Alysa Liu walked away from skating. Her fresh outlook when she returned helped her win Olympic gold
MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu won Olympic gold in women’s figure skating by skating loose, smiling and doing it her own way. On Thursday night, the 20-year-old from California delivered a free skate that looked like a fun practice session, rather than a pressure test. She waved to friends and family and grinned through her program. She finished with the top score and beat Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai. The win gave the U.S. its first women’s Olympic gold since 2002. It was the culmination for Liu of a two-year comeback after an abrupt retirement following the Beijing Games, when she was too burned out to continue.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talks anti-tanking options with GMs, AP sources say
The NBA is pushing new rules to cut down on tanking and keep teams trying to win. On Thursday, people familiar with the talks say Commissioner Adam Silver outlines options in a call with general managers. Silver has said he wants every remedy on the table. Sources say the league considers locking in draft lottery odds by a set date. The league has fined teams for sitting healthy players, including Utah and Indiana. The NBA is likely to discuss it further at a Board of Governors meeting next month.
Rory McIlroy handles the rain and then wind to share clubhouse lead at Riviera
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rory McIlroy got a little bit of everything in the Genesis Invitational and shares the clubhouse lead with Jacob Bridgeman after a 66. Aaron Rai is one shot ahead but has two holes left to play because of a three-hour rain delay. The surprise is Scottie Scheffler. He’s at 5-over par and tied for last place in the 72-man field. Scheffler still has eight holes to play. The first round was stopped by darkness. The rain was followed by a cold, hard wind. The greens were soft but still fast, causing problems for everyone.
Without nationwide rules, South Carolina lawmakers move to keep college athlete payments secret
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina lawmakers have approved a bill to keep secret how much money teams and athletes are paid under new college sports rules. The state is poised to join Arkansas, Utah, Colorado and Kentucky, which already keep Name, Image and Likeness deals from the public. The push to do so came after a lawsuit prompted athletic directors from Clemson, South Carolina and other schools to ask for a new law. Gov. Henry McMaster says he supports transparency but will study the bill. Supporters say schools need secrecy to stay competitive. Critics say secrecy blocks oversight of public money and hurts athletes who want to know their market value.
NCAA official says March Madness expansion will not be discussed until after this year’s tournaments
The NCAA won’t discuss expanding the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments until after this year’s version of March Madness finishes. That’s what NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told a group of reporters attending an NCAA event Thursday in Indianapolis. There has been talk for the past few months that the NCAA could expand the tournament field to 72 or 76 starting in 2027. NCAA President Charlie Baker said last year that adding teams could add value to the tournament, and he said the NCAA already has had “good conversations” with TV partners CBS and Warner Bros., whose deal runs through 2032 at the cost of around $1.1 billion a year.
Bears’ potential move to Indiana takes step forward as effort to build stadium in Illinois lingers
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears’ potential move to Indiana took another step forward when a key committee approved a plan to create an agency that would help get a stadium built. The Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee passed a bill establishing a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a stadium by a 24-0 margin. The Bears are looking at a tract of land near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Ind. The team calls it “the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date” in a statement. Republican Gov. Mike Braun and lawmakers in Indiana have been aggressive in trying to lure the Bears amid a yearslong effort to build an enclosed stadium in Illinois. The Bears did not mention Illinois in their statement.
New MLB union head Meyer dismisses salary cap, defends free agency, arbitration as labor clash looms
PHOENIX (AP) — Bruce Meyer staunchly defended free agency and salary arbitration on his first full day as head of the baseball players’ association, dismissing any possibility of agreement on a salary cap in another sign of a likely labor confrontation next winter. Meyer was thrust into the MLBPA’s top role, one day after the stunning, forced resignation of Tony Clark. The 64-year-old is set to lead the league’s players in what is expected to be a contentious round of negotiations with owners with baseball’s labor agreement set to expire on Dec. 1. Meyer said Thursday that he’s ready for the task, even if the circumstances are less than ideal.
Beverly Hills apologizes to Celtics star Jaylen Brown for claims about his event that was shut down
BOSTON (AP) — The City of Beverly Hills apologized to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown on Thursday for initially stating that an event he hosted on the eve of the NBA All-Star Game was shut down because the city said it lacked a permit. But Brown posted a statement from Jaylen Brown Enterprises on social media taking issue with another part of the city’s statement that claimed the event was actually shut down because of a perceived code violation. On Sunday, Beverly Hills released a statement to The Boston Globe, saying it rejected a permit. The event promoting Brown’s performance brand, 741, was held at Oakley founder Jim Jannard’s home. Brown has a sponsorship deal with Oakley.