Sports

More news - Breaking news Sometimes, smaller is better. For decades, major sports leagues have sought to place teams in the country's largest markets, in hopes of selling more tickets and sponsorships, as well as satisfying broadcasters who want to reach as many viewers as possible. But in recent years, leagues have embraced the allure of smaller markets. Teams moved to cities like Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, seeking financial incentives, newer arenas and stadiums, and more devoted fans. In early April, the National Hockey League approved the $1.2 billion sale of the Arizona Coyotes to tech billionaire Ryan Smith and his wife Ashley. The team, which will be renamed, will begin play next season at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, home of another Smiths team,...

More news - Latest news Rocky Wirtz, who after taking over from his father as principal owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, won three Stanley Cup championships in the 2010s — a stellar run that lost its luster several years later after a sexual assault investigation by one of the teams of the minor league. players by a coach – died Tuesday in Evanston, Illinois. He was 70 years old. His death, in hospital, was confirmed by John Steinmiller, team spokesman. Under Mr. Wirtz's father, William, the Blackhawks, one of the National Hockey League's six original franchises, had become a downtrodden, money-losing franchise. The team hadn't won the Stanley Cup since 1961. Attendance at the United Center was among the worst in the league. And home games weren't televised. “I would say, 'Dad, w...

Linked media - Associated media Ken Holtzman, a left-hander who pitched two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and won three World Series with the Oakland A’s in a 15-season career, died on Monday in St. Louis. He was 78. He had been hospitalized for the last three weeks with heart and respiratory illnesses, his brother, Bob, said in confirming the death. Holtzman won 174 games, the most for a Jewish pitcher in Major League Baseball — nine more than the Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who is considered one of the best pitchers ever and who had a shorter career. In addition to his win total, Holtzman, who at 6 feet 2 inches and 175 pounds cut a lanky figure, had a career earned run average of 3.49 and was chosen for the 1972 and 1973 All-Star teams. Holtzman, at 23, threw his first no-...

Linked media - Associated media Finally! It’s here. I’m thrilled to share this year’s draft guide with everyone. I don’t remember who first referred to it as “The Beast,” but I use that moniker as motivation to make sure this annual primer lives up to the nickname — and I don’t think I’ve let you down this year. Every NFL prospect is a puzzle. And it is a scout’s job to find the puzzle pieces to create as clear a picture of each player as possible. Those puzzle pieces include everything from the player’s physical traits to his mental makeup to the details of his upbringing — and everything in between. That’s precisely how I attack this draft guide. Over the last 18 months, I’ve collected as many puzzle pieces as I could dig up, through countless hours of tape study and conv...

Associated media - Associated media By now, you probably understand what Bills general manager Brandon Beane is all about. He has a history of trading up. He did it for Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds, Cody Ford, Dawson Knox, Zack Moss, Kaiir Elam, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid. That’s eight times in six drafts, four in the first round. To his credit, he actually has traded down during one draft, doing so twice in the 2022 second round before taking James Cook. Beane said he had a trade to move down last year and would have done it if he couldn’t get Kincaid — but he didn’t. Despite giving us the information, he doesn’t get credit for doing the move, because ultimately, he did what he has always done in the first round. He chased after a player who excited him, just as he always said...

Associated media - Associated media Yesterday, I largely focused on setting the table for the updated NBA Pre-Postseason Players Tiers before revealing Tier 3 (players between the 24th and 42nd spot) and Tier 4 (Nos. 43-80). Today, I’m going to get a little more into some of the more interesting and/or challenging placements, as well as note a few overall trends. For starters, a consistent bit of feedback — and one I’ve gotten from multiple sources since the release of Tiers 3 and 4 — is the always difficult evaluation of which player is more valuable between an elite role player and a good-but-not-great primary or secondary creator. A senior analytics staffer within the league went so far as to argue they would prefer essentially the entirety of Tier 4A, largely made up of elite rol...