Sharks goalie James Reimer declines to wear Pride jersey

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes once took a team to watch a rugby match in Australia and loved what he saw. That's not the Tennessee coach's guide for the rugged style his Volunteers bring to the basketball court no matter what Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May might say. Barnes says good, hard basketball is something nice to watch. His fourth-seeded Vols will play No. 9 seed FAU on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in a East Region semifinal.

Spanish club Mallorca handed the fan who racially insulted players Vinícius Júnior and Samu Chukwueze a three-year ban from club membership. The fan is reportedly a 20-year-old Mallorca season ticket holder and is accused of calling Real Madrid forward Vinícius and Villarreal midfielder Chukwueze a monkey in separate Spanish league games this year. Both Vinicius and Chukwueze are Black. Spain’s anti-violence commission has already proposed a fine of 4,000 euros ($4,300) and a 12-month ban from stadiums for the fan who may also face criminal charges.

Brad Keselowski knew there was going to be a long rebuilding process when he left Team Penske after 12 years for an ownership stake in Jack Roush's once proud NASCAR team. He just wasn't clear on how much work needed to be done. The 2012 Cup champion is now part of the ownership group at rebranded RFK Racing and 16 months into his new role, the team is finally seeing some results. Keselowski was passed by former teammate Joey Logano on the last lap for the win Sunday at Atlanta, and RFK heads to Circuit of Americas in Texas this weekend believing Chris Buescher has a shot at the win.

Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring examples of playing through pain, died Tuesday. He was 80.Reed’s death was announced by the National Basketball Retired Players Association, which confirmed it through his family. The cause was not released, but Reed had been in poor health recently and was unable to travel to New York when the Knicks honored the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship team last month. Nicknamed “The Captain,” Reed was the undersized center and emotional leader on the Knicks’ two NBA championship teams.

World Cup top scorer Kylian Mbappé has been named as France’s new captain succeeding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. France coach Didier Deschamps made the announcement on a short video clip which is set to be aired on soccer show Téléfoot. Deschamps says "Kylian ticks all the boxes to take on this responsibility, given what he does and will continue to do on the field.” Mbappé will captain France against the Netherlands at Stade de France on Friday when qualifying starts for next year’s European Championship. Mbappé scored eight goals at last year’s World Cup in Qatar and became only the second player to score a hat trick in the final. Antoine Griezmann will be vice-captain. Lloris has retired from international duty.

Gio Reyna has been welcomed back to the U.S. national team by Tim Ream, one of the group’s senior players, after the family of the young midfielder sparked a feud with Gregg Berhalter that left the coach’s future uncertain. After Berhalter used Reyna sparingly at the World Cup, Reyna's parents notified the U.S. Soccer Federation of a 1992 domestic violence involving Berhalter and the woman he later married. Gio Reyna is among 24 players picked by interim coach Anthony Hudson ahead of CONCACAF Nations League games. Ream says “what’s happened with Gio in the past is in the past.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed longtime Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo to a three-year, $24 million contract. Seumalo's arrival fortifies the interior of the Steelers offensive line as Pittsburgh builds around second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. The 29-year-old Seumalo started 60 games across seven seasons with the Eagles, who selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. Seumalo appeared in 81 games in all for Philadelphia and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles following the 2017 season. Seumalo is considered an excellent run blocker, though he has improved in pass protection during his career. He allowed just one sack while playing 1,137 offensive snaps in 2022.

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has undergone knee surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. The 24-year-old Japan international sustained a “significant” injury to his right knee during a Europa League match last Thursday. Arsenal said Tomiyasu “had successful surgery in London.” The Premier League leading club says Tomiyasu will work to “join preseason training ahead of next season.” Tomiyasu made 31 appearances this season. Most of his starts had come in the Europa League and FA Cup.

Coaches across college basketball are looking at ways to evolve to deal with recruiting, roster management and athletes who can earn money. It is a chaotic landscape. The challenges include players being able to move freely through the transfer portal and cash in on their fame with endorsement deals. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson says programs have to adapt and have specialized roles. Kansas State coach Jerome Tang says the additional layers of support staff can make a program stand out from others.

The final Match Play could be the last chance for some players to get into the Masters. The top 50 in the world after this week get invitations. Right on the bubble is Min Woo Lee at No. 47. He had a chance to sew up his spot until a 76 at The Players Championship. He missed a 12-foot putt on the final hole that would have assured his going to the Masters. For players like Rickie Fowler and Taylor Montgomery, they'll need to advance out of their group and at the very least reach the quarterfinals of Match Play.

Jakobi Meyers knew the question was coming at some point in his introductory news conference. A Las Vegas TV sports reporter finally posed it. The question concerned Meyers' lateral on the last play of the Dec. 18 game between the Raiders and New England Patriots. He tossed the ball backward in a tie game that seemed destined for overtime. Las Vegas defensive end Chandler Jones snagged the lateral and scored on a 48-yard touchdown to beat the Patriots 30-24. Now Meyers will play in that same Allegiant Stadium as a member of the home team.

Tobin Anderson is leaving NCAA Cinderella FDU after one fairy tale season and replacing Rick Pitino at Iona. Iona athletic director Matt Glovaski announced the hiring of Anderson on Tuesday, just a day after Pitino left to take the job at St. John’s. Anderson led the No. 16 seeded Knights to a win over No. 1 Purdue in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last week, only the second time a No. 16 seed has knocked off a top-seeded team. UMBC beat No. 1 Virginia in 2018.

Dont’a Hightower is making a quiet exit to a memorable career with the New England Patriots. The veteran linebacker who did not play last season announced his retirement from the NFL in an essay posted on the Players’ Tribune website. It ends a decade-long run in New England that included three Super Bowl rings and a pair of Pro Bowl selections. He also was named a second-team All-Pro in 2016. With his wife expecting their first child, Hightower sat out the 2020 season because of concerns about COVID-19. He returned in 2021 but his production was down. He became a free agent that summer but didn’t sign a new contract.

Arsenal will play Major League Soccer’s All-Stars at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on July 19, the first European opponent in the game since before the coronavirus pandemic. The Gunners also were the All-Star opponent in 2016 at San Jose, California. The league began having its top players face a European opponent in 2005, then had its All-Stars face players from Mexico's Liga MX in 2021 and '22. Arsenal will become the third European club to appear in two MLS All-Star Games after Manchester United and Chelsea.

The Match Play is coming to an end. This will be the final edition of golf's most fickle tournament, which began in 1999. It's no surprise the World Golf Championships are over because the new PGA Tour schedule is all about small fields and big purses. But what golf misses with Match Play are plenty of memories. There was Tiger Woods beating Stephen Ames 9 and 8. And then a year later, Ames won a match by nearly the same score. Not to be forgotten are the memories of Victor Dubuisson's amazing escapes from the Arizona desert.

Martina Navratilova says she has been told by doctors that she is “cancer-free” and that she should be “good to go” after some additional radiation treatment. The 66-year-old Navratilova discussed her health in an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV scheduled to be aired Tuesday. She is an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Navratilova said in January that she had throat cancer and breast cancer and would be starting treatment.

Retirement didn’t enter the thoughts of Zlatan Ibrahimovic while he was sidelined for eight months with a swollen knee following surgery. The situation certainly had the Swedish soccer great worried. Ibrahimovic says “I didn’t come into a situation where I said stop. I was more (thinking) it was hopeless." The 41-year-old Ibrahimovic is back and in a position to play for his country in a European Championship qualifier. Sweden hosts Belgium on Friday and then plays Azerbaijan next week. He says he is not thinking about whether he'll be around for Euro 2024 in Germany.

Qualifying for next year's European Championship starts with several of the biggest teams looking to rebound. France came within a penalty shootout of winning back-to-back World Cup titles. But Spain, Germany and Italy all went through humbling experiences either before or during last year’s tournament in Qatar. Spain has not won a major tournament since Euro 2012 and was eliminated in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Germany’s decline since winning the 2014 World Cup continued after being knocked out in the group stage. Defending European champion Italy didn't even qualify for the tournament in Qatar.

The final version of the Dell Match Play returns to Austin, Texas. This is likely the final World Golf Championship in a series that began in 1999. Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and assured of staying No. 1 in the world. Scheffler has made it to the championship match the last two years. The field is missing LIV Golf players and had to dip down to No. 77 in the world ranking to fill the 64-man field. The LPGA starts its domestic schedule in Arizona. Bernhard Langer gets another crack at the PGA Tour Champions career wins mark.

A second round of bids to buy Manchester United are due to be placed after a series of high level meetings last week. Representatives of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani toured Old Trafford and the club's training ground and met with United executives. Jim Ratcliffe also held talks with the Premier League club and was pictured being greeted by chief executive Richard Arnold. American investment firm Elliott Management has also held meetings with a view to providing capital for takeover bids or other finance options. Indicative offers were submitted to American merchant bank Raine last month.

Jorge Sampaoli’s second stint as Sevilla coach is over. Sevilla has fired the Argentine coach two days after a 2-0 loss at relegation-threatened Getafe in the Spanish league. Sampaoli first coached Sevilla from 2016 to 2017 before leaving to join Argentina’s national team ahead of the 2018 World Cup. Sampaoli leaves with Sevilla in 14th place in the Spanish league. It is two points from the relegation zone. The traditional club from southern Spain has won one of its last five league games, with three losses and a draw. It will face Manchester United in the Europa League quarterfinals next month.

A soccer hooligan serving two months in prison for running onto the field at PSV Eindhoven’s stadium and attacking a player during a Europa League match has also been handed a 40-year ban by the Dutch club. PSV says the 20-year-old man will not be allowed inside the Philips Stadium during the length of the ban. Prosecutors previously said the man had two previous convictions for soccer-related offenses and was under the influence of alcohol when he ran onto the field late in the match between PSV and Sevilla on Feb. 23 and punched Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic. Dmitrovic was not injured and wrestled the hooligan to the ground.

Former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe is not done yet. The veteran defender has extended his playing contract at The veteran defender has extended his contract at Eintracht Frankfurt by another season, meaning he plans to keep playing until he’s 40. Frankfurt says the 39-year-old Hasebe has a new playing contract with the club that expires in June 2024. He has an overall contract with the club until 2027 and is expected to take on a coaching role whenever he finally retires. Hasebe has made 16 appearances across all competitions for Frankfurt this season. In total he has played 368 Bundesliga games for the club since joining from Nuremberg in 2013.

Jahvon Quinerly’s knee injury that helped doom Alabama’s NCAA Tournament chances a year ago is hardly the start of his college basketball saga. It’s probably not even the low point. The Crimson Tide point guard, who has re-emerged as one of the top players on one of the nation’s best teams, is winding down a career that veered badly off course at times. Quinerly has helped the top-seeded Tide reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in his career, setting up a meeting Friday night with No. 5 seed San Diego State in Louisville, Kentucky.

Erling Haaland has left Norway’s training camp because of a groin injury and will miss the team's upcoming European Championship qualifying games. The Norwegian soccer federation says he will return to Manchester City for treatment. Haaland felt pain in his groin after playing in the FA Cup quarterfinals against Burnley on Saturday. He scored three goals in a 6-0 win raising his total to a club-record 42 this season. Man City next plays Liverpool in the Premier League on April 1. Norway begins Euro 2024 qualifying at Spain on Saturday and then travels to face Georgia. Group A also includes Scotland and Cyprus.

An injury to Cade Cunningham limited him to 12 games this season. Now the Detroit Pistons have lost 14 of their last 15 to fall to 16-56. The Eastern Conference’s second-worst record belongs to the Charlotte Hornets at 23-50. They've dealt with their own major injury to LaMelo Ball. Instead of showing progress in 2022-23, both teams have had to spend another season being patient. The injuries to Cunningham and Ball have made this season another dreary one for the Pistons and Hornets, but the presence of those two players mean improvement could certainly come quickly if they’re back to full health.