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National

  • Judge orders end to NFL lockout, league to appeal

    ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ordered an end to the NFL lockout, giving the players an early victory in their fight with the owners over how to divide the $9 billion business.

    U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson said she was swayed by the players' argument that that the lockout, now in its second month, was causing irreparable harm to their careers.

    The plaintiffs "have made a strong showing that allowing the League to continue their 'lockout' is presently inflicting, and will continue to inflict, irreparable harm upon them, particularly when weighed against the lack of any real injury that would be imposed on the NFL by issuing the preliminary injunction," Nelson wrote.

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  • Basketball: Rose, Bulls go up 3-0 in series

    INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Derrick Rose was beaten up and shaken up by Indiana’s trapping defense, which was intent on shutting him down at all costs.
    The Chicago Bulls guard struggled all game long and even lost his cool at times, but he still found a way to be the difference-maker.
    He scored 23 points, including the go-ahead layup with 17.8 seconds left, to help the Bulls beat the Pacers 88-84 on Thursday night and take a 3-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
    Rose’s late basket was his only field goal in the second half. He made just 4 of 18 shots in the game as he was blanketed, and at times pummeled, by Indiana’s Paul George and Dahntay Jones.

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  • Basketball: Billups' knee still a problem

    BOSTON (AP) — Toney Douglas played well when he replaced an injured Chauncey Billups during the regular season.
    There’s much more at stake now.
    In only his third season, Douglas said he’s prepared if, as expected, Billups, the 13-year veteran point guard, misses tonight’s Game 2 of the New York Knicks’ first-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics with a sore left knee.
    Billups is “very questionable,” coach Mike D’Antoni said Monday.
    If he is out, it will be up to Douglas to direct an offense led by Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.
    “I’m ready,” Douglas said Monday. “The hardest part is getting my body ready for that situation.”

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  • Running: So much for that tough Boston Marathon course--video extra

    BOSTON (AP) — The rest of the world can debate whether Geoffrey Mutai set a record when he blistered the Boston Marathon course in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds — the fastest anyone has ever run 26.2 miles.

    From Hopkinton to Copley Square, there is no doubt.

    "We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today," Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, said on Monday. "We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that's good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them."

    Mutai outsprinted Moses Mosop down Boylston Street to win by 4 seconds, and the two Kenyans each beat Haile Gebrselassie's sanctioned world record of 2:03:59.

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  • Baseball: Bonds’ Hall of Fame future is up in the air

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — While eight women and four men sat in the jury box preparing to judge Barry Bonds, another group that will evaluate the home run king was watching and listening in the federal courtroom, sitting on the wooden benches in the last five rows. Their votes will not be cast for 20 more months.

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  • Baseball: MLB replay usage may expand

    NEW YORK (AP) — Shane Victorino charges hard from center field, chasing a sinking line drive. His glove, the ball and the grass all smack together at the same time. What’s the call?
    Next year, it well could be: Let’s look at the replay!
    Major League Baseball is leaning toward expanding replay for the 2012 season to include trapped balls and fair-or-foul rulings down the lines, a person familiar with the talks tells The Associated Press.
    Commissioner Bud Selig and a group of umpires discussed the extra video review at spring training and were in agreement, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is still being discussed.

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  • Baseball: Bonds guilty on one count of obstruction

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Just like the whole Steroid Era: We’ll never really know.
    Even the one charge that left Barry Bonds a convicted felon didn’t specify steroids.
    Instead, a federal court jury found the home run king guilty of obstruction of justice Tuesday for giving an evasive answer under oath more than seven years ago. Rather than say “yes” or “no” to whether he received drugs that required a syringe, Bonds gave a rambling response to a grand jury, stating: “I became a celebrity child with a famous father.”

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  • Schwartzel wins the Masters--see videos

    AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Charl Schwartzel gave this Masters a finish it deserved.

    On an amazing Sunday at Augusta National, where the roars came from everywhere and for everyone and didn't stop until it was over, Schwartzel emerged from the madness by becoming the first Masters champion to close with four straight birdies.

    His final putt from 20 feet curled into the side of the cup for a 6-under 66, the best closing round at the Masters in 22 years. It gave the 26-year-old South African a two-shot victory over Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day.

    "Just an exciting day," Schwartzel said. "So many roars, and that atmosphere out there was just incredible. A phenomenal day."

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  • Woods makes charge at Augusta National

     

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  • Baseball: One charge dropped against Bonds in trial

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of the five charges in Barry Bonds’ perjury trial has been dropped and the defense has rested without calling a single witness.
    Bonds’ attorney Allen Ruby announced the move Wednesday morning, which means the slugger will not take the stand in his own defense against charges that he lied to a federal grand jury by saying he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.
    The jury of eight-women and four men was sent home and ordered to return Thursday to begin deliberations after hearing closing arguments and instructions from the judge.

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