Professional football
FILE - In this June 27, 2019, file photo, Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Taylor Rogers throws against the Tampa Bay Rays in a baseball game in Minneapolis. Major League Baseball will start each extra inning this season by putting a runner on second base. “I think you’ve all seen, with a runner on second base these days, we have to be pretty complicated with our sequences,” Rogers said. “I don’t see that speeding up the game. In fact, I see that slowing it down."(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)
New extra-inning format stirs debate as teams plot strategy

By Steve Megargee 9 hrs ago

NFL players are banned from exchanging jerseys after games

By Rob Maaddi 10 hrs ago
NFL teams will be prohibited from post-game interactions within 6 feet of each other, so players won’t be allowed to exchange jerseys after games as part of...

FILE - This is a Nov. 24, 2019, file photo showing New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Edelman said he hopes that recent anti-Semitic social media posts by Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson can be a teaching moment not just for him but others as well. In a video posted to Instagram Thursday, July 9, 2020, Edelman joined the Eagles, NFL and others who have condemned Jackson’s posts over the weekend.(AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)
Pats' Edelman hopes Jackson posts serve as teaching moment

By Kyle Hightower 10 hrs ago

Ricardo Zapata, left, a photographer for the Los Angeles Angels, has his temperature taken by Sarah Morris before entering Angels Stadium for baseball practice on Monday, July 6, 2020, in Anaheim, Calif. New protocols like temperature checks, social distancing, and limiting amount of people allowed in sports venues have been put in place due to the spread of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Latest: California CCAA moving all sports to the spring

By The Associated Press 10 hrs ago

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press 12 hrs ago
July 11 1914 — Babe Ruth makes his major league pitching debut for the Boston Red Sox against Cleveland, getting the 4-3 victory over the...

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2019, file photo, Toronto FC soccer player Justin Morrow speaks to the media during an end of season availability in Toronto. A group of African American Major League Soccer players have formed a coalition to address systematic racism in their communities and bring about change within the league. The coalition is the result of an Instagram group formed after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, which spawned a wave of nationwide protests against racism and policy brutality. Started by Toronto FC defender Justin Morrow, the group grew to some 70 MLS players, who decided to act and the Black Players Coalition of MLS was born. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
Black Players for Change lead protest at MLS is Back tourney

By Anne M. Peterson 22 hrs ago

Members of all the MLS soccer teams march around the stadium before a soccer match Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Kissimmee, Fla., wearing shirts and masks with messages about race. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
MLS returns to action after poignant moment of silence

By Mark Long Jul. 08, 2020 09:54 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 file photo, San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert (31) runs against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of the NFL NFC Championship football game in Santa Clara, Calif. San Francisco 49ers postseason breakout star Raheem Mostert requested a trade from the team after not being able to renegotiate his contract. Agent Brett Tessler made the request public on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.(AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
Agent: RB Raheem Mostert requests trade from 49ers

By Josh Dubow Jul. 08, 2020 09:27 PM EDT

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2009 file photo, the Washington Redskins logo is shown on the field before the start of a preseason NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Landover, Md. The Washington Redskins are undergoing what the team calls a “thorough review” of the nickname. In a statement released Friday, July 3, 2020, the team says it has been talking to the NFL for weeks about the subject. Owner Dan Snyder says the process will include input from alumni, sponsors, the league, community and members of the organization. FedEx on Thursday called for the team to change its name, and Nike appeared to remove all Redskins gear from its online store. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
Maryland governor: Probably time to change Redskins name

By Brian Witte Jul. 08, 2020 06:40 PM EDT

Bills hire Sinnarajah as VP of business administration

By John Wawrow Jul. 08, 2020 03:59 PM EDT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have hired Jason Sinnarajah as senior vice president of business administration. From Toronto,...

Ricardo Zapata, left, a photographer for the Los Angeles Angels, has his temperature taken by Sarah Morris before entering Angels Stadium for baseball practice on Monday, July 6, 2020, in Anaheim, Calif. New protocols like temperature checks, social distancing, and limiting amount of people allowed in sports venues have been put in place due to the spread of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Latest: D-Backs' Guerra returns after negative test

By The Associated Press Jul. 08, 2020 02:31 PM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) talks with some young fans along the fence line after making a catch in drills during practice at NFL football training camp in Latrobe, Pa. The coronavirus pandemic forced the NFL to abandon, at least for 2020, the fading but still time-honored tradition of teams traveling to training camp. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
NFL's stay-at-home order means no travel for training camp

By Schuyler Dixon Jul. 08, 2020 11:20 AM EDT

Chicago White Sox Manager Rick Renteria works his players during the first baseball practice of the restarted 2020 MLB season at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, July 3, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Mark Black)
Column: Rolling the dice against a virus that usually wins

By Tim Dahlberg Jul. 08, 2020 02:15 AM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2020, file photo, AFC quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens smiles during Pro Bowl NFL football practice in Kissimmee, Fla. Lamar Jackson announced he will hold his annual “Funday with LJ” event in Florida amid the state's spike in coronavirus cases. Jackson's third annual event will be held Saturday and Sunday in his hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida, according to a flyer shared on his Instagram page Monday, July 6, 2020. Social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people is currently not allowed in Pompano Beach, according to the city’s website.(AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)
Ravens quarterback cancels Florida event amid virus surge

Jul. 08, 2020 01:43 AM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2020, file photo, Alabama offensive lineman Jedrick Wills runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis. The Cleveland Browns have signed rookie tackle Wills, their first-round draft pick who will try to slide over to the left side in the NFL. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Browns sign 'Bama tackle Wills, team's first-round pick

By Tom Withers Jul. 07, 2020 09:35 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2007, file photo, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan watches his team during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago. Shanahan has been elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame and will be inducted in 2021 because of COVID-19 precautions. Shanahan was coach from 1995-2008 after serving as a Broncos assistant from 1984-87 and 1989-91. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
Ex-coach Mike Shanahan elected to Broncos Ring of Honor

Jul. 07, 2020 06:40 PM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2020, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Chiefs made sure they will have Super Bowl MVP Mahomes around as long as possible. Mahomes agreed to a 10-year extension worth $503 million, according to his agency, Steinberg Sports. The deal is worth $477 million in guarantee mechanisms and includes a no-trade clause and opt-out clauses if guarantee mechanisms are not met. It is the richest contract in professional sports history, surpassing Mike Trout’s $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Mahomes' big bet on football pays off with $503 million deal

By Michael Marot Jul. 07, 2020 05:58 PM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2020, file photo, NFL Players Association Executive director DeMaurice Smith speaks at the annual state of the union news conference in Miami Beach, Fla. The NFL and the NFLPA haven’t come to an agreement on all protocols for training camp and the preseason as the report date for teams draws closer. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
NFL, NFLPA still haven't resolved all protocol for camps

By Rob Maaddi Jul. 07, 2020 05:11 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2019, file photo, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (10) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, in Atlanta. Jackson has apologized after backlash for sharing anti-Semitic posts on social media over the weekend. “My post was definitely not intended for anybody of any race to feel any type of way, especially the Jewish community,” Jackson said in a video he posted on Instagram on Tuesday, July 7, 2020. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)
Eagles WR DeSean Jackson apologizes for anti-Semitic post

By Rob Maaddi Jul. 07, 2020 01:33 PM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2019, file photo, Cleveland Browns defensive end Olivier Vernon fights past a block by New England Patriots offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, rear, in the second half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. The Browns have reconstructed defensive end Olivier Vernon's contract for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Tuesday, July 7, 2020. Vernon's future with the Browns seemed uncertain as he was set to make $15.25 million in 2020. But the club reworked his deal and he'll earn $11 million, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not publicly disclosing the agreement.(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
AP source: Browns restructure DE Olivier Vernon's contract

By Tom Withers Jul. 07, 2020 11:42 AM EDT