Sports

A worker cleans the stage during a break at the FIFA electoral congress on Friday in Zurich.

After Approving Anti-Corruption Reforms, FIFA Members Elect New President

2:08pm February 26, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

After the reforms approved earlier Friday, Switzerland's Gianni Infantino will have fewer powers than outgoing President Sepp Blatter. Blatter, disgraced by a bribery scandal, isn't in attendance.

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Ex-NFL Player Reveals Strange Pre-Draft Questions

7:18am February 26, 2016

At the combine, where scouts test out players, Austen Lane says players were asked some weird questions. For example: did they wear boxers or briefs.

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Soccer Fans Skeptical New FIFA President Will Bring Needed Reform

6:55pm February 25, 2016

by Tom Goldman

World soccer's much-maligned governing body picks a new president this Friday. Much of the soccer-loving public disdains FIFA and is skeptical a new president will bring about positive change.

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Muhammad Ali, world heavyweight boxing champion, stands with Malcolm X (left) outside the Trans-Lux Newsreel Theater in New York in 1964.

Muhammad Ali And Malcolm X: A Broken Friendship, An Enduring Legacy

2:38pm February 25, 2016

by Karen Grigsby Bates

A new book, Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, explores how faith brought two African-American icons together and eventually tore their relationship apart.

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Murtaza Ahmadi, 5, is the proud new owner of a genuine Lionel Messi jersey. Earlier this year, a photo of the boy wearing a "Messi" jersey made from a plastic bag went viral.

Score! Afghan Boy With Homemade Lionel Messi Jersey Just Got A Real One

1:59pm February 25, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The boy's obvious glee at wearing a plastic-bag shirt bearing the number 10 won him many fans. Soccer superstar Lionel Messi was evidently one of them.

Venezuelan players celebrate after beating Cuba in the Dominican Republic on Feb. 4. More than 20 U.S. major league teams established baseball academies in Venezuela in the 1990s; currently, more than 60 Venezuelans are in the major leagues. But the turmo

As Venezuelan Crisis Deepens, U.S. Baseball Teams Close Academies

4:53pm February 24, 2016

by John Otis

Venezuela is a key supplier of baseball talent to the U.S. major leagues. Players come up through baseball academies run by the teams. But now, many academies are being shut down.

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On Day Of NBA All-Star Game, A Midseason Reflection

12:11pm February 24, 2016

NPR's Rachel Martin and The Gist's Mike Pesca discuss what makes the Golden State Warriors such a pleasure to watch, and why basketball seems to have the clearest conscience in sports.

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FIFA To Meet To Replace Disgraced President Sepp Blatter

6:43am February 24, 2016

Soccer's world governing body holds its Annual Congress on Friday. Steve Inskeep talks to Alexandra Wrage, an anti-bribery expert and a former member of FIFA's independent governance committee.

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Coaches Defend University Of Tennessee Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit

5:51pm February 23, 2016

by Brandon Hollingsworth

At the University of Tennessee Tuesday, 16 of the university's head coaches held a rare joint press conference. They defended the university in the wake of a federal sexual assault lawsuit.

Alex Fuller (left) and Candace Parker of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers celebrate their 64-48 win against Stanford in the 2008 National Championship Game.

For First Time Since 1985, Tennessee Women's Basketball Team Out Of Top 25

8:34pm February 22, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The Lady Vols' 31-year run in The Associated Press women's basketball top 25 rankings ended Monday. Under former head coach Pat Summit, the program morphed into a dynasty.