AP National Sports

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension through the 2031 season worth more than $110 million that strengthens his status as one of college football’s highest-paid coaches. Smart will be paid $10.25 million this season in base salary and supplemental compensation. He will receive raises each season, which lead

By TERESA M. WALKER AP Sports Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators offered forward Nino Niederreiter the perfect combination of a competitive team stocked with friends and former teammates along with a physical playing style. His new two-year contract also gives him the flexibility to either hit free agency again or stick around

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer With less than two months before its first regular season game, Prime Video’s crew for “Thursday Night Football” is nearly set. Kaylee Hartung has been hired by Amazon as the sideline reporter while Andrew Whitworth and Aqib Talib have signed on as contributors for pregame, halftime and postgame coverage.

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the Cleveland Browns’ plans says the team is working out quarterbacks as they await a ruling on Deshaun Watson. The NFL’s disciplinary officer is deciding whether Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy after being accused by two dozen massage therapists of

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Britain will host a figure skating Grand Prix event for the first time after the International Skating Union awarded it an event that China relinquished amid concerns over the coronavirus. The ISU says that the English city of Sheffield will hold the Nov. 11-13 event. It will be the fourth of

HAUTACAM, France (AP) — Jonas Vingegaard responded to a series of attacks from defending champion Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France and ultimately dropped his rival in the last big mountain stage of this year’s race. There is only one big test left before the race reaches Paris. That is a 41-kilometer time trial

LONDON (AP) — The ATP men’s tennis tour is canceling all four of its tournaments held in China this year, citing COVID-19 restrictions. The Rolex Shanghai Masters, China Open, Chengdu Open and Zhuhai Championships were called off by the ATP on Thursday. It is the third consecutive year that the tour scrapped its China swing,

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are taking the first steps toward building a privately-funded sports and entertainment arena. The team’s managing partners on Thursday announced the creation of a new development company to create its future home in the city’s Fashion District. They say 76 Place is anticipated to cost about $1.3 billion. Josh

LOURDES, France (AP) — Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome has pulled out of cycling’s biggest race after testing positive for COVID-19. Froome withdrew from the Tour ahead of Stage 18 from Lourdes to Hautacam in the Pyrenees. Froome says in a video message he will now refocus on competing at the Spanish Vuelta

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry says the United States has shown disrespect for Russian law by characterizing basketball star Brittney Griner’s jailing on drug charges as “wrongful detention.” Griner has been jailed since she was arrested in mid-February at a Moscow airport after vape canisters containing

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are taking the first steps toward building a privately-funded sports and entertainment arena. The team’s managing partners on Thursday announced the creation of a new development company to create its future home in the city’s Fashion District. They say 76 Place is anticipated to cost about $1.3 billion. Josh

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — German soccer club Cologne has called for the exclusion of Belarusian teams from European competitions because of the country’s support for Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Bundesliga club says it has written to UEFA asking it to include Belarusian clubs in the ban on Russian teams. Cologne is

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet returned to preseason training with Manchester United because of what has been publicly described as “personal reasons.” It seems the reality is different. Ronaldo reportedly wants out after only one season back at Old Trafford because United is no longer in the Champions League

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is demanding an explanation from UCLA officials about their move to the Big Ten Conference. Newsom attended Wednesday’s UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco. The closed-door meeting was the first since UCLA and Southern California announced on June 30 that the schools would be leaving

By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics survived the COVID-19 postponement, soaring expenses and some public opposition. A year later, the costs and benefits remain as difficult to untangle as the Games were to pull off. In his speech at the closing ceremony, IOC President Thomas Bach said a major

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Steeplechaser Norah Jeruto came up with a cool way to celebrate her victory at the end of a sizzling hot day at the world championships. A pool party. Everyone was invited, too. The Kenyan-born runner who recently began representing Kazakhstan moved to the backstretch following

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Soccer player Megan Rapinoe admonished her fellow athletes for not doing enough to speak out and encouraged them to support detained WNBA star Brittney Griner at The ESPYS on Wednesday night. Griner was arrested in Russia in February after customs officials said they found vape

RALEIGH. N.C. (AP) — Charles Johnson, the former Colorado receiver who won a Super Bowl title with New England in a nine-year NFL career, has died. He was 50. The university confirmed Johnson’s death Wednesday through Heritage High School, the Wake Forest school where he was an assistant athletic director. WNCN-TV in Raleigh reported Wednesday

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky has won best athlete in women’s sports at The ESPYS. She received her trophy from 95-year-old Maybelle Blair, who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry hosted the show honoring the year’s top athletes

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Sydney McLaughlin coolly cruised through her semifinal heat of the 400-meter hurdles on a steamy night at the track. Hardly pressed and conserving energy near the finish, the Olympic champion and world-record holder finished in a time of 52.17 seconds at the world championships. That’s