World Sports

The U.S. Tennis Association, NCAA and NFL along with a number of other sports organizations have teamed together in a new ad aimed to educate parents and coaches. The ad warns that kids who specialize in sports early on may not be on the best path for success, and writer Jennifer Wallace agrees. She said that even with the best intentions, parents of young athletes can be misguided. “The idea…

In the 1980s and ’90s, competitive figure skating enthralled me. The sport’s balletic arm movements and glittery-glam unitards, along with its powerful leaps and dizzying triple axels, guaranteed that I’d be seated in front of a TV during every Winter Olympics of my childhood. But not even in my most far-fetched girlhood fantasies did I ever imagine myself on the ice. Early awareness of my athletic limitations aside, figure skating…

(CNN)Whoa, who knew the debate over participation trophies — those awards children get just for showing up and playing sports — would strike such a chord? After NFL linebacker James Harrison took to Instagram this weekend, announcing he would be sending back the trophies his sons, 6 and 8, received “until they earn a real trophy,” parents on social media responded in droves, with the majority applauding Harrison, who plays…

The day before Milwaukee Brewers minor league player David Denson announced he is gay, the first openly gay professional football player walked away from his sport. Michael Sam said he worried for his mental health. The juxtaposition of these two events shows just how far pro sports has to go to accept a gay athlete. Related: Michael Sam says he’s stepping away from football citing ‘mental health’ Just 20 months…

Matt Kenseth drubbed the competition in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, giving Joe Gibbs Racing its fifth victory in the last six races. The race triumph was Kenseth’s third win of the year and second in the last three races, as he started from the pole and dominated all day. In winning the 34th race of his career, Kenseth, the 2003 series…

In modern media, as in sports, there’s a winner and loser to every story. On Monday, when the National Labor Relations Board overturned a March 2014 regional ruling allowing Northwestern football players to unionize, it marked a “clear victory for the college sports establishment” and a “tough break for the Northwestern football team.” Sorry, but an issue this complicated doesn’t fall neatly into a simple win-loss column. Northwestern football players…

The unanimous ruling by the five-member National Labor Relations Board concludes that letting Northwestern football players unionize could lead to different standards at different schools — from amounts of money players receive to the amount of time they can practice. That would, it says, create the competitive imbalances. The ruling applies to private schools, like Northwestern, which is a member of the powerful Big Ten Conference. Public…

The day before Milwaukee Brewers minor league player David Denson announced he is gay, the first openly gay professional football player walked away from his sport. Michael Sam said he worried for his mental health. The juxtaposition of these two events shows just how far pro sports has to go to accept a gay athlete. Related: Michael Sam says he’s stepping away from football citing ‘mental health’ Just 20 months…

Photo: Warrick Page/NBC NewsWire/Getty Images The Noise Report SI.com examines some of the biggest sports media stories of the week 1. ESPN named college football analyst Danny Kanell to be the new co-host with Ryen Russillo for the ESPN Radio slot from 1–4 p.m. ET. The new three-hour show, Russillo & Kanell,debuts Aug. 31 and will be televised on ESPNews starting at 1 p.m. When Kanell isn’t doing his anti-SEC,…

If you hadn’t noticed, drones and quadcopters are rather popular right now. Hardly a day goes by without some kind of automated or remotely piloted aircraft somehow causing a ruckus, or providing a new way for militaries and cinematographers alike to get the shot they need. What you might not have noticed, however, is that there is an underground movement to turn drone flying into a sport. Known as FPV (first-person view)…

Today’s sports fans live in a world of smash-mouth talk shows, scorched-earth Twitter wars and so-called “fantasy leagues” that make it possible for everybody’s laptop to be transformed into the old-fashioned corner bookie. In the end, though, sports are still about escapism. It’s not really the end of the world if our team doesn’t win. It’s just the end of the day. Deep down, we know this to be true….

Ray: I offer another comment on the starting QB battle. I have faith that the Buckeyes coaching staff will make the decision on whom they feel will give our team the best opportunity to repeat as national champs. If No. 16 wins the battle, it will be another exciting season. The same with 12 Gauge. But if J.T. Barrett gets the job, we can scratch (Ezekiel Elliott’s) spot on the…

Prepped Blog Post Preps photos Prep, stats, roster, schedule AURORA — An already abbreviated summer for Colorado high-schoolers is officially over. Preseason practice for fall begins Monday for eight additional fall sports, notably football. Boys golfers opened last week. The first of three sports seasons for 2015-16 is here and thousands of in-staters had been anticipating it, some even counting the days. “Yes, sir, I’m so excited,” Legacy senior quarterback…

He helped launch an American fashion trend, guided an iconic but flailing footwear company to find its cool again, and worked to establish Seattle as a bastion of professional sports. But beyond all his business accomplishments and civic contributions, Walter E. Schoenfeld’s true character was found in his inherent decency and unflagging optimism that drew people to his side for counsel and camaraderie, his friends and family members say. “The…

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has mocked Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger as the Blues prepare to play Manchester City on Sunday. City boss Manuel Pellegrini signed a new contract recently after finishing a second in the league last season. When asked if he was surprised by the deal, Mourinho said: “Why? Some other clubs, they have disappointed for…

Friday, while watching TNT/CBS’ three-shots-then-commercials PGA Championship, it hit me: What if Prohibition was repealed, making common sense legal again? Doesn’t matter that I’ve been writing this column for nearly 35 years, I still sit down to watch any baseball game the way I did when I was 10 — to watch a baseball game. The only significant change should’ve been that I no longer have to get up to…

For a list of all the latest deals, check out the transfers page. Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller, 25, wants to join Manchester United. (Sunday Express)  Chelsea are worried that Manchester United and Manchester City both want to sign Everton defender John Stones, 21. (Mail on Sunday)  Thomas Muller dominates the Sunday Express back page Wolfsburg…

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — With his seventh straight season without a major title officially in the books, Tiger Woods was asked about his future plans.  “I’m going to go home and watch the leaders tee off and play,”  said Woods on an idyllic summer Saturday morning, his private jet presumably already idling in a nearby airfield. “Probably in Florida. Actually I’ll go to my sports bar, how about that?” Woods grinned a…

FOOTBALL GOSSIP Scott Allan says he’s “delighted” to have signed a four-year deal at Celtic after leaving Hibernian. (Daily Express)  Rangers will seek a third loan signing after missing out on signing Scott Allan. Rangers have already brought in Tottenham Hotspur duo Nathan Oduwa and Dominic Ball this week. (Daily Record)  But Warburton insists he is “not disappointed” at not…

PGA SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) The second round of the PGA Championship offered a little bit of everything Friday. Except a conclusion. On one side of the golf course, Jordan Spieth was piling up enough birdies to momentarily tie for the lead at Whistling Straits. On the other side with far less attention, Hiroshi Iwata ran off five birdies and an eagle and tied the major championship record with a 63….