AP Sports

Hurricane-stricken Tampa Bay Rays to play 2025 season at Yankees’ spring training field in Tampa

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ nearby spring training ballpark amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field. Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg told The Associated Press that Steinbrenner Field in Tampa is the best fit for the team and its fanbase. At about 11,000 seats, it’s also the largest of the spring training sites in Florida. The Rays’ home since 1998, the domed Tropicana Field, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, with most of its fabric roof shredded. It likely cannot be repaired before the 2026 season.

Mike Tyson concedes the role of villain to young foe in 58-year-old’s fight with Jake Paul

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Tyson isn’t the villain anymore as the 58-year-old prepares to fight the much younger Jake Paul in a sanctioned pro bout in Texas. Paul says he’s the disputer as the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer facing one of boxing’s most famous fighters. It’s the first sanctioned fight for Tyson since he retired almost 20 years ago. The bout is Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. A crowd of at least 60,000 is expected. The streaming platform Netflix is offering the bout at no additional cost to more than 280 million subscribers globally.

Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn is ending her retirement at age 40 to make a skiing comeback

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Lindsey Vonn says she is coming out of retirement to rejoin the U.S. Ski Team in an attempt to race again at age 40. Thursday’s announcement comes more than six years after Vonn’s last Olympics. She is a three-time Olympic medalist, including a downhill gold and super-G bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and a bronze in the downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She is also a four-time overall World Cup champion and owns eight world championships medals. Her 82 World Cup race victories stood as the record for a woman until that total was eclipsed by Mikaela Shiffrin.

Wembanyama shrugs off 50-point performance that leaves teammates in awe as Spurs top Wizards 139-130

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had a career-high 50 points and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Wembanyama was 8 for 16 on 3-pointers, also setting a career high, as San Antonio won its second straight. At 20 years 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, trailing only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker. Wembanyama is the eighth player in San Antonio franchise history to score 50 points in a game. David Robinson holds the franchise record with 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994.

With key teammates out, Antetokounmpo steps up with 59 points to lead Bucks over Pistons in OT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers wasn’t sure it was a good thing that Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 of the team’s 24 first-quarter points. But Rivers could smile about it after Antetokounmpo finished with 59 points in the Bucks’ 127-120 overtime victory against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. It was the highest total by any NBA player this season and five short of Antetokounmpo’s career high of 64 set last season against the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo says with three keys players out, he realized that he needed to be aggressive while getting his teammates involved.

Roger Penske adds Long Beach street race to portfolio as he holds off F1 and NASCAR interest

Roger Penske has added the most prestigious street race in North America to his portfolio with the purchase of the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He bought the race from Gerry Forsythe, who owned half the event with the late Kevin Kalkhoven. Forsythe bought Kalkhoven’s shares earlier this year amid reports both Formula 1 and NASCAR were interested in North America’s longest-running street race. Forsythe then sold the entire package to Penske Entertainment in a deal that ensures the Southern California race remains an IndyCar event at least through its contract with the city of Long Beach that runs through 2028.

Thousands of police officers but few visiting fans for France-Israel soccer match after attacks

PARIS (AP) — A heavy police presence was in place but few visiting fans were expected as France hosted Israel in Nations League soccer, a week after violence erupted in Amsterdam in connection with an Israeli club team’s visit. A total of 4,000 police officers and security staff were deployed in and around the Stade de France, with another 1,500 police on public transport. Less than 20,000 of 80,000 tickets have been sold with around 150 Israel supporters reportedly attending. Paris authorities were on high alert following violence in Amsterdam before and after a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Dutch authorities said fans from both sides were involved in the unrest. The assaults on Maccabi fans were widely condemned as antisemitic.

Sinner doping case could have been communicated more efficiently, ATP chair says

TURIN, Italy (AP) — The chairman of the ATP Tour acknowledges there “could have been better communication” in explaining the rules involved in the doping case of top-ranked Jannik Sinner. But ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi says that anyone hinting that a “double standard” was applied because of Sinner’s status is “unfair because the rules have been the same.” A decision by an independent tribunal to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed and a final ruling on the case is expected early next year. Gaudenzi made his comments at the ATP Finals in Turin on Thursday during a round-table discussion with international reporters to mark his first public comments on the case.

Back in Top 25 spotlight, No. 22 St. John’s puts away Wagner to set up Pitino father-son showdown

NEW YORK (AP) — In their return to the national rankings, Rick Pitino and his St. John’s team finished much better than they started. Deivon Smith drained a 3-pointer midway through the second half to spark an 18-0 spurt that propelled No. 22 St. John’s past Wagner 66-45 for its first victory as a Top 25 team in almost 10 years. St. John’s jumped into the AP Top 25 poll this week for the first time since January 2019 and earned its first win as a ranked squad since topping Tulane in December 2014. Now the schedule gets much tougher, beginning Sunday at Madison Square Garden against a New Mexico squad coached by Pitino’s son, Richard.

McIlroy tied for lead at World Tour Championship and strengthens Race to Dubai title bid

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy is already an overwhelming favorite to win the European tour’s season-long Race to Dubai title and he has just made his chances even better. McIlroy shot 5-under 67 and was tied for the lead with Tyrrell Hatton after the first round of the season-ending World Tour Championship on Thursday. A top-10 finish will guarantee McIlroy wins the year-long points race formerly known as the Order of Merit for the sixth time. That would leave him tied with the late Seve Ballesteros and two behind Colin Montgomerie’s record haul. Thriston Lawrence is second in the standings behind McIlroy ad is the only player who can catch the Northern Irishman. Lawrence opened with a 73.