head football coach Will Muschamp said Sunday evening. “At the end of the day, if we’re in spring ball and he has an opportunity to go and help our baseball team win games, that’s what he’s going to do,” Muschamp said. “That’s what we talked…

Alabama Crimson Tide is the only constant in our current college football world. Michigan Wolverines , Clemson Tigers and Washington Huskies all suffered their first loss of the season on the same day (a historic day of losing for top teams) and now only the Tide, No. 1 in the newest college football rankings from the coaches, and Western Michigan Broncos remain unbeaten. It’s a shakeup to what was viewed…

Feb. 1, 2015, Seattle vs. New England, 26 seconds left: At the New England 1, Russell Wilson, down four points, throws for Ricardo Lockette at the goal line; New England defensive back Malcolm Butler is there. Interception. One of the best Super Bowls ever is over. Patriots win 28-24. Nov. 13, 2016, Seattle vs. New England, 14 second left: At the Seattle 1, Tom Brady, down seven points, throws for…

What’s the story? John McEnroe had established himself as the finest tennis player in the world between 1981 and 1984, winning seven grand slams and taking the sport to new heights with his wonderful dexterity and swashbuckling style.  But after losing in the US Open final in 1985 and suffering with personal issues off the court, McEnroe took a six-month break from tennis in 1986. He returned later that year,…

Dez Bryant played in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with an extremely heavy heart. Just one day prior, Bryant learned that his father had passed away. Bryant was not only on the field for the Cowboys, but he played a huge role in Dallas’ win. He caught six passes for 116 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott. After the score, Bryant pointed to the sky and went…

Blake Griffin (32) reacts after a foul is called while attempting a shot during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center.(Photo: Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports) For this week’s power rankings, we start off by breaking down the top-five most thrilling games from the past week of the NBA season (Nov. 6 through Nov. 12). Then we rank all 30 teams at this point in the season. 1….