Sport

Early in the 2015 NASCAR season, Jimmie Johnson has two wins, seven top-5 finishes — including four straight top-3 finishes — and has made it clear he is once again a serious contender to win his seventh Sprint Cup championship. Another title that Johnson owns is NASCAR’s money leader. Since 2010, nobody has made more racing NASCAR than Johnson who has taken home $40.2 million, more than $4 million…

Belarus handed the U.S. its first loss at the World Hockey Championship, a 5-2 defeat, in arguably Belarus’ biggest upset since the 2002 Olympics in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Thursday. The U.S., with one Olympian on its roster, entered the game having won its first three games of the tournament for the first time since 1997 and seeking its first four-victory start since 1939. Belarus, guided by former NHL defenseman…

The Spanish soccer league, home to many of the world’s best players, is in turmoil. With only a couple of weeks left in the season, La Liga–and all other organized soccer in Spain, both professional and amateur–has been suspended because of a dispute between the government and the association that runs the sport in Spain over how to divvy up TV broadcasting rights. The RFEF, the Spanish soccer association, said…

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — No more than four U.S. men’s golfers can compete at the Rio Olympics, and 53 Americans are currently ranked higher than Tiger Woods. But Woods, the 14-time major champion and No. 125-ranked golfer in the world, is prepared to fight for a place in the first Olympic golf tournament since 1904. “It’s very important,” Woods said following a practice round at The Players Championship on Tuesday…

(By John McDonnell/The Washington Post) Sixty minutes from the first conference finals of his NHL career, Barry Trotz strolled along the bench, shook a few hands, and was down the Verizon Center tunnel before a single player from either team had left the ice. Was he excited? Is a tube of tile grout excited? “We just won a hockey game,” he said a few moments later, summarizing the moment. Yup….

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon heads to Kansas Speedway this weekend as the defending winner of the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. Kansas is one of Gordon’s better tracks. He leads all drivers with three victories at the 1.5-mile track, as well as most top-five finishes (10), most lead-lap finishes (15) and most laps completed (4,714). Gordon will have plenty of tough competition this weekend, as he has had…

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — No more than four U.S. men’s golfers can compete at the Rio Olympics, and 53 Americans are currently ranked higher than Tiger Woods. But Woods, the 14-time major champion and No. 125-ranked golfer in the world, is prepared to fight for a place in the first Olympic golf tournament since 1904. “It’s very important,” Woods said following a practice round at The Players Championship on Tuesday…

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — No more than four U.S. men’s golfers can compete at the Rio Olympics, and 53 Americans are currently ranked higher than Tiger Woods. But Woods, the 14-time major champion and No. 125-ranked golfer in the world, is prepared to fight for a place in the first Olympic golf tournament since 1904. “It’s very important,” Woods said following a practice round at The Players Championship on Tuesday…

The girls’ soccer team at East Lee Middle School in Sanford played its final game of the year Wednesday, and teammates dedicated the game to Quaneisha Richmond, a seventh grader who died last week. Teammate Jennifer Reyes said it was hard to take the field Wednesday without her friend and classmate at her side. “I am going to be sad this is the last game we play and she did…

Juventus’ Alvaro Morata, left, and Real Madrid’s Pepe go for the ball during a Champions League match. (AP Photo/Massimo Pinca) Soccer teams have been scoring much richer television and sponsorship deals. As a result, the 20 most valuable soccer teams in the world are worth an average of $1.16 billion, 11% more than last year and 84% higher than five years ago. The performance would have been even more dramatic…

Juventus’ Alvaro Morata, left, and Real Madrid’s Pepe go for the ball during a Champions League match. (AP Photo/Massimo Pinca) Soccer teams have been scoring much richer television and sponsorship deals. As a result, the 20 most valuable soccer teams in the world are worth an average of $1.16 billion, 11% more than last year and 84% higher than five years ago. The performance would have been even more dramatic…

BONDS IS RIGHT to duck out of the team photo in one sense. He didn’t build this team, and he doesn’t coach or train it. Cranmer, a 49-year-old British expatriate, former mountain bike competitor and longtime team manager, runs the business end of Twenty16. Holden, 44, directs the riders on the road. The team has a strong roster and an ambitious agenda this season, with athletes racing on the junior…

Ronaldo or Messi? While the debate rages on about who is the better player, we can tell you who gets better paid. For the second year in a row Cristiano Ronaldo ranks No. 1 on our list of the world’s highest paid soccer players. The 30-year old star of Real Madrid, the most valuable soccer team in the world worth $3.26 billion, banked $79 million last year in salary, bonus…

NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said the sport is pleased with its current track lineup.(Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports) CHARLOTTE – Despite Kevin Harvick’s concerns about NASCAR’s schedule becoming “stagnant,” NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said officials remain comfortable with the current calendar. “We’re happy with the schedule we have,” O’Donnell said Tuesday. “We certainly look at what’s available to us, but the schedule we have…

NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said the sport is pleased with its current track lineup.(Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports) CHARLOTTE – Despite Kevin Harvick’s concerns about NASCAR’s schedule becoming “stagnant,” NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said officials remain comfortable with the current calendar. “We’re happy with the schedule we have,” O’Donnell said Tuesday. “We certainly look at what’s available to us, but the schedule we have…

NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said the sport is pleased with its current track lineup.(Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports) CHARLOTTE – Despite Kevin Harvick’s concerns about NASCAR’s schedule becoming “stagnant,” NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said officials remain comfortable with the current calendar. “We’re happy with the schedule we have,” O’Donnell said Tuesday. “We certainly look at what’s available to us, but the schedule we have…

Getty Images Drama, drama, drama. The Calgary Flames were on quite the roller-coaster ride Tuesday night when they welcomed the Anaheim Ducks into the Saddledome. Down 2-0 in the second-round playoff series, the Flames desperately needed a win lest the Ducks take too commanding a lead. At the 13:23 mark of the third period, trailing Anaheim 3-2, Calgary seemed to tie things up when, after a second look, forward Sam…

NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said the sport is pleased with its current track lineup.(Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports) CHARLOTTE – Despite Kevin Harvick’s concerns about NASCAR’s schedule becoming “stagnant,” NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said officials remain comfortable with the current calendar. “We’re happy with the schedule we have,” O’Donnell said Tuesday. “We certainly look at what’s available to us, but the schedule we have…