Tom Goldman

Media coverage of college sports has been a mix of entertainment and boosterism. But today, as college athlete rights have become a major issue, the journalism is getting more hard-edged.

It was a wild end to the NFL regular season on Sunday. There were lots of unexpected twists and turns that included crazy plays, nutty finishes and, of course, coaching changes.

The NCAA has arguably driven out its best basketball player. Also, NASCAR legend Junior Johnson has died.

There's a spat brewing in America's favorite pastime. Major League Baseball is threatening to walk away from Minor League Baseball and create a new minor league system.

Getting elected to baseball's Hall of Fame is a remarkable achievement highlighting a lifetime of baseball excellence. Marvin Miller was just voted in, but he and his family hoped he'd never make it.

The World Anti-Doping Agency voted to ban Russia from global sports competitions for four years including the Olympics over its wide-scale and systemic doping program.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has banned Russia from competing in global sports for the next four years, including the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The Pac-12 has a champ, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James met on the court, and the World Anti-Doping Agency is trying to figure out what to do with Russia.

Russia is set to learn if it will face new restrictions for its widescale and long-standing athlete doping. A committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency recommends a global four-year ban.

Questions about how USA Gymnastics hid the Larry Nassar investigation from one of its top athletes, plus a new coalition focused on safety in horse racing.

The University of Memphis is defying the NCAA and suiting up a star freshman who has been deemed "likely ineligible." It's a test of the NCAA's power to enforce longstanding amateurism rules.

The Kincade Fire had potential to burn whole towns, just like the deadly fires of the past two years, but it didn't. Officials and residents credit this success to early and widespread evacuations.

The World Series match up between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros isn't the only drama for the Texas team. Their pitcher was mocked by Yankees fans and their assistant GM was canned.

A career in baseball is a gamble. A few guys make a ton of money, and most make very little. Some baseball players are taking advantage of that imbalance and entering into "income pooling" agreements.

This is the first NBA season in years that the Golden State Warriors aren't the favorites. Player trades and maneuvers over the summer have moved several teams into contention.

The NFL admits a disputed call during Monday night's game between Detroit and Green Bay was a mistake by the officials. The league has been criticized all season for referee blunders.

The China-NBA spat heats up, the Washington Mystics are WNBA champs and American gymnast Simone Biles wins her fifth all-around world title.

The annual competition is put on by Alaska's Katmai National Park & Preserve to choose the fattest bear. This year, Holly beat out Lefty in the championship round, winning more than 80% of the votes.

Bears preparing for hibernation need to eat as much as they can for the winter. In Alaska, this habit has turned into an Ursine March Madness with bears going head-to-head to see who is the fattest.

A new California law allows college athletes to get paid in certain scenarios. That's setting up a clash with the NCAA, the governing body of college sports.