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By RONALD BLUM and STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Baseball Writers IRVING, Texas (AP) — Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired Wednesday night and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and opening day. The strategy, management’s equivalent of a strike under federal labor law, ended the sport’s labor peace after 9,740 days over 26 1/2 years. Teams decided to force the long-anticipated confrontation during an offseason rather than risk players walking out during the summer, as they did in 1994. Hoka Sneakers ,Players and owners had successfully reached four consecutive agreements without a work stoppage, but they have been accelerating tow...

By BRETT MARTEL, AP Sports Writer LSU flew newly hired coach Brian Kelly on a private jet to Baton Rouge, where he was greeted Tuesday by fans, dignitaries and the Golden Band from Tigerland after agreeing to a 10-year contract worth $95 million plus incentives. The hiring of Kelly — who has Notre Dame for the past 12 seasons and eclipsed Knute Rockne for career victories with the storied Fighting Irish — Latest Jordan 2020 came together on Monday night in yet another blockbuster coaching move in college football. LSU made it official on Tuesday morning. “Brian Kelly is the epitome of a winner,” LSU athletic director Scott Woodward said. “He has built and sustained success at every program he’s led, from multiple undefeated regular seasons and National C...

The Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retained the top three spots in the latest poll. The Cardinals, who were on a bye last week, received eight of the 12 first-place votes for 378 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Cardinals return to action on Sunday, when they take on the Bears in Chicago. “The Cardinals are survivalists. Nike Air Force 1 Shadow They played their last three games without their two best players, QB Kyler Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins, and managed to win two of them to maintain the best record in the NFL at 9-2,” said Rick Gosselin of Talk of Fame Network. Arizona expects both Murray and Hopkins to play Sunday. The Packers, who earned the remaining four...

By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer The Big 12 doesn't have to wait until Oklahoma and Texas are gone to experience something that hasn't happened for a long time — a championship game without either of those teams. When fifth-ranked Oklahoma State plays ninth-ranked Baylor on Saturday, it will end a streak of 16 consecutive Big 12 title games involving the Sooners or Longhorns, Hoka Shoes including one in which the SEC-bound teams played each other. The last without one of the Red River rivals was in 1998. “There’s a lot of positives from that perspective,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “With Oklahoma State being in it and Baylor being in it, I have to imagine that just the conference moving forward is looking at that with a smile on their face.” This...

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer LeBron James has been placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols, and was ruled out for the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. Such a move almost certainly means one of two things: that James, who said earlier this season that he is vaccinated, either tested positive for COVID-19 or had an inconclusive result. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Lakers are preparing for James to miss multiple games. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to Dr Martens Boots The Associated Press because neither the team nor James had revealed that detail publicly. ESPN previously reported that James is “expected" to miss several games. If James tested positive, he would likel...

By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP College Football Writer DALLAS (AP) — Michigan moved up to No. 2 Tuesday night in the second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings, joining Georgia, Alabama and Cincinnati in the top four heading into conference championship weekend. Oklahoma State is fifth going into the Big 12 championship game Saturday against No. 9 Baylor, and Notre Dame is sixth with no games left and no head coach. Brian Kelly left the Fighting Irish and was introduced Hey Dude Shoes as the new coach at LSU on Tuesday, three days after independent Notre Dame finished its season 11-1. Selection committee chairman Gary Barta, who is Iowa's athletic director, noted selection protocol requires the committee to consider the unavailability of players and coaches...