The Korea Herald

Cavaliers stun Thunder

CLEVELAND (AP) ― Kyrie Irving wasn’t just interested. He was incredible.With one shot better than his last, Irving scored 35 points, including 13 in the final 2:52, as the Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-110 on Saturday.One night after saying he was “disinterested” during a loss in Detroit, Irving was simply spectacular down the stretch. He single-handedly closed out one of the NBA’s best teams, making his last five shots and showing why he’s an All-Star at age 20. Irvi

More SportsFeb. 3, 2013

Feeling the pain

LONDON (AP) ― Chelsea’s week went from bad to worse on Saturday in a loss to Newcastle and Manchester United took a 10-point lead in the title race by beating Fulham.Moussa Sissoko, one of four Newcastle signings from France in the January transfer window, scored twice in his home debut to give Newcastle a 3-2 victory over Chelsea.As Newcastle moved further out of the relegation zone, Chelsea missed a chance to close the gap on second-place Manchester City, which trails its crosstown rival by 10

SoccerFeb. 3, 2013

Peterson beats Manning for MVP award

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ― Adrian Peterson called it a blessing in disguise.Strange way to describe a career-threatening major knee surgery.The Minnesota Vikings’ star came back better than ever, just missing Eric Dickerson’s longstanding rushing record and closing out the season with two of the top NFL awards from the Associated Press: Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.As sort of an added bonus, he beat Peyton Manning for both of them Saturday night.“My career could have easily been

More SportsFeb. 3, 2013

Kim Yu-na becomes 'Twitter Jockey' for Special Olympics

PYEONGCHANG -- Figure skating star Kim Yu-na on Sunday began offering news and information about the ongoing 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games here in PyeongChang through her Twitter account, calling herself a "Twitter Jockey" for the event. In her Twitter postings, Kim explained the difference between the Special Olympics and the Paralympics.She also hailed all athletes who participated in the Special Olympics as "heroes." Kim, an honorary PR ambassador for the Special Olympics World Win

SportsFeb. 3, 2013

Lee awards state medal to IOC chief

President Lee Myung-bak awarded a state medal to International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge on Friday for his contribution to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.Rogge, who has been on a four-day trip here since Wednesday, received the Cheongnyong Medal, the highest medal in the Order of Sport Merit, the presidential office said in a statement.In Friday's ceremony, Rogge also awarded Lee the Olympic Order in Gold, the highest honor awarded by the IOC, in recognition of his cont

Olympic GamesFeb. 1, 2013

AFC authorizes Jong’s dual citizenship

North Korean football player Jong Tae-se, who recently signed with a South Korean club, will be allowed to compete as a South Korean player in Asian club matches, an official said Friday.According to the official of the Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the K League Classic, the Asian Football Confederation, the continental governing body of football, has confirmed that it will recognize Jong’s dual citizenship in competition. Jong, 28, was born in Japan to a South Korean father and a North Korean moth

More SportsFeb. 1, 2013

Sterne shoots 10 under to lead Dubai Classic by 1

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ― Richard Sterne nearly broke the course record at the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday, shooting 10-under 62 in the first round to finish one shot clear of Stephen Gallacher.The 165th-ranked South African, who has struggled in recent years with back problems, started with three birdies on his first four holes in unusually calm conditions. Sterne was on pace to break the course record of 61 set by Ernie Els in 1994, but couldn’t convert late birdie chances.“It’s

GolfFeb. 1, 2013

Mickelson shoots 60 at Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) ― Phil Mickelson missed out on a 59 by a fraction of an inch Thursday in the first round of the Phoenix Open.Mickelson had a chance to become the sixth player in PGA Tour history to break 60 with a 25-foot birdie attempt on his last hole, the par-4 ninth at TPC Scottsdale. The putt looked good all the way, and Mickelson pointed his putter at the cup as he prepared to celebrate.Right at the end, though, the ball caught the right edge of the cup, curled 180 degrees to the

GolfFeb. 1, 2013

Vanek has 3G, 2A and Sabres beat Bruins 7-4

BOSTON (AP) ― Thomas Vanek stood in front of the Boston net, his back to the goal, as long as he could before a hit from Andrew Ference sent him flying. Even as he fell, he got enough on the puck to set up Tyler Ennis for a goal. “That pass to Ennis was really second to none,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Thursday night after Vanek had his second five-point game of the abbreviated season to lead Buffalo to a 7-4 victory over Boston. “It’s hard to say it isn’t his best stretch.” Vanek had three g

More SportsFeb. 1, 2013

Beckham joins Paris-Saint Germain

PARIS (AP) ― David Beckham pledged to donate his salary to a children’s charity Thursday after signing a five-month contract with Paris-Saint Germain, the latest stop on his globe-trotting career.The 37-year-old former England captain joined PSG after turning down several other offers and pledging to effectively play for free. No financial details were given as to how much Beckham’s salary would be or the name of the charity. The decision was taken early Thursday morning.“It’s something we (deci

SoccerFeb. 1, 2013

Without Gay, Grizzlies lose to Thunder 106-89

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ― Kevin Durant scored 27 points, Russell Westbrook added 21 points and nine assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Memphis 106-89 Thursday night in the Grizzlies’ first game since trading away leading-scorer Rudy Gay.Memphis struggled mightily in the first half and trailed by 26 in the third quarter before a mini-implosion by the Thunder that featured Westbrook getting benched after a dust-up with his teammates.It still didn’t provide a big enough opening for the Grizzlies

More SportsFeb. 1, 2013

Beckham set for Paris Saint-Germain move: reports

Former England captain David Beckham was set to join French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Thursday, both the BBC and Sky Sports News reported.The 37-year-old midfielder has been without a club since ending a five-and-half-year spell in the United States last month after winning a second MLS Cup with the Los Angeles Galaxy.Beckham was reportedly in line to be unveiled by PSG later Thursday and the club announced a 5:00 pm local (1600 GMT) news conference at their Parc des Princes ground with

SoccerJan. 31, 2013

Latest A-Rod troubles have team frustrated

NEW YORK (AP) ― Alex Rodriguez was speaking on a conference call.“A huge debacle,” he said. “Distasteful.”That was on Dec. 13, 2007, when he re-signed with the New York Yankees and was discussing his decision 1 1/2 months earlier to become a free agent.Now those words describe how some in the team’s front office feel about A-Rod’s $275 million, 10-year contract.Once considered a player who could shatter the career home run record, Rodriguez has transformed from All-Star to annoyance for some in

More SportsJan. 31, 2013

Singh admits using deer-antler spray

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) ― Vijay Singh says he has used deer-antler spray and wasn’t aware that it may contain a substance banned by the PGA Tour.The 49-year-old Fijian first revealed he used the spray in an interview with Sports Illustrated. The magazine said Singh paid one of Sports With Alternatives To Steroids’ owners $9,000 last November for the spray, hologram chips and other products.The magazine also reported Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis sought help from SWATS in his recovery fr

GolfJan. 31, 2013

Lewis ‘agitated’ with report

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ― Ray Lewis is “agitated.”Not because the Baltimore Ravens linebacker thinks the magazine report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers will affect his play or that of his teammates against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl ― the final game of a 17-year NFL career that most assume will earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Rather, Lewis did not want to spend time discussing the subject in private with his head coach or in public w

BaseballJan. 31, 2013

Expansion team, league displeased with stadium location

A South Korean expansion baseball team expressed its displeasure with the site its home city has selected for its new stadium, saying that the decision was “political” and did not take into account public opinion.Changwon, an industrial city in South Gyeongsang Province, home of the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization, announced earlier that it will build a new ballpark on the land formerly occupied by the Army College in nearby Jinhae district.It’s located south of downtown Changwon.Cha

BaseballJan. 31, 2013

Rogge praises Korea’s commitment

JINCHEON (Yonhap News) ― The global Olympic chief on Friday acknowledged South Korea’s commitment to excellence in sports and praised the country’s preparations for the upcoming Winter Olympics.Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, paid a visit to the Jincheon National Training Center, a national training ground for Olympic athletes located about 90 kilometers south of Seoul.Addressing South Korean sports officials and athletes, Rogge said the facility, which opene

SportsJan. 31, 2013

Foreign journalists get taste of the Special Olympic spirit

David Miller, a British sports journalist who covered the Olympics for more than 50 years, was skeptical going into YongPyong Dome Tuesday night as the opening ceremony unfurled a procession of formal speech-making for the Special Olympics in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.Miller’s skepticism was perhaps unsurprising for a veteran sports journalist. He was a senior staff reporter for The Times of London for 15 years and had been covering the Olympics since the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He has seen

SportsJan. 31, 2013

Foreign journalists get taste of the Special Olympic spirit

Barca, Real draw in Copa semis

MADRID (AP) ― Raphael Varane scored in the 81st minute, giving Real Madrid a 1-1 tie against Barcelona on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.With Barcelona enjoying the majority of the possession, Cesc Fabregas put the defending champion ahead in the 50th minute off a pass from Lionel Messi, who intercepted a clearance. Messi’s streak of scoring in 16 straight starts ended.Varane’s goal was his first since Dec. 20, 2011.“It’s like a dream come true, incredible to sc

SoccerJan. 31, 2013

Expansion baseball team, league displeased with proposed stadium location

A South Korean expansion baseball team expressed its displeasure Wednesday with the site its home city has selected for its new stadium, saying that the decision was "political" and did not take into account public opinion.Changwon, an industrial city in South Gyeongsang Province, home of the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), announced earlier in the day that it will build a new ballpark on the land formerly occupied by the Army College in nearby Jinhae district.It's located sou

BaseballJan. 30, 2013