World Sports

Watching a Test match at Lord’s this year, I found myself sitting in front of a middle-aged gent delivering a devastatingly boring monologue about his summer house on a Scottish isle. For 20 minutes, I tried to block out its sheer awfulness (“we keep it rough and ready so we don’t have to yell at the kids to get off the Aubusson”) by concentrating on the action on the pitch. In…

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos have emerged as the highest bidder to assume the contract for naming rights to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the team said Wednesday. The move is pending approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. “This acquisition streamlines the process for securing the best possible long-term partnership for the naming rights to our stadium,” the Broncos said in a statement. “As in the past, proceeds from stadium naming…

Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman, star and head coach of the U.S. Olympic men’s swimming team, respectively, voiced frustration Wednesday with the lack of a solution to doping problems that continue to shadow the Games. “We’ve had this problem for how many Olympics now? It seems every time it’s something that comes up,” Phelps said. “It’s sad. That’s really what it is. It’s really sad that we can’t control it,…

Media playback is not supported on this device Manchester City target Gabriel Jesus excites BBC’s Tim Vickery Manchester City have signed 19-year-old Brazilian winger Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras for £27m plus add-ons. Jesus has agreed a five-year deal but will stay with Palmeiras until the end of the Brazilian season in December. City regard the player as the best young talent in South America and fought off interest from Barcelona….

On this super soaraway edition of AZSOS, Andy is joined by the Guardian’s chief sports writer Owen Gibson and comedian and athletics nut Paul Sinha to preview all the action on the track, field and no doubt laboratories in this summer’s 31st Olympiad in Rio. Will Usain Bolt do what he usually does and blow away the competition on the big day? How many asterisks will be marked in the…

This week, even before Rio starts, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers which sports will be at the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Skateboarding, for one, is “optimistic” about its inclusion. Golf went through this process four years ago and for its athletes, the Rio Olympics should be a sight for sore eyes. After a 112-year absence, the sport will return to the Olympic stage. Yet what should…

Maybe you’re not the biggest Olympics fan, or maybe you haven’t been keeping up with Olympic sports since London. It’s OK. We forgive you. In fact, we want to help you find your new favorite sport and Olympian. If you liked Shawn Johnson in 2008, you should watch Laurie Hernandez in 2016. (USA Today Sports Images) Both women have solid all-around chops, as Johnson won worlds in 2015 and Hernandez took second…

x Embed x Share Olympic boxer Carlos Balderas explains how boxing in Rio might be different than what you’re used to watching on pay-per-view. usa today sports Devin Haney had hoped to box in the Olympics, but a new age restriction sent him into the pros, including this bout in April in Las Vegas.(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports) Neither Jonathan Esquivel nor Devin Haney are the types to…

Hi, my name is Chris Chase and I’m an Olympics junkie. Over the fortnight beginning Friday, I will spend approximately  384-straight hours on various spots on my couch, watching some of my favorite (and most popular) Olympic sports (such as swimming and track), mixing that with sports I love but only see during the Summer Games (indoor cycling, kayaking, rowing, Bob Costas-eye anatomy), combining that with sports that are enjoyable solely because there’s…

Jesus Gamez (left), Adebayo Akinfenwa (centre) and Nick Powell make up the spine of our EFL free transfers XI During every transfer window, fans of clubs up and down the country urge their team to ‘splash the cash’ on new players. But while the likes of Newcastle United have been forking out millions of pounds since coming down from the Premier League, who could you have signed without having to…

Some people definitely have an opinion when it comes to what sports should be included in the Olympics. Synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics are popular targets, but non-TV-friendly sports like flat-water canoeing and the modern pentathlon also take some heat. But what about the sports that didn’t make it into this year’s Summer Games? The inclusion of golf and rugby sevens in the Rio Olympics shows that the International Olympic…

Skip Bayless, a circus clown who peddles shitty sports takes on TV, will debut a new show on Fox Sports 1 on September 6, he told The Hollywood Reporter this morning. It will go head-to-head with First Take, and Bayless says the takes will be even spicier. Like fellow Bristol refugee Bill Simmons, Bayless went to THR to complain about how ESPN’s conservatism got in the way of presenting his…

It’s a natural desire for parents to support their child’s dreams, no matter the cost. But experts say there are ways parents can make their kids’ participation in sports more positive and avoid sacrificing their own financial security. —ENCOURAGE MULTIPLE SPORTS: Parents are often told that a child with potential should participate in intense or year-round programs to build that skill. But studies show early specialization does more harm than…

<!– FOOTBALL GOSSIP Celtic are lining up a fifth bid for Aston Villa forward Scott Sinclair with the Scottish champions hoping the offer of around £3m will be enough. (Daily Record) Galatasaray will this week reignite their interest in Celtic midfielder Stefan Johansen. (Sun) Burnley have joined Celtic in the race to sign Manchester United midfielder Paddy McNair. (Daily Record) <!– McNair, 21, has made over 20 appearances for United…

Inside sports business Nary a week goes by when we aren’t discussing some new proposal to use public money to finance the construction of sports venues. We’ve seen plenty here, with the pitch for an arena in Sodo District stalled in May by a 5-4 Seattle City Council vote denying the vacation of a block of Occidental Avenue South to entrepreneur Chris Hansen. Several years ago, there was the construction…

Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT: – RIO DE JANEIRO – Five days before the opening of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, IOC President Thomas Bach holds a news conference that is expected to be dominated by the Russian doping scandal and the final preparations for South America’s first games. News…

Walker played more than 200 events on the PGA Tour before winning his first of his five titles American Jimmy Walker won his first major with a one-shot victory at the US PGA Championship at Baltusrol. The 37-year-old closed with a bogey-free three-under-par 67 to hold off Australia’s world number one Jason Day (67) and win on 14 under. American Daniel Summerhays (66) was third on 10 under, while Open…

1) Pigeon racing – Paris, 1900 The success of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 had many believing that the Greek capital should be the nascent movement’s permanent host. No doubt, many citizens whose cities have been left with a hefty deficit and an expensive white elephant or two wish it had been. But somehow failing to foresee things like terrorism in Munich, smog in Beijing, and…

Since he coasted to the 100-meter finish line in world-record time at the Bird’s Nest eight years ago, Usain Bolt has been the smiling face of track and field. He has served as the anchorman of the Olympics — virtually the only reason any casual fan would pay attention to a sport that has orchestrated its own slow, sad, drug-infused downfall. His tender hamstring improving, Bolt will be back for…