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Professional


NFL says it learned from replacement ref 'mistake.' Here's what's different this time

NFL says it learned from replacement ref 'mistake.' Here's what's different this time

  • Jarrett Bell USA TODAY

It’s still too early to bank on replacement refs returning to NFL fields this season as negotiations with the referees union remain stuck in the mud.

Cannon Ballers set to open the season with White Sox's top draft pick

Cannon Ballers set to open the season with White Sox's top draft pick

  • Mark Plemmons

Chicago White Sox No. 1 draft pick Billy Carlson and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers open the regular season with a three-game series Thursday through Saturday at Atrium Health Ball Park.

NFL's last foray into replacement refs featured blown calls, rule mixups and the Fail Mary

NFL's last foray into replacement refs featured blown calls, rule mixups and the Fail Mary

  • JOSH DUBOW Associated Press

The NFL is moving forward with plans to begin hiring and training replacement officials in the next several weeks because negotiations with the referees' union have been unsuccessful.

Woods says he'll seek treatment after pleading not guilty to DUI

Woods says he'll seek treatment after pleading not guilty to DUI

  • MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press

Woods' movements were slow and lethargic, he was sweating as he talked to deputies, and he told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning.

Tapping, twirling and 'T' signs: Sports replays have a language all their own

Tapping, twirling and 'T' signs: Sports replays have a language all their own

  • DAVID BRANDT Associated Press

Every moment of any major sporting event can be dissected these days, with officials staring at a TV screen to review calls as much as they're watching the game.

Super Bowl heading back to Las Vegas in 2029

Super Bowl heading back to Las Vegas in 2029

  • MARK ANDERSON Associated Press

The Super Bowl will return to Las Vegas in 2029 for the second time after NFL owners voted Monday to award the nation's gambling and entertainment capital the big game.

NFL Debate: Replacement Refs vs. Regular Officials

NFL Debate: Replacement Refs vs. Regular Officials

  • SportsGrid

Kevin Walsh and Joe Lisi discuss how replacement referees would compare to the regular full-time officials in their deficiencies and impact on game outcomes.

NFL set to begin hiring, training replacement officials, AP sources say

NFL set to begin hiring, training replacement officials, AP sources say

    The NFL is moving forward with plans to begin hiring and training replacement officials because negotiations with the referees' union have been unsuccessful, sources say.

    'You have to change': How the ripples of NIL and transfer portal are being felt in the NFL draft

    'You have to change': How the ripples of NIL and transfer portal are being felt in the NFL draft

      PITTSBURGH — To stay or not to stay? That is the question polarizing NFL draft prospects in the winter when the dust settles after the college football season. In years past, this decision was simple — the blue-chippers could leave after three years and get a head start on their financial earnings, and those seeking a higher spot in the draft hung back in school. The paradigm shifted after the ...

      Torrid day for umpire CB Bucknor, who has six calls overturned by ABS

      Torrid day for umpire CB Bucknor, who has six calls overturned by ABS

        Torrid day for umpire CB Bucknor, who has six calls overturned by ABS

        UFC brings MMA to White House, home of a president who favors cage-match politics

        UFC brings MMA to White House, home of a president who favors cage-match politics

          President Donald Trump is hosting a UFC fight on White House grounds to celebrate his 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump has long supported UFC.

          Tiger Woods released from jail after being arrested for DUI

          Tiger Woods released from jail after being arrested for DUI

            Tiger Woods was released from a Florida jail Friday night several hours after being booked on DUI charges, sneaking out the back door in a failed bid to avoid the media. The 50-year-old golf legend was spotted slumped in the front seat of a black Cadillac that chauffeured him out of the Mart…

            Could the NFL Be Dealing with a Lockout Ahead of Next Season?

            Could the NFL Be Dealing with a Lockout Ahead of Next Season?

              Polymarket indicates a 34% chance of a new NFL CBA by 2027-2028 amid potential sports strikes. Donnie and Joe discuss the possibility of a league lockout.

              Automated Ball-Strike System sees 60.7% success rate in first MLB games

              Automated Ball-Strike System sees 60.7% success rate in first MLB games

                Going into Thursday night's games, teams had a 60.7% success rate on challenges, going 17 of 28 through the first 10 games of the regular season.

                The Myth of Perfect Golf: Insights on Mental Pressure

                The Myth of Perfect Golf: Insights on Mental Pressure

                Doctor Bhrett McCabe joins Smylie Kaufman to discuss how striving for perfect golf from junior to pro levels negatively impacts mental health and performance.

                Yankees' José Caballero loses first robot challenge of ball/strike call

                Yankees' José Caballero loses first robot challenge of ball/strike call

                New York's José Caballero thought for sure the pitch from Logan Webb had missed the strike zone, so he challenged — making major league history in the process.

                Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba calls his record-setting deal ‘a blessing’

                RENTON, Wash. — As Jaxon Smith-Njigba sat at a table at the VMAC Wednesday flanked by Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider, he several times looked in the direction of his father, Maada, sitting in the audience. Smith-Njigba, there to discuss a new contract that will make him the highest-paid player in team history, recalled that it was with his father ...

                Vegas and Seattle a step closer to getting NBA teams. League's owners approve expansion exploration

                Vegas and Seattle a step closer to getting NBA teams. League's owners approve expansion exploration

                The NBA has finally decided to consider expanding past its current 30-team footprint.

                Vegas and Seattle a step closer to getting NBA teams. League's owners approve expansion exploration

                Vegas and Seattle a step closer to getting NBA teams. League's owners approve expansion exploration

                Vegas and Seattle a step closer to getting NBA teams. League's owners approve expansion exploration

                Video: Masters 2026 schedule of events at Augusta National

                Video: Masters 2026 schedule of events at Augusta National

                Here's the schedule for the 2026 Masters Tournament, ANWA, Par 3, and more. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): uppbeat.io/track/swoop/success

                Batter Up: Best new foods at major league ballparks

                Batter Up: Best new foods at major league ballparks

                Eight MLB ballparks will have something new on offer this season, and that's not a reference to a franchise player. Levy Restaurants stopped by the Atlanta studios and let CNN Sport's Andy Scholes try out the new food and beverage offerings ahead of the new baseball season.

                Kevin Sherrington: Is 2026 the year Rangers finally live down franchise’s sad, sordid pitching history?

                Kevin Sherrington: Is 2026 the year Rangers finally live down franchise’s sad, sordid pitching history?

                DALLAS — Tom House was ahead of his time as the pitching coach of the Texas Rangers from 1985-92, which is to say people didn’t get it back then. Especially the footballs. I can still see his pitchers in right field during warmups throwing the prettiest spirals you ever saw. Joe Namath couldn’t have spun it any better. Problem was umpires insisted they use baseballs, which seemed like foreign ...

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                Cabarrus Sports Blast: Cabarrus athletes earn prestigious honors

                Cabarrus Sports Blast: Cabarrus athletes earn prestigious honors

                Cannon Ballers set to open the season with White Sox's top draft pick

                Cannon Ballers set to open the season with White Sox's top draft pick

                Final Four is set as UConn stuns Duke to join Illinois, Arizona and Michigan

                Final Four is set as UConn stuns Duke to join Illinois, Arizona and Michigan

                Shopping

                Altcoins to Buy: How to Find and Buy Altcoins for the Next Bull Run

                Altcoins to Buy: How to Find and Buy Altcoins for the Next Bull Run

                Affiliate. 

                Upcoming Crypto Presales: How to Find and Buy Top Crypto Presales

                Upcoming Crypto Presales: How to Find and Buy Top Crypto Presales

                Affiliate. Learn how to find and buy top crypto presales and what to look for when researching. 

                How to Buy Meme Coins: How to Find New Meme Coins and Where to Buy Them

                How to Buy Meme Coins: How to Find New Meme Coins and Where to Buy Them

                Affiliate. Learn how to find and buy the newest meme coins. 

                Next Crypto to Explode: How To Find New Crypto Coins and Buy Them

                Next Crypto to Explode: How To Find New Crypto Coins and Buy Them

                Affiliate. Learn how to find and buy the next big crypto coins before they explode.

                Tiger Woods released on bail hours after arrest at crash scene on suspicion of DUI

                Tiger Woods released on bail hours after arrest at crash scene on suspicion of DUI

                Tiger Woods showed signs of impairment Friday at the scene of a car crash in which he struck another vehicle and rolled his Land Rover, authorities said.

                ABS will create winners, losers among pitchers, batters who earned human calls

                ABS will create winners, losers among pitchers, batters who earned human calls

                Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike System changes how pitches get called, and some players gain while others lose. On Wednesday night, it makes its regular-season debut.

                MLB preview: Who can challenge two-time World Series champion Dodgers?

                MLB preview: Who can challenge two-time World Series champion Dodgers?

                Here's a look, division by division, at the Major League Baseball season that is set to begin later this week.

                'Still hungry' LaMelo Ball leading Hornets' charge toward playoffs

                'Still hungry' LaMelo Ball leading Hornets' charge toward playoffs

                LeMelo Ball, in the midst of a great season, is still hungry to learn and win.

                Pete Alonso's return to Citi Field, another Iowa game among MLB dates to watch in 2026

                Pete Alonso's return to Citi Field, another Iowa game among MLB dates to watch in 2026

                Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers travel to Toronto for a World Series rematch in April, and Philadelphia hosts the All-Star Game in July as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary.

                MLB preview: Robot umpires, Dodgers try for 3-peat, Rays return to Trop

                MLB preview: Robot umpires, Dodgers try for 3-peat, Rays return to Trop

                NEW YORK — Baseball is changing at a dizzying speed in 2026 with the arrival of robot umpires, the return home of the Tampa Bay Rays and an alphabet soup of networks televising games in perhaps the last season before a labor shutdown.

                Is LeBron James running out of records to chase? His list of accomplishments keeps growing

                Is LeBron James running out of records to chase? His list of accomplishments keeps growing

                James could take outright possession of his next record Saturday night, when he's scheduled to play in his 1,612nd career regular-season game — breaking a tie with Robert Parish.

                LA' James Ties Parish’s All-Time Games Played Record...

                LA' James Ties Parish’s All-Time Games Played Record...

                Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has tied Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record for the all-time record for games played in the NBA. James played in his 1,611th game in the league as his team defeated the Miami Heat 134-126 at the Kaseya Center. After the game, James noted that reaching t…

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