sport world

In his new position as Pac-12 Network president, Mark Shuken can shake things up. Or, he could simply try to appease those getting a little stir-crazy. The conference-owned media business has achieved measurable success in elevating exposure for the member schools, but when compared to the millions generated by other conference-based networks for their institutions, the Pac-12 may look like it’s c...

LAS VEGAS — Top Rank Inc. has long been one of the top promotional companies in boxing, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. wanted to march to the beat of his own drummer, so he left the industry giant in 2006. He has since become a master at self-marketing. At the end of 2016, Forbes listed his net worth at $...

LAS VEGAS >> It was 108 degrees outside the Mayweather Boxing Club at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. A handful of fans stood outside, hopeful of getting a look at Floyd Mayweather Jr., even though he wasn’t scheduled to arrive until 3 p.m. Reporters and photographers stood in line, waiting to get in as t...

COSTA MESA >> In March, the Chargers signed Russell Okung, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid left tackles. In April, the Chargers drafted three offensive linemen, including two within the first three rounds. So why — a week into August — are the Chargers starting a former practice-squad...

SOUTHPORT, England >> During one of Jordan Spieth’s many low points Sunday in the British Open, his caddie reminded him of a photo from a Mexico beach holiday two weeks ago that showed him in All-Star company that included Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan. The message: “You belong in that gro...

ANAHEIM >> Add Martin Maldonado to the list of Angels who are moving, as Mike Scioscia frequently says, “into uncharted waters.” The Angels catcher was in the lineup Tuesday to play his 79th game of the season behind the plate, the most in the major leagues. Before this season, Maldonado had n...

INGLEWOOD — Except for doing something no one else has — knock out Beard Hopkins — Joe Smith Jr. hasn’t done a da thing. Perhaps that’s why he wasn’t all smiles and blowing kisses to the world Thursday at the Forum in Inglewood. Smith was among those hosting a news conference promoting Saturday’...

Neither Rams owner Stan Kroenke nor Chargers owner Dean Spanos raised an eyebrow when fellow NFL owners informed them they’d have to fork over $550 million up front — or more if they opted to pay over 10 years — for the right to move to their teams to the second-biggest market in the country. Kroenk...

TAMPA, Fla. >> Jordan Morris’ second goal of the game broke a tie in the 76th minute, and the United States edged tiny Martinique 3-2 Wednesday night in the CONCACAF Gold Cup after wasting a two-goal lead at Raymond James Stadium. Failing to break through in the first half, the U.S. built a 2-...

SPARTA, Ky. >> Martin Truex Jr. was dominant throughout and had enough left on a final restart to win the NASCAR Cup race Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway. Second in points entering the 400-mile event, Truex started second beside Kyle Busch and won the first two stages. Truex led the final ...

LOS ANGELES >> Los Angeles and Paris, two cities with bold visions for hosting the 2024 Olympic Games as distinct as their iconic landscapes, could positively impact the Olympic movement for decades, according to a report released by the Inteational Olympic Committee evaluation commission We...

DETROIT >> Eric Young Jr. is taking advantage of the opportunity to play in place of Mike Trout. Young had three hits and scored three runs, helping the Angels rout the Detroit Tigers, 11-4, Thursday. The 32-year-old outfielder is hitting .333 since getting called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on...

ANAHEIM >> Maybe it seems too simplistic to tu it into Goalie Wars, to put every outcome of every series on the pads of the guys in the net.But maybe it’s too complicated to tu it into anything else.The Ducks had Edmonton’s Cam Talbot surrounded in the third period and much of the second Friday night, bottled up in his private Alamo.He did not come out with his hands up.Instead he bobbed...

Martin Truex Jr. took the lead with 28 laps to go and held off Kevin Harvick on the final restart to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Southe 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night. Truex started the summer season by leading an astounding 588 of 600 miles to win at Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend. He closed the season by outracing Harvick on Labor Day weekend for his second crown jewel win of the season. Harvick had the dominant car. He led 214 of 367 laps but this run was cut short by slow pit stops. At one point, Harvick fell 11 spots from first to 12th after a super slow 16.6-second stop. He battled back toward the top, but could not chase down Truex. Last week’s wier at Michigan, Kyle Lars...

When Victor Espinoza proclaimed himself “the luckiest Mexican in the world” last year during Triple Crown wier American Pharoah’s historic jouey, little did we know that we were the lucky ones. Lucky enough to watch a 44-year-old jockey develop into one of the finest in his profession right before our eyes. Fortunate enough to witness one of the great rides in Del Mar history Saturday when he maneuvered Califoia Chrome to a five-length victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic. Espinoza’s strategy was brilliant. Breaking from the inside with the other speed in the race to his right, Espinoza sped out of the gate, let Califoia Chrome drift out slightly to the middle of the track and gave the ...

RIO DE JANEIRO — The United States women’s field hockey team placed fifth at the Olympics, the program’s best finish in 20 years. The Americans lost their quarterfinal match to Germany on Monday. Their final ranking is based on their second-place finish in pool play. The Americans also placed fifth at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Their only better finish was third at the 1984 Games. This year’s squad set program records for most wins in pool play with four, and most goals in an Olympic match, with six against Japan. The Americans defeated No. 2 Argentina and No. 3 Australia in their first two matches, then knocked off Japan and India to take the lead in Pool B. The United States led its final...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> There was a moment during a U.S. Olympic track and field team meeting Thursday where it hit Boris Berian just how far he had traveled from working at a Colorado Springs McDonald’s less than two years ago, to being rescued by a couple he didn’t know, to prevailing in a legal battle with the largest shoe company on the planet, to arriving this week at the Olympic Games. “It brought a bit of the story back,” Berian said. “It was like ‘Wow, I’m here in Rio with the Olympic team.’ So it was pretty cool.” Berian extended his unlikely jouey at least one more day, advancing to the Olympic 800-meter semifinal Saturday after finishing third in his first round heat Friday moing...

RIO DE JANEIRO — This past year in Istanbul, U.S. assistant coach Jamie Morrison worked right alongside a man he considers among the best volleyball minds in the business. That is fired-up, Italian-bo Netherlands coach Giovai Guidetti, who is suddenly making quite a splash in Brazil with group of tenacious Dutch women determined to spoil the fun for the top teams in the touament and make a special run of their own in Rio. Even if few might have expected them to contend in playing their first Olympics in 20 years. So, when the top-ranked Americans held on to defeat the Netherlands in a hard-fought, five-set match, Morrison and the rest of the U.S. group were nowhere near surprised by the ste...

SEATTLE >> It is fitting for Mike Trout to be at Safeco Field this weekend. As Trout is celebrating his 25th birthday — a natural moment to take stock of his accomplishments, to mark where he stands in history — he has a front-row seat to a weekend of events dedicated to Ken Griffey Jr. The freshly inducted Hall of Famer is being honored all weekend by the Seattle Mariners, including an hour-long ceremony to have his number retired on Saturday. “It’s pretty cool,” Trout said. “I watched him growing up. Being a part of it is pretty cool.” Millions of kids grew up wanting to play like Griffey. Trout, by just about any evaluation, is the only one who really has. Ask Mark Langston, a team...

SEATTLE >> It is fitting for Mike Trout to be at Safeco Field this weekend. As Trout is celebrating his 25th birthday — a natural moment to take stock of his accomplishments, to mark where he stands in history — he has a front-row seat to a weekend of events dedicated to Ken Griffey Jr. The freshly inducted Hall of Famer is being honored all weekend by the Seattle Mariners, including an hour-long ceremony to have his number retired on Saturday. “It’s pretty cool,” Trout said. “I watched him growing up. Being a part of it is pretty cool.” Millions of kids grew up wanting to play like Griffey. Trout, by just about any evaluation, is the only one who really has. Ask Mark Langston, a team...