World Series Highlights

The World Series is one of the most exciting events in all of sports. The games feature dramatic lead changes, nail-biting turns of events and, of course, game-winning home runs. Here are a few highlights from some of the greatest World Series games ever played.

The 1988 World Series is famous for the iconic home run hit by Kirk Gibson with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 that turned a Dodgers loss into a championship. The Series was also famous for the Red Sox overcoming a three-game deficit in their first World Series since 1918 with an epic Game 6.

In this game, Bill Buckner made an infamous mistake that is remembered to this day by baseball fans and players alike. A tricky hop of a ground ball by the Yankees’ shortstop went for an error, allowing Carlton Fisk to score and tie the game in the bottom of the 12th inning, thus breaking the 68-year curse of the Bambino and handing the Series to Boston.

In a city that went 33 years without a major league team, this was an event that was beyond the dreams of many. Despite a shaky start, the Astros got the job done in a stunning fashion thanks to a mighty effort by the bullpen that held the Yankees to just one run over 13 innings. The USA TODAY app brings you award-winning news and content from across our news network, including the latest local news, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

The World Athletics Championship – The Pinnacle of Track and Field

For many athletes, the World Athletics Championship is a pinnacle of their career. It’s nine days jam-packed with 49 track and field events: 24 for men, 24 for women and a mixed-gender relay event. That’s a lot of running, jumping and throwing. It can be hard to keep up.

But for those who do manage to stay up, it’s a chance to witness some of the most dynamic and impressive action in sport. It’s where you see the best of the best — and you get a sneak peek at what to expect at the Olympics the following year.

Unlike the Summer Olympics, which are held every four years, Worlds happens on a biennial basis, giving title-hungry athletes more opportunities to flex their muscles. Originally started in 1983, it has since expanded to include every discipline, offering even more chances for title holders to win a world crown.

In the past, Worlds has given the world a lot of its most memorable moments. From Usain Bolt’s lightning bolt of a sprint to Jamaica’s dominance in the 4x100m relay, the competition has made a name for itself.

There was a sense of pride and relief at Khalifa Stadium on Sunday as the 2021 World Athletics Championships wrapped up in Doha, Qatar. Amid a number of upsets and close calls, there was also an abundance of spectacular performances. Whether it was Letsile Tebogo’s resounding silver in the 100m, or Zharnel Hughes and Josh Kerr’s powerful bronze medal finishes in the 400m and 1500m respectively, Great Britain has once again proven that it’s one of the top teams in the sport.

The World Test Championship

The World Test Championship aims to add context to bilateral test matches, much like the World Cup finals in ODI and T20 cricket. By assigning a value to each series within the framework of the competition, it encourages competitiveness and ensures that every match counts. But it has come under heavy fire for its perceived inequitable nature, allowing South Africa to qualify for the final without competing against either Australia or England.

As explained by Lawrence Booth, Wisden’s editor, the more games a nation plays in a cycle, the greater its chances of being ranked higher. As such, richer nations such as Australia and England are pushed to play five-Test series against each other in order to maintain a high ranking but these games are often difficult for them to win. Meanwhile, smaller nations that play two-Test series receive less interest and profit but also face fewer fixture fatigue problems.

The inaugural WTC cycle concluded with New Zealand winning the final at the Oval in 2021, but Australia’s failure to qualify has been blasted by many including captain Pat Cummins. ECB chief executive Richard Gould said the selection of England to host the next three WTC finals was “a tribute to the passion that fans in this country and around the world have for this precious format”.

The tournament includes all full members of the ICC, except Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe who will not participate. A new system of points deductions for slow over-rates was introduced at the start of this cycle, with teams being deducted one point per over if they are behind their required rate at the end of each innings. This was criticised as a move to maximise profits at the expense of developing the game and protecting test matches against inferior opposition.

2025 NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL draft charts a new path forward in football. The draft begins Thursday, April 24 and continues through Saturday, April 25.

In a class loaded with talent, one big name is making waves at the top of the first round. Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward has a lot of hype, and is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

He’s a dynamic playmaker who can make big plays and change the game with his physicality. The 6-2, 248-pounder is an ideal target in the middle of the field (41% of his routes were comebacks, outs or crosses last year), and should help open things up for second-year QB Caleb Williams.

Despite the fact that he hasn’t been able to workout in full during the pre-draft process due to injury, Carter is a legitimate prospect. He’s a fast, agile rusher who can be effective at both inside and outside the line. The Giants desperately need a long-term answer at pass rusher, and Carter has all the tools to be an immediate impact player.

With the additions of 2024 first-rounder Darius Robinson and veteran LB Calais Campbell, the reigning NFC North champs are all-in on defense this offseason. And they’ve got more than enough needs to justify taking a versatile player like Zabel. He can play guard or center, and has the speed to be a disruptive interior rusher in Klint Kubiak’s run-focused scheme. The 6-6, 312-pounder can also play off the ball and has a 36.5-inch vertical jump and 9-foot, 3-inch broad jump.

The Champions League

The Champions League is the most prestigious tournament in European soccer and is often called “the biggest club competition in the world.” It is also known as UEFA’s top-tier league championship. Only the winners of the best domestic leagues in Europe are eligible to compete in this tournament. It is a knockout competition with multiple rounds.

During the tournament’s early years, it was known as the European Cup. Initially, it only included the champions of different national leagues in Europe. Later, the tournament was expanded to include all top-ranked clubs in Europe. Throughout its history, it has been dominated by clubs from Spain and Germany. The most dominant of these has been Real Madrid, which won 15 titles in the modern era of the competition, beginning with its first win in 1992-93.

Real Madrid is the only team to win three back-to-back titles. It has won nine since then. This has helped the club become one of the most popular in the world.

During the 2024-25 season, the Champions League had a major revamp. The tournament dropped the traditional group stage that had been in place for 21 seasons. Instead, the tournament now has a 36-team league phase in which teams play eight matches against opponents from four seeding pots. Those who finish in the top eight qualify for the last 16 and those who finish ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout playoff. In the league phase, clubs will face all other teams twice – once at home and once away.

Sports Celebrity Gossip

ANY sincere fan will, at times, display what may seem like an inordinate amount of emotional attachment or angst over sports celebrity gossip. Whether they’re yelling at a referee or still in mourning over Brangelina, it’s in our nature to want to scream about things that happen to our favorite athletes and celebrities off the field. And while it can be a bit uncouth to gossip about people we don’t know, any true die-hard will do whatever they need to do to get the latest scoop.

This week, WNBA star Suni Lee and NBA player OG Anunoby make their relationship official, former WWE champion Kristin Cabot resigns over her Coldplay cheating scandal and surfing star Billy Kemper shares a video of his gruesome injury. Plus, a former UConn teammate and a Cleveland Browns quarterback go on a TikTok binge and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn opens up about her career and groin injury.

And finally, MJF has some love for Adam Sandler and his new movie “Happy Gilmore 2″… and the feeling’s mutual. Click for all of this and more in this week’s edition of Sports Celebrity Gossip!

The Miracle on Ice

Ice hockey is an Olympic sport – men’s 6-person ice hockey has been an Olympic event since 1924 in Chamonix and women’s ice hockey debuted at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. The game is played on an ice rink measuring 197 feet by 98.5 feet and follows the rules set by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which differ slightly from those of the National Hockey League (NHL). The puck goes out of play when it hits the player benches, over the protective netting above the glass or any other object outside the perimeter of the rink. A stoppage in play is signaled by the officials with whistles. The game is restarted with a faceoff, in which two players face each other and the official drops the puck to the ice.

The American team trailed Sweden 2-1 late in the second period of the semifinal at Lake Placid’s Big Hat arena and seemed headed for its fourth loss of the tournament, which would keep it out of the medal round. But with time running out and the U.S. trailing in the final minute, forward Mark Johnson snagged a rebound off of Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak and slammed it past him with one second left. It was a goal the Americans still call “The Miracle on Ice” today.

The victory over the Soviet masters would be just the start of a golden run for the U.S., which would win gold in 1960 and 1980. And it was the start of an era in which the American team, led by stars such as Buzz Schneider and Wayne Gretzky, would dominate the Olympic competition for the rest of the century.

The Benefits of Combat Sports

Combat Sports involve forced physical contact between two athletes using a range of striking, grappling and weapon usage techniques. Typical examples include boxing, wrestling, karate, kickboxing, brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts (MMA). These sports are highly regulated to minimize permanent or severe physical damage to participants through a variety of safety precautions including padded gloves, mouthguards and specialized protective gear.

Competitions of this nature create a deep desire to succeed that may have different effects on individuals. For some, the drive to win is an empowering source of self-confidence and strength. For others, it can create unmanaged anxiety that can affect their performance both short and long-term. Regardless of its impact, competition is a vital part of any sport that involves forceful physical contact.

Participation in combat sports builds discipline, endurance, camaraderie and a variety of useful life skills. It encourages participants to set goals for themselves and strive to achieve them, developing a mindset of continual improvement that can carry over into other areas of their lives. Search terms such as bjj classes, wrestling gym or MMA clubs will provide lists of local facilities that offer these types of training. This allows individuals to find the sport that works best for them while also building a supportive network in the process. Regular training routines also teach participants to break larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks – a practice that can be applied in all areas of their lives.

FIFA International Qualifiers

The international qualifiers are the process of determining which nations will compete at a FIFA World Cup. The qualification cycle is split into two phases: the preliminary ties, in which teams compare head-to-head records prior to goal difference; and the group phase, where matches are played over two legs. In the latter case, matches that are level at the end of 90 minutes will go to extra time and, if necessary, penalty shootouts.

Most groups are drawn into a group of six or nine countries, and those finishing top qualify automatically for the next World Cup. In the event of a draw, a second-placed team will qualify by beating the fifth-placed team in a play-off.

In Africa, where the qualifiers are currently taking place, DR Congo, South Africa and Cape Verde lead their groups; 2022 finalists Morocco and Egypt are also in strong positions to qualify.

The final round is the play-offs, which are used to determine the last two places at the World Cup. They are split into three four-team groups, and the winners of each group qualify directly for the World Cup; the runners-up will join a third-placed team in the inter-confederation playoffs.

UEFA’s qualifying format for the World Cup changes in 2026, with a new system of having two groups of four teams, where each team faces each other twice. Those groups will then be split into two semi-finals and a final, where the winner will qualify for the World Cup and the runners-up will enter the inter-confederation play-offs to decide the other two places.

The Governance of International Sports and Law-Related Issues

International sports are a huge part of most countries’ cultural fabric and have a long history of bringing people together. They may be played at a local level, or at the global level – like the Olympics or the World Cup. This article focuses on the governance of international sports and law-related issues associated with them.

International sport is governed at the international level by various international sporting bodies, for example FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). These organizations set the rules of play and regulate players, agents and referees. They also enforce their Disciplinary Code and hear labor disputes and matters of solidarity contribution, among other things.

The Olympic Games, which were first held in ancient Greece and revived as a modern event in 1896, were originally considered to be an international competition between amateurs – that is, athletes who competed for love of the sport rather than financial rewards or fame. However, the Olympic Games are now open to professional athletes as well.

While sports may bring people together, the world of international sport is not without its controversies. For instance, it can be difficult for women and minority athletes to find a fair playing field, and the issue of gender identity can pose challenges.

Even so, many people feel that sport has a significant power to foster positive change in the world. For this reason, the United Nations has designated 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.