IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa assistant Kirk Speraw will retire on June 30 after 43 years coaching college basketball. Speraw began his career as a graduate assistant under Lute Olson on Iowa’s 1980 Final Four team and ended it as a 12-year assistant under Fran McCaffery. The Sioux City, Iowa, native helped guide the
Continue Reading By The Associated Press USA Today sports writer/columnist Jarrett Bell has won the Bill Nunn Jr. Award for journalistic contributions while covering pro football. Bell, who has covered the NFL since 1981 and has been with USA Today since 1993, was selected by the Professional Football Writers of America. He is the 54th award winner
Continue Reading NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving may have to show the Brooklyn Nets he’s more than a great basketball player if he wants a future with the team. General manager Sean Marks made clear Wednesday that Irving will have to prove a commitment to being available to his team that wasn’t there this season. After
Continue Reading CHICAGO (AP) — Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be sidelined indefinitely. The 63-year-old is not showing any symptoms. Francona missed much of the past two seasons with a variety of health issues. Guardians bench coach DeMarlo Hale will manage Wednesday’s series finale against the White Sox. Hale filled
Continue Reading By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Placekicker Josh Lambo’s lawsuit against the Jacksonville Jaguars could uncover more details about former coach Urban Meyer’s tumultuous NFL tenure. Lambo’s attorney is seeking a host of records pertaining to Meyer’s time with the team, including “any documentation whatsoever of abusive or toxic workplace
Continue Reading By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wants Russian and Belarusian players to say whether they oppose the war in her nation. She says in an interview with The Associated Press that “it’s very important that they speak out.” Because otherwise we don’t know “if they support the
Continue Reading By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer VIENNA (AP) — People with knowledge of the talks tell The Associated Press that UEFA has discussed creating a mini-tournament to start the season with four teams from the Champions League. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private talks. The discussion
Continue Reading By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wants Russian and Belarusian players to say whether they oppose the war in her nation. She says in an interview with The Associated Press that “it’s very important that they speak out.” Because otherwise we don’t know “if they support the
Continue Reading MESSINA, Sicily (AP) — French cyclist Arnaud Démare won a bunch sprint at the end of the fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia and Juan Pedro López kept hold of the leader’s pink jersey. Démare edged Fernando Gaviria at the end of the 108-mile route from Catania to Messina after sprint favorites Mark Cavendish and
Continue Reading By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — FIFA has opened a disciplinary case looking into whether Ecuador fielded an ineligible player during World Cup qualifying. The case could see Ecuador thrown out of this year’s tournament in Qatar. Chile filed a formal complaint last week alleging that Byron Castillo is Colombian and should
Continue Reading ROME (AP) — Once is enough when it comes to beating Rafael Nadal on a clay court. Nadal has never lost consecutive matches on his favorite surface and the Spaniard extended that perfect record by beating John Isner 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Italian Open. Nadal was coming off a loss
Continue Reading By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press ELBASAN, Albania (AP) — After fleeing from a war zone, a group of young Ukrainian track and field athletes have made their way to safety in Albania. Their minds are still between the two countries. “I miss my mother’s food and grandmother’s advice,” said 17-year-old Maria Lariva, who throws the
Continue Reading BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo has been discharged after a night in the hospital following a head injury sustained in a Spanish league game against Celta Vigo. The club says tests conducted on the player following his concussion on Tuesday came back with satisfactory results and doctors allowed him to return home.
Continue Reading SYDNEY (AP) — The Sydney Kings have swept the best-of-five National Basketball League final for their first Australian title since 2005 by beating the Tasmania JackJumpers 97-88. Sydney outscored the JackJumpers 31-19 in the final quarter to win its fourth NBL championship. The deciding game was watched by an NBL final record attendance of 16,149
Continue Reading VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Thomas Bjorn will be one of European captain Henrik Stenson’s assistants at next year’s Ryder Cup in Italy. Bjorn is the first of the vice captains announced by the European team which is looking to regain the trophy from the Americans in Rome. It will be the Dane’s fifth stint
Continue Reading By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Champions League winner Chelsea earned nearly 120 million euros ($126.5 million) from UEFA last season, topping the prize money list for European clubs. That was just ahead of beaten finalist Manchester City, which received just over 119 million euros ($125.6 million) from a total fund of
Continue Reading By Matias Grez, CNN When Erling Haaland burst onto the Champions League stage, everybody in the world of football immediately sat up and took notice. Playing in European football’s premier competition is supposed to be hard. Haaland made it look anything but. In September 2019, then 19 years old, the Norwegian sensation bagged a hat-trick
Continue Reading By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer An American bid to stage the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups has received the full support of the White House and is expected to receive the green light on Thursday as the sport looks to break new ground. World Rugby will announce the host nations for the men’s
Continue Reading By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press ELBASAN, Albania (AP) — After fleeing from a war zone, a group of young Ukrainian track and field athletes have made their way to safety in Albania. Their minds are still between the two countries. “I miss my mother’s food and grandmother’s advice,” said 17-year-old Maria Lariva, who throws the
Continue Reading By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Norris Trophy finalist Cale Makar helped the Colorado Avalanche put the finishing touches on a first-round sweep of Nashville with a three-goal, seven-assist performance. His 10 points are the most in league history by a blueliner through four games in a playoff year. Makar’s averaging 1.05
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