San Antonio can still make progress after losing their veteran guard for the season. But questions over his future – and the team’s old guard – will emergeIn the middle of one of their biggest wins of the season, the San Antonio Spurs suffered a painful loss. In the fourth quarter of what was shaping up to be a blowout victory over the Houston Rockets, Spurs point guard Tony Parker crumbled to the ground, clutching his left leg and eventually had to be carried off the floor. San Antonio ended up winning Game 2 121-96, evening up their series against Houston, but the post-game mood was anything but celebratory. Related: NBA playoffs: Thomas scores 53 points in Celtics win, Warriors...
Philadelphia last won a league game when Barack Obama was president. But not so long ago they appeared destined for successOn 27 August 2016, the Philadelphia Union beat Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on a cloudy night in Chester, Pennsylvania. Roland Alberg and Tranquillo Barnetta scored the goals, and goalkeeper Andre Blake kept his sixth clean sheet of the year. The mood around the team was buoyant. The Union, after years of mediocrity, were starting to turn their fortunes around. They had just secured back-to-back victories, and also set a team record for home wins in a season. They were third place in the East, and looking certain to make their first playoff appearance since 2011. Coach Jim Curtin couldn’t stop...
The New York Mets have been ravaged by injuries. But who is to blame when a team’s chances are ruined by players forced on to the sidelines?Death, taxes and injuries to Mets starters – a few of life’s certainties. Just when the furor over the Mets’ parade of injuries had seemingly reached a climax with news that Yoenis Cespedes’ strained hamstring would put him on the 10-day disabled list, Noah Syndergaard was pulled from Sunday’s game after lasting only 1 1/3 innings. In an era when arm problems frequently shelve baseball’s best young pitchers – often those that throw the hardest – this is troubling news, especially given Syndergaard’s record of past resilience.But while the Mets appeared to have poorly...
The decision to hold the Draft in Philadelphia worked out brilliantly, and there were some unlikely heroes and villainsThe 2017 NFL Draft is over and meaningful football is still more than four months away. That’s a long time to wait for games, so let’s just unveil some Winners and Losers now. Related: NFL draft: Bears pick Mitch Trubisky and manage to make Browns look smart Related: 'Fine me later': Takkarist McKinley wins hearts with draft speech to late grandma #Broncos Elway on drafting Chad Kelly. "I called his uncle and said he was a good kid.... We are full of confidence understands situation." Continue reading...
The joint bid between the US, Mexico and Canada for the 2026 tournament appears to be a shoo-in. But there are still stumbling blocks to be overcomeAnyone who claims sports and politics don’t mix has never bid to host the World Cup. As David Downs – the man who led the failed United States tilt at the 2022 World Cup – recalls, hosting the tournament is all politics. That is one reason the recently announced joint bid from the US, Mexico, and Canada wants Fifa to approve their pitch for the 2026 World Cup – without a rival bid – two years ahead of schedule.Downs, the former executive director of the 2022 US bid and the president of Univision Sports...