Pittsburgh Pirates OF Starling Marte suspended…

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, it was announced Tuesday.Marte tested positive for nandrolone, which violated MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension is effective immediately, and Marte is eligible to return in mid-July.”I have been informed that I have tested positive in one of the tests that are regularly done in my job,” Marte said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association. “In this very difficult moment, I apologize to my family, the Pittsburgh Pirates, my teammates, my fans, and baseball in general.”Neglect and lack of knowledge have led me to this mistake with the high price to…
FULL STORY

North Carolina, after HB2 repeal, to…

North Carolina’s decision to repeal its controversial House Bill 2 has officially brought the NCAA Tournament back to the state.On Tuesday, the NCAA released its future tournament sites and, in addition to the previously announced first- and second-round games in Charlotte in 2018, Greensboro (2020) and Raleigh (2021) are scheduled to host opening weekend games.After the state passed the “Bathroom Bill,” the collegiate governing body announced it would boycott North Carolina, arguing the bill did not promote a safe, healthy and discrimination-free environment for athletes and fans.In the last year, the NCAA moved seven championship events out of North Carolina, including the opening weekend of the 2017 NCAA tournament. Originally scheduled to be played in Greensboro, the games were contested…
FULL STORY

It only took two playoff games…

FOXSports.comIt only took two playoff games to see that no one in the East can beat the CavaliersFOXSports.comThe Cavaliers didn’t finish the regular season with the best record in the East, and their late-season slide (combined with a defensive rating that’s the lowest of any team that’s won a title since the 2001 Lakers) had plenty of pundits ready to …Close call: Irving scores 37, Cavs hold on to beat PacersYahoo SportsCavaliers hold off late Pacers rally to win Game 2, take 2-0 series leadESPN (blog)Doyel: Close isn’t good enough for these PacersIndianapolis StarUSA TODAY -cleveland.com -SB Nation -Bleacher Reportall 999 news articles »
FULL STORY

Gears of War and Forza devs…

What can game developers expect out of Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox revamp? That’s something we tried to shed some light on last week with our technical breakdown of Scorpio and its dev kit, which was heavily informed by meetings we had with Microsoft staffers at the company’s headquarters earlier this year. One of those interviews was with Xbox chief Phil Spencer, and we published it in full because it offers devs useful perspective on the future of Xbox — everything from where Spencer stands on VR exclusivity (not a fan) to the future of Xbox hardware. But there were other conversations we had that might also be of interest to game makers, especially the briefings we took with devs…
FULL STORY

Puyo Puyo Tetris and the joy…

It has been out for over a month now, but the conversation around the Nintendo Switch is still dominated almost entirely by a single game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Link’s latest adventure was the showcase example of how great a massive game could be on a hybrid console / portable platform — after Breath of the Wild, I wanted to play every other big new game on Nintendo’s tablet. But as great a match as Zelda and Switch are, there’s more to Nintendo’s newest piece of hardware than just big games. Like Nintendo’s handhelds that came before it, Switch is also ideal for much tinier experiences. I realized this while getting caught up in the upcoming…
FULL STORY

Top 17 games of the 2017…

Ahh, the Super Bowl rematch. We don’t get those too often. At least, we rarely see them the ensuing fall. And this one just happens to be a replay of arguably the greatest — or at least most stunning — Super Sunday of all time. Falcons at Patriots will mark just the third time in two decades — and the seventh time ever — that the two Super Bowl combatants meet in the very next regular season. And that’s just one game from the intriguing slate the league will feature in 2017. After carefully studying every team’s regular-season opponents, I came up with the top 17 matchups of 2017. Some of the old, familiar retreads got no love this time…
FULL STORY

What to do (and not do)…

Digital TrendsWhat to do (and not do) when porting Wii U games to the Nintendo SwitchDigital TrendsThe Nintendo Switch is off to a fantastic start, with consoles sold out across the country and players engrossed in the amazing world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A number of other exclusive games are planned for 2017 like Arms and …Nintendo Switch Worldwide Sales Hit 2.4 Million UnitsUbergizmoall 118 news articles »
FULL STORY

NBA playoff scores 2017: A recap…

The NBA Playoffs kicked off on Saturday with a quadruple-header and 10 straight hours of basketball. The first game of the day between the Cavaliers and Pacers came down to the wire, while the Bucks and Spurs cruised to big wins. The final game of the night between the Jazz and the Clippers came down to a buzzer beater from Joe Johnson, so we could all remember how good Iso Joe really is. Here is a quick recap from each game. The Cavaliers didn’t restore our confidence in them Game 1 was an “old” school throwback, with Paul George facing up against LeBron James in a rematch of those Pacers-Heat series we adored just a few seasons ago. (It really…
FULL STORY

2017 NBA playoffs — The best…

With LeBron James about to play his 200th career playoff game Saturday against the Indiana Pacers (ABC, 3 p.m. ET), he will hit a milestone in what has been a prolific postseason career. Here’s a look at some of his most memorable playoff games:No. 1: April 22, 2006. It took LeBron James three seasons to finally make the playoffs but, when he arrived, he announced his presence with authority with a near flawless triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in an 11-point win over the Washington Wizards.LeBron James could potentially reach multiple milestones in the playoffs, and continue his first-round dominance in the process.No. 27: May 31, 2007. Still one of the finest performances of James’ career,…
FULL STORY

New York Jets cornerback Nick Marshall…

The New York Jets were hit with their third suspension in six weeks on Friday, as cornerback/punt returner Nick Marshall was banned four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.Marshall, wide receiver Jalin Marshall and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins will begin the regular season on the suspended list.Seferian-Jenkins will sit the first two games because of a personal conduct violation, stemming from a DUI last September while he was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Jalin Marshall will serve a four-game suspension for violating the PED rules. He issued a public apology, saying he mistakenly took a medication one time without receiving an exemption.After college, Nick Marshall announced he was giving up quarterback to play cornerback in the NFL. Brad…
FULL STORY