National Sports - The Morning Sun

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (17) is tackled by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Jets know they must try to at least keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' explosive offense

The New York Jets acknowledge they’ll need to at least keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ explosive offense Sunday night if they expect to have any chance of winning. Wide receiver … more

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. | 9/29/23

FILE - Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams watches during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Detroit, Jan. 1, 2023. The NFL has revised its gambling policy and is reinstating three players who previously received longer suspensions. Tennessee's Nicholas Petit-Frere and Detroit's Jameson Williams can return to their teams on Monday, Oct. 2. Free agent Stanley Berryhill will be eligible to participate in all activities, including games, starting Tuesday, Oct. 3. All three players were initially suspended six games.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

NFL revises gambling policy, reinstates Detroit's Jameson Williams and 2 other suspended players

The NFL has revised its gambling policy and is reinstating three players who previously received longer suspensions. Tennessee’s Nicholas Petit-Frere and Detroit’s Jameson Williams can return to … more

By ROB MAADDI | 9/29/23

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis celebrates in the dugout after scoring on single from Carlos Correa during during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

MLB has its most productive class of rookie hitters ever. Managers and players believe they know why

Minnesota's Royce Lewis is just one of dozens of first-year position players crushing it at the plate for contending teams. This is the best class of rookie hitters the major leagues have ever seen … more

By DAVE CAMPBELL | 9/29/23

Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) blows a bubble as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

MLB playoffs guide: Baseball's tight wild-card races are a prelude for what's coming in October

Major League Baseball’s final weekend of the regular season will include some sweaty palms and intense games. A handful of teams will jockey for limited spots in the postseason bracket. Consider it … more

By DAVID BRANDT | 9/29/23

FILE - Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) plays in an NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Bills coach Sean McDermott ruled out starting saftety Jordan Poyer playing against the Miami Dolphins this weekend, Friday, Sept. 29, opening the door for Damar Hamlin to suit up for the first time since having a near-death experience at Cincinnati in January. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Bills' safety Poyer ruled out against Dolphins, opening possibility of Hamlin making season debut

Buffalo Bills starting safety Jordan Poyer was ruled out from playing against the Miami Dolphins this weekend, potentially opening the door for Damar Hamlin to appear in his first regular-season game … more

By JOHN WAWROW | 9/29/23

FILE - Tyson Fury, right, lands a punch during his WBC heavyweight championship boxing match against Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane stadium London, on Dec. 3, 2022. Tyson Fury will face Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in the first fight this century to unify all of the four major heavyweight boxing titles, Fury's promoter Frank Warren said Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, File)

Tyson Fury to fight Oleksandr Usyk for undisputed heavyweight title, Fury's promoter says

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have agreed to fight in Saudi Arabia in the first bout this century to unify all of the major heavyweight boxing titles. Fury holds the WBC version of the heavyweight … more

9/29/23

Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. (13) thanks the crowd for a standing ovation after he stole second base against the Chicago Cubs during the 10th inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Atlanta. It was Acuña's 70th stolen base of the season. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Column: After historic regular season, Acuña gets a chance to really shine in playoffs

The last time the Braves made their run to a World Series championship, Ronald Acuña Jr. could only watch. A serious knee injury left him on the sidelines. Now, after a historic season, Atlanta’s … more

By PAUL NEWBERRY | 9/29/23

FILE - Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, speaks to the press at Martinsville Speedway, Sunday April 18, 2004, in Martinsville, Va. Hendrick was at church 20 years ago when Geoffrey Bodine drove an unsponsored car to victory at Martinsville Speedway, giving Rick Hendrick his first victory as an owner. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Already the winningest team in NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports sets new goals after 300th win

Rick Hendrick believes in setting goals because chasing that dangling carrot has proved to be an effective motivator for NASCAR’s winningest team. So when he passed Petty Enterprises to make … more

By JENNA FRYER | 9/29/23

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) walk out the field with the medical team after he got injured in a play against the New England Patriots during fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Ma. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)

Miami's Jaylen Waddle clears concussion protocols, LB Jaelan Phillips ruled out Sunday vs. Bills

Coach Mike McDaniel has confirmed that star receiver Jaylen Waddle cleared concussion protocols. He will be available when the Dolphins head to Buffalo to face the division rival Bills on Sunday. … more

By ALANIS THAMES | 9/29/23

FILE - Texas guard Arterio Morris brings the ball up during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Austin, Texas, Dec. 10, 2022. Morris, now at Kansas, has entered a plea deal to end a misdemeanor assault case against him in Texas, canceling a trial scheduled for October, his attorney said Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Morris was originally charged with a Class A misdemeanor on allegations he assaulted an ex-girlfriend in June 2022, shortly before he enrolled at Texas. Morris transferred to Kansas after the 2022-2023 season. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Kansas guard Arterio Morris charged with rape, dismissed from men's basketball team

Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris was charged Friday with one count of rape and dismissed from the Jayhawks’ men's basketball program. Morris was booked in Douglas County and his bond was set … more

By DAVE SKRETTA | 9/29/23

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Brighton won 3-1. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

This could be the solution to growing fears about burnout among soccer's top players

Less is more. That is the message coming from within soccer at a time when demand for the sport has never been higher. It is the message from those on the front line. From those who claim they are … more

By JAMES ROBSON | 9/29/23

48 years old Uzbekistan's Oksana Chusovitina competes in the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Vault event of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. Oksana Chusovitina competed in her first Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona. Now 48, and she's not done yet despite the fact her competition is generations younger. Few were even born when she won Olympic gold. She finished fourth in the vault this week at the Asian Games and says she's aiming for next year's Olympics in Paris, when she would be 49.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Ageless Oksana Chusovitina -- at 48 -- is still hoping to qualify for Paris Olympics in gymnastics

Oksana Chusovitina competed in her first Olympics at the 1992 Barcelona Games and won a gold medal in gymnastics. Her first title in a big meet came in 1988 at the junior nationals in the Soviet … more

By STEPHEN WADE | 9/29/23

United States' Scottie Scheffler, left gestures with playing partner United States' Sam Burns during their morning Foursome match on the 11th green at the Ryder Cup golf tournament at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Best friends Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns again struggle together in Ryder Cup loss

Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns are best friends away from the golf course but it's been a struggle when they play the sport together. The latest example came when the Americans won only one hole in … more

By ANDREW DAMPF | 9/29/23

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving smiles as he walks on the court during an NBA basketball training camp in Dallas, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Doncic, Irving believe full season with Mavs will make encore better than debut that flopped

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are running it back with the Dallas Mavericks after the All-Star pairing flopped in a two-month debut last season. Doncic and Irving believe a full preseason and dozens … more

By SCHUYLER DIXON | 9/29/23

United States' Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the 1st tee during his morning Foursome match at the Ryder Cup golf tournament at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Live updates |Ryder Cup gets going with noise and heckles

The Ryder Cup is finally here and it didn't take long to be reminded how raucous it is. Thousands upon thousands of fans spilled through the gates before dawn for the start of the matches at Marco … more

9/29/23

Hayden Dorfman, 10, of Voorhees, N.J., holds up Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper’s autographed helmet during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Philadelphia. Harper tossed his helmet into the stands after he was ejected and it was retrieved by Dorfman. (AP Photo/Daniel Gelston)

Phillies' Harper flips out on ump, tosses helmet into the stands where it's retrieved by 10-year-old

Bryce Harper flipped out on the third base umpire and then flipped his maroon Phillies helmet over the protective netting and into the stands. This was no ordinary souvenir like a foul ball. Hayden … more

By DAN GELSTON | 9/28/23

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg makes a stop on a groundball hit by Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu before throwing him out at first base during the second inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Orioles clinch the AL East title with their 100th win of the season, 2-0 over Red Sox

Anthony Santander homered in the first, DL Hall worked out of a sixth-inning jam and the Baltimore Orioles clinched the AL East title with a 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Dean Kremer allowed … more

By NOAH TRISTER | 9/28/23

FILE - Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham, right, talks with general manager Rob Pelinka prior to the team's NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. Pelinka believes he has assembled a roster that will allow LeBron James to rest a little bit easier this year. “Our theme was continuity, and bringing our group back that was a Western Conference finals team, and trying to improve around the edges,” Pelinka said Thursday, Sept 28. “We put in the work to execute that plan.” (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

LeBron will get more help this season from Lakers' revamped roster, GM Pelinka says

LeBron James is once again getting to the gym at dawn and putting in long hours as he prepares to begin his 21st NBA season. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka believes he has assembled a roster that … more

By GREG BEACHAM | 9/28/23

An Oregon State fans hold a "Pac-2" sign, representing the two schools that will remain in the Pac-12 after the 2023-2024 academic year after the other schools in the conference announced plans to leave, during the second half of an NCAA college football game between Washington State and Oregon State, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

Court hearing set for Nov. 14 as Oregon State, Washington State fight for control of Pac-12

A hearing has been set for Nov. 14 in Oregon State and Washington State’s legal fight with the Pac-12 and its departing members to govern the conference and control its assets. The preliminary … more

The Associated Press | 9/28/23

FILE - Michigan State coach Mel Tucker walks the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Richmond, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller has informed suspended football coach Mel Tucker he is being fired for cause without compensation for his conduct with activist and rape survivor Brenda Tracy. “The notice provides Tucker with seven calendar days to respond and present reasons to me and the interim president as to why he should not be terminated for cause,” Haller said in a statement sent by the school on Monday, Sept. 18. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

Mel Tucker attorney wants Michigan State to preserve documents for potential lawsuit

An attorney for fired Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker wants university officials and representatives to preserve all documents related to the investigation, citing a potential lawsuit … more

9/28/23