LOS ANGELES (AP) — The pilot flying Kobe Bryant and seven others to a youth basketball tournament did not have alcohol or drugs in his system, and all nine sustained immediately fatal injuries when their helicopter slammed into a hillside outside Los Angeles in January, according to autopsies ...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mike Zimmer has managed to conduct some extra strategy sessions during this sequestered NFL offseason, despite being disconnected from all of his players and almost all of his staff. That's because the Minnesota Vikings head coach has his newly appointed co-defensive ...

ROME (AP) — Baseball. In Japan. At the Olympics. For World Baseball Softball Confederation president Riccardo Fraccari, it seems like such a sure home run that he can't even imagine why anyone wouldn't want to be involved. No wonder the refusal of Major League Baseball and its players' ...

The NFL has awarded two new grants and renewed seven others through its social justice platform Inspire Change. The new honorees are Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO, Inc.) and Success For All. Both organizations will use the funding for educational advancement. CLEO, Inc., ...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats says it put 171 furloughed employees back on the payroll after receiving a loan from a government program aimed at helping small businesses. Hillerich & Bradsby Co. resumed production at its wood bat factory in Louisville ...

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this: In a most remarkable October full of huge ...

Concerns about the new coronavirus are preventing football prospects from visiting campuses this spring and keeping college coaches from traveling to evaluate them. North Carolina coach Mack Brown said he believes this could cause more 2021 recruits to stay closer to home, though that remains ...

PRAGUE (AP) — Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and third-ranked Karolina Pliskova will lead two teams in a charity competition during the coronavirus pandemic. Pliskova's team will include her twin-sister Kristyna, 2019 French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, Tereza Martincová ...

While NASCAR will resume its season with live racing and the world's No. 1-ranked golfer is part of a televised charity skins match, the sports calendar still remains mostly on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Associated Press takes a look at some of the live sporting events that ...

Making it safe for America's professional sports teams to start playing games is one thing. Making sure athletes are in game shape is another. The coronavirus pandemic brought sports to a halt, but stay-at-home orders are starting to be eased and a handful of NBA teams are opening practice ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams finally have a date and an opponent for the long-awaited opening of SoFi Stadium, the multibillion-dollar reason for their return to California over four years ago. The Rams still don't know for sure whether they'll actually be able to have their big ...

TYRONE, Ga. (AP) — Former NBA player Shannon Brown faces charges in suburban Atlanta after he was accused of firing a rifle at two people who were looking at homes for sale, police said. Brown, 34, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault stemming from an incident May 2 at his home in ...

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers has already lined up the first job of his post-playing career. Rivers was introduced Friday as the head coach-in-waiting at St. Michael Catholic High School in a news conference on campus. The 16-year veteran of the Los ...

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brett Favre on Friday disputed a Mississippi state auditor's report that said the Hall of Fame quarterback received $1.1 million in welfare money for multiple speaking engagements that he didn't actually attend. Favre told ESPN Wisconsin's "Wilde & Tausch" radio show he ...

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA took tiny steps toward a return to normalcy Friday, as a small number of practice facilities reopened for workouts and at least one team received permission from the league to test players and staff for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took part ...

American women's soccer players want to delay a trial until after an appellate court reviews last week's decision to throw out their claim of unequal pay while allowing allegations of discriminatory work conditions to move forward. Lawyers for the women filed a motion Friday night asking U.S. ...

NCAA President Mark Emmert says the coronavirus is making it unlikely all schools will be ready to begin competing in college sports at the same time. The goal, he said Friday night, is for every team to have an equal amount of preparation time before its season starts, and there could be some ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — UFC President Dana White still wants "Fight Island." He's temporarily settling for a peninsula — and had to call off a bout after a fighter tested positive for the coronavirus. UFC 249 will serve as the first major sporting event to take place since the pandemic ...

The Players Coalition and dozens of professional athletes sent a letter Friday to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting an immediate federal investigation into the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. The letter was also sent to Eric Dreiband, ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball will cut its amateur draft from 40 rounds to five this year, a move that figures to save teams about $30 million. Clubs gained the ability to reduce the draft as part of their March 26 agreement with the players' association and MLB plans to finalize a ...