Music, comedy and a whole lot of Trump. And then finally, an actual World Cup draw
WASHINGTON (AP) — Perhaps it's fitting that after the World Cup draw ceremony began, it took about 90 minutes for the actual drawing of teams to begin in earnest. By then, casual fans who tuned in out of curiosity had learned that FIFA doesn’t really do understatement. Not for an event like this, at least. The president of the United States danced to the Village People, Wayne Gretzky struggled to pronounce the names of underdog soccer nations from Europe and the Caribbean — and the head of FIFA declared his governing body to be humanity’s official provider of happiness. It was all quite a spectacle.
Argentina and Messi will open their World Cup defense against Algeria. The US starts vs. Paraguay
WASHINGTON (AP) — Argentina and Lionel Messi will play Algeria to open their World Cup title defense as part of a group that also includes Austria. The United States was drawn to start against Paraguay at Inglewood, California, on June 12. That's a day after Mexico hosts the opener against South Africa. The U.S. reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and has gotten as far as the quarterfinals only one other time, in 2002. U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew plastic balls representing their own countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
Matt Campbell hired as Penn State's coach, ending search for James Franklin's successor
Matt Campbell has been hired as Penn State’s football coach. The announcement Friday night marks the end of a long search by the Nittany Lions to find James Franklin's successor. The 46-year-old Campbell heads to Happy Valley after going 72-55 in 10 seasons at Iowa State to become the winningest coach in the history of that program. Campbell's contract could be approved as early as Monday by a university committee, after which he is expected to be introduced. Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft calls Campbell “the right leader at the right time for Penn State football.”
Michael Jordan testifies in NASCAR antitrust trial, says he had no choice but to sue 'the entity'
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan has testified in a landmark NASCAR antitrust case, stating he felt compelled to sue to force changes in a business model he believes shortchanges teams and drivers. Jordan, co-owner of 23XI, joined Front Row Motorsports in the lawsuit against NASCAR. He aargued for a more equitable revenue split similar to the NBA. Heather Gibbs, co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, also testified, highlighting the pressure teams face under the current system.
Another must-watch moment for Michael Jordan as NBA great testifies at NASCAR trial
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan spent about an hour testifying against NASCAR in a federal antitrust trial Friday. The retired NBA great laid out the reasons he and others have sued the stock car series in hopes of a different business model they said would benefit teams and drivers. The appearance was highly anticipated and there were moments of humor. Jordan described himself as a fan of NASCAR since he attended races with his family across the South during his childhood.
Tulane tops North Texas 34-21 in American Conference title game for a likely CFP bid
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jake Retzlaff rushed for two short touchdowns, Jamauri McClure rushed for 121 yards and a score, and Tulane defeated North Texas 34-21 in the American Conference championship game — a victory that likely secured a College Football Playoff bid. Chris Rogers returned an interception 35-yards for a touchdown for Tulane, which intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles in a trimphant performance that is expected to delay coach Jon Sumrall’s departure for the Florida job he accepted last Sunday. Sumrall has said if the Green Wave qualified for the 12-team CFP, he’d see that through to the end. Eric Morris is off to Oklahoma State after coaching the Mean Green to its first 11-win regular season.
No. 19 James Madison makes case for playoff with 31-14 win over Troy in Sun Belt title game
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — No. 19 James Madison has made its case for a College Football Playoff berth. Wayne Knight rushed for career-high 212 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, and JMU beat Troy 31-14 in the in the Sun Belt Conference title game on Friday night. The Dukes improved to 12-1. They'll now root for Duke to beat Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday night, a result that could make JMU one of two Group of Five schools in the 12-team playoff. On a chilly night when fans were repeatedly chided for throwing snowballs onto the field, James Madison’s defense recorded eight sacks and shut out Troy in the second half.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers says he anticipates Giannis Antetokounmpo missing about 4 weeks
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers says he anticipates Giannis Antetokounmpo missing about a month as the two-time MVP recovers from a strained right calf. Initial reports have indicated Antetokounmpo would be out two to four weeks. Rivers suggested Friday that it would likely be on the higher end of that timeline. Rivers emphasized the importance of caution with calf issues to avoid the risk of a player getting hurt more severely. Antetokounmpo injured his calf in the opening minutes of the Bucks’ 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Knicks jump out to a 23-0 lead over the Jazz, largest in the NBA since detailed play-by-play began
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks jumped on the Utah Jazz with a 23-0 lead Friday night, the largest game-opening run in the NBA since the league began keeping detailed play-by-play for all four quarters. The Knicks pitched a shutout for half the first quarter and led by 28 by the time it was over. Karl-Anthony Towns opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and when Jalen Brunson made one midway through the period, the Knicks had scored the first 23 points. That was the most one team had before the other scored since the NBA began keeping detailed play-by-play for the entire game in 1997. The Jazz missed their first 12 shots.
‘No heart’: DeMarcus Cousins slams No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats after a brutal loss
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The 18th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats have lost back-to-back games and three of their last five. Worse, they are struggling to shoot. Panic is bubbling up in the Bluegrass State. Fans booed the Wildcats off the court at halftime Friday night and headed to the exits before Kentucky’s miserable and ugly 94-59 loss to No. 11 Gonzaga. The Wildcats now are 5-4. Onetime Kentucky one-and-done star DeMarcus Cousins didn’t hold back on his opinion on social media saying this team has no hard and is hard to watch. Kentucky coach Mark Pope took no issue issue with Cousins’ opinion. He said the Wildcats have to dig themselves out of a bad spot.
