Articles written by Paul Newberry


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  • Ledecky wins record 13th medal with a silver. Summer McIntosh and Kate Douglass strike gold

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Aug 2, 2024

    NANTERRE, France (AP) — It wasn't the medal Katie Ledecky would've preferred. Still, it was good enough for the record books. On a night when Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh romped to another victory and Kate Douglass claimed a gold for the Americans, Ledecky collected the 13th medal of her stellar career to become the most decorated woman in swimming history Thursday. Ledecky and three American teammates took silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, trailing an Australian squad led by individual gold medalists Mollie O'Callaghan and Ariarne...

  • Katie Ledecky swims into history with 800 freestyle victory at the Paris Olympics

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Aug 2, 2024

    NANTERRE, France (AP) — Katie Ledecky capped another stellar Olympics by becoming only the second swimmer to win an event at four straight Summer Games, holding off Ariarne Titmus to win the 800-meter freestyle Saturday night. It was Ledecky's second gold medal in Paris and ninth of her remarkable career, which marked another milestone. She became only the sixth Olympian to reach that figure, joining swimmer Mark Spitz, track star Carl Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi in a tie for second place. The only a...

  • Column: Another earthquake leaves college football teetering

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Aug 27, 2021

    The Southeastern Conference is getting bigger and, somehow, even stronger. Three other major conferences have formed an alliance, whatever that means. And the Big 12 is dead man walking. After a period of relative stability, college football heads into a new season wobbling from the aftershocks of another major earthquake. Not even Nostradamus would be willing to venture a guess on how it's all going to shake out. But this much is clear: the SEC will become a 16-team behemoth with the addition of Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas, a move...

  • Baseball gathers behind home plate to honor Hammerin' Hank

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Jan 27, 2021

    ATLANTA (AP) — Brian Snitker choked back tears as he remembered Hank Aaron's affection for those who didn't possess his unparalleled talent on the baseball field. During his post-playing career running the Atlanta Braves farm system, the Hammer had a penchant for looking beyond the can't-miss prospects. "He always wanted to move a player up, and he preferred that it wasn't the so-called bonus babies," said Snitker, who has managed the Braves since 2016 and got his start in the dugout thanks to Aaron. "He wanted to get that grinder guy, the g...

  • Hank Aaron, baseball's one-time home run king, dies at 86

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Jan 22, 2021

    ATLANTA (AP) — His name is all over the baseball record book and, indeed, Hank Aaron could do it all. Sure, he's remembered mostly for dethroning the Babe to become baseball's home run king on the way to 755, but don't forget about the .300 average, or the graceful way he fielded his position, or the deceiving speed he showed on the basepaths. Yet, when talking about the true measure of the man, there was far more to "Hammerin' Hank" than his brilliance between the lines. Exuding grace and dignity, Aaron spoke bluntly but never bitterly on t...

  • DeChambeau ailing after barely making cut at the Masters

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Nov 15, 2020

    AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — After struggling to make the cut at the Masters, Bryson DeChambeau said he's just not feeling well. He's not sure what the problem is, but he did get tested for COVID-19 again just to make sure that wasn't the issue. It came back negative. DeChambeau, who was the betting favorite to win the Masters after a dominating triumph at the U.S. Open, did manage to shoot a 3-under 69 in the third round Saturday. But that left him a whopping 13 shots behind leader Dustin Johnson , with no chance of claiming a second major title in 2...

  • Rites of fall: Losing college football stings across America

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Aug 13, 2020

    Michigan's Big House will be sitting empty when the leaves start to change this fall. Southern Cal's famed white horse, Traveler, won't be galloping triumphantly after a Trojans touchdown. No one at Ole Miss knows for sure if partying fans will be belting out a well-lubricated "Hotty Toddy" in The Grove. From Ann Arbor to Los Angeles to Oxford, that most American of pursuits — college football — has either given up hope of getting in a traditional season or is flinging what amounts to a Hail Mary pass in a desperate attempt to hang on in the...

  • Oklahoma definite outsider in this College Football Playoff

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Dec 27, 2019

    ATLANTA (AP) — No team in the College Football Playoff has claimed more national titles than Oklahoma. History, though, doesn't carry much weight in this year's field. The Sooners are the clear outsider. No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson have established themselves as the nation's best teams over the course of the long season. All three have 13-0 records. All three have sampled the top spot in either the CFP or Associated Press rankings. Then there's fourth-ranked Oklahoma (12-1), which had to overcome a shocking loss to Kansas S...

  • Burrow vs. Hurts: A tantalizing matchup at the Peach Bowl

    PAUL NEWBERRY|Dec 27, 2019

    ATLANTA (AP) — Joe Burrow needed a year under his belt, along with a coaching change and a new wide-open offense, to really find his way at LSU. Jalen Hurts didn't have even that long to adjust, which makes his lone season at Oklahoma even more remarkable. Now, two transfer quarterbacks who left an inedible mark on their second programs will meet Saturday in the Peach Bowl semifinal playoff game. The overall matchup looks a bit one-sided — top-ranked LSU (13-0) is a two-touchdown favorite over the No. 4 Sooners (12-1) — but the quart...

  • Familiar face missing as playoff coaches gather in Atlanta

    Paul Newberry|Dec 13, 2019

    ATLANTA (AP) — A familiar face was missing as the coaches gathered Thursday at the College Football Hall of Fame to discuss the upcoming playoff. So was a guy who was supposed to be there. For the first time since the playoff started in 2014, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide won't be a part of it. Losses to LSU and Auburn finished off its chances of a sixth straight postseason appearance. "They pack us in this little glass room for about 30 minutes before this," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. "To walk in there and not see him was c...

  • Column: Hope springs eternal as a sports collection is shed

    Paul Newberry|Aug 25, 2019

    STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) — He ambles through the sprawling house, through the trove of treasures from a most interesting life, taking one last look at the autographed baseballs and signed jerseys, boxing gloves and football helmets, Olympic pins and an oil painting of Hank Aaron. Every memento comes with a story. Like Herschel Walker's framed No. 34 jersey from his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles. "That's significant to me and a few people because ... there's only one (season) in the history of the NFL when a player has run 90 y...

  • AP source: Carter returning to Hawks for 22nd NBA season

    Paul Newberry|Aug 4, 2019

    ATLANTA (AP) — Vince Carter is putting off retirement for at least one more season. With that, he'll claim the longest career in NBA history all to himself. A person familiar with the situation confirmed that Carter has agreed to terms on a one-year contract to return to the Atlanta Hawks for his record 22nd season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The 42-year-old Carter never wavered in his desire to play with someone this season. He is tied with Robert Parish, Kevin G...

  • Stand or stay out of sight: NFL takes on anthem protesters

    PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer|May 24, 2018

    ATLANTA (AP) — Stand or stay out of sight. Looking to quell a national debate that was sparked by Colin Kaepernick, stoked by President Trump and some say chipped away at the very popularity of America's game, NFL owners approved a new policy Wednesday that allows players to protest during the national anthem by staying in the locker room but forbids them from sitting or taking a knee if they're on the field. Commissioner Roger Goodell called it a compromise aimed at putting the focus back on football after a tumultuous year in which t...

  • AP Interview: Phelps says mental health is new passion

    PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer|May 23, 2018

    Michael Phelps was hanging at the pool on Tuesday. No, he's not planning another comeback. He's got a bigger goal to tackle. Mental health. After revealing the depths of his depression — and even thoughts of suicide after his second drunken-driving arrest — Phelps is hoping to make a difference for those who are dealing with similar issues. The 23-time Olympic gold medalist announced a partnership with Talkspace, which provides online therapy, and said he considers it a higher calling than anything he ever did as a swimmer. "Somebody told me...