Sports

Sports

The Losingest Texas Football Team

11:24am November 09, 2013

The Scarborough High School football team has lost 45 games in a row, in a streak stretching back to September of 2009. If they lose Saturday, the seniors will graduate without having won a single game. Guest host Don Gonyea talks with coach Jayson Merren and senior Justin Steward about persevering when winning is a long shot.

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A player from the Vatican's new cricket team of priests and seminarians returns a ball during a training session at the Mater Ecclesiae Catholic college in Rome last month. The Vatican officially declared its intention to defeat the Church of England —

The Vatican Reaches Out, A Cricket Match At A Time

6:21pm November 06, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

The Vatican is vowing to defeat the Church of England — not in the pews but on the cricket pitch. The Vatican has launched a cricket club, which draws from seminarians and priests of different nationalities who live and study in Rome. It's hoped the club will forge ties with teams of other faiths.

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"In our world of global entertainment ... passports don't matter and ... taste trumps nationalism," says Frank Deford.

Sports

Root, Root, Root For The Home Team?

9:01am November 06, 2013

by Frank Deford

Does a citizen of any country — not just the good ole U.S.A. — have an obligation to support its national teams? According to Frank Deford, in our world of global entertainment, passports don't matter and taste should trump nationalism.

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Sacramento Kings Look To India To Attract New NBA Fans

5:24am November 05, 2013

by Scott Detrow

Last year, Sacramento Kings fans were saying goodbye, expecting the NBA team to move to Seattle. But new ownership came together just in time, and the Kings stayed put. The new management plans to build the Kings into a contender, and a big part of that blueprint involves building up a fan base in — believe it or not — India.

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Sports

Red Sox Rise From Civic Embarrassment To World Champs

11:36am November 02, 2013

The Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but how did they come back from a terrible season in 2012? And which players and teams should you pay attention to in the NBA, beyond LeBron James and the Miami Heat? Howard Bryant of ESPN talks with host Scott Simon about the week in sports.

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Runners train in Ngong, Kenya, in 2012. The country has produced the world's best distance runners for decades, and most belong to the Kalenjin people.

How One Kenyan Tribe Produces The World's Best Runners

8:35pm November 01, 2013

by Gregory Warner

The Kalenjin people dominate the world of long-distance running, and it seems there's no one secret. Their body structure, their training regimen and traditions that teach them to stoically withstand pain all appear to contribute to their incredible success.

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An East L.A. Football Rivalry, Unchanged For 79 Years

6:49pm November 01, 2013

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

An East Los Angeles rivalry has become the largest high school football game west of the Mississippi. The football teams of Garfield High School and Roosevelt High School will meet on the gridiron Friday night for the 79th year. The game is expected to draw 20,000 fans.

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Sports

Rather Than Bet On Your Favorite NFL Player, Invest

6:49pm November 01, 2013

Sports marketing and management firm Fantex has reached a deal with San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis for an initial public stock offering. Fantex is paying Davis $4 million for the rights to 10 percent of his earnings, and the company is also creating a tracking stock linked specifically to the football player's economic performance. Davis is the second player to try this arrangement with Fantex. Sportswriter Fatsis joins Robert Siegel to explain how this is all supposed to work — and why he's dubious.

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Can NASCAR Steer Itself Back Into Popularity?

5:24am October 31, 2013

by Frank Deford

Commentator Frank Deford has some theories about why NASCAR is having trouble expanding its audience.

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As Olympics Near, Bobsledder Still Fighting For A Spot

7:49am October 30, 2013

by Brian Mann

With just a hundred days to go before the Winter Olympic Games open in Russia, even many gold medalists are still fighting for a place on Team USA. Justin Olsen, a bobsledder from San Antonio, Texas, helped the U.S. win a historic gold medal four years ago in Vancouver, but he's struggled to overcome injuries in the lead-up to Sochi.

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