Sports

Penske fires top 3, including Tim Cindric, from IndyCar organization as part of cheating scandal

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Roger Penske has fired team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer in the wake of an Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal. Penske said in a statement Wednesday that “nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams.” Two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were found to have an illegally modified part on their cars ahead of Sunday’s final round of qualifications for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Knicks and Pacers set for Round 9 in their playoff rivalry, with the winner going to the NBA Finals

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — When Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer, it seemed like a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks that’s already featured headbutts and chokes. The teams go at it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks’ first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. The Knicks and Pacers met six times in an eight-year span starting in 1993, then again last year when Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in the second round.

NBA to announce MVP award winner, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic and Antetokounmpo the finalists

It’s time: The NBA will unveil this season’s Most Valuable Player on Wednesday night. The winner will be Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic or Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’ll be the seventh consecutive time that a player born outside of the U.S. has won the award. Antetokounmpo, of Greek and Nigerian descent, won in 2019 and 2020. Jokic, a Serbian, won in 2021, 2022 and 2024. And Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon but since became a U.S. citizen, won the award in 2023.

NFL owners take up tush push ban vote with Jason Kelce in attendance

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners are gathered in Minnesota with the fate of a trendy short-yardage maneuver featured prominently on the meeting agenda. The proposal to ban the tush push was headed for a league-wide vote. Owners were paid a visit by former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce to describe his first-hand experience with the play trademarked by the reigning Super Bowl champions. Current Eagles in an interview session at team headquarters said they were hardly worried about an issue that’s well beyond their control. NFL owners were also considering adjustments to the onside kick with the goal of increasing the recovery rate.

NFL owners unanimously approve player participation in Olympic flag football for 2028

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners unanimously approved player participation in flag football for the 2028 Olympics at their spring meetings on Tuesday. The vote authorized the league to negotiate safety provisions and scheduling logistics with the NFL Players Association and relevant international and national team governing bodies before it becomes reality during the Summer Games in Los Angeles. No more than one player per NFL club would be permitted. Olympic rosters will be selected by the national committees for each country.

A man is charged with providing alcohol to 20-year-old who fell from PNC Park outfield wall in April

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man has been charged with providing alcohol to the 20-year-old who fell from the outfield stands at a Pittsburgh Pirates game on April 30. Court documents show Ethan Kirkwood was arrested Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 23. Kavan Markwood suffered serious injuries after falling from the top of a 21-foot-high wall onto the warning track at PNC Park during a game between the Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Markwood was admitted to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition, but has made substantial progress since the fall.

Man United and Tottenham looking to salvage dismal season in all-English Europa League final

BILBAO, Spain (AP) — Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in an all-English final in the Europa League later with both clubs hoping to end a dismal season on a high note. The trophy will offer some relief for the winner while the loser is likely to face a fresh wave of criticism. United is unbeaten in the Europa League this season but is down in 16th place in the Premier League, one spot ahead of Tottenham. The London club was beaten in the 2019 Champions League final by Liverpool.

George Pickens joins CeeDee Lamb in giving Cowboys QB Dak Prescott a new receiving duo

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — George Pickens is joining CeeDee Lamb as the new 1-2 punch at receiver for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys acquired Pickens in a trade with Pittsburgh. Pickens, Lamb and Prescott are on the field together for the first time this week at the team’s organized team activities. Prescott is looking forward to seeing the potential of possibly his best pass-catching duo since Amari Cooper was traded three years ago. The star QB has good reason to look forward to a reset after an injury-shortened season that ended with just the second losing record for Dallas in Prescott’s nine seasons.

Hybrid power is here: Indianapolis 500 could be dramatically reshaped by jolts of electric juice

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar teams have spent the past year trying to learn everything they can about the hybrid engines introduced midway through last season. But for the first time on Sunday, they will be used in the Indianapolis 500, and nobody is certain what to expect. The systems give the drivers a jolt of power that can be deployed in short bursts, slow bleeds or all at once, giving them yet another thing to consider at speeds approaching 240 mph. But the units haven’t been without their issues. They make the car heavier and harder to drive, and some drivers have had problems with them in qualifying in practice leading up to race day.

Panthers look every bit like reigning Stanley Cup champs in routing Hurricanes to open Eastern final

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Florida Panthers showed their championship mettle from last year’s run to the Stanley Cup by taking control early in their 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes to open the Eastern Conference final Tuesday night. Florida scored two tone-setting goals in the first period and never trailed. They also got goals from five different players. That came roughly 48 hours after they had to win a Game 7 on the road to advance here. They beat a Hurricanes team that had won all five of their home games in the playoffs so far.