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Raptors opt not to move Kyle Lowry at NBA trade deadline – Yahoo Canada Sports

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2021

Harry Miller

The Canadian Press

Road to COVID-delayed Olympics a journey of growth for Canadian pitcher Lawrie-Locke

Pitcher Danielle Lawrie-Locke thought she was done playing softball when the Tokyo Olympics were called off last spring. “I went to a really dark place right away,” said the star right-hander for the Canadian women’s team. Lawrie-Locke came out of retirement in 2018 to make another run at an Olympic medal and the return had been gruelling, requiring monumental sacrifices like time away from her two young daughters. When organizers announced the Games wouldn’t take place in 2020, she told her husband that was it — she was done playing softball. “I knew in my heart of hearts that I had literally given everything I could,” Lawrie-Locke said. “I just did not understand how I could possibly do that again.” And yet, a year later, she’s in Fort Myers, Fla., with the rest of the national squad, gearing up for the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games. In the end, her decision to play came down to her daughters and her teammates. Most members of the current Canadian team haven’t been to the Olympics. Softball hasn’t been included in the Games since Beijing in 2008 when Lawrie-Locke and the Canadians finished a heartbreaking fourth after losing to Australia in the semifinals. Jennifer Salling, Kaleigh Rafter and Lauren Bay Regula all competed alongside Lawrie-Locke in Beijing and are part of the group working toward a different result in Tokyo. “I finally just came to the conclusion that I love my team too much to let them down in this moment because it will be hard,” Lawrie-Locke said. In order to get to Tokyo, she needed to do things a little differently. That meant taking five months off from throwing last spring and summer. “At 33, it just made me realize that taking time away from the game doesn’t take away from the pitcher that I am,” Lawrie-Locke said. “Because I’ve been doing it for what, 20, 23 years? I know how to pitch the ball. “It’s more about mental sanity and taking care of my mental health. And I knew that’s what I needed to do.” For the first time in three years, she spent several months at a time at home in Seattle with her husband and their daughters, seven-year-old Madison and four-year-old Audrey. Madison sat in bullpens while she threw and joined her for runs through their neighbourhood, an experience that only reinforced Lawrie-Locke’s motivation. “If she sees me doing it, she believes she can do it too,” said the proud mom. “And that means everything to me.” Training alone during the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been easy. Lawrie-Locke has documented her highs and lows on social media, providing a glimpse into what it takes to be an elite athlete. One post in January showed her tearful, sitting in her car before a workout and talking about how difficult it was to hear rumours about the Games being cancelled yet again. “I’m trying to stay positive and control what I can control. But the emotions of doing it again for another year and potentially it being cancelled, it’s so hard. It literally tugs at my heart,” she said in the video, wiping her eyes. “I think people sometimes think that training for an Olympics is so glamorous. But it’s actually the opposite of that at times. It’s a lot of lonely work where you’re in your head and in your thoughts.” Earlier this week, Lawrie-Locke flew to Florida to join the rest of the national team. After months of solo work, she’s excited for everyone to be together for the final push to Tokyo. “We’re ready, we need to be together and we need to fight as hard as we can until this Olympics is done,” she said. “And I know that.” The next few months won’t be easy. On top of the physical work, the players are all spending extended stretches away from their loved ones. For Lawrie-Locke, it’s tough to be away from her girls yet again. Still, she’s proud of her decision to come out of retirement and pursue her Olympic dreams — even if those dreams are a year late because of the pandemic. Returning to the game has been a process of growth, Lawrie-Locke said. “What I’ve realized is that the respect I have for the game is so important and huge, but that I’m no longer just defined by who I am as a softball player,” she explained. “Softball is not what makes Danielle Danielle.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2021. Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

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Red Wings sign Raymond to 8-year, $64.6 million contract

Published

9 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.

Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.

The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.

Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.

Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.

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Cousins caps winning drive with TD pass to London as Falcons rally past Eagles 22-21

Published

10 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.

The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.

Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.

Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.

The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.

And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.

Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.

Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.

Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.

Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.

Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.

With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.

Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.

Questionable call

Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.

Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.

Running wild

Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.

Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.

Foles honored

Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”

Injuries

The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).

Up next

Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.

The Eagles play at New Orleans on Sunday.

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Fernandez and Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Published

21 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.

The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.

Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.

“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”

Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.

Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.

Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.

Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.

Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.

Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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