World Sports

The billionaire retailer Mike Ashley has been running Sports Direct like a Victorian workhouse, building his success on a business model that treats workers “without dignity or respect”, a scathing parliamentary inquiry has found. Related: Sports Direct boss had plenty of warning a crisis was looming The report by the business, innovation and skills (BIS) select committee, which was triggered by a Guardian investigation last year, said Ashley had used…

LAUSANNE, Switzerland/MOSCOW Sport’s highest tribunal rejected on Thursday Russia’s appeal against a doping ban for its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics starting in 15 days’ time, drawing swift and angry condemnation from Moscow. The decision by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) increases the possibility that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will now exclude Russia from all sports, not just track and field, in Rio de…

Top Rank Boxing CEO Bob Arum recently took a handful of swipes at the UFC, claiming not only that the promotion is paying off lobbyists to avoid added government regulation but also that drug use in the sport far outweighed that of boxing. As you can imagine, fiery UFC President Dana White didn’t take too kindly to the digs. “Does anyone give a (expletive) about Bob Arum or what he…

LAUSANNE, Switzerland/MOSCOW Sport’s highest tribunal rejected on Thursday Russia’s appeal against a doping ban for its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics starting in 15 days’ time, drawing swift and angry condemnation from Moscow. The decision by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) increases the possibility that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will now exclude Russia from all sports, not just track and field, in Rio de…

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<!– FOOTBALL GOSSIP Scott McDonald will be staying put at Motherwell after a possible move to Australia collapsed. McDonald had been mulling over the offer of a two-year deal with Western Sydney Wanderers, but Motherwell blocked the move by demanding a transfer fee for the striker. (Daily Record) Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admits he wants to strengthen his squad before the European signing deadline at midnight tonight ahead of a…

There is far more to it than two armoured horse riders hurtling towards each other with 12ft lances. Jousting demands levels of athleticism, agility and equestrianism that make it an ideal candidate for the Olympics, English Heritage argues. The organisation has launched a campaign to get jousting recognised as an Olympic sport in time for Tokyo 2020. “We are being deadly serious,” said Lucy Hutchings, English Heritage’s head of projects….

United States goalkeeper Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle blocks a shot. (AP Photo / The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward) “It is a lady’s business to look beautiful and there are hardly any sports in which she seems able to do it.” –Sportswriter Paul Gallico, 1936 Ad Policy “Well, the vast majority of WNBA players lack crossover sex appeal…. The baggy uniforms don’t help.” –Bill Simmons, HBO sports personality, circa 2006 “Women’s sports in…

“Already it is clear Jose Mourinho can make Manchester United matter again. “After three years of not even competing for the Premier League title, United were in danger of slipping out of contention for major honours. “Mourinho cannot be guaranteed to make that happen. “What he can do, as Sir Alex Ferguson used to do, is control the media agenda. “So, whether it be England, Paul Pogba or Zlatan Ibrahimovic,…

OLYMPICS MOSCOW (AP) Russia’s top Olympic official says he expects a final decision by Sunday on whether the entire Russian team will be banned from next month’s games in Rio. The International Olympic Committee is examining the legal options following a report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren that accused Russia’s sports ministry of overseeing doping of the country’s Olympic athletes. Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov says ”the…

United States goalkeeper Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle blocks a shot. (AP Photo / The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward) “It is a lady’s business to look beautiful and there are hardly any sports in which she seems able to do it.” –Sportswriter Paul Gallico, 1936 Ad Policy “Well, the vast majority of WNBA players lack crossover sex appeal…. The baggy uniforms don’t help.” –Bill Simmons, HBO sports personality, circa 2006 “Women’s sports in…

A new app from SI Play launching this week aims to bring the world of youth sports into the mobile age, putting schedules, scores and statistics in the palm of parents’, coaches’ and players’ hands. Parents can use the app to view their children’s game and practice schedules across multiple teams, as well as chat with other team parents to coordinate gameday snacks and upload photos of the action. For…

Sam Allardyce’s best Premier League finish is sixth, with Bolton in 2004-05 Sam Allardyce will be named as the new manager of England, with confirmation expected on Thursday. He will leave Sunderland after nine months at the Premier League club. Allardyce replaces Roy Hodgson, who quit in June after the surprise defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of Euro 2016. The 61-year-old, who has also managed West Ham, Newcastle,…

Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images The hubris and planet-sized egos of lunatic sports owners is a core Deadspin beat, from Joe Lacob’s horniness for the Larry O’Brien trophy, to Stan Kroenke’s dead raccoon hair, to Dan Gilbert’s simpering evil. When the Panthers’ owner gets a dang statue of himself with two actual panthers built out front of his stadium, you should expect us to make fun of him. However, Tinkoff…

United States goalkeeper Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle blocks a shot. (AP Photo / The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward) “It is a lady’s business to look beautiful and there are hardly any sports in which she seems able to do it.” –Sportswriter Paul Gallico, 1936 Ad Policy “Well, the vast majority of WNBA players lack crossover sex appeal…. The baggy uniforms don’t help.” –Bill Simmons, HBO sports personality, circa 2006 “Women’s sports in…

A new app from SI Play launching this week aims to bring the world of youth sports into the mobile age, putting schedules, scores and statistics in the palm of parents’, coaches’ and players’ hands. Parents can use the app to view their children’s game and practice schedules across multiple teams, as well as chat with other team parents to coordinate gameday snacks and upload photos of the action. For…

United States goalkeeper Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle blocks a shot. (AP Photo / The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward) “It is a lady’s business to look beautiful and there are hardly any sports in which she seems able to do it.” –Sportswriter Paul Gallico, 1936 Ad Policy “Well, the vast majority of WNBA players lack crossover sex appeal…. The baggy uniforms don’t help.” –Bill Simmons, HBO sports personality, circa 2006 “Women’s sports in…

Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images The hubris and planet-sized egos of lunatic sports owners is a core Deadspin beat, from Joe Lacob’s horniness for the Larry O’Brien trophy, to Stan Kroenke’s dead raccoon hair, to Dan Gilbert’s simpering evil. When the Panthers’ owner gets a dang statue of himself with two actual panthers built out front of his stadium, you should expect us to make fun of him. However, Tinkoff…

It’s hard work for a country to get turfed out of the Olympics. You must seriously dedicate yourself to the task. It’s not enough to have a brutal, devious autocracy that flagrantly intimidates its domestic critics and is author of miseries all over the world. It’s not even enough to dope your athletes until they virtually glow in the dark. You really need to get caught in the act so…