May 30, 2020 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – Roger Federer leads the annual Forbes ranking of highest-paid athletes with what the magazine says is $106.3 million in total earnings. He is the first tennis player top the list since it was first compiled in 1990. Federer made $6.3 million of that haul from tennis prize money, with the other $100 million from endorsements and appearances fees. Soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar are in spots 2, 3 and 4, followed by the NBA’s LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Tiger Woods is at No. 8 and NFL players Kirk Cousins and Carson Wentz complete the top 10.
May 30, 2020 3:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Major league teams have released hundreds of young players with the minor league season in doubt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Transactions posted at MLB.com say over 200 players were cut Friday and more than 400 have been released over the past month. The start of the minor league season was postponed in March and players were mostly sent home from spring training. While Major League Baseball and the players’ association are negotiating terms to play big league ball this summer, it’s unlikely there will be minor league games. Minor league players not on 40-man rosters were promised $400 per week through May 31 by a policy drafted by MLB.
May 29, 2020 3:48 am
UNDATED (AP) – Organizers have canceled the Boston Marathon for the first time in its 124-year history due to social distancing requirements of the coronavirus outbreak. The race had endured through two World Wars, a volcanic eruption and a previous pandemic. The race draws a field of 30,000 and already had been postponed from April 20 to Sept. 14. It will be replaced by a virtual event in which participants who verify that they ran 26.2 miles on their own will receive their finisher’s medal. The Boston Marathon began in 1897 and has been the longest-running annual marathon in the world.
May 28, 2020 3:46 am
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – Wednesday’s NASCAR Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway has been rained out and rescheduled for Thursday night. The starting order for the second Cup race at Charlotte this week was set based on the finishing order of the Coca-Cola 600 but with an inversion. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman will start from the pole, while Coca-Cola 600 winner Brad Keselowski will start 20th. The postponement also pushes back the upcoming Xfinity race from Thursday to Monday. The second consecutive Wednesday night race would have been the fourth for the elite Cup Series since May 17.
May 26, 2020 3:49 am
TOKYO (AP) – Japan’s professional baseball season will open on June 19 under a plan that excludes fans. League commissioner Atsushi Saito made the announcement Monday after an online meeting with representatives of the league’s 12 teams. He said, “I hope we can provide some guidance for sports other than professional baseball. The announcement came as the state of emergency was lifted in Tokyo and on the northern island of Hokkaido by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The state of emergency was lifted earlier this month for other parts of the country. Teams can being practice games on June 2. The season was to have begun on March 20 but the start was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Japan has reported about 850 deaths from COVID-19.
May 26, 2020 3:47 am
TORONTO (AP) – The NHL is hoping to move to Phase 2 of its return-to-play protocol early next month. That includes opening practice facilities and allowing small group workouts. Six players will be allowed in team facilities at one time for the voluntary workouts. No on-ice coaching or instruction is permitted. A 22-page memo detailing the plan stresses there’s no exact date for the start of Phase 2 or a timetable for how long it will last. The NHL season was paused March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 25, 2020 3:25 am
NHL players are debating the merits of quarantining away from family members as part of a potential resumption of the season. Toronto’s Kyle Clifford says guaranteeing family time is a ‘hot topic’ among players these days. Hockey returning this summer or fall would likely require players to relocate to a handful of cities to get through the playoffs and crown a Stanley Cup champion in a 24-team playoff format. Family time is one of several hurdles that would need to be cleared before the puck can drop again.
May 25, 2020 3:23 am
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – Brad Keselowski extended Jimmie Johnson’s losing streak to 102 races, holding off the seven-time NASCAR champion in overtime early Monday in the Coca-Cola 600. Keselowski started in the back of the field, worked his way to the front at Charlotte Motor Speedway and gambled in not pitting when caution stopped Chase Elliott from winning with two laps remaining.
May 24, 2020 6:04 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NBA could become a Mickey Mouse operation, although the idea isn’t Goofy. The league is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July. It’s the clearest sign yet that the NBA believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic. The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the site would be used for practices and housing as well. ESPN is primarily owned by Disney, one of the NBA’s broadcast partners. Space won’t be an issue, even if Major League Soccer – which is also in talks to resume its season at Disney – is there at the same time as the NBA. The entire Disney complex is roughly 40 square miles, with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms owned or operated by Disney.
May 23, 2020 4:29 am
UNDATED (AP) – The New York Jets are giving Joe Flacco a chance to continue his NFL career. Flacco has signed a one-year deal to serve as Sam Darnold’s backup, giving the Jets a veteran presence under center. Flacco led Baltimore to a Super Bowl victory following the 2012 season and spent 11 years with the Ravens before playing for Denver in 2019. He started eight games for the Broncos, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,822 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions before a neck injury caused him to miss the last two months of the season. Flacco has completed 61.9% of his passes for 40,067 yards, 218 touchdowns and 141 interceptions. He was waived by Denver in March with a failed physical designation but is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp in the summer.
