Posts

But the penalty shootout is ultimately—both its defenders and debunkers largely agree—a crapshoot. And if you shoot craps often enough, one day your number will come up. So it was Sunday night in Berlin, as Italy’s number—a fourth World Cup championship—came up big. Italy converted all five of its shots to beat France, after a sometimes exhilarating, sometimes desultory and, occasionally, stunning, 1-1 tie. Much was made of the opposing goalkeepers in anticipation of this dramatic end, with everyone giving the advantage to the athletic, 6’ 4" Gianluigi Buffon over the flamboyant 6’ Fabien Barthez....

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is the latest to fire Dogra, who was canned by CAA last year. Watt will still work with CAA super-agent Tom Condon, according to Forbes. There is no word on whether Watt fired Dogra via text message. MORE: Watt excited to team up with Wilfork | Watch Watt’s 61-inch box jump | Watt sings about hot dogs Former Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham also parted ways with Dogra, who had built a reputation for signing first-round draft picks but whose recent quarrels with the Vikings over Peterson have not helped his image....

Just because a player is highly touted out of high school doesn’t mean he’ll be a pro. And just because he is lightly regarded doesn’t mean his window for success is any smaller. Just ask J.J. Watt. MORE: National Signing Day: Live updates | Snoop Dog’s son picks UCLA | Meyer > Harbaugh The Texans defensive end had some advice for players who weren’t headlining their recruiting class or signing with a big-time program....

It happened the moment true freshman running back J.K. Dobbins burst onto the scene for Ohio State in a 181-yard performance against Indiana, breaking a 15-year school record in the process. We know for certain now what we first thought then: Ohio State hasn’t had a running back quite like Dobbins since Maurice Clarett led the Buckeyes to a national title in 2002. FACES OF 2018: Dobbins one of the names to know for the new year...

The latest remarks came as a response to a discussion about proposed amendments to Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which would change current gender laws in the country to make legally changing gender easier for citizens. Rowling has been critical of the legislation, as well as of Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Rowling first tweeted about the bill on Saturday, tagging Sturgeon in a message that warned about “likely negative consequences” the bill would have for women and girls, “especially the most vulnerable....

MORE: Must-see photos from the NBA Finals The show, called “Team Swish,” will feature Smith and bodyguard “Boom” Smalls. It will be streamed for free if its $450,000 goal is reached. A $10,000 contribution will earn a speaking role on the show, a phone call from Smith and a credit as a Kickstarter producer. “His notorious NBA bad boy persona consisting of late night partying, women, and all-out brawls, proved to be casual tabloid conversation,” the project’s description reads....

Miller joined the Canucks in 2019 and has enjoyed his best seasons in Vancouver, culminating in a 99-point season in 2021-22. Miller had one more year on his contract at a cap hit of $5.25 million. The Lightning traded Miller to the Canucks for Marek Mazenac, a 2019 third-round draft pick and a 2020 conditional first-round pick. Miller was a cap casualty for Tampa Bay at the time. He played a lot of wing for the Canucks before moving to center in 2021....

Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, was a key figure in the organization of the first and only Fyre Festival, an event planned to be a luxury music festival but ended in disaster. Organized alongside entrepreneur Billy McFarland, the festival claimed it would bring “The best in food, art, music, and adventure.” The 2017 festival in the Bahamas turned out to be quite the opposite. Tweets from the event claimed there was barely any food, water, security, or electricity, and the luxury facilities were not up to par with what attendees were expecting....

That gesture could have signaled a thaw in the contentious case. Late last week the Welches issued a joint statement expressing optimism they “can reach an amicable resolution” ending their 13-year marriage. They also canceled a court hearing scheduled for this week because they had reached an undisclosed deal on Jane’s temporary monthly alimony. Sources close to the Welches tell NEWSWEEK they now plan to stay out of courtrooms and settle this behind closed doors....

DeGrom made his third rehab outing Thursday. He allowed one run (unearned), two hits and a walk and struck out four in four innings for Triple-A Syracuse. The New York Post’s Mike Puma reported that the Mets will have deGrom throw a camp game at their Florida complex next week during the All-Star break, with a possible return to the majors on July 24 or July 26. While July 24 against the Padres would be a good challenge for deGrom, the July 26 date is enticing....

Brodeur stopped 15 shots to improve to 4-3-2 this season with his 673rd career victory. Jagr, who also had an assist, boosted his career totals to 686 goals and 1,015 assists, to put him at 1,701. Former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Mario Lemieux is seventh with 1,723 points — 690 goals and 1,033 assists. GETZLAF OUT FOR DUCKS Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury....

“It was joy and it was pain, too. I hated not being out there with my brothers,” Fournette told Sporting News. “But the same time, they went out there, and I did what I did as one of the leaders on the team, motivated them to keep fighting, and they did. I’m very proud of them.” Against New England, Jacksonville utilized an aggressive, pass-heavy game plan, and Fournette’s backups, T....

MORE: Ranking the best NBA stars to switch teams in their primes “One second I’m reportedly upset to be in Philly, then the next I’m upset about trade rumors and having to leave Philly,” Okafor vented on Twitter. “Which one is it? Source please confirm. Seems like writers are getting lazy, dropping a fraudulent story and try to make it credible by using that magic word…. Sources! Lol stop it....

After working out in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday, the undefeated Paul (4-0, three KOs) shared his feelings about Saturday’s fight and his plans for the future. He compared his journey in boxing to that of a certain world-famous Olympic gold medalist and three-time heavyweight champion. “What does [Woodley] have here? He has nothing,” Paul told reporters in response to a question about why he feels more pressure than Woodley going into this fight....

Authorities could not give details into the investigation due to an affidavit sealed by a judge, and it’s unclear if the YouTube star was at home at the time of the search. His Team 10 members also frequently live and work inside the house, and agents did not reveal if the few that remain were present at the time of the raid either. But it’s pretty obvious who was not involved in the FBI search—the many former members of the social media hub, like the Martinez Twins....

That means teams with multiple All-Star candidates may have trouble putting more than one player on a roster. The Knicks fall into that category, as Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle have both played at a high level for a team hoping to secure a postseason berth. Ahead of the reserve announcement, The Sporting News’ Jordan Greer and Gilbert McGregor have made the All-Star cases for Brunson and Randle, respectively. Let’s run through the arguments and determine which player deserves to make the trip to Salt Lake City this year....

The Jamaican women’s bobsled team made history Tuesday, with their first ever Olympics appearance in the sport, 30 years after the 1988 men’s team inspired the movie “Cool Runnings.” According to NBC Olympics, pilot Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian and brakewoman Carrie Russell, completed their final two runs on Wednesday, finishing 19th out of 20. MORE: Red Stripe buys sled for Jamaican bobsledders It was an inspirational ending to what has been a dramatic Games....

The decision comes two days before the top-ranked Seminoles play Duke in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Winston’s attorney, Tim Jansen, has not heard from Meggs late Wednesday night. Jansen told the Democrat that the suspect’s attorney is usually contacted by the State Attorney’s Office if a charge is going to be made. Then a Tallahassee TV station reported that the accuser's attorney had been notified....

MORE: Winston vs. Mariota: strengths, weaknesses | Draft QBs train together | Mock Draft Moments after the report emerged, Winston addressed the media in his scheduled press conference, during which he denied he had any shoulder issues. He will throw Saturday during the NFL Combine. “I had an MRI just like everyone else,” he said. “I’ve been playing football since I was 4 years old and my shoulder has been fine....