NFL
Christmas cleats bring fine
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been fined US$5,000 by the league for wearing red and green cleats during their Christmas Day win. Although it allowed Kamara to wear the cleats for the duration of the game, he was fined for non-conforming footwear. Kamara made history in the cleats, becoming the first player to score six touchdowns in a game since Gale Sayers did it for the Chicago Bears in 1965. He anticipated the penalty. “Oh, they’re probably going to fine me,” Kamara said after the Saints’ 52-33 win over the Minnesota Vikings. “If they fine me, whatever it is, I’ll just match it and donate it to charity. You know that the Grinch always tries to steal Christmas.”
NBA
First woman directs a team
Former WNBA player Becky Hammon has become the first woman to direct a team in an NBA contest, describing the experience as “a big deal, it’s a substantial moment.” Hammon made history on Wednesday in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs, taking over the Spurs’ bench duties when head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in the first half. Popovich received a technical foul and was thrown out of the game with 3 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the second quarter for arguing with a referee as his team trailed the Lakers 52-41. “He officially pointed at me. That was it,” Hammon said. “Said: ‘You got ’em,’ and that was it — very Pop’-like.”
NHL
Two outside games planned
The league is planning to have two regular season outdoor games without fans at Lake Tahoe in Nevada, multiple reports said on Friday. The Vegas Golden Knights are to face the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 20 at the picturesque Edgewood Tahoe Resort, followed by a Feb. 21 clash between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers, the reports said. The games would be played around the final three holes the resort’s golf course, which is home to a popular celebrity golf tournament. The league has said that it wants something different in a season where fan involvement will be limited due to COVID-19, so it has scouted several locations for outdoor games, including Lake Louise, Alberta, and Park City, Utah.
CRICKET
Umesh Yadav to miss Tests
Umesh Yadav is to miss the final two Tests against Australia, further damaging India’s pace bowling attack. India team officials on Friday said that Yadav injured a calf muscle during India’s series-leveling eight-wicket victory over Australia in the Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Board of Control for Cricket in India said that the 33-year-old Yadav, who is the most experienced member of India’s pace attack, would return home for rehabilitation and miss the remaining two Tests — at the Sydney Cricket Ground beginning on Thursday and in Brisbane starting on Jan. 15.
DARTS
Past champ whitewashed
Three-time winner Michael Van Gerwen on Friday crashed out of the world darts championship, suffering a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of Dave Chisnall. A superb quarter-final display from England’s Chisnall at Alexandra Palace saw him hit 14 maximum 180s, as he moved into the semi-finals for the first time. Chisnall’s last-four opponent is to be two-time winner Gary Anderson. Van Gerwen wrote on Twitter: “I didn’t show up at all this evening and let myself down. For some reason it just never happened up there.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to