LONDON — A new report into systematic Russian doping details a wide-ranging “institutional conspiracy” that involved more than 1,000 athletes across more than 30 sports, including evidence corroborating large-scale sample swapping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren said Friday the conspiracy involved the Russian Sports Ministry, national anti-doping agency and the FSB intelligence service, providing further details of state involvement in a massive program of cheating and cover-ups that he said operated on an “unprecedented scale” from 2011 to 2015. “It is impossible to know just how deep and how far back this conspiracy goes,” McLaren said at a news conference in London. “For years, international sports competitions have unknowingly been hijacked by Russians. Coaches and
Sports
Patriots, Ravens Have A Deeply Rooted And Interesting NFL Rivalry
Monday night is going to be a good one. The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens meet again, both currently atop their respective divisions. As fans know, the Pats and Ravens are very familiar with each other. From playoff games, to bizarre plays, to lobbying for rule changes, the two teams go way back. To hear everything you need to know about this rivalry, check out the video above from “NESN Sports Today,” presented by People’s United Bank. ... NESN.com
Ronda Rousey Is Out For Revenge In Intense Promo For UFC 207 Return
Ronda Rousey is back, and she’s not going down without a fight. The former UFC bantamweight champion is making her return to the sport Dec. 30 in a title fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. And, if the possibility of seeing Rousey win her belt back after a year-long break doesn’t pump you up enough, UFC released a goosebump-inducing promo for the event through TMZ on Wednesday. Rousey last fought Nov. 15, 2015, when Holly Holm handed her the first loss of her career at UFC 193. However, no one has been able to hold onto the bantamweight belt since then, as Holm lost to Miesha Tate at UFC 196 and Tate
When Is UEFA Champions League Round Of 16 Draw?: Live Stream Info, Schedule
The UEFA Champions League now will break temporarily, as teams focus on their domestic pursuits for the rest of 2016. But the remaining contenders in European soccer’s elite competition will want to know what challenges they’ll face in the new year. UEFA will sort that out for them at 6 a.m. ET on Monday when it conducts the round of 16 draw. UEFA will separate the teams into two pots: one for the group winners and the other for runner-ups. Teams from the same country cannot meet in the round of 16. The first legs of the round of 16 will take place on February 14-15 and 21-22. The second legs will be on
Jeff Fisher Explaining His Challenge Flag Mishap Will Make You Chuckle
The Los Angeles Rams-New England Patriots game Sunday at Gillette Stadium was borderline unwatchable for most of the afternoon, but at least Jeff Fisher provided some comic relief. GIFs and videos of the Rams head coach were all over social media Sunday after he struggled mightily to find his challenge flag during the third quarter of the Pats’ 26-10 victory. He evetually found the flag and won the challenge, but those videos will live forever. Fisher did take a humurous approach to the flag debacle when he spoke with reporters Tuesday, though. “It was hilarious. I appreciate you asking,” Fisher told reporters, via a Twitter video from V... NESN.com
Bruins Climb Standings With Thrilling Overtime Win Over Panthers
The Boston Bruins prevailed 4-3 over the Florida Panthers on Monday night at TD Garden to leapfrog the Tampa Bay Lightning and move into third place in the Atlantic Division. B’s forward David Pastrnak scored twice, including a tremendous overtime goal to secure the extra point for the home team. Check out Jack Edwards’ and Andy Brickley’s analysis of the game in the “NESN Sports Today” video above, presented by People’s United Bank. ... NESN.com
Report: UFC Star Conor McGregor To Appear On HBO’s ‘Game Of Thrones’
Could Conor McGregor be the latest man to try to take the Iron Throne? The 28-year-old UFC star — who in November became the only simultaneous dualweight champion the promotion has ever had — reportedly is in talks to make an appearance HBO’s extremely popular show, “Game of Thrones.” “It’s been agreed that McGregor will appear in one of the remaining two seasons of Game of Thrones,” sources told The Sunday Life, as transcribed by Metro. “He was headhunted as it were by HBO, as one of the Game of Thrones directors is a huge UFC fan. They believed that he would be a perfect fit for the show.” There a number of