Bobby Finger on Jezebel, shared by Tom Ley to Deadspin – Page 5491

Rural road leads Western Carolina's Keion Crossen to the NFL

CULLOWHEE — Keion Crossen didn’t just grow up a long way from the NFL; he grew up a long way from anywhere. Back in his hometown of Garysburg, on North Carolina’s east coast near the Virginia state line, he had to ride a bus 45 minutes every morning just to get to school. And when Western Carolina

NFL Teams Already in Contention for 2019 No. 1 Overall Draft Pick

A handful of other teams struggled badly in 2017 but aren’t prime candidates for the top pick at the moment. For example: New York Giants: A three-win 2017 season was rock bottom for a team with too much talent to do that again. The Giants were ravaged by injuries last year, but with Odell Beckham

Hamburg has 2 games to stave off 1st Bundesliga relegation

BERLIN (AP) Hamburger SV has two games to stave off its first relegation from the Bundesliga.

WORLD CUP: Kazan offers a flavor of Russia’s diversity

MOSCOW (AP) The 11 World Cup cities – all in European Russia – don’t always reflect the diversity of a country with dozens of native ethnic groups. With its largely Muslim population and distinctive local culture, Kazan offers a different perspective.

North and South Korea combine teams at table tennis worlds

HALMSTAD, Sweden (AP) Ping pong diplomacy is working for North and South Korea, who have combined their women’s teams at the table tennis world championships.

High-scoring top lines dominating best defenders in playoffs

Each time Boston’s top line jumps over the boards, the Tampa Bay Lightning are on red alert.

Royals back home for first of four games against Tigers

Detroit Tigers-Kansas City Royals preview

Peru captain at sports court for World Cup doping case

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) Peru captain Paolo Guerrero is testifying at sport’s highest court in a doping case that could ban him from the World Cup next month.

Asbel Kiprop hopes to clear his name after doping report

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Kenyan runner Asbel Kiprop hopes to clear his name after a British newspaper reported that the former 1,500-meter Olympic champion failed a doping test.

D-backs seek 10th series win to open season vs. Dodgers (May 03, 2018)

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo spent time Wednesday mulling over potential lineups for the time in the near future when Steven Souza and Jake Lamb return from the disabled list.

Athletics' Manaea tries to tame Mariners again (May 03, 2018)

The last time the Seattle Mariners faced Sean Manaea, it sent them into a tailspin.

D-backs can't capitalize, fall to Dodgers

The Dodgers ended a four-game losing streak and won after eight consecutive regular-season losses at Chase Field.

Pujols nears 3,000 hits as Angels host Orioles (May 03, 2018)

Albert Pujols can become the fourth player in major league history with 3,000 hits and 600 home runs when the Los Angeles Angels play the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of a six-game homestand on Thursday night at Angel Stadium.

Warriors' shooters deal with off-nights in different ways

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) When Stephen Curry’s shot needs a little something, he dives into ”The Menu.” Warriors teammate Klay Thompson might put up a few extra shots after an off night. If Kevin Durant is trying to rediscover his rhythm, he does some studying that usually means watching his made shots.

Encarnacion, Kluber lead Indians past Rangers 12-4

Martín Maldonado stays humble after big night at the plate

It’s been a tough season at the plate for Martín Maldonado, but he appears to finally have gotten his swing bat with his second consecutive three-hit game and first home run of the season

Verdugo, bullpen help Dodgers end skids, 2-1 over D-backs (May 03, 2018)

PHOENIX (AP) Alex Verdugo doubled and scored twice, and a struggling Los Angeles bullpen picked up injured starter Hyun-Jin Ryu to help the Dodgers defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Sharks blank Knights to tie series 2-2; Lightning top Bruins

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Tomas Hertl scored his team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs, Martin Jones made 34 saves for his sixth career postseason shutout and the San Jose Sharks evened their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights with a 4-0 victory in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Paxton strikes out MLB-high 16, but A's beat Mariners 3-2 (May 03, 2018)

SEATTLE (AP) James Paxton struck out a major league-high 16 in seven dominant innings, but the Seattle bullpen blew a late lead and the Oakland Athletics rallied past the Mariners 3-2 Wednesday night.

Astros seek to salvage split vs. Yankees (May 03, 2018)

HOUSTON — Houston closer Ken Giles has long showcased volatility in his performances, with his outings over the first two games of the Astros’ series with the New York Yankees a microcosm of that fact.

Harper plays leading role as Nats go for sweep of Pirates (May 03, 2018)

WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals can reach the .500 mark when they go for their fifth straight victory Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Suns hire Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov as new head coach

He succeeds interim coach Jay Triano, who took over after Earl Watson was fired three games into the season.

Soccer star Abby Wambach elected to athletic Hall of Fame

LATHAM, N.Y. (AP) Soccer star Abby Wambach (WAHM’-bahk) has been elected to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame.

Will the Cubs regret giving up Jake Arrieta for Yu Darvish?

Frank Thomas and Mike Sweeney discuss if the Chicago Cubs made a mistake signing Yu Darvish to a 6-year deal instead of their former Cy Young in Jake Arrieta.

Severino hurls shutout, Stanton powers Yanks past Astros 4-0

HOUSTON (AP) Luis Severino pitched a five-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts for his first career complete game, Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in four runs, and the New York Yankees beat the World Series champion Houston Astros 4-0 for the second consecutive night Wednesday.

Warming Indians play 2 vs. Blue Jays

CLEVELAND — After an extremely slow start to the season offensively, Cleveland Indians hitters have warmed with the weather. Cleveland will conclude its longest homestand of the season, 11 games, on Thursday with a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ingles career night leads Jazz over Rockets 116-108 (May 02, 2018)

HOUSTON (AP) Joe Ingles scored a career-high 27 points and the Utah Jazz squandered a huge early lead before using a big fourth quarter to regain control and beat the Houston Rockets 116-108 on Wednesday night and tie the Western Conference semifinals at 1-1.

Author: Bobby Finger on Jezebel, shared by Tom Ley to Deadspin