Reports: Dolphins trading Tunsil, Stills to Texans for picks - TSN

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans continued a busy day of trades on Saturday by addressing a glaring need to upgrade their offensive line by acquiring left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Miami Dolphins in a deal which also netted them receiver Kenny Stills, a person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.

Miami will receive two first-round picks, one in the second and will also get offensive tackle Julién Davenport and cornerback Johnson Bademosi in the deal. The Texans will get a fourth-round pick in the trade, which comes after they agreed to a deal to ship 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks earlier on Saturday, according to two people who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Tunsil immediately improves a line which allowed Deshaun Watson to be sacked an NFL-leading 62 times last season. Tunsil, the 13th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has started 44 games for the Dolphins in the past three seasons. The Texans signed veteran left tackle Matt Kalil in the off-season to protect Watson's blind side, but the 25-year-old Tunsil will be a much better option after Kalil has struggled with injuries for years.

Despite Tunsil being considered one of the league's top left tackles, the Dolphins considered him expendable because they're in the early stages of a multiyear makeover under first-year coach Brian Flores. They were unable to reach a deal on a contract extension with him after exercising a fifth-year option on his rookie contract for $10.35 million in 2020.

He made headlines when a bizarre video of him smoking from a gas mask-bong contraption was posted on his Twitter account shortly before the 2016 draft began. That caused him to fall in the draft and be available for Miami to pick him.

Stills joins a solid receiving group in Houston led by DeAndre Hopkins, which also has Will Fuller and Keke Coutee, who have both missed significant time with injuries. Stills spent his first two seasons in New Orleans before playing for the Dolphins for the past four seasons.

He has been extremely durable in the past three seasons, starting all but one game. Stills had 37 receptions for 553 yards and six touchdowns last season after finishing with 847 yards receiving and six scores in 2017. A fifth-round pick in 2013, Stills has 4,138 yards receiving and 32 touchdowns in his career.

Things are more complicated off the field where Stills recently criticized the politics of team owner Stephen Ross and was razzed by his coach on the subject of Jay-Z.

He is outspoken on social issues, and has been kneeling during the national anthem for the past four seasons to protest racial inequality and police brutality. But the Dolphins' decision to trade him may have been based on football.

Stills has 24 touchdown catches in the past four seasons for Miami. But he's in the third season of a $32 million, four-year contract, which made him expensive and expendable as the Dolphins rebuild and expect to be also-rans in 2019.

In early August, Stills objected to Ross hosting a fundraiser for President Donald Trump, and said there was a contradiction in the Dolphins owner supporting both the president and racial equality. Stills said he later spoke with Ross and they agreed to disagree while harbouring no hard feelings.

Last week, Stills objected to remarks from Jay-Z about social activism by current and former NFL players. The next day Flores had more than half a dozen songs by the rapper played at the start of practice.

Flores expressed a concern that Stills was distracted by "what's going on outside," and said the receiver's performance in training camp had been disappointing.

The Dolphins have repeatedly denied they're tanking in 2019. But they're widely expected to be among the NFL's worst teams, and the trade increases the likelihood they'll secure a high draft pick and take a franchise quarterback in the first round next April.

The Texans also acquired running back Carlos Hyde in a trade with Kansas City for offensive tackle Martinas Rankin on Saturday to add depth after losing starter Lamar Miller to a season-ending knee injury.

___

AP Sports Writer Steven Wine in Miami contributed to this report.

___

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/30PJHdl
via IFTTT
September 01, 2019 at 04:36AM

Bianca Andreescu defeats Caroline Wozniacki to advance to fourth round at US Open - TSN

NEW YORK -- Bianca Andreescu is into the second week in her first career U.S. Open.

The 19-year-old Canadian defeated No. 19 seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to advance to the fourth round.

"It means a lot, because this is my best result in a Grand Slam. I'm really, really pumped," Andreescu said.

Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., was ousted in the third round by No. 13 seed Gael Monfils of France.

Monfils toppled Shapovalov 6-7, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in a match that went three hours and 34 minutes, with the Canadian committing 11 double faults and 64 unforced errors.

On paper, it wasn't technically an upset, with Andreescu the higher-ranked of the two.

But Wozniacki has reached the U.S. Open singles final twice. And she has been a semifinalist on three other occasions.

There was a full-circle sort of feeling to the victory, even if Andreescu may just be gathering momentum in the final Grand Slam tournament of the season.

Then ranked No. 152, Andreescu made her first big splash back in January when she upset Wozniacki -- then ranked No. 3 -- in the second round of the WTA Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand.

Wozniacki was the first top-10 player Andreescu had ever faced, and only the second ranked inside the top 20.

Eight months later, now in the top 20 herself, the 19-year-old repeated that success.

"I think she played very well in January as well. I didn't know her back then," Wozniacki said. "Obviously she's had a great year. A lot of the players know who she is. She's made a mark. She's won two big tournaments this year.

"I think if anything I wish I could have served better today. It wasn't as easy with the sun, obviously for both of us. Otherwise I think she's playing very well. … She has a lot of shots in her game that she can pull out. I tried my best. I fought hard. That's it."

Andreescu on Canadian support: An amazing feeling, hopefully I can keep it going

Bianca Andreescu explains what it was like to play at Arthur Ashe Stadium, how she didn't want to let any distractions ruin her momentum when Caroline Wozniacki took a medical timeout, and what it feels like to be in the midst of one of the best Canadian sports stories of 2019.

This was Andreescu's first visit to cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium. She got a half-hour warmup on it in the morning, where she ran into another teenager who was to make her Arthur Ashe Stadium debut Saturday: 15-year-old Coco Gauff.

The two greeted each other warmly.

"That was actually the first time we met face-to-face. I told her congrats on all the success and to keep killing it," Andreescu said. "NextGen is here."

The first day session match on Ashe Stadium typically features a sea of empty seats at the start, and that was the case Saturday. But by the last few games of the match, the 23,771-seat stadium was about two-thirds full.

There were plenty of Wozniacki supporters -- she's well-known to the New York fans because of her history of success here.

Andreescu said she had to pinch herself a little as she walked in.

 "I was, like, 'Oh my God, is this actually happening right now?' It's a dream come true, so I prepared myself really well. I handled my emotions well today," she said.

"It was so fun. The atmosphere isn't like playing in the evening, obviously, but I still felt the energy. … So hopefully I can play many more matches on the court."

As Andreescu was waiting to serve at 4-3 in the second set, the giant screens in Arthur Ashe Stadium showed a flashback to the 2009 U.S. Open women's singles final.

Wozniacki, then 19, played 26-year-old Kim Clijsters, then unranked. Clijsters had retired young, become a mother, and then returned to professional tennis and won the U.S. Open.

Wozniacki later evoked Clijsters as a style comparison for Andreescu.

Shapovalov on five-set loss: 'I think the match today was just awesome'

The five-set match between Denis Shapovalov and Gael Monfils lived up to the hype. Mark Roe caught up afterwards with the Canadian who drew positives from the long battle.

"I think because she moves well and she can stretch out and get to some balls and also play the aggressive and using the angles," Wozniacki said. "Obviously she prefers the forehand just like Kim. But she can move around the backhand and put the angle on it."

Andreescu agreed with Wozniacki's assessment.

"I actually looked up to (Clijsters) a lot while I was just coming up," she said. "So that's really nice to hear from other players, because I think my game is pretty similar to hers. Not as good yet.

"She's an incredible fighter. She's very solid all around. She can volley, she can slice, dropshot. And she's very consistent as well. She chooses her targets and she has a very good serve and return. And she's very strong mentally."

Andreescu's next challenge will be one that another of her role models, Romania's Simona Halep, was unable to solve.

American Taylor Townsend serve-and-volleyed her way to an upset victory over Halep in the second round. Andreescu will have to formulate a strategy to counter a game style she rarely sees.

"I'm going to work on my passing shots tomorrow and stay as aggressive as I can," she said.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZH3H4s
via IFTTT
September 01, 2019 at 12:54AM

Lions relieve Bryan Chiu of duties; add Kelly Bates as OL coach - CFL.ca

VANCOUVER — The BC Lions have relieved offensive line coach Bryan Chiu of his coaching duties, the team announced on Saturday.

The club also announced that Kelly Bates has been added to the staff as offensive line coach.

Bates began his career with the Lions as a player in 2001 after being selected by the club in the 4^th round of the CFL Draft. The former Vanier Cup champion from the University of Saskatchewan played seven seasons for the Lions before moving on to stints with Edmonton and Winnipeg in 2009 and 2010.

He returned to the Lions in 2011 as an offensive assistant and coached the team’s stable of running backs through the 2014 season before being named head coach at Simon Fraser University, a post he held through 2017. Bates most recently served as quality control coach with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2018.

The Lions have allowed a league-high 43 sacks so far this season.

BC is out on a bye this week and return in Week 13 when they head to Montreal to take on the Alouettes.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/30OZh99
via IFTTT
September 01, 2019 at 01:51AM

Should the Blue Jays Bring Back Justin Smoak Next Season? - Jays From the Couch

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to make a decision on whether to bring Justin Smoak back to play first base and he might be the best choice

The other day Jamie Campbell and Joe Siddall discussed an interesting topic on Blue Jays Central. The duo posed the question of if the Blue Jays should bring back Justin Smoak next year. They referenced several budding players who could fill the playing time, but none really stand out for me. There’s Rowdy Tellez, Brandon Drury, Billy McKinney, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero at first base is an entirely other conversation in itself, so let’s pretend he’s not part of this equation. Well, to answer this question we first need to provide some context on Smoak.

Many were very critical when the front office gave Smoak a two-year extension with an option for a third back in 2016 and rightfully so. The switch-hitting first basemen and former first-round pick signed with the Blue Jays in 2014 and was primarily used in rotation with Chris Colabello and Edwin Encarnacion in 2015. He got starts at first and came off the bench defensive replacement and pinch hitter mostly against RHP batting .226/.299/.470 overall.

Smoak was at least tolerable in 2015 and then oh my god his 2016 season was one to forget. He batted .217/.314/.391 with a 32.8 K% and relatively even batted ball luck. So, what on Earth earned him an extension worth 16.25 million dollars? Well, he was in the top 8% if average exit velocity that year, so it wasn’t a blind bet that Smoak would improve and improve he sure did. The contract went from being one of the worsts and most question deals around the league to one of the biggest bargains in less than a year.

All-star first baseman. Who would have thought? (…well the front office, obviously) Smoak’s 2017 season was something to marvel at and if the rest of the team around him could have held up, he would have been a big part in a third straight playoff appearance. Smoak tailed off slightly towards the end of the season. And that’s not all as Smoak was also in the top 6% of batters in Barrel percentage according to baseball savant.

But this wouldn’t just be a one-off for the new fan favorite. He’s lived up to his full potential and out produced the dollar amount on the contract by quite a bit. From 2017 until now Smoak has batted .246/.353/.475 in 1672 PA, good enough for a 122 wRC+. So, with that context in mind, let us get back to our original question. Should the Blue Jays bring Justin Smoak back for the 2020 season?

Yes. A theme for the 2019 season so far has been the hunt for consistency. Many players on the roster lack consistency. And that includes all of the player listed above as possible in-house replacements for Justin Smoak. Why let one of the most consistent hitters in the Jays’ lineup walk for nothing when there isn’t a clear successor? Smoak is in the middle of his worst season throughout his three-year contract but has been on the receiving end of some bad luck. He has a .230 BABIP and an xwOBA of .380 opposed to his actual wOBA of .338. His xwOBA of .380 ranks in among the top 10% in baseball according to baseball savant.

We saw Jesus Aguilar dealt at the deadline to the Tampa Bay for RHP Jacob Faria. So, there definitely could have been a market for Smoak, but he’s still a Blue Jay. Seems kinda odd that a team in the middle of a rebuild would hold onto Smoak just for him to walk for nothing a few months later. Unless there were plans to hold onto the 32-year-old, of course.

The offensive production is clearly still there for Smoak. He isn’t anything spectacular defensively, but having him at first base is nice insurance for the young players in the infield. Something that the Blue Jays lack is offensive depth and production for their young stars. I’ve even thought about the possibility of maybe adding a bat to that mix through free agency, never mind losing Smoak. Also, it’s always nice to have the versatility that switch hitters bring to your lineup.

Ultimately, I hope that the Blue Jays do bring Smoak back for the 2020 season. I’d like to see one of Drury, McKinney, or Tellez displaces him through their play. Not because they’re Charlie Montoyo’s only options. The market for First Basemen/Designated hitters has soft the last few seasons and the Blue Jays will money to spend this offseason. So, money shouldn’t be the deciding factor in this decision at all. But I guess time will tell and until then happy trails Blue Jays fans. Thanks for reading!

*Featured Image Courtesy Of DaveMe Images. Prints Available For Purchase.

---

*****

HEAD ON OVER TO THE JAYS FROM THE COUCH VS ALS STORE AND GET SOME GREAT SWAG THAT YOU WILL LOOK GREAT IN AND YOU CAN FEEL GREAT ABOUT.

YOU CAN ALSO HEAD TO OUR JAYS FROM THE COUCH VS ALS FUNDRAISING PAGE TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION DIRECTLY TO ALS CANADA.

*****

---

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZCgqWk
via IFTTT
August 31, 2019 at 09:04PM

French F2 driver Anthoine Hubert dies after high-speed crash - CANOE

Bianca Andreescu upends former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki at U.S. Open - CBC Sports

Lowry texted Valanciunas about receiving Raptors championship ring - Sportsnet.ca

DONGGUAN, China — Jonas Valanciunas is putting his trust in former teammate Kyle Lowry.

The longtime Raptors forward, who was shipped to Memphis at the NBA trade deadline this past season, hasn’t received official notice from Toronto on whether he’ll receive an NBA championship ring.

But Lowry has Valanciunas hopeful.

"Kyle texted me ‘What’s your ring size?"’ Valanciunas said Saturday.

"I asked him ‘What, wedding ring?"’ he added with a laugh. "We’ll see. I’m hopeful."

The 27-year-old is in China as the starting centre for sixth-ranked Lithuania, which faces No. 23 Canada on Tuesday in the opening round of the FIBA World Cup.

Valanciunas was drafted by Toronto fifth overall in 2011 and played his entire NBA career with the Raptors before he was shipped, along with Delon Wright and C.J. Miles, to the Grizzlies for Marc Gasol.

Valanciunas attended the Raptors’ opening game of the playoffs against Orlando, and the Scotiabank Arena crowd erupted in a spontaneous ovation when the big man, who was one of the Raptors’ most popular players, was spotted walking to his courtside seat.

"That was amazing, actually that was amazing," he said after Lithuania’s practice at Dongguan Basketball Centre.

Valanciunas watched a lot of the Raptors’ historic playoff run. But it wasn’t easy.

"It was kind of hard, because I wanted to be there. But it was fun to watch because my guys were doing good," he said.

The Raptors will receive their rings and watch the NBA championship banner rise to the rafters before their season opener on Oct. 22 versus New Orleans.

If the team decides to give Valanciunas a ring, it would likely be presented on March 30, when the Grizzlies visit Toronto. The two teams will actually meet two days before that in Memphis, the first time they’ll go head to head since the trade.

"Two games back to back, woah," Valanciunas said.

Meanwhile, Lithuania is the class of Group H at the World Cup, which also includes No. 11 Australia, and 33rd-ranked Senegal.

The top two teams in each group advance, while the bottom two move to the classification side of the draw. The tournament is the main qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with seven teams earning automatic berths.

Valanciunas and Indiana Pacers forward Domantis Sabonis are Lithuania’s two NBA players in the tournament. Canada had 17 NBA players listed on its invitation list. But far less than that showed up for camp, and Canada will take the floor with just two in China — Sacramento guard Cory Joseph and Orlando forward Khem Birch.

When someone pointed out to Valanciunas that Canada has just two, the big man pumped a fist and said: "Yes!"

Canada opens the tournament against Australia on Sunday, while Lithuania takes on Senegal.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2Hyea88
via IFTTT
August 31, 2019 at 08:32PM

Daniil Medvedev continues to rack up US Open fines - TSN

Daniil Medvedev's heel turn at the U.S. Open cost him $9,000 — raising his total for fines at the tournament to $19,000 after three matches.

The U.S. Tennis Association said the No. 5-seeded Russian was docked $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct for angrily snatching and throwing away a towel from a ballperson, and $4,000 for holding his middle finger against the side of his face during his third-round victory.

That behaviour resulted in a steady stream of booing from the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd throughout the match. The jeers reached a crescendo after Medvedev's win was done, and he seemed to relish it and egged the spectators on.

Sarcastic as can be, he told them: "I want all of you to know, when you sleep tonight, I won because of you."

Medvedev has been fined after each of his matches so far: $7,500 for verbal abuse in the first round, $2,500 for equipment abuse in the second.

He can afford the penalties, though: By reaching the fourth round, he's guaranteed to take home at least $280,000

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/32hnQvF
via IFTTT
September 01, 2019 at 02:17AM

Canada's Parrot wins gold in first competition since beating cancer - CTV News

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press
Published Saturday, August 31, 2019 2:19PM EDT
Last Updated Saturday, August 31, 2019 4:38PM EDT

Max Parrot stood on the platform overlooking the X Games big air ramp in Norway and let his gaze linger a little longer than usual.

Then he dropped down for his first of three big air jumps, closing a "nightmare" chapter of his life in the process.

Parrot, of Bromont, Que., won the big air gold medal at X Games Oslo on Saturday in his first competition since being declared cancer-free two months ago.

The 2018 Olympic silver medallist in slopestyle -- and now six-time X Games champion -- was diagnosed in December with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer which affects white blood cells in the lymphatic system.

"I was thinking a couple minutes before (the first jump) about everything that I had been through and it felt so good to be out there on top of that ramp," Parrot said from Oslo in a phone interview with The Canadian Press. "There's a really nice view and I was just enjoying it as much as I could. ... And I think appreciating the moment helped me land my runs.

"It means so much (to win) because these past couple of months I was living a nightmare. When I heard there would be X Games in Norway it became a light in that nightmare. And here I was today, riding on my board. I came out with the gold medal, so I'm living a dream today."

The 25-year-old threw down three big jumps in each of his runs in Saturday's final, scoring a combined 91 points on his two best to capture the gold medal.

Parrot scored a 47 on his first jump, a cab triple cork 1620, and 44 on the frontside triple cork he landed on his second run. Sven Thorgren of Sweden was second with 88.33 points and Japan's Yuki Kadono took bronze with a score of 84.66.

Parrot last competed Nov. 24, 2018, when he placed eighth at a big air World Cup in Beijing. He'd noticed a bump on his neck and consulted a doctor upon his return to Canada.

Parrot underwent his 12th and final round of chemotherapy in mid-June and was back to training two weeks later, going hard for six days a week.

"I've never trained that hard in my entire career," Parrot said. "Having two months to train after going through chemo is pretty insane and I did the best I could. Even today, I'm still not 100 per cent, I still have trouble with my recovery time, but it's getting there. It really means a lot to me to win today because it means I have worked for something.

"And it's also helping me turn the page on everything that happened in the last year. It's like I'm back where I'm supposed to be."

The intensity of his training -- and the short timeline he gave himself to get competition-ready so quickly after completing his chemo -- worried just about everyone close to him, Parrot said.

"The first time I announced that my goal was to compete at these X Games everyone was like, 'dude, you should take it easy, you should take your time.' But I wanted to go out there. I was missint it so much," he said.

"Life was taken away from me for the past eight months and my goal was just to get back on my board as quickly as possible. I told them I wanted to compete and I wanted to win the gold and everyone was getting kinda crazy about it but my parents know me and they knew I was going to get it."

Regina's Mark McMorris, who has 17 X Games medals, placed fifth in the six-man final. A podium finish would have tied McMorris with American Shaun White's X Games medal record of 18.

Laurie Blouin of Stoneham, Que., finished just off the podium in fourth place in the women's event.

Parrot won big air gold at the X Games in Aspen, Colo., three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018, but wasn't able to compete there this year.

He said his gold medal Saturday was the result of a "team effort" that included doctors, a nutritionist, a sports psychologist, his coaches, his family, his girlfriend and his friends."

"Without the whole team I had I never would have got here today," he said. "I'm thankful for them."

The medal also capped a "long, tough day" that began with two qualification runs hours before the final.

With his next competition still months away, Parrot finally gets time to rest.

"Right now my goal is to have a vacation for the next two weeks," he said. "I've been battling myself every day since I got the news that I had cancer in December, I did not have one day off, so it's time now to chill a little bit.

"For sure I'm looking at my season coming up but my next competition isn't until December so I have a couple months. And I think having this gold today helps me turn the page, so it will be easier for me to go forward."

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2zJduIA
via IFTTT
September 01, 2019 at 01:19AM

NASA's $10 billion successor to the Hubble Telescope is finally assembled after more than a decade of delays - Business Insider

The launch was initially planned for 2007.Getty

• NASA's $10 billion successor to the Hubble Space Telescope has finally been fully assembled, after 12 years of delays and cost overruns.
• The two halves that make up the next-generation space telescope have been brought together by NASA engineers for the very first time.
• The tennis-court-sized James Webb Space Telescope will be able to see seven times further than the Hubble Space Telescope, capturing more concise pictures of the deep universe.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

After 12 years of delays and cost overruns, the $9.7 billion successor to the Hubble Space Telescope — the James Webb Space Telescope — has finally been fully assembled. 

The two halves that make up the next-generation space telescope have been brought together by NASA engineers for the very first time, something which took many years and countless hours of planning to achieve. 

"This is an exciting time to now see all Webb's parts finally joined together into a single observatory for the very first time," said Gregory Robinson, the Webb program director at NASA.

"The engineering team has accomplished a huge step forward and soon we will be able to see incredible new views of our amazing Universe."

Read more: SpaceX lost contact with 3 of the Starlink internet satellites it launched in May, but the company seems pleased with its first batch overall

The telescope will "explore the cosmos using infrared light, from planets and moons within our solar system", according to the NASA press release. It will be able to take very precise pictures of the deep universe, something which only the Hubble Space Telescope was able to achieve before. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into Earth's orbit in 1990 and remains in operation.

The James Webb Space Telescope is not a replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope, but an upgrade. While Hubble captures optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, James Webb will capture the universe in infrared. It will also be able to look even deeper into the universe.

While Hubble's 7-foot-wide mirror is limited in the amount of light that it can capture, the James Webb Space Telescope has a 21-foot-wide mirror that can see seven times as far. 

NASA engineers are still working on putting in a five-layer sun shield to protect the telescope from the infrared light coming from the Sun.Getty

As of now, the telescope has only been connected "mechanically", according to NASA. Engineers working for the space agency still have to connect the wires and links within the telescope for it to be fully functional. 

Read more: Trump's NASA chief, who has no scientific background, says Pluto is a planet

The next step for engineers at NASA is to put together the James Webb Space Telescope's five-layer sun shield. The sun shield is an integral part of the telescope since it will protect the telescope's mirrors and scientific instruments from the infrared light coming from the Sun. 

James Webb is the size of a tennis court and will only work once it unfurls itself in space without tearing or falling apart — a feat it has yet to accomplish.

"The more we learn more about our universe, the more we realize that Webb is critical to answering questions we didn't even know how to ask when the spacecraft was first designed," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, in a statement last month.

Den Originalartikel gibt es auf Business Insider India. Copyright 2019. Und ihr könnt Business Insider India auf Twitter folgen.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.businessinsider.com/nasas-ten-billion-dollar-telescope-built-after-decade-of-delays

2019-08-31 07:06:45Z
CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJ1c2luZXNzaW5zaWRlci5jb20vbmFzYXMtdGVuLWJpbGxpb24tZG9sbGFyLXRlbGVzY29wZS1idWlsdC1hZnRlci1kZWNhZGUtb2YtZGVsYXlz0gFfaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9uYXNhcy10ZW4tYmlsbGlvbi1kb2xsYXItdGVsZXNjb3BlLWJ1aWx0LWFmdGVyLWRlY2FkZS1vZi1kZWxheXM

Federer ends slow starts, rolls into fourth round at US Open - battlefordsNOW

NHL opts not to re-open CBA - TSN

Citing what it called momentum from a sustained period of labour peace, the NHL said Friday it has informed the NHL Players' Association it will not use its option to terminate the existing collective bargaining agreement next year.

The league announced its decision two days before its deadline to notify the union whether it would reopen collective bargaining talks. The union has until Sept. 15 to decide on whether to terminate the agreement as of September 2020, two years before the existing deal expires.

"We will continue to discuss this matter with our players as our September 15 decision approaches," the union said.

If the players opt to reopen the CBA, it would set the clock ticking toward a potential third work stoppage in the sport since 2004. If the players choose not to terminate the agreement, it remains in effect until 2022. The next Winter Olympics are in Beijing earlier that year.

"Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our players," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement issued by the league. "It is our hope that a continued sustained period of labour peace will enable us to further grow the game and benefit all constituent groups."

The players, however, have concerns, notably regarding the escrow issue, Olympic participation and the split of hockey-related revenue. The NHL and NHLPA are in agreement on wanting more international competition and are in talks about holding another World Cup of Hockey as early as February 2021.

The NHLPA executive board is scheduled to meet in Chicago on Wednesday. The league and union have been meeting through the summer and those discussions are scheduled to continue.

Escrow is a major concern for the players, according to a majority of union representatives surveyed by The Associated Press and Canadian Press last spring.

The current CBA has owners and players dividing hockey-related revenue 50/50, and if player salaries exceed that split a certain percentage is withheld in escrow to make it even. Players have complained, saying some have lost upward of 10% of their pay to escrow over the past seven seasons.

"I don't know if we're going to eliminate it," New Jersey Devils player rep Cory Schneider said. "Obviously we'll figure that part out. But at least some way to mitigate it or control it better for us just to know what to expect."

The league has countered by saying escrow is a function of the salary-cap system, with the amount of money held back being higher when the upper limit on salaries is higher.

On Friday, Bettman stressed a desire to have a co-operative approach between owners and players.

"In any CBA, the parties can always identify issues they are unhappy with and would like to see changed," Bettman said. "However, our analysis makes clear that the benefits of continuing to operate under the terms of the current CBA — while working with the Players' Association to address our respective concerns — far outweigh the disruptive consequences of terminating it following the upcoming season."

___

More AP NHL: https://ift.tt/2Nj8z6n and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZL55zj
via IFTTT
August 31, 2019 at 03:21AM

Canada's final roster for Basketball World Cup features two NBA players | Offside - Daily Hive

Canada is ready to go for the Basketball World Cup.

Following a series of tune-up games in Australia, Canada announced its final roster for the World Cup, which begins Saturday in China.

The list of players is a far cry from the training camp roster Canada Basketball announced last month, but it does include two NBA players.

For various reasons, most of Canada’s best NBA players have chosen to sit out this tournament. Orlando Magic big man Khem Birch and Sacramento Kings point guard Cory Joseph will lead an underdog group in China, with an Olympic berth on the line.

Joseph’s participation in the tournament has been uncertain for weeks, as he skipped Canada’s exhibition schedule in Australia. Miami Heat centre Kelly Olynyk, who always answers the call for Canada, will have to skip the tournament after suffering an injury during a game against Nigeria on August 7.

Another casualty from exhibition play was Raptors forward Oshae Brissett, who will miss the tournament with a knee injury.

Along with Joseph and Birch, Canada’s roster includes nine players that play professionally in Europe, plus Florida Gators guard Andrew Nembhard.

Name	Position	Height	Previous / Current Club
Khem Birch	Centre	6’9”	Orlando Magic
Melvin Ejim	Forward	6’6″	Baloncesto Málaga (Spain)
Brady Heslip	Guard	6’2”	Istanbul BBSK (Turkey)
Cory Joseph	Guard	6’3″	Sacramento Kings
Kaza Kajami-Keane	Guard	6’2”	Mitteldeutscher BC (Germany)
Owen Klassen	Centre	6’10”	Antwerp Giants (Belgium)
Conor Morgan	Forward	6’9”	Divina Seguros Joventut (Spain)
Andrew Nembhard	Guard	6’5”	Florida Gators (NCAA)
Kevin Pangos	Guard	6’2”	FC Barcelona Basketball (Spain)
Phil Scrubb	Guard	6’4″	Club Estudiantes (Spain)
Thomas Scrubb	Forward	6’7”	SIG Strasbourg (France)
Kyle Wiltjer	Forward	6’10”	Turk Telekom (Turkey)

The team’s biggest star is their head coach, Nick Nurse of the Toronto Raptors, who could be a difference-maker for this group.

“Playing for your country is one of the greatest honours in sport and the players are fully committed to giving everything they have for Canada,” said Nurse. “I’m proud of the group of players we’ve selected to represent Canada at the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup.”

Canada finished exhibition play with a 4-3 record, splitting games with Nigeria and Australia, in addition to racking up a pair of wins against New Zealand and a loss to USA.

Competing in a difficult Group H, Canada will play Australia (September 1), Lithuania (September 3), and Senegal (September 5) in the first round. They need to finish first or second in their group to advance to the second round.

Canada can qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics with a first- or second-place finish among countries in the Americas zone. Our men’s basketball team hasn’t participated in the Olympics since Steve Nash led Canada to the Sydney 2000 Games.

Should Canada fail to earn an Olympic berth directly from the World Cup, they could get a second chance next summer, as the graphic below illustrates.

How Canada can qualify for the 2020 Olympics in men’s basketball (FIBA)

You can catch all of Canada’s World Cup games through online streaming service DAZN:

• Sun, Sep 1: Canada vs Australia, 12:30 am PT / 3:30 am ET
• Tue, Sep 3: Canada vs Lithuania, 4:30 am PT / 7:30 am ET
• Thu, Sep 5: Canada vs Senegal, 12:30 am PT / 3:30 am ET

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2Lbbz6q
via IFTTT
August 31, 2019 at 02:19AM

Autopsy shows Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died from accidental overdose of painkillers, alcohol - CBC Sports

NHL work stoppage seems less likely after owners decline CBA option | Offside - Daily Hive

Hockey fans got some good news today.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the league will not be exercising its option to reopen the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2020-21 season.

It’s step one of a two-step process to avoid another work stoppage.

The NHLPA has until September 15 to decide what they want to do. If they also decide to decline their option, it will mean that the current CBA will remain in effect until the end of the 2021-22 season.

Should players reopen the CBA, it opens the possibility of a lockout or strike delaying the start of the 2020-21 season.

“Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our Players and, therefore, will not exercise its option to reopen the CBA,” Bettman said in a league-released statement. “Rather, we are prepared to have the current CBA remain in effect for its full term – three more seasons through the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

“It is our hope that a continued, sustained period of labor peace will enable us to further grow the game and benefit all constituent groups: NHL Players, Clubs, our business partners and, most important, our fans.”

“In any CBA, the parties can always identify issues they are unhappy with and would like to see changed. This is certainly true from the League’s standpoint. However, our analysis makes clear that the benefits of continuing to operate under the terms of the current CBA – while working with the Players’ Association to address our respective concerns – far outweigh the disruptive consequences of terminating it following the upcoming season.”

While the players aren’t happy with everything in the current CBA – escrow and Olympic participation are two contentious issues – do they really want to go toe-to-toe with the owners again?

The NHLPA released the following statement regarding the NHL’s reopener decision: https://t.co/6uQ3lTGWYU pic.twitter.com/WEp3qbPV3V

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 30, 2019

Regardless of what the NHLPA decides, the relationship between owners and players appears to be significantly better than prior to the last labour dispute that delayed the start of the 2012-13 season, resulting in teams playing a shortened 48-game schedule that began in January.

An owners lockout wiped out an entire season in 2004-05. Work stoppages also occurred during the 1991-92 season (players strike), and three years later in 1994-95 (owners lockout).

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2Ukpaep
via IFTTT
August 31, 2019 at 06:48AM

Alouettes sign WR Chris Matthews - CFL.ca

MONTREAL – Just a few days after his release, Chris Matthews has found a new home.

The Montreal Alouettes have signed the former Blue Bombers receiver, it was announced on Friday.

Matthews played in six games in Winnipeg this season, hauling in 12 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown before the team released him on Wednesday.

The six-foot-five, 230-pounder joined the Bombers for the second time in his CFL career this off-season, signing a three-year deal with the team in May. Matthews originally broke into the CFL in the blue and gold in 2012 and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie that year.

Matthews joined the Calgary Stampeders late in 2018, starting the final four regular season games, the Western Final and the Grey Cup and recorded 19 catches for 350 yards and a major score.

In his rookie season, the 29-year-old hauled in 81 catches, 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns. After playing for Winnipeg in an injury-shortened 2013 campaign, Matthews went to the NFL and played for the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2017.

The Alouettes are on a bye this week and return in Week 13 where they host the BC Lions.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/34o0TJg
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 11:24PM

Canada announces roster for FIBA World Cup - TSN

The FIBA World Cup is set to tip-off on Saturday and Canada has their roster set. 

It has been a long selection process, one that has seen a number of NBA players pull out of the tournament. 

Noteables that have pulled out are Andrew Wiggins, RJ Barrett, Jamal Murray, Tristan Thompson, Dwight Powell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. 

In the end, Canada's roster has two NBA players on it, Cory Joseph (Sacramento) and Khem Birch (Orlando).

Nine players currently play overseas - Melvin Ejim, Brady Heslip, Kaza Kajami-Keane, Owen Klassen, Conor Morgan, Kevin Pangos, Phil Scrubb, Thomas Scrubb, and Kyle Wiltjer. 

And there is one current NCAA player, Andrew Nembhard (Florida), on the roster.

This is Canada's first trip to the FIBA World Cup since 2010 and this will be their 14th appearance at the World Cup.

Canada will be in action Sunday when they take on Australia. 

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2UmfvUH
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 09:11PM

Transport Canada fining drone flyer nearly $3K for Raptors celebration coverage | News - Daily Hive

It looks like the person responsible for flying a drone over two of the Toronto Raptors’  championship celebrations is facing a hefty fine.

Transport Canada says the individual, whose name has not yet been released, operated a drone during the celebrations after the Raptors won the championship in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 13, and then again during the Raptors’ victory parade on June 17.

The federal government says the individual says the person responsible has since been fined for 11 separate violations under the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

Following an investigation into the two incidents, Transport Canada says the individual has been served fines totalling $2,750.

See also:

“Transport Canada is committed to enhancing aviation and public safety while encouraging innovation and economic growth in the drone sector, but operating a drone in Canadian airspace is a regulated activity and the department will enforce the regulations to ensure compliance,” said Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport.

“The safety of Canadians is our number one priority. Drone pilots must fly responsibly and must never put people or aircraft in danger.”

Transport Canada says federal drone regulations came into effect this year on June 1, which makes it mandatory for anyone operating one weighing more than 250 grams and less than 25 kilograms to register their aircraft and obtain a drone pilot certificate.

Drone operators must also obey specific requirements around flying in controlled airspace or over bystanders, including:

• Holding an Advanced Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Pilot certificate
• Passing a flight review
• Seeking NAV CANADA’spermission to fly in the airspace
• Flying a drone that has been declared safe for the intended purpose by the manufacturer

Those who receive a Notice of Assessment of Monetary Penalty may file a request with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada for a review of the facts of the alleged violation(s) or of the amount of the penalty, according to Transport Canada.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/34bq15K
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 08:29PM

Transport Canada fines drone pilot $2,750 for capturing footage during Toronto Raptors win - MobileSyrup

Days after release, Matthews signs with Als - TSN

Two days after being released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, wide receiver Chris Matthews has signed with the Montreal Alouettes.

The team announced the deal Friday.

Matthews signed a three-year deal with the Blue Bombers ahead of the season, but was released after recording 12 receptions for 180 yards and one touchdown in six games.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZBPemx
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 11:34PM

Kings guard Cory Joseph joins Canada’s World Cup team in China - Sportsnet.ca

DONGGUAN, China — Two NBA players. A couple of Euroleague standouts. Five Canadian university grads.

Canada‘s final roster for the FIBA World Cup looks nothing like what many people had predicted — and even more people dreamed about — only a few weeks ago.

But head coach Nick Nurse, who was tasked with assembling a roster that was slammed by big-name no-shows and hit by injuries, praised the dozen players he has in China. Beginning Sunday, Nurse’s odds-and-ends roster will try to clinch Canada’s men’s basketball team it’s first Olympic berth since the 2000 Sydney Games.

"I’m gonna coach as hard as I can with this group, right? Maybe we had to work extremely hard, or a little harder, I don’t know," Nurse said after Friday’s practice at Dongguang Basketball Centre.

"It seems like we’re putting a hell of an effort out to get these guys to play the best that they can, the guys are amazing. I’m super proud of them already, I was proud of them on Day 1 of training camp. They’ve played some cool basketball. I think that anybody that’s turned on and watched us would say ‘Man, those guys are all right,’ right? And maybe surprisingly so, because of the roster.

"So it’s we can ask for, and it’s all we can do."

There was both good and bad news for Canada on Friday, with the arrival of Sacramento Kings guard Cory Joseph, and the loss of Oshae Brissett to injury.

After rumblings about Joseph potentially backing out of the World Cup, he rejoined the team in China after skipping a five-game exhibition series in Australia.

"I have no idea where that (rumour) came from, there was no confusion on this end, me, coach, Rowan (Barrett, Canada Basketball’s general manager), everybody, we’ve talked from Day 1, from training camp about what was going to go down," said Joseph, sporting a newly-shaved head.

Joseph and Orlando Magic forward Khem Birch are the only NBA players for No. 23 Canada, which tips off the tournament against 11th-ranked Australia.

Brissett was among the team’s leading scorers in Canada’s tune-up games, but returned home after injuring his leg against New Zealand last week.

"It was a tough one because he was playing outstanding, really fit that slot we needed, he was shooting just enough, he was driving a bit, he was rebounding like crazy, double-figure rebounds from the small forward spot, and was playing great defence — really a good solid piece to the puzzle," said Nurse.

"Probably could have played and been OK, but just didn’t think it was the right thing to do, we sent him home to get rehabbed and 100 per cent and ready to go his next assignment."

Nurse made a couple of roster moves ahead of Friday’s deadline, releasing guards Aaron Best and Duane Notice.

With Canada’s mushrooming depth in the NBA, this summer was expected to see the country’s best basketball squad ever assembled. But numerous big names opted to skip the World Cup including Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins, R.J. Barrett, Tristan Thompson, Dwight Powell, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Miami Heat centre Kelly Olynyk reported for camp, but then injured his knee in Canada’s first exhibition game against Nigeria.

How did those in attendance react to all those who were absent?

"We just went with the flow," said Kevin Pangos, who plays for Euroleague powerhouse FC Barcelona. "Whoever was able to come and play for the team, they came. Everyone’s situation was different. Some guys had contracts, some injuries, this or that. We didn’t pay it too much attention. Whoever was here we worked with it, and we’re excited."

Nurse, who coached the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship less than three months ago, admitted there could be "some difficulties" fitting Joseph back into the fold after he missed five games in Australia.

"I think you just don’t really know how they fit," Nurse said.

He experimented with playing Joseph and Pangos together in the first game versus Nigeria, but said "I’m not sure it was great. I didn’t get a great feel for it.

"And Kevin, since Cory left, has looked outstanding, right? Like he should be the point guard, and so there is a little bit of give and take there to figure out, and I’m still kind of turning it over in my head. But, saying this, there’s a couple of things I do know about Cory having coached him (with the Raptors) before that he’s super competitive, he can really guard, he can really guard late in games, and we need that."

Australia boasts two excellent NBA point guards in San Antonio’s Patty Mills and Cleveland’s Matthew Dellavedova.

"We’re definitely going to need some defensive presence out there, and Cory is pretty good at that," Nurse said.

With only a couple of weeks between the World Cup and the beginning of NBA training camp, Joseph said he skipped the Australia trip to attend to some personal matters.

Otherwise, Joseph has been one of the team’s most dependable players, always there when Canada’s come calling.

"I’ve been playing for a long time, it wasn’t a hard decision for me, I set a goal (to qualify for the Olympics) and I’m trying to reach it," said the Pickering, Ont., native.

Seven teams from the World Cup will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Canada must finish top-two among teams from the Americas. Another 16 teams will play in last-chance Olympic qualifying tournaments next summer.

The Canadians play sixth-ranked Lithuania on Monday, then No. 33 Senegal on Sept. 5.

Canada is making its first World Cup appearance since 2010. The Canadians went 0-5 to finish 22nd out of 24 teams that year in Turkey.

The team went 4-3 in pre-World Cup action, splitting a pair of exhibition games with Australia and Nigeria, beating New Zealand twice, then dropping an ugly 84-68 decision to the U.S. on Monday. They then flew 12 hours to China on Tuesday.

——

Canada’s Roster:

Khem Birch, Montreal, Orlando Magic; Melvin Ejim, Toronto, Baloncesto Malaga (Spain); Brady Heslip, Burlington, Ont.; Istanbul BBSK (Turkey); Cory Joseph, Pickering, Ont., Sacramento Kings; Kaza Kajami-Keane, Ajax, Ont., Mitteldeutscher BC (Germany); Owen Klassen, Kingston, Ont., Antwerp Giants (Belgium); Conor Morgan, Victoria, Divina Seguros Joventut (Spain); Andrew Nembhard, Aurora, Ont., University of Florida (NCAA); Kevin Pangos, Newmarket, Ont., FC Barcelona Basketball (Spain); Phil Scrubb, Richmond, B.C., Club Estudiantes (Spain); Thomas Scrubb, Richmond, B.C., SIG Strasbourg (France); Kyle Wiltjer, Portland, Ore., Turk Telekom (Turkey).

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2MHJkhz
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 01:02PM

Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 8/29/19 NFL Preseason Pick, Odds, and Prediction - Sports Chat Place

Dorian Expected To Head Northeast After Striking Florida - Goldsboro Daily News

Hurricane Dorian is not expected to majorly impact North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend. However, forecasters with the National Weather Service say Dorian will likely head northeast after making landfall as a major Hurricane somewhere in Florida next week.  Some coastal flooding and a moderate risk for rip currents are already expected this weekend as the storm approaches the U.S.

From the National Weather Service

Let's block ads! (Why?)

http://goldsborodailynews.com/blog/2019/08/30/dorian-expected-to-head-northeast-after-striking-florida/

2019-08-30 09:49:23Z
52780368222233

Quebec players taunted with racial slurs at national baseball championships in N.B. - CBC Sports

Stamps activate Mitchell from 6-game IL - CFL.ca

CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders could have their biggest offensive star back in time for the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta on Monday.

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has been removed from the six-game injured list, the team announced Thursday, and is expected to return to practice.

Mitchell has been out of action since Week 3 after suffering a pectoral injury to his throwing arm during a game against the BC Lions.

RELATED:
» Top 10 stars for Mark’s Labour Day Weekend
» Bio: Bo Levi Mitchell by the numbers
» Buy Tickets: Eskimos at Stampeders

The 2018 CFL Most Outstanding Player and Grey Cup MVP was working towards a return against the Montreal Alouettes in Week 10. However, the Stamps opted to extend Mitchell’s stay on the injured list.

In two starts this season, Mitchell has thrown for 527 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Nick Arbuckle has filled in as the starter during Mitchell’s absence. He’s completed 73 per cent of his passes for 2,103 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He also has three rushing scores.

It is still unclear who the starter will be for the Week 12 showdown.

The Stamps and Esks cap off Mark’s Labour Day Weekend with a clash on Sept. 2. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZpNaTo
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 12:19AM

Cantona gives perplexing speech when accepting UEFA award - Sportsnet.ca

MONACO — Former France great Eric Cantona gave a typically perplexing speech after collecting the UEFA presidential award at the Champions League draw.

Cantona said "only accidents, crimes, wars will still kill us, but unfortunately crimes and wars will multiply. I love football."

Name a more bizarre acceptance speech… We'll wait.

#UCLDraw | : @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/LtP7Mgk6SB

— Tim and Sid (@timandsid) August 29, 2019

It came after Cantona, who was fondly referred to as King Eric by fans of former club Manchester United, was asked to give his thoughts on receiving the accolade in Monaco.

Dressed in a red shirt and grey cap, Cantona started off by invoking William Shakespeare’s King Lear: "As flies to wanton boys, we are for the gods."

He added: "They will kill us for the sport. Soon the science will not only be able to slow down the aging of the cells, soon the science will fix the cells to the state and so we will become eternal."

Cantona was known as an original thinker on and off the pitch, and has a history of making nonsensical statements.

At a news conference in February 1995 after he was handed an eight-month ban for jumping into the stands and kicking a fan in England, Cantona’s only comment before walking out of the room was: "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2NDdWAw
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 12:36AM

Real drawn with PSG in Champions League - TSN

MONACO — Missing out on the Champions League title in his first season at Juventus still pains Cristiano Ronaldo.

Had it not been for the quarterfinal loss to Ajax last season, Ronaldo might not have been leaving Thursday's UEFA group stage draw and awards ceremony empty-handed. So the three-time UEFA player of the year has a renewed hunger heading into the group stage, where Juventus was paired with Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow.

It is a swift reunion with Atletico after their round-of-16 meeting last season, when Cristiano Ronaldo's second-leg hat trick overturned a 2-0 deficit to send the Italian champions through before they fell to Ajax.

"It's the hardest competition there is to win," said Ronaldo, who lifted the European Cup once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid. "I'm really up for it."

But as Ronaldo observed: "The favourite doesn't always win. Look at Barcelona letting in four at Anfield. Everyone thought we would beat Ajax and we didn't. The same happened to Madrid."

Ajax's astonishing run to the semifinals saw the Dutch side oust Real Madrid in the last 16. Barcelona looked to be coasting into the final before throwing away a 3-0 lead over Liverpool by losing 4-0 at Anfield.

Liverpool's surge to a sixth European title helped Virgil van Dijk beat Ronaldo and Messi to UEFA's player of the year award at the ceremony in Monaco after the group stage draw.

Liverpool's title defence starts with a group that again includes Napoli, which Juergen Klopp's side had to beat last December to advance to the knockout stage. Salzburg, led by American coach Jesse Marsch, and Genk also await in Group E.

"Liverpool, that's a huge game, a superb team and an unbelievable challenge," Marsch said. "Napoli are a very tactically organised team, typically Italian. Belgian champions Genk are obviously going to be tough as well."

For Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City — among the biggest spending teams of the last decades thanks to investment by state-linked ownership from the Persian Gulf — the quest for a first Champions League title will have contrasting assignments.

Tough for PSG after being paired in a group with a Real Madrid side chasing a record-extending 14th European crown. Relatively straightforward for City, which was placed in a group that doesn't have any former champions and includes newcomer Atalanta.

In Group A, PSG will also face Club Brugge and Galatasaray. In Group C, City will also take on Shaktar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb while facing doubts about its Champions League participation next season as the Abu Dhabi-owned team is investigated for Financial Fair Play breaches.

"I'm a little upset about Manchester City," Shakhtar striker Júnior Moraes. "Now it's three years in a row (in the Champions League). We have a balanced group and good chances to qualify from it. City, of course, are a cut above the rest of the teams."

One of the most eye-catching groups is F. Barcelona, which won the competition for the last time in 2015, was paired with former champions Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, alongside Slavia Prague.

"That really is a very tough group, which makes it an even bigger challenge for us," Dortmund coach Lucien Favre said. "Inter want to return to the top of Italian football and have invested a lot this summer to try and achieve that."

Bayern Munich, which has won the European Cup five times like Barcelona, is in Group B with beaten 2019 finalist Tottenham, Olympiakos and Red Star Belgrade.

"We can definitely live with that group," Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said. "Our expectation is to qualify for the knockout stages as group winners, but we would be well-advised not to underestimate any team.

"Especially in Piraeus and in Belgrade we will not only come up against highly-motivated opposition, but also a very passionate home crowd."

Ajax, which had to go through qualifying to reach the group stage, was drawn with Chelsea, which qualified as Europa League champion, Valencia and Lille in Group H.

Group G seems the least appealing for global television audiences: Zenit St. Petersburg, Benfica, Lyon and Leipzig.

The final is at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium on May 30.

___

More AP soccer: https://ift.tt/2PlevAh and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZsAivC
via IFTTT
August 30, 2019 at 12:37AM

Canada's best-case scenario for Olympic qualification at 2019 FIBA World Cup - Sportsnet.ca

There’s been a lot of understandable doom and gloom around Canada heading into the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The number of notable NBA players who could’ve played for Canada but aren’t — either due to injury or because of early withdrawal — is disappointing, without question.

However, the roster is what it is and the fact remains that Canada still has the goal of trying to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games ahead of it once the World Cup tips-off Saturday morning.

There are a few ways Canada can reach Tokyo 2020 through the World Cup. The first and cleanest means to reach the Olympics through this tournament is to be one of the two best finishers from the Americas region.

This means being among the top-two finishers in a pool that includes Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and, of course, the United States.

The other method to an Olympic berth is much harder and more convoluted as it means being one of the 16 next-best teams from the World Cup (seven clubs in China will earn an automatic Olympic berth), and then playing in one of four last-chance Olympic qualifiers just before the Games begin, where a country has to win said last-chance tournament in order to earn one of the final four spots into the Olympic tournament.

Here’s a handy graphic from FIBA to help you better understand.

It’s a confusing process, in general, for Canada’s men’s basketball program to reach it’s first Olympics since 2000.

For simplicity’s sake, however, let’s narrow in on the first, clean option of just being one of the top-two Americas finishers to qualify and look at a best-case (within reason) scenario of how Canada might be able to make this happen.

Here’s how Canada can reach the Olympics via the upcoming World Cup.

Group Stage

As you may or may not be aware of the Canada’s Group H is considered the FIBA World Cup’s Group of Death.

Group H

#AustraliaGotGame
#CanadaGotGame
#LietuvaGotGame
#SenegalGotGame

Team passes available now on https://t.co/4KG31hTOfk #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/qEQgal1dbs

— Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) March 26, 2019

In a round-robin group alongside powerful world basketball nations Lithuania and Australia, and strong African outfit Senegal, Canada will be in tough, especially because only the top two teams in the group will advance while the bottom two will be forced to the Nos. 17-32 classification round.

If all goes according to plan, here’s a realistic look at how Canada will fair in this first round

Group H
Position	Team	Wins	Losses	Points
1	Canada	3	0	6
2	Lithuania	2	1	5
3	Australia	1	2	4
4	Senegal	0	3	3

By no means will this be easy, but this is, realistically, the only way Canada’s going to be one of the top two Americas-region finishers.

Most important for Canada will be to beat both Australia and Lithuania to hold tiebreakers over each club. Both squads are more talented than Canada, and it will be an uphill climb, but it’s not like the talent disparity can’t be overcome by a good scheme by head coach Nick Nurse and some hot shooting, of which Canada could very much be in line for.

The reason for the perfect record is because if Canada’s going to beat Australia and Lithuania it should also be able to handle Senegal without much worry, too.

Regardless, however, it’s paramount that Canada manages to beat the two main obstacles in its way because of the implications it would have carrying into the next round where things potentially get even harder.

Group Stage 2

So let’s say now that Canada makes it out of the Group of Death. That’s great, right? Well, yes and no because there’s a second group stage that will potentially have Canada up against the wall again to reach the knockout phase of the tournament.

Should Canada make it out of Group H along with the group’s second-best team, they will join the top two teams from Group G to make up the all new Group L. As such, it’s important to keep in mind who will be coming out of Group G, and at the moment it looks like it’ll almost assuredly be France and either the Dominican Republic or Germany.

It would be advantageous to Canada should the Dominican not make it to the second round as that would automatically mean an Americas rival for one of the top two spots gone, but even though Germany, on paper, is probably more talented, the Dominican is the more experienced side, so we’ll say for argument’s sake that they manage to make it through Group G along with medal-favourite France.

Like in the opening round, the top two teams from this new second group will advance. Additionally, records carry over from that first group stage.

So with that in mind, here’s a look at how we envision Canada making it to final stage of the tournament.

Group L
Position	Team	Wins	Losses	Points
1	France	5	0	10
2	Canada	4	1	9
3	Lithuania	3	2	8
4	Dominican Republic	2	3	7

It’s important to note that in the second-round teams only play two games and don’t face the same team that came with them from the previous group, only the new opponents from the other group.

It’s why performing well in the first group stage is so important for Canada. The first tiebreaker in the tournament goes to head-to-head record, so even if Canada were to fall to both France and the Dominican, it would still hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Lithuania with a 3-2 record in both group phases and reach the knockout round.

The fact that teams get less games to work with is a scary proposition, but it also adds extra incentive to perform well in the first round. The margin for error at the World Cup is razor thin and for a team like Canada without as much talent as other teams it’ll be facing that margin is even slimmer.

Knockout Round

Finally, if everything breaks Canada’s way, it’ll find itself in the knockout round where, in case luck wasn’t already a factor for the club, fortune will really have to smile on Canada Basketball.

This is because, if Canada’s going to be one of the top two finishers in the Americas region it’ll need quite a few breaks go its way in the other groups. Here’s an ideal scenario for Canada unfolding elsewhere in the tournament.

Group A: Out of Cote d’Ivoire, the host China, Venezuela and Poland, it’s likely that Venezuela and Poland will make it out.

Group B: There’s no question that Argentina and Russia are making it out of this group, in this order, with apologies to Nigeria and South Korea.

Group C: Iran and Tunisia are nice stories, but Spain and Puerto Rico will make it out of Group C.

Group D: Serbia and Italy are clearly favoured in this group over Angola and the Philippines.

Group E: It’ll be the United States and either Turkey or the Czech Republic, with slight edge to Turkey. As Japan already has an automatic berth to the Olympics as the host nation there’s not much incentive to perform super well in a tough group.

Group F: This is actually a pretty competitive, well-balanced group, but the edge should go to Greece and Brazil.

Group I: Just like the Group both teams fed out of, Argentina and Russia will make it out of Group I, which combined Groups A and B.

Group J: This is where the implications for Canada begin to loom large. The combined group C and D, it’ll be Serbia and Spain advancing to the knockout round with the important distinction of Spain finishing behind Serbia, to Canada’s benefit.

Group K: This would be the big one for Canada. In a stunner, Greece needs to beat the U.S. when they play to take the top seed in Group K, so Canada can avoid America in the knockout round.

Quarterfinals: If everything lines up the way we’ve forecasted the four quarter-final matchups should look as follows: Argentina-Spain, Greece-Canada, Serbia-Russia, France-United States.

The big thing to take away from this setup is the fact Canada is avoiding the States, the U.S. would have to face France, and the juicy Argentina-Spain match up.

Regardless of what happens Canada would still need to find a way past Greece, but that would, presumably be easier than trying to beat the U.S. And should Canada manage to do that, the Argentina-Spain contest is a coin flip. Meanwhile, France definitely has the horses to beat this U.S. squad, paving the way to Canada’s Olympic berth.

Is this scenario likely to happen? Probably not, but in a tournament like this anything can and will happen, so why not keep the faith just in case?

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2LecT7b
via IFTTT
August 29, 2019 at 09:10PM

Lovejoy retires from NHL after 11 seasons - NHL.com

Ben Lovejoy retired from the NHL on Wednesday after an 11-season career.

The 35-year-old defenseman, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016, announced his decision during a segment as a guest analyst on NHL Network.

"I'm very done," Lovejoy said. "I'm very proud of my career, very honored to have played for so long. It couldn't have gone any better. It was a childhood dream come true. But it was hard. … I wasn't good enough to just lace up the skates and go play. I had to make it a lifestyle, and I feel like about a million-pound weight is off my shoulders right now. I'm really, really excited to be done."

Lovejoy had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 71 games with the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars last season, and one assist in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Stars.

Undrafted, Lovejoy signed with the Penguins as a free agent on July 7, 2008. He had 101 points (20 goals, 81 assists) in 544 NHL games with the Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Devils and Stars.

He had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 76 playoff games, including six points (two goals, four assists) in 24 playoff games in 2016 to help Pittsburgh win the Cup.

from Sports - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2PmlNoq
via IFTTT
August 29, 2019 at 10:19PM

NASA's long-delayed James Webb telescope is finally assembled for the first time - Fox News

Nearly a year after it was supposed to launch, NASA has finally assembled the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

The government agency said the two halves of the telescope were joined earlier this week in Redondo Beach, Calif., where engineers used a crane to put the telescope together. The next step is to electrically connect the telescope and test it out.

“The assembly of the telescope and its scientific instruments, sunshield and the spacecraft into one observatory represents an incredible achievement by the entire Webb team,” said Bill Ochs, Webb project manager in a statement.  “This milestone symbolizes the efforts of thousands of dedicated individuals for over more than 20 years across NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, Northrop Grumman, and the rest of our industrial and academic partners.”

The fully assembled James Webb Space Telescope, with its sunshield and unitized pallet structures that fold up around the telescope for launch, partially deployed to an open configuration to enable telescope installation. (Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

NASA TO HOLD EXPLORE JUPITER'S MOON EUROPA, WHICH MAY HOLD LIFE

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted about the accomplishment, calling it a "major milestone."

The next steps for the telescope include engineers deploying the five-layer sunshield, which NASA said is "designed to keep Webb's mirrors and scientific instruments cold by blocking infrared light from the Earth, Moon and Sun." The space agency added that the deployment of the sunshield "is critical to mission success."

Following final testing, including environmental and deployment testing, the James Webb telescope will launch into space in 2021. The Hubble continues to allow incredible discoveries since its launch into space in April 1990.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/science/nasas-james-webb-telecope-assembled

2019-08-29 12:54:28Z
52780366711342

NASA's long-delayed James Webb telescope is finally assembled for the first time - Fox News

Nearly a year after it was supposed to launch, NASA has finally assembled the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

The government agency said the two halves of the telescope were joined earlier this week in Redondo Beach, Calif., where engineers used a crane to put the telescope together. The next step is to electrically connect the telescope and test it out.

“The assembly of the telescope and its scientific instruments, sunshield and the spacecraft into one observatory represents an incredible achievement by the entire Webb team,” said Bill Ochs, Webb project manager in a statement.  “This milestone symbolizes the efforts of thousands of dedicated individuals for over more than 20 years across NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, Northrop Grumman, and the rest of our industrial and academic partners.”

The fully assembled James Webb Space Telescope, with its sunshield and unitized pallet structures that fold up around the telescope for launch, partially deployed to an open configuration to enable telescope installation. (Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

NASA TO HOLD EXPLORE JUPITER'S MOON EUROPA, WHICH MAY HOLD LIFE

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted about the accomplishment, calling it a "major milestone."

The next steps for the telescope include engineers deploying the five-layer sunshield, which NASA said is "designed to keep Webb's mirrors and scientific instruments cold by blocking infrared light from the Earth, Moon and Sun." The space agency added that the deployment of the sunshield "is critical to mission success."

Following final testing, including environmental and deployment testing, the James Webb telescope will launch into space in 2021. The Hubble continues to allow incredible discoveries since its launch into space in April 1990.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/science/nasas-james-webb-telecope-assembled

2019-08-29 12:10:16Z
52780366711342

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says Starship could be followed by a dramatically larger rocket - Teslarati

By Eric Ralph

Posted on August 29, 2019

Hinted at in a brief tweet on August 28th, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that SpaceX’s massive Starship and Super Heavy launch vehicle – set to be the most powerful rocket ever built upon completion – could eventually be followed by a rocket multiple times larger.

SpaceX is currently in the process of assembling the first full-fidelity prototypes of Starship, a 9m (30 ft) diameter, 55m (180 ft) tall reusable spacecraft and upper stage. Two prototypes – Mk1 and Mk2 – are simultaneously being built in Texas and Florida, respectively, while the beginnings of the first Super Heavy prototype has visibly begun to take shape at SpaceX’s Florida campus.

Once complete, Starship’s Super Heavy booster will be the single most powerful rocket booster ever built, standing at least 70m (230 ft) tall on its own and capable of producing as much as ~90,000 kN (19,600,000 lbf) of thrust with 30 250-ton-thrust and 7 200-ton-thrust Raptor engines installed. Assuming 31 throttleable 200-ton Raptors, Super Heavy’s minimum max thrust is a still record-breaking ~62,000 kN (13.7 million lbf).

In fewer words, a full Starship/Super Heavy ‘stack’ would be the tallest (~118m/390ft), heaviest (~5000 tons/11 million lbs), and most powerful rocket ever assembled.

Starship separates from its Super Heavy booster in this updated render. (SpaceX)

And yet, despite its size, orbital-class rocketry in Earth gravity will almost never fail to benefit from more thrust; more propellant; more rocket. In light of this, CEO Elon Musk says that a theoretical next- next-generation SpaceX rocket – to potentially follow some years after Starship and Super Heavy – could be a full 18m (60 ft) wide, twice the diameter of its predecessors.

Many will recollect that doubling the diameter of a circle quadruples its area, meaning that a theoretical Starship 2.0 would have four times the surface area and four times the propellant tank volume, requiring roughly four times as much thrust and making the vehicle four times as heavy as Starship 1.0. Assuming that Starship’s successor retains its fineness ratio (height/width), an unlikely end result but still interesting to ponder, the vehicle would measure 18m (60 ft) in diameter and a terrifying ~236m (780 ft) tall, literally more than twice as tall as Saturn V. An 18m diameter would also make it the widest rocket ever built, with Saturn V’s S-IC first stage measuring 10m wide and the Soviet Union’s N1 ‘Block A’ first stage measuring an impressive ~17m in diameter at its widest point.

If the above assumptions are correct, a very rough estimate would peg Starship 2.0’s gross (fueled) mass at a gobsmacking ~20,000 metric tons (~45 million pounds). In the unlikely event that SpaceX would use the current generation of Raptor to power such a colossal rocket, the booster would need a bare minimum of 100+ Raptors just to lift off at all. Using Saturn V’s F-1, still the most powerful single-chamber rocket engine ever built, Starship 2.0 would need a minimum of 30+ engines to lift off, comparable to Super Heavy’s 31-37 Raptors.

A roughly to-scale comparison of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets and proposed BFR variants, including Starship (BFR 2018) and an 18m-wide rocket teased by Elon Musk. (Teslarati/SpaceX)

For the time being, Starship and Super Heavy are plenty ambitious on their own, but it’s unsurprising to hear that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk already has some thoughts on what could follow that next-generation launch vehicle in the new decade. Still, it’s worth noting that quite possibly the craziest aspect of Starship – SpaceX’s utterly non-traditional attempt at rewriting the book on rocket manufacturing – could eventually make an 18m-diameter vehicle far more practical, assuming the company proves it’s methods can be used to build reliable, high-performance rockets.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says Starship could be followed by a dramatically larger rocket

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-elon-musk-starship-the-next-generation/

2019-08-29 10:31:12Z
52780367049427