AP National Sports

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Columnist On that sunny morning two decades ago, in the hours and minutes and seconds before everything changed, sports was playing its usual role in the fabric of life. Then, for a fleeting moment after 9/11, it looked as though our favorite games might help us cope with the grieving

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets’ secondary is a primary concern because of its inexperience at cornerback. Second-year defensive back Bryce Hall is slated to be one of the starters when the Jets open the season at Carolina on Sunday. The other starting job

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber spent some time this week reflecting on the Sept. 11 attacks. He says he’s glad he made the decision then to cancel the remainder of the league’s regular-season games following the tragedy. The MLS came back for the playoffs that year. The

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt says he’s ready to deal with the pressure that comes with his massive new contract. Watt and the Steelers have agreed to a deal that will pay him $28 million a season beginning in 2022. That salary will make Watt the

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Points from races in the series that earn berths in the Kentucky Derby won’t be awarded to any horse trained by an individual who is suspended from entering the Kentucky Derby in 2022. The rule announced by Churchill Downs also applies to any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised or advised

NEW YORK (AP) — Sports teams will hold ceremonies Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The New York Mets will wear caps from the New York City Police Department,  the New York Fire Department,  Port Authority Police Department and New York City Department of Correction to honor first responders.

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand took the outright lead at the BMW PGA Championship as a slew of Ryder Cup hopefuls moved into contention after the second round of the flagship event on the European Tour. Aphibarnrat started the day in a tie for the lead. He shot 4-under 68 on

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyrann Mathieu remains in the COVID-19 protocol and the Kansas City Chiefs remain uncertain whether their All-Pro safety will be cleared in time for their season opener against the Cleveland Browns. The Chiefs essentially are preparing two defensive game plans depending on whether Mathieu,

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr has been ruled out for the season opener at Cincinnati. He has a nagging knee injury that kept him on the sideline for much of the preseason. The Vikings also listed rookie left tackle Christian Darrisaw out with a groin injury. Barr tore his pectoral muscle

By TOM CANAVAN AP Sports Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Roughly a year after tearing his right ACL, indications are Saquon Barkley is going to play for the New York Giants in the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Coach Joe Judge said the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year had

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have ruled out starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei from their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Lotulelei has a calf injury. He is the Bills’ top defender against the run. He opted out last season due to COVID-19 concerns. Coach Sean McDermott said Lotulelei was

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will miss the rest of the season. Major League Baseball and the players’ association extended his administrative leave through the end of the World Series. The decision had been expected, given that Bauer had not pitched since June 29 and was running out of time

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Sao Paulo says Brazil right back Dani Alves will no longer be playing for his boyhood club due to delayed salary payments that he is owed. The 38-year-old defender has multiple honors with Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Alves did not show up for training

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers were among the worst teams in the NFL in most offensive categories last season. They’re hoping a healthy Christian McCaffrey changes all that. McCaffrey combined for 2,392 yards and 19 touchdowns during his All-Pro 2019 season, but missed 13 games season last

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The head of the U.S. Soccer Federation asked the unions of the women’s and men’s national teams to agree to equalize FIFA’s World Cup prize money on their own. USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone sent an open letter making the request. She called for the

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS Sports will once again team up with Nickelodeon to do a kids-focused broadcast during the first weekend of the NFL playoffs. The game will air Jan. 16 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Last season’s broadcast of the New Orleans Saints’ 21-9 victory over the Chicago Bears was the most-watched game of

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer Derrick Henry now has an extra game to help him surpass Eric Dickerson’s 37-year-old rushing record. The quest for the first 2,000-yard receiving season just got a little bit easier for big-play threats like Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins. And who knows what Patrick Mahomes can do to

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Coach Ron Rivera says Washington is putting wide receiver Curtis Samuel on short-term injured reserve. That means Samuel will miss at least the first three games of the season. He has been dealing with a lingering groin injury for months and missed all of training camp. Rivera insists surgery is not

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Racing Association has charged Bob Baffert with detrimental conduct and scheduled a hearing for the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer to respond to those allegations. NYRA suspended Baffert in May after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test. A New York federal judge nullified the suspension

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton says he was caught by surprise by his release by New England and believes his weeklong absence near the end of training camp due to a mishap related to COVID-19 testing protocols contributed to coach Bill Belichick’s decision. In a