Sports

More egg on Donald Trump’s face. Via Sports Illustrated: Former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow will not speak at next week’s Republican National Convention, he clarified on Instagram Thursday. The New York Times reported Wednesday that Tebow would give a speech at the convention. Tebow, who won the Heisman Trophy while at Florida in 2007, was reportedly set to speak …

The 2015 national champion Duke Blue Devils have a “hole” in their basketball schedule due to North Carolina’s hate law. The Associated Press reports: The Blue Devils were supposed to play Albany on Nov. 12 as part of the Hall of Fame Tipoff tournament but there’s no opponent listed on that day in Duke’s schedule that was released Wednesday. Holly …

Ad Age recaps: Think about “The Best a Man Can Get” and you don’t envision a guy hugging the porcelain goddess. But while ads featuring Olympic athletes usually show the glory, Gillette’s anthem video for the Summer Olympics breaking today instead focuses on the gritty, including what appears to be the first razor advertising that shows a guy throwing up. …

Earlier today I reported that singer Remigio Periera caused an uproar yesterday when he inserted a mention of “All Lives Matter” into his performance of the Canadian national anthem at Major League Baseball’s all-star game in San Diego. You’ll be shocked to learn that this guy is totally crackers. MassLive reports: In the wake of his rogue lyricism, Pereira has …

ESPN reports: A member of a Canadian singing quartet changed a lyric in his country’s national anthem and held up a sign proclaiming “All Lives Matter” during a pregame performance at baseball’s 87th All-Star Game on Tuesday. The Tenors, a group based in British Columbia, caused a stir at Petco Park with Remigio Pereira’s actions while singing “O Canada.” In …

Advertising Age reports: Here’s an Olympics sponsorship with major topical relevance: SC Johnson’s Off! has been named the official mosquito repellent of next month’s Summer Olympics games in Rio de Janeiro. SCJ said in a statement that it will distribute thousands of bottles of repellent to athletes, staff and volunteers at the games, which begin Aug. 5, amid an outbreak …

Earlier this week LGBT activists denounced the attempt by North Carolina Republicans to “refine” the anti-transgender section of HB2. This afternoon the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets joined in. Their message: “We have been engaged in dialogue with numerous groups at the city and state levels, but we do not endorse the version of the bill that we understand is …

From the Orlando Sentinel: Tim Tebow visited former high school teammate Rodney Sumter, who was wounded during the Pulse nightclub shooting and is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Tebow and Sumter played together at Ponte Vedra Beach Nease High. A post on Sumter’s Instagram account Tuesday featuring a picture with Tebow read, “My high school quarterback left the Bahamas …

From Orlando’s NBC affiliate: Saturday’s Orlando City’s soccer match served as much more than a sporting event. Team officials dedicated it to the 49 people killed and 53 others injured in last week’s mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub. During the 49th-minute of the match, play stopped for a moment of silence. It was a first for Major League Soccer. …

From the Washington Post: The Tampa Bay Rays wore “Orlando” patches and Orlando Rays hats to honor the Orlando shooting victims Friday night. (Chris O’Meara/Associated Press) The Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants honored the victims of last weekend’s shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub during pride night Friday at Tropicana Field. The Rays sported hats of the Orlando Rays, …

The New York Times reports: Russia’s track and field team has been barred from competing in this summer’s Rio Games because of a far-reaching doping conspiracy, an extraordinary punishment that might be without precedent in Olympics history. The global governing body for track and field, known as the I.A.A.F., announced the decision on Friday, ruling that Russia had not done …

From the website of Major League Soccer: In the wake of the mass shooting that killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning, Orlando City SC announced Tuesday that they are dedicating Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Camping World Stadium to #OrlandoUnited efforts. Orlando players will wear special patches and t-shirts during pregame …

Hypocrisy alert: Presidential candidate Donald Trump has inquired about Friday’s memorial service for boxing legend Muhammad Ali, indicating that he wants to attend, according to a volunteer with funeral organizers. Trump was a longtime friend of the boxer but has also been outspoken in wanting to ban Muslims from traveling to the U.S. — and Ali was a Muslim. When …

From the Washington Post: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told reporters in Louisville on Monday that he’d be introducing legislation to end the Selective Service program that replaced the military draft, as a tribute to the late Muhammad Ali. “One of the things I liked about Muhammad Ali is that he would stand on principle even when it was unpopular,” Paul …

Via press release: The Washington Capitals and goaltender Braden Holtby [photo] are proud to announce their support and take part in the Capital Pride Alliance’s 2016 Capital Pride Parade presented by Marriot Rewards, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, in Washington DC. Holtby will participate in the Pride Parade walking with Capitals mascot Slapshot, Red Rockers, Washington Wizards …

President Obama has issued a heartfelt statement on the passing of Muhammad Ali. He writes: Muhammad Ali was The Greatest. Period. If you just asked him, he’d tell you. He’d tell you he was the double greatest; that he’d “handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder into jail.” But what made The Champ the greatest – what truly separated him from everyone else …

NBC News reports: Muhammad Ali, the silver-tongued boxer and civil rights champion who famously proclaimed himself “The Greatest” and then spent a lifetime living up to the billing, is dead. Ali died Friday at a Phoenix-area hospital, where he had spent the past few days being treated for respiratory complications, a family spokesman confirmed to NBC News. He was 74. …

USA Today reports: If there isn’t satisfactory resolution to North Carolina House Bill 2 by the end of summer, Charlotte risks losing the 2017 All-Star Game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. Silver has expressed the league’s opposition to the controversial bill, which nullified local ordinances that gave protections and rights to …

SameSame reports: Awarded for their grace, dedication and commitment to the values of rugby, the Melbourne Chargers A’s haven’t stopped celebrating after they won the Bingham Cup yesterday, scoring 20 to 7 against the Sydney Convicts at the world championships in Nashville, Tennessee. The 8th Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Cup saw the Music City transform into the Rugby City, as …

From the San Diego Union-Tribune: Major League Baseball completed its investigation of Saturday’s national anthem mixup involving the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus and Thursday reaffirmed the Padres’ findings that it was the result of human error. Shortly after the announcement, Padres President and CEO Mike Dee tweeted that the Padres have reinstated DJ ArtForm, the third-party contractor they terminated …