1:32 PM ET The group stages of the 2020-21 Champions League took the feel of a decent romantic comedy: there were just enough unexpected plot twists to make you doubt how things might end, but then it all wrapped up how you expected it to all along. (As always in rom-coms, the supporting cast —
1:18 AM ET Bellator has a new flyweight queen. Juliana Velasquez beat Ilima-Lei Macfarlane via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 48-47) to win the Bellator women’s flyweight title Thursday night in the main event of Bellator 254 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. Macfarlane had been the only women’s flyweight champion the promotion had ever known
1:54 PM ET Boston College says it will not participate in a bowl game, becoming the first bowl-eligible team to announce it would not play in the postseason. Athletic director Pat Kraft and coach Jeff Hafley said the decision was made as a team, after getting significant player input. They pointed to everything the players
11:12 PM ET The New England Patriots didn’t deserve to win Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams — they couldn’t score inside the red zone, provide resistance against the run or avoid costly penalties. They looked nothing like the playoff team they hoped to be, and because of that, are on the brink of
7:04 PM ET Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman are both “very unlikely” to play in the team’s three preseason games, coach Steve Kerr said Thursday. “Neither one will play Saturday and very unlikely to play either game in Sacramento, too,” Kerr said during a video conference call
4:21 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Infielder Nate Lowe was traded from the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays to the Texas Rangers on Thursday for minor league catcher and outfielder Heriberto Hernandez. As part of the swap, Tampa Bay also acquired minor league infielder Osleivis Basabe and minor league outfielder Alexander Ovalles, and
2:37 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Last season, then-Indiana Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke wasn’t much of a fan of Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. These days, however, Embiid said things are a lot different, for one big reason: They’re now on the same team. “It’s easy to say stuff when you’re playing against somebody,” Embiid
6:02 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Dave Dombrowski is finalizing a deal to take over as president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies, ending their search for a top executive with one of the most accomplished of
9:19 PM ET Lindsey ThiryESPN Close Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times Previously covered the Falcons Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After Jared Goff threw an interception, the Los Angeles Rams‘ defense came through once again, grabbing a pick of its own. New England Patriots
7:35 PM ET NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets have each been fined $25,000 by the NBA for failure to comply with the league’s media rules. “The fines result from Irving’s refusal on several occasions this week to participate in the team media availability,” the NBA said in a statement Thursday. The
11:31 AM ET Paul Pogba‘s agent, Mino Raiola, caused outrage earlier this week when he said Pogba needed to leave Manchester United. “Paul is unhappy at United… he’s not able to express himself the way he would like to and the way others expect him to,” Raiola said. “His contract expires in 18 months, in
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will drive for Lewis Hamilton’s Extreme E team during its inaugural season in 2021. Hamilton’s X44 team will also field Spaniard Cristina Gutierrez for the climate-aware off-road series. “Cristina is an upcoming talent with a great future, and Sebastien is a driver I have admired for so many years,”
7:40 PM ET Associated Press HOUSTON — Amy Olson got back to under par with one swing, an 8-iron for a hole-in-one on her seventh hole Thursday, and kept right on going until she had a 4-under 67 and a one-shot lead in the U.S. Women’s Open. On a perfect day, the scores made it
6:39 PM ET Associated Press HOUSTON — Cristie Kerr expected the pain. She was determined to play Thursday in the U.S. Women’s Open just six days after dislocating three ribs when her golf cart slammed into a pole in darkness. The surprise was when she broke down in tears after an even-par 71. Kerr took
6:22 PM ET HE’S ONLY JUST begun unwinding the white Everlast wrist strapping amid a chorus of “well done, Timmy” and “good onya, mate,” when Tim Tszyu stops, takes a deep breath, and follows it with one of the more relieved exhales of his life. After a momentary pause, he shifts his gaze onto his
5:52 PM ET The plaintiffs in the long-running antitrust lawsuit against the UFC have earned a victory. Judge Richard Boulware of the United States District Court in Nevada granted the plaintiffs class certification on a status conference call Thursday, opening the door for nearly 1,200 fighters to be included in what will now be considered
3:29 PM ET Associated Press SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Alex Olmedo, who won the Wimbledon and Australian Championships singles titles in 1959 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, has died. He was 84. Citing Olmedo’s son, Alejandro Jr., the Hall of Fame said Thursday that Olmedo died of brain
Cycling’s governing body the UCI has announced a series of new safety measures for road racing in 2021. Stricter rules for motorcycle riders and television helicopter pilots in race convoys are to be introduced. New regulations over the potentially dangerous conduct of riders and rider safety from on-course obstacles and barriers are also included.external-link It