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LONDON (AP) — David Beckham is retiring from soccer, ending a career in which he became a global superstar who transcended the sport. The 38-year-old Beckham, who recently won a league title in a fourth country with Paris Saint-Germain, said Thursday he will retire after the season. ‘‘I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,’’ the former England captain said in a statement. Beckham, whose forays into fashion and marriage to a pop-star wife have made him a riveting international...

Jay Harris, Downingtown East’s star wide receiver, said he phoned a Michigan State assistant two weeks ago and broke the news. He would not be a Spartan. “I wish we could’ve got you,” Harris said the coach told him. It was not a rival program that drew Harris, but instead a different career path. The 5-foot-11, 162-pound senior said he wants to make it as a rapper.

After Tiger Woods won his second Players Championship on Sunday and Sergio Garcia claimed he had been the "victim" in his flap with Woods over the weekend, a Players marshal revealed that Woods's account of what happened on the second hole in the third round when he was paired with Garcia was not true and said the world's top-ranked golfer lacked character. In the rain-shortened third round of The Players Championship last weekend, Garcia was frustrated that he hit a poor approach shot on the second hole and blamed it on the commotion Woods caused when he pulled a five-wood...

Handing over taxpayer dollars to assist Michigan International Speedway has become a tradition at the state capitol. The Senate version of the 2014 state police budget would appropriate $800,000 for traffic control at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). If that appropriation stays in the budget, it would bring the amount of budgeted taxpayer dollars used to help support MIS over the past five years to just shy of $20 million. Senate Bill 185 labels the appropriation as "Traffic Control Support." It is used to pay for the state police to handle traffic control around the speedway, particularly for a couple of...

If you’re a sports fan, or even if you’re not, you’ve likely heard about NBA athlete Jason Collins publicly announcing that he’s gay. Of course, gays in professional sports is hardly a revelation, but Collins has the distinction of being the first openly gay athlete who currently plays for a major American team sport. It’s making headlines everywhere, right on up to the cover of Sports Illustrated. While the media begins developing this story into the next pop culture melodrama, let’s be honest about something: gays coming out in pro sports is not that big a deal. It’ no...

'Act of faith' did not cost track team win, student's reaction to official did An act of faith has cost an area track team a win and a chance to advance to the state championships. This past weekend, the Columbus High School Mighty Cardinals had just won a boys relay race when a runner’s final gesture got them disqualified. As he was crossing the finish line, Derrick Hayes pointed up to the sky. His father believes he was giving thanks in a gesture to God. “It was a reaction,” father KC Hayes said. “I mean you’re brought up your whole...

Manchester United have confirmed Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season after 27 years at the club. Fergie, 71, walks away from Old Trafford having secured United’s 13th Premier League title. Along with 13 league titles, Ferguson also guided United to two European Cups, five FA Cups and four League Cup triumphs. His last last game in charge will be at West Brom on May 19.

Members of a boys 4 X 100 meter relay high school track team in Texas were left in tears last weekend after the University Interscholastic League of Texas disqualified them from competing in the state championships because the team's anchor runner made a "religious gesture" as he crossed the finish line to win their regional title. The runner, Derrick Hayes reportedly lifted a finger to the sky in celebration, as he wrapped up the win for Columbus High School. According to his father, K.C. Hayes, he was simply pointing to God. But UIL officials disagreed and slapped the team with...

MoveOn.org has started a petition to get ESPN reporter Chris Broussard immediately suspended from the network for comments he made regarding Jason Collins's homosexuality, which Broussard said was a sin according to his personal Christian beliefs. The group said Broussard was engaging in "gay bashing." The petition reads: Chris Broussard's hateful attack on Jason Collins for being gay was an unacceptable misrepresentation of the Christian faith. ESPN must immediately suspend Chris Broussard and guarantee that their network will never again be used for gay bashing. In its "petition background" statement, the left-wing organization says that after Jason Collins "emphasized the...

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in the process of honoring each of its members by placing a plaque at each Hall of Famer's high school.The Hall of Fame's project made a stop at Superior (WI) High School on Wednesday to honor legendary Vikings Head Coach Bud Grant as well as fellow Hall of Fame members Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans and Ernie Nevers.Grant is the most revered figure in Vikings lore. He was head coach of the Vikings for 18 seasons (1967-83, 1985) and in that time compiled a regular season record of 158-96-5 while guiding the Vikings to...

Just as Jason Collins, a veteran NBA player, announced he is gay, a hall of fame for gay athletes and allies launched in Chicago. The nonprofit National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame will accept nominees beginning this summer. Its goal is to honor people and organizations that have "stood up to stereotypes" and embraced gay and lesbian athletes, said Bill Gubrud, executive director and board chairman.

After NBA player Jason Collins broke that barrier this week, the National Football League is making sure it will be ready for any coming out party. Earlier this year, at least three college football players said they had been asked about their sexual orientation during NFL recruitment interviews, sparking calls for the NFL to do more to fight discrimination. Just hours before Collins' coming out statement was published by Sports Illustrated on Tuesday, the NFL - America's most popular sport, with $9 billion a year in revenue - released a ‘workplace conduct statement' regarding sexual orientation.

The Miami Dolphins’ quest for public funding for an overhaul of Sun Life Stadium will go down to the wire in the Florida Legislature. After hopes appeared to be fading early Friday, the Senate version of the bill was scheduled for a second reading on Monday. There are five days remaining in the session, and the House version of the bill remains bogged down in committee.

While the equality treadmill under most of our feet is moving at a high rate of speed, I would imagine this journey is not traveling fast enough for many Americans whose lives are directly impacted by the possibility of change. Consider tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King, who was outed in 1981 when her relationship with another woman became public, and Greg Louganis, the four-time Olympic gold medal-winning American diver, who came out some seven years after King. With more than 55 years combined of public scrutiny of their sexuality, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),...

FULL TITLE: Basketball star Brittney Griner comes out as a lesbian and reveals how she was 'picked on for being different' Brittney Griner, the number one pick in the WNBA draft on Monday, yesterday acknowledged that she is gay and talked about being bullied while growing up. The 6-foot-8 basketball star, selected by the Phoenix Mercury after an astounding four-career at Baylor, openly discussed her sexuality with Sports Illustrated. When asked about why more female athletes were out as opposed to men, Griner replied: 'I really couldn't give an answer on why that's so different. Being one that's out, it's...

(CNSNews.com) – Although no group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s deadly bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon, a leading al-Qaeda ideologue last year recommended that jihadists in America include sporting events in their list of prospective terror targets.

Pat Summerall died Tuesday. He was 82. He died in his hospital room at Zale Lipshy Hospital where he was recovering from surgery for a broken hip, a family friend confirmed.

With growing expectations in recent weeks that a gay male athlete for a major professional sports team in the United States will soon come out publicly for the first time, the leagues have begun exploring ways to accommodate and respond to such a landmark announcement.

When our Lord says turn the other cheek, He speaks of a spiritual strategy to humble the self and then perhaps, to win other souls to Him. Not all the proud are shamed by humility and it seems pretty clear that those who smote the One who offered them salvation did not turn their hearts to him when He turned His cheek to them. Saint John Cantius won the hearts of some bandits when he called them back to take some money they had overlooked, but that is an instance rare enough to have become the lore of hagiography. Sane...

It may not be the reason you think.Details: The Rev. Stephen Fichter understood just how dominant a role sports has assumed in the culture when a family told him they would be out of town Good Friday to Easter Sunday to attend their child’s volleyball tournament.“It’s truly sports that has become like the religion� for many people, said Fichter, a researcher and the pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Haworth, N.J.From youth travel teams to big-time national festivals such as the Final Four, sports have been making increasing inroads in the busy lives of many Americans. Some scholars even trace...

Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo was released by Baltimore this offseason, and on the heels of comments earlier this week where he suggested that he was cut in part because of his outspoken stance on gay rights and equality issues, Ayanbadejo clarified himself to the Baltimore Sun on Friday. During an hour-long interview he made it clear that he harbors no resentment for the Ravens, and respects them for the support they offered him throughout his career both on and off the field. But that's not all. ...Ayanbadejo had this to say: "I think it will happen sooner than you think,"...

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson would rather North Korea not bomb anyone, but if they’re going to, he’s got a suggestion. Johnson posted on Twitter on Wednesday that North Korea should bomb Foxboro, Massachusetts, home of the AFC East rival New England Patriots, if they decide to go to war.

HOUSTON -- Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys" at Texas A&M who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, died Monday. He was 76. In November, Pardee's family announced that he had gall bladder cancer that had spread to other organs and that he had six to nine months to live. The family has established a memorial scholarship fund in Pardee's name at the University of Houston, where Pardee coached from 1987-89. "Today, we mourn the passing of a great man who dedicated his life to the game of football and was a true...

The Detroit Red Wings honored Gordie Howe on his 85th birthday Sunday as players wore jerseys with Howe's retired No. 9 during warm-ups and "Mr. Hockey" was on hand at Joe Louis Arena signing autographs. [...] Former Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who won seven Norris Trophies, was in from Sweden for the occasion. Also on hand were Red Wings Hall of Famers Ted Lindsay and Alex Delvecchio...

Reuters reported yesterday that not one player in major pro team sports has boldly, proudly proclaimed himself as gay. The story's particular focus is on the NFL, which, of course, oozes masculinity (like the military) and, hence, needs to be gay-ized and feminized (in terms of eliminating nasty old contact that leads to big booboos). The left is stepping up its focus on gays in pro team sports as part of its game plan to prove to average Americans (especially those macho sports fans) that gayness isn't just the province of flower shops and HGTV. Masculinity is under assault (as...

HEREFORD, Texas (CBS Houston/AP) — A funeral is scheduled for Wednesday for a Panhandle high school freshman athlete who died nine days after a flying discus hit him in the hip.

The surprising Puerto Ricans first eliminated the star-studded United States, then took care of two-time World Baseball Classic champion Japan two days later with a 3-1 victory in Sunday night's semifinal. Puerto Rico needs just one more win to be WBC champions. "We totally showed we can be the new team, the champion nobody expected," said Angel Pagan, center fielder for the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. "It means a lot, but not everything, because we're still missing one more win." Alex Rios hit a two-run homer, Mike Aviles singled twice and drove in the game's first run, and...

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Notre Dame is joining the Atlantic Coast Conference a season earlier than expected, following the split among the Big East's football schools and seven Catholic schools that are leaving to form a basketball-focused conference. Notre Dame announced the move Tuesday, six months after it surprised the college sports world by opting to join the ACC in all sports except football and hockey.

Saturday's Pool D World Baseball Classic game between Canada and Mexico saw plenty of aggressive play before devolving into an extended and ugly brawl in the ninth inning. After a number of hard slides and a collision at the plate involving Mexico's Karim Garcia, Arnold Leon threw two pitches at Canada's Rene Tosoni, sparking a bench-clearing fight between the teams.

As the separation of the Big East Conference moved toward a conclusion, one question was hanging over the negotiations. Who owns the iconic name? Apparently, the answer is the seven departing Catholic schools. An ESPN.com report Thursday night said the seven schools will start their own league next season and will keep the Big East name. Big East commissioner Mike Aresco insisted as recently as last week that he hoped to retain the name, citing three decades and the name's attachment to the Bowl Championship Series level of football.

Welcome to the 2013 Nascar Race Season. This week's race is run in Phoenix.

Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim Miller cited religion Tuesday in arguing that an openly gay player would not be welcomed in NFL locker rooms. “There are some religions that are just not going to accept a gay individual in the locker room,” Miller told "The McNeil and Spiegel Show" on WSCR-AM 670. “So now, are you as an organization going to bring that element into your locker room and think everything is going to be OK?

Alabama's 2013 recruiting class was wrapped up earlier this month, but for Nick Saban it's never too early to start the process of lining up recruits for Alabama's 2017 class. The Crimson Tide hosted a junior day over the weekend, and one of the players who showed up was Dylan Moses out of Baton Rouge, La. Though Moses is not a junior in high school. He's not even in high school yet, but that didn't stop the eighth-grader from picking up a scholarship offer. [Snip] What makes this all a bit crazier is that Alabama isn't even Dylan's first...

It's a new day with Washington's professional football team. The franchise finally has a quarterback, management that knows what it's doing and an owner who stays the hell out of the way. Mostly. The optimism around the team hasn't been this high since Joe Gibbs won his first Super Bowl. Everything is moving forward. The flowers are blooming, the future is bright and the team still has a racist nickname. Oh, wait. As the franchise clearly takes a turn for the better and is now run by grownups, rejoining the big boys of the NFL, now would be the perfect...

Hours before the most romantic day of the year, Oscar Pistorius' model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp tweeted: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay". Her excitement for the big day was palpable on her Twitter feed. Replying to one response she tweeted: "That sounds amazing! Wow that's what it's all about! It should be a day of love for everyone :) may it be blessed!"

Tags: IOC, 2020 Olympics, Daniel Cormier LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the Olympic program on Tuesday, a surprise decision that removes one of the oldest Olympic sports from the 2020 Games. The IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon -- the event considered most at risk -- and remove wrestling instead from its list of 25 "core sports." The IOC board acted after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Eliminating one sport allows the International Olympic Committee to add a new sport to the program later this year. Wrestling, which combines freestyle and...

I like to bet on sports. Having a stake in the game, even if it's just five bucks, makes it more exciting. I also like playing poker. "Unacceptable!" say politicians in much of America. "Gambling sometimes leads to 'addiction,' destitute families!" Well, it can. So politicians ban it. It's why we no longer see a poker game in the back of bars. Half the states even ban poker between friends -- though they rarely enforce that. After banning things, politicians' second favorite activity is granting special privileges to a few people who do those same things -- so big casinos...

On paper, the third-ranked Iowa wrestling team had every bit a chance to win Friday night’s dual with Penn State as the top-ranked Nittany Lions. Both teams had top-ranked wrestlers and both had matches they should have won. The Hawkeyes took care of the matches they were favored in and did a little more as Tony Ramos earned a big win by fall at 133 and sophomore Mike Evans won the only true swing match of the night during a 22-16 victory over Penn State in front of a loud and crazy sold-out crowd of 15,077 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The...

Caleb Moore, the Winter X Games snowmobiler, went to be with Lord yesterday. He was 25 years old. The young man crash landed a week ago – much to the entertainment of millions watching on ESPN – attempting a back flip during the snowmobile freestyle finals. Initially knocked unconscious, the X game athlete awakened, woozily, was diagnosed with a concussion and, eventually, whisked to the hospital. While hospitalized, Caleb’s condition worsened. Docters found blood near his heart. This past Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the young man’s family issued a statement that his cardiac injury had led to a secondary injury...

One in four Americans believes that God 'plays a role in determining which teams wins' at a sports game, a survey has revealed. And more than half of Americans believe 'God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success', the poll by the Public Religion Research Institute found. It suggests that, while Ravens and 49er fans across the country are willing their teams to win the Super Bowl this Sunday, a significant portion of the country believes they had better get praying.

What happens when the guy in the costume stops being cute and starts getting real.

Derek Brown quietly walked into Auburn Riverside's gym last summer preceded by a swirl of hype. Friends and basketball players who knew Derek had slipped first-year Riverside coach Jason Brown reports on the high school team's new transfer. He attacks the basket like a madman. He can shoot. He's going to take somebody's spot. "Of course," Jason says now, "you always have to take that with a grain of salt." Jason had yet to see the mysterious transfer who spent much of the previous year on Beamer's bench. All he knew was hearsay: Derek could play and his mom died...

President Barack Obama is a big football fan with two daughters, but if he had a son, he says he'd "have to think long and hard" before letting him play because of the physical toll the game takes. "I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence," Obama tells The New Republic. "In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and...

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has an appointment with reporters today to discuss his plans to go after public funding to renovate Sun Life Stadium. The cost estimate is $400 million, says the Miami Herald, some of which Ross apparently hopes to raise from state and local government sources.

Blaine Gabbert will be part of the Jaguars’ quarterback competition next summer. Tim Tebow will not. That was the word from the Jaguars new general manager Dave Caldwell, who has been given by a free hand by owner Shad Khan to make all football decisions. Caldwell was introduced to the media on Thursday and when asked about Tebow, closed the door on bringing in the Jacksonville native. “As far as Tim goes, he is a member of the New York Jets. I can’t imagine a scenario where he would be a Jacksonville Jaguar,’’ he said. When asked to repeat that...

So, Washington football fans, how’s that offensive team name and demeaning sports mascot working out? Whooping and hollering as RGIII goes on a “Redskins” warpath only to leave a trail of tears when his wounded knee gets buried at FedEx Field. In this obscene home team sports fantasy, the gifted Robert Griffin III was reduced to a “noble savage.” Let the “Redskin” play hurt. He can take it. Hail to the young brave-hearted quarterback as he limps into battle on that injured knee. Three cheers as he fights on his one good leg for Old D.C.

Alabama Wins National Championship Cork GainesJanuary 7, 2013 In the end, it wasn't even close. Alabama blew out Notre Dame 42-14 and Nick Saban has now won three national titles in four years. Here are the final moments...(Click to the site to see the video)

The owners of the Detroit Red Wings are looking to building a new $650-million entertainment district for the team in downtown Detroit with the help of state and local taxpayers. The plan is in its early stages and details are scarce, but the overwhelming economic consensus is that subsidized stadiums are huge losers for taxpayers. Amidst all the other excitement in Lansing, a bill to exempt certain businesses from state and local taxes via the Downtown Development Act was signed by Gov. Rick Snyder recently. According to MIRS Capitol Capsule, this “paves the way” for a replacement for Joe Louis...

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of this season, closing one of the greatest careers in NFL history. Lewis says "it is time for me to create a new legacy" after 17 NFL seasons. He intends to play for the first time since tearing his triceps two months ago when the Ravens host the Colts in Sunday's wild-card game, saying "there is no reason for me to not play," according to The Baltimore Sun. Sunday likely will be Lewis' final game in Baltimore even if the Ravens win because of their No....

By the margin of Dario Simion being 6-foot-2 instead 5-foot-10 like the stereotypical Swiss forward of yore, Switzerland is in the world junior championship medal round. ~snip~ Simion was trying to screen the goaltender when defenceman Samuel Guerra stepped into a slapshot. Since the deflection was unintended, it counted...