National Sports Headlines from NBC Sports

Garcia's fried chicken jibe 'hurtful' - Woods

LONDON (Reuters) - The feud between world number one Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia deepened when Woods described the Spaniard's "fried chicken" jibe as "wrong, hurtful and inappropriate" on Wednesday.Woods reacted on his Twitter account after Garcia issued an apology to a comment he made at Tuesday's European Tour awards dinner when he was asked on stage whether he would be inviting Woods for dinn...    

Spurs 93, Grizzlies 89, OT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - When Tony Parker started running low on masterful plays, Tim Duncan was there to take over and lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.Parker had 15 points and a career playoff-high 18 assists, Duncan scored San Antonio's first six points of overtime and the Spurs bounced back after squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter to beat the M...    

Garcia apologizes for "fried chicken" remark

Sergio Garcia apologized for saying he would "serve fried chicken" while making a joke about having Tiger Woods over for dinner.The British newspaper The Guardian reported Garcia was asked in jest while on stage at the European Tour's awards dinner Tuesday night if he would invite Woods to dinner during the U.S. Open.The Guardian reported Garcia said: "We will have him round every night. We will s...    

Andy Murray out of French Open due to back injury

LONDON (AP) - Andy Murray withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday because of a chronic back injury and will now focus on preparing for the start of the grass-court season next month.The U.S. Open champion met with specialists this week after being forced to pull out of his second-match against Marcel Granollers of Spain at the Italian Open last Wednesday because of the long-standing complaint."It...    

San Francisco and Houston awarded 2016 and 2017 Super Bowls

NEW YORK (Reuters) - San Francisco will host the 50th Super Bowl, in early 2016, the National Football League announced on Tuesday.The NFL also awarded the 51st Super Bowl to Houston after team owners voted for the two cities ahead of a South Florida bid.(Reporting by Julian Linden, editing by Gene Cherry)    

Sports world keeps eye on Oklahoma tornado

The massive tornado that ripped through a handful of Oklahoma City suburbs and killed at least 50 people grabbed the attention of the sports world on Monday, especially the players and coaches with ties to the area.Kevin Durant, a three-time scoring champion for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, posted on his Twitter account that he was praying for everyone involved. He added: "Everybody stay safe!...    

Sports world keeps eye on Oklahoma tornado

The massive tornado that ripped through a handful of Oklahoma City suburbs grabbed the attention of the sports world on Monday, especially for the players and coaches with ties to the area.Kevin Durant, a three-time scoring champion for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, posted on his Twitter account that he was praying for everyone involved. He added: "Everybody stay safe!"Coverage of the tornado d...    

Albert Pujols doesn't matter anymore

The thing that’s strange – the thing that’s sad – is how little excitement there is now when he comes to the plate. Let’s go to a moment in Sunday’s Angels-White Sox game. The count is 3-0, and Albert Pujols has the green light. There should be an electrical charge buzzing the air. Only … really … there isn’t a buzz. There isn’t a charge. There isn’t anything at all. The thrill-o-meter is at zero....    

Lukas in rarefied air after Preakness win

The old guy still gets up crack-of-dawn early.Not because D. Wayne Lukas has something left to prove, or anything more to gain. He already has it all: Fame, fortune, a bronze plaque in the Hall of Fame and - after lightly regarded Oxbow stunned Orb on Saturday at the Preakness - he has the top spot in the Triple Crown trainer's record book, too, passing "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons with No. 14."It's be...    

Blue Jays-Yankees finale scrubbed by rain

NEW YORK (AP) - Against the Toronto Blue Jays this season, the only thing that has stopped the Yankees was a day full of rain.The Yankees would have been trying to make it seven in a row against the Blue Jays on Sunday, but rain began to fall in the late morning with no signs of letting up, and the game was postponed before it started. No makeup date was announced."It's going to rain until probabl...    

Bae wins Byron Nelson for first PGA Tour title

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Sang-Moon Bae watched anxiously after hitting his tee shot at the par-3 17th hole Sunday in the Byron Nelson Championship.When the ball landed on the front edge of the green fronted by water, he bent his knees and leaned backward obviously relieved. He was only a few shots away from his first PGA Tour victory and a congratulatory hug from the widow of the tournament's namesake...    

Nadal and Williams win easily in Rome

ROME (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win the Italian Open, his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1 6-3 on Sunday.The crowd sitting in the sunshine at Rome's Foro Italico watched Nadal race to victory in 69 minutes on the red clay.The Spaniard, back in his best form after last year's long injury layoff, spent less time on court than Serena Williams who won her f...    

Bradley keeps lead after 3 rounds at Nelson

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Keegan Bradley still hasn't gotten things right on the 18th hole at the Byron Nelson Championship, even when finally going left.The bogeys on the closing hole at TPC Four Seasons haven't cost him the lead yet.Bradley overcame consecutive bogeys early and bogeyed No. 18 for the third round in a row Saturday to finish with a 2-under 68 that kept him in the lead."(Sunday) is the ...    

Oxbow upsets Orb in Preakness

Oxbow put D. Wayne Lukas in the record books again with an upset of Orb in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, giving the Hall of Fame trainer his 14th win in a Triple Crown race. Kentucky Derby winner Orb was unable to find his rhythm after breaking from the rail, and never challenged in finishing fourth. The loss ended any chance of a Triple try at the Belmont Stakes in three weeks, extending the ...    

Ryder Cup players into last 8 at World Match Play

KAVARNA, Bulgaria (AP) - Ryder Cup-winning teammates Graeme McDowell, Nicolas Colsaerts and Francesco Molinari are through to the quarterfinals of the World Match Play Championship.McDowell beat Bo Van Pelt 2 and 1 on the Thracian Cliffs course Saturday and will meet Colsaerts in a rematch from last year's final. The defending champion won 2 up against Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano after being ahead b...    

What to watch for at the Preakness

All eyes will be on Kentucky Derby winner Orb in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. The 3-year-old colt will take on eight challengers in the second leg of the Triple Crown. If he wins, Orb will attempt to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978 at the Belmont Stakes on June 8. In the Preakness, Orb will be facing five horses he defeated in the Derby and three who did not run ...    

Orb favored to take Preakness, set up Triple try

Everything's a go for Orb.The Kentucky Derby winner was in a playful mood the day before the Preakness, making faces for photographers between nibbles of grass outside his stall at Pimlico Race Course."He's really settled in well. He seems to be energetic about what he's doing so I couldn't be more pleased," trainer Shug McGaughey said on a warm and sunny Friday morning. "We're excited about givin...    

Bradley has 3-stroke lead after 2 rounds at Nelson

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Keegan Bradley shot a 1-under 69 on Friday in a round that started and ended with bogeys, good enough for a three-stroke lead after two rounds in the Byron Nelson Championship.A day after setting the TPC Four Seasons course record with a 60, also with two bogeys, Bradley went into the weekend at 11-under 129. That is the lowest 36-hole total at the Nelson since 2001.Tom Gillis...    

Venturi, US Open champion and CBS analyst, dies

Former U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi has died just 12 days after he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He was 82.His son, Matt Venturi, says he died Friday afternoon in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Venturi had been hospitalized the last two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia and an intestinal infection.Venturi was all about overcoming the odds. He won the 1964 U.S. Open a...    

Among best announcers, Emrick still rises above

The voice of hockey grew up in a town called LaFontaine. That sounds perfect, doesn’t it? LaFontaine! Could a city name sound more like hockey? LaFontaine! It isn’t just the name of a Hall of Famer, the great Pat LaFontaine, it is French, with just the right number of syllables, ideal for the sport. LaFontaine! Say it loud and you can almost hear the puck clank off the pipe, almost see the mad rus...    

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