When NASA released images of Sakaka from the International Space Station in December 2020, you could have been forgiven for thinking you were staring at the moon. The weathered tops of the ancient buildings in the Saudi Arabian oasis town were almost indistinguishable from the rutted land and it was only on closer inspection you…

There is a point, as Fernando Rufino reels off the staggering list of mishaps and injuries that have shaped his life, when you begin to wonder whether you’ve been transported into some kind of alternate dimension. One of Brazil’s most famous Paralympians, thanks to his efforts in canoeing, Rufino goes by the nickname ‘Iron Cowboy’,…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Minutes after celebrating their place in NFL history, they were scrambling in terror. Every prominent member of the Kansas City Chiefs — Andy Reid and his coaching staff, general manager Brett Veach, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and their teammates — left the stage in front of Union Station…

U.S. Women’s National Team and San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan announced she will be retiring as she and her husband Servando Carrasco are expecting their second child. Morgan, 35, will play one final game for the San Diego Wave on Sunday against the North Carolina Courage at home, she announced in a video posted…

The crowd was roaring like it’d just seen a knockout in a heavyweight fight. But this was not that. It was Week 1 of the 2018 season, and the New York Jets were at Ford Field in Detroit to play the Lions. The matchup was highly anticipated, a prime-time game on national television, because of…

Croix Bethune’s head-turning rookie season came to an abrupt end when she suffered a torn meniscus while throwing out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game last week. The injury will require surgery and will land Bethune on the season-ending injury list, the Washington Spirit said Wednesday. Spirit coach Jonatan Giráldez said the injury…

Penny Hardaway has been an OK basketball coach through six seasons with the Memphis Tigers, but his program is nationally relevant only in its ability to generate embarrassing headlines. The middling hoops product no longer justifies the off-court turmoil — the latest of which includes four members of Hardaway’s staff dismissed just before the start…

The 2024 season is here. The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs get things started tonight, followed by a Friday night matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. With no time to waste, let’s look at The Athletic’s NFL staff picks for MVP, Super Bowl champion and more. Forty-two staff members responded (some…

Kemba Walker is an NCAA champion and a four-time NBA All-Star. He also is a product of the Bronx. Those things, he believes, are inextricably linked. Walker, who retired from playing pro basketball in July and joined the Charlotte Hornets coaching staff, is one of the last great New York City basketball stars. The city…

When Idaho scored on its second trick play of Saturday night’s surprising showdown against No. 3 Oregon to pull to within three points of the Ducks midway through the fourth quarter, the Vandals looked poised to pull off the biggest upset in college football history. The Ducks, who had beaten all of their FCS opponents…