6:41 AM ET There is a slim chance that Max Verstappen can clinch his first world championship crown at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. Verstappen leads Mercedes driver and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton by eight points ahead of the penultimate race. It’s a small margin, but mathematically a champion could be crowned on Sunday
Month: December 2021
7:19 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN There was an air of optimism around the New Orleans Pelicans franchise heading into the 2021-22 season: Zion Williamson was coming off of an All-Star season and Brandon Ingram was a year removed from an All-Star appearance. The Pelicans added Devonte’ Graham and Jonas Valanciunas. The goal was to get
6:24 AM ET Britain’s Johanna Konta has announced her retirement from professional tennis. The former World No. 4, who was the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 39 years in 2017, made the announcement on Wednesday on social media. Konta said in a statement she was “grateful” for her career in tennis.
7:49 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Floyd Mayweather and Gervonta “Tank” Davis were vacationing together in Miami several years ago. The two lounged on Mayweather’s yacht and rode bicycles in South Beach. Davis got a taste of the life of luxury that Mayweather enjoys as the biggest pay-per-view draw in boxing history. During that trip,
6:00 AM ET NFL NationESPN The NFL is about to set a record for most fourth-down attempts in a season. Again. Coaches are on pace to dial up 838 fourth-down tries in 2021, up from 780 the year prior. (Even if this were still a 16-game season, they’d be on track for a 788 attempts.)
7:00 AM ET [Editor’s note: It all comes down to this. What final weekend scheduling strategy will win the Bottom 10 title? Head-to-head matchups between ranked teams or blowout losses to good teams?] Inspirational thought of the week: It was learned in a gameThat was played by us allWho held the top of the hillFrom
2:36 AM ET Niamh Lewis In 2021, as increasing numbers of sportspeople are feeling comfortable about coming out, there are still people working in Formula 1 and other series who feel they cannot be honest about their sexuality and gender identity, even after 25 to 30 years of working in motorsport. Several officials inside racing
11:14 PM ET Leeds United CEO Angus Kinnear has compared calls for a transfer levy and an independent regulator to Maoism and the Great Chinese Famine, adding that the recommendations would not make English football any fairer. A transfer levy on top-flight clubs and appointment of an independent regulator for the English game were among
10:55 PM ET Alexander Callens capped a perfect 5-for-5 shootout for fourth-seeded New York City FC en route to a 5-3 win on penalty kicks over the top-seeded New England Revolution in an MLS Eastern Conference semifinal matchup on Tuesday night in Foxborough, Mass. The teams played to a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes plus
10:57 AM ET Messi’s seventh Ballon d’Or shouldn’t get you too riled up. It’s an award given to the glamorous players and isn’t intended to serve as a definitive world’s best player prize. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images Count the Ballon d’Or as one of those grand old institutions that’s insanely popular. There are several reasons