Is There a Way to Stop a Tom Brady-Bill Belichick Super Bowl?

By BY MIKE TANIER from NYT Sports Thanks to the New England Patriots’ six-game win streak and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ light schedule, the pair seem to be on a collision course.https://nyti.ms/3d8Ytns

The Clock Is Ticking as Baseball Veers Toward a Lockout

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire this week, owners and players are negotiating over the sport’s future. A work stoppage seems inevitable.https://nyti.ms/3I5Fok9

Tiger Woods Concedes the Spotlight. ‘I’ve Had a Pretty Good Run.’

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports Best known for willing himself to victory, the winner of 15 major championships said he had no desire to do what would be necessary to win another on his surgically rebuilt right leg.https://nyti.ms/32CYnlM

Mark Roth, Top Bowler Who Brought Power to the Sport, Dies at 70

By BY RICHARD SANDOMIR from NYT Sports His explosive release created a lot of hook and speed. “Sometimes I throw rockets,” he said. He won 34 titles, a record eight of them in 1978.https://nyti.ms/3xFBoBZ

He Helped St. Louis Land the Rams. He Squeezed the N.F.L. When They Left.

By BY JONATHAN ABRAMS AND KEN BELSON from NYT Sports How an N.F.L. insider turned into St. Louis’s best weapon against the league in the battle over the Rams’ relocation.https://nyti.ms/3I1ktih

Brian Kelly Said to Leave Notre Dame for L.S.U.

By BY VICTOR MATHER from NYT Sports A top coach is reportedly heading to the Southeastern Conference, the latest in a series of moves at some of the country’s most storied college football programs.https://nyti.ms/3paLirK

Ready to Shine in the United States, a Star Waits in Japan

By BY BRAD LEFTON from NYT Sports Seiya Suzuki can hit for average and power, and plays solid defense. The only thing slowing his arrival is the possibility of an M.L.B. lockout.https://nyti.ms/3xEbEWX

Breaking Barriers: The Life of Lee Elder

By BY THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT Sports Elder was the author of “a signature moment” in professional golf.https://nyti.ms/3ElDF8h

College Football’s ‘Great Man Theory’ Gets a New Test at U.S.C.

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports Southern California hired Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma, which is now looking for his successor. The carousel seemed to spin harder and faster than ever as programs looked for saviors.https://nyti.ms/3lgLOD5

Tiger Woods Rules Out a Full-Time Return to the PGA Tour

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports In a half-hour video interview with Golf Digest, Woods, who was badly injured in a car crash early this year, said he hopes to recover enough to play sporadically in tour events.https://nyti.ms/3xJo3c8

Lionel Messi Wins Record Seventh Ballon d’Or

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports The Paris St.-Germain star capped a year in which he led Argentina to the Copa América title by edging Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.https://nyti.ms/319QZ0A

Max Scherzer Smashes Salary Record in Deal With Mets

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports Showing off the team’s deep pockets, the Mets agreed to give Scherzer, a 37-year-old right-handed pitcher, a three-year contract that pays him $43.3 million a season.https://nyti.ms/3E0XnWx

Baseball’s Paradox: Money Is Flowing on the Brink of a Shutdown

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Players are agreeing to huge contracts, and even struggling teams are getting in on the action. With a lockout looming, recalibration may be preferable to reinvention.https://nyti.ms/31aBgyu

Lee Elder, Who Broke a Golf Color Barrier, Dies at 87

By BY RICHARD GOLDSTEIN from NYT Sports In his prime he played in a league for Black players, but in 1975, at 40, he became the first African- American to take part in the Masters tournament.https://nyti.ms/3ljCFcW

A Climbing Award That May Be a Winner’s Last

By BY MICHAEL LEVY from NYT Sports Whether the Piolet D’Or, or Golden Ice Axe, alpine climbing’s biggest award, honors or encourages risk is debated in the sport.https://nyti.ms/3xBSlO0

What We Learned From Week 12 in the N.F.L.

By BY TYLER DUNNE from NYT Sports Tom Brady has help in Tampa Bay, the Bengals are forcing the issue in the A.F.C. North race, and the Rams have some soul-searching to do.https://nyti.ms/3E5uxEy

A Climbing Award That May Be a Winner’s Last

By BY MICHAEL LEVY from NYT Sports Whether the Piolet D’Or, or Golden Ice Axe, alpine climbing’s biggest award, honors or encourages risk is debated in the sport.https://nyti.ms/3nYBkKy

The Packers Use Familiar Hands to Best the New-Look Rams

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers relied on veterans to beat the Rams, who had stockpiled talented stars like Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. to contend for the N.F.C. title.https://nyti.ms/3peWu6K

What We Learned From Week 12 in the N.F.L.

By BY TYLER DUNNE from NYT Sports Tom Brady has help in Tampa Bay, the Bengals are forcing the issue in the A.F.C. North race, and the Dolphins have a winning streak.https://nyti.ms/3rfwavN

The Patriots’ Dynasty May Not Be Over After All

By BY BEN SHPIGEL from NYT Sports New England thrashed the Tennessee Titans for its sixth consecutive victory, improving to 8-4 and taking over first place in the A.F.C. East.https://nyti.ms/3xypDNR

Mikaela Shiffrin Has a World Cup Record, and, Finally, a Rival

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports Shiffrin tied the career record for World Cup wins in a single discipline, slalom, beating Petra Vlhova of Slovakia, the sport’s reigning overall champion.https://nyti.ms/3xwLpkV

The Giants and Jets Both Won, but Which Team Was More Enjoyable?

By BY DEVIN GORDON AND DIANTE LEE from NYT Sports It’s late in the N.F.L. season and both teams have been lifelessly bad. But the Jets, at least, offered a spark in beating the Houston Texans on Sunday.https://nyti.ms/3xursvf

Iron Bowl Thriller Behind Them, Alabama Prepares for No. 1 Georgia

By BY ALANIS THAMES from NYT Sports Alabama is poised to move up a spot in the College Football Playoff rankings ahead of their Southeastern Conference title game against the Bulldogs.https://nyti.ms/32HbsL1

For Ku Stevens, Running Is a ‘Profound Act’

By BY TALYA MINSBERG from NYT Sports This fall, Ku Stevens became the fastest cross-country runner in all of Nevada. But he would be running even if he wasn’t winning.https://nyti.ms/3CZHkXC

Michigan Upsets Ohio State, Forcing Buckeyes From Playoff Race

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports Before a crowd thick with maize and blue, the Wolverines beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and earned a chance to play for a Big Ten title.https://nyti.ms/3CYk4JF

The Mets Bolster Their Offense With Three Free Agents

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports With Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha, the run-starved Mets addressed their biggest need while adding some defensive versatility.https://nyti.ms/3FPBZEf

A Feud Fueled by Social Media Is Also Made for TV

By BY BRENDAN PORATH from NYT Sports Never paired together at one of golf’s majors, the rivals Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau instead went head-to-head in a spectacle for charity off the Las Vegas Strip.https://nyti.ms/3DXhwfX

How Much Does Your Team’s Manager Matter?

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports One set of researchers estimated a manager is responsible for only eight percent of a team’s results. But eight percent, when you think about it, is a lot.https://nyti.ms/316aO9b

In I.O.C.’s ‘Quiet Diplomacy,’ Critics See Whitewash of China’s Actions

By BY TARIQ PANJA AND STEVEN LEE MYERS from NYT Sports The handling of the Peng Shuai case raised new questions about the I.O.C.’s relationship with China. One Olympic official called its actions ‘discreet.’ Critics called it collaboration.https://nyti.ms/3HXe6wf

Italy and Portugal Could Meet for a 2022 World Cup Spot. Only One Can Go.

By BY ANDREW DAS from NYT Sports The draw for Europe’s final three qualifying places ensured that either Italy, the European champion, or Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo, would miss the finals in Qatar.https://nyti.ms/3nX9e2s

Olympic Official Who Delivered Rio Games Sentenced to 30 Years for Bribery

By BY TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports Carlos Arthur Nuzman was found guilty after a trial that featured claims of rigged votes, gold bars and at least $2 million in payoffs to top sports officials.https://nyti.ms/3ldSX7c

In Canada, the Premier of Quebec Worries About the State of Hockey

By BY DAVID M. SHRIBMAN from NYT Sports With the Canadiens in a losing funk, François Legault has expressed concern about the declining number of Quebec-born pros and vowed to get to the bottom of it.https://nyti.ms/3cOMKdh

Pushed by Players, the N.F.L. Works to Embrace Mental Health

By BY ANNA KATHERINE CLEMMONS from NYT Sports N.F.L. teams have standardized support for mental wellness as their players fight social stigmas and the league’s “just play through it” ethos.https://nyti.ms/3cUSMck

Le secret le mieux gardé du foot ? Il n’en dira rien.

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Serveurs de messagerie cryptés, réunion à huis clos, confidentialité absolue. Pour tenir secrète jusqu’au bout l’identité des lauréats du Ballon d’Or, Pascal Ferré, rédacteur en chef de France Football, s’astreint à une discipline qui frise la “paranoïa”.https://nyti.ms/3rckMRs

He Knows the Best-Kept Secret in Sports. No, He Won’t Tell.

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Encrypted email servers, secret meetings, strict confidentiality: The identity of the winner of the Ballon d’Or, soccer’s biggest individual prize, is guarded like a state secret.https://nyti.ms/3G5126v

Ralf Rangnick Will Manage Manchester United. For Now.

By BY RORY SMITH from NYT Sports Rangnick, an architect of the Red Bull soccer empire, will take over as United’s manager while the club pursues a permanent replacement for Ole Gunner Solskjaer.https://nyti.ms/3CRcaBU

I Hated Swimming. Then I Moved to Australia.

By BY DAMIEN CAVE AND MICHAELA SKOVRANOVA from NYT Sports In Sydney, something changed. I embraced the uncertainty of the sea, following my children into a culture of volunteer lifesaving.https://nyti.ms/3r9lbUs

N.F.L. Week 12 Predictions: Our Picks Against the Spread

By BY EMMANUEL MORGAN from NYT Sports Playoff jockeying will get intense as the Cowboys try to fend off the Raiders, the Colts make their postseason case against the Bucs, and the Rams and Packers fight for a first-round bye.https://nyti.ms/3DVAuUo

What To Know About This Year’s Thanksgiving Day N.F.L. Games

By BY EMMANUEL MORGAN from NYT Sports Thursday’s three games feature six teams coming off losses, with the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints playing in prime time.https://nyti.ms/3cM15ax

Do Sports Still Need China?

By BY ANDREW KEH from NYT Sports Global outrage, broken contracts and shifting politics could change the calculus for leagues and teams that once raced to do business in China.https://nyti.ms/3HRF2xu

Do Sports Still Need China?

By BY ANDREW KEH from NYT Sports Global outrage, broken contracts and shifting politics could change the calculus for leagues and teams that once raced to do business in China.https://nyti.ms/3FHMY2s

Even With Fewer Stars in Beal’s Orbit, the Wizards Find Their Way

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports A roster overhaul prioritized depth over big names to surround Bradley Beal in Washington. The new guys — with chips on their shoulders — have come through.https://nyti.ms/3DRkov4

Mets Owner Blasts Agent Over Matz’s Decision to Sign Elsewhere

By BY TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports The club hoped Steven Matz would return after rejuvenating his career in Toronto. Much to Steven Cohen’s chagrin, Matz chose St. Louis instead.https://nyti.ms/3xrM8Uz

N.F.L. to Settle Lawsuit Over Rams’ Relocation for $790 Million

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports Rams owner Stanley Kroenke is expected to pay the entire amount, ending the four-year court battle over the team’s move to Los Angeles in 2016.https://nyti.ms/3nOTeiF

When No. 1 Is a Lot Better Than No. 2

By BY ADAM ZAGORIA from NYT Sports Gonzaga crushed U.C.L.A. in a marquee early season matchup, backing up its victory over the Bruins in last year’s Final Four.https://nyti.ms/3xlROQ7

A College Football Crash Course for Thanksgiving

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports The rivalries on the field this weekend could resemble (and play into) some familial bickering at the dinner table.https://nyti.ms/3l0fIeX

Karim Benzema, French Soccer Star, Is Convicted in Sex Tape Scandal

By BY AURELIEN BREEDEN from NYT Sports The Real Madrid striker was found guilty of being part of an attempt to blackmail a fellow player, charges that had led to his being dropped from his national team for more than five years.https://nyti.ms/32unoQd

South Carolina Women’s Basketball Soars in Place, Atop the Rankings

By BY NATALIE WEINER from NYT Sports The Gamecocks were already ranked No. 1 when they beat Connecticut, but the victory elevated a sense that Coach Dawn Staley is building a perennial title contender.https://nyti.ms/3CMYMhV

‘I Can’t Just Quit’

By BY ALANIS THAMES from NYT Sports Sika Henry is the first African American woman to be recognized as a pro triathlete. But a horrible bicycle crash in 2019 nearly thwarted her lifelong dream.https://nyti.ms/3HOsB5l

Bill Virdon, Quiet Manager of Four M.L.B. Teams, Dies at 90

By BY RICHARD GOLDSTEIN from NYT Sports As a player, mainly for the Pirates, he was an outstanding center fielder and hit a catalytic ground ball in the 1960 World Series against the Yankees.https://nyti.ms/3l3rBkf