Urbanite

Anthony Pettis earned a UFC title shot when he defeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in a lightweight bout in January. But rather than challenge Benson Henderson -- a man Pettis already defeated nearly 2 1/2 years ago -- for the 155-pound championship, Pettis chose to go after a more highly-regarded titleholder, featherweight (145-pound) champion Jose Aldo. The two are schedule to face off...

The Rangers fired head coach John Tortorella Wednesday, four days after the team’s elimination from the playoffs and two days after defending Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist was noncommittal about signing a long-term contract extension.

“Every coach has a shelf life, and I’ve told every guy that I’ve hired that at some point in time, this is going to change,” Rangers President Glen Sather...

The Yankees activated right-handed reliever Joba Chamberlain before Tuesday night's matchup against the Mets, which ended too late for this edition.

Manager Joe Girardi said that Chamberlain, who had been placed on the disabled list on May 1 with a strained oblique muscle, will reclaim his role as the seventh-inning pitcher in the bullpen behind veterans David Robertson and Mariano Rivera.

In...

Just when you think they are too old, over-the-hill and destined to plunge from the elite echelon, the San Antonio Spurs storm their way back to their fifth NBA Finals appearance, all of which have come under the tutelage of head coach Gregg Popovich and led on the court by 37-year-old Hall of Fame-bound center Tim Duncan.

On Monday night, Duncan, along with guard Tony Parker, combined for...

In the 81st and final playoff meeting between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings as members of the same conference before Detroit realigns to the East, each team will be attempting to stave off elimination in Wednesday's decisive Game 7 in Chicago.

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock will rely on his young squad to rebound from their short losing streak and extend their season into...

The good for Mets top prospect Zack Wheeler on Wednesday was that his fastball reportedly clocked in at 97 mph after missing his start last Thursday due to inflammation in his shoulder.

The bad news? He surrendered two solo home runs and recorded just two strikeouts in five innings of work for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. He also allowed seven baserunners (five hits, two walks) and got the...

Conspiracy theorists have cried foul following the NBA’s annual draft lottery since its inception in 1985, when the Knicks won the right to select Patrick Ewing first overall on 7 to 1 odds.

Last year, the suspicion stemmed from the fact that the NBA temporarily owned the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) during a transition to current franchise owner Tom Benson, and the league wanted to...

While the Knicks’ 2012-13 season was easily the team’s most successful campaign in more than a decade, the fact remains that it fell well short of a championship or even a conference finals berth against LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Surely, they’ll be in the thick of things again next season, but expect a few tweaks to the roster. Here’s a few early predictions for the Knicks’ offseason.

J.R....

The Triple Crown talk inevitably begins roughly five seconds after the latest 3-year-old wins the Kentucky Derby. This year, it’s trainer Shug McGaughey’s colt Orb who will continue to chase history at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.

Although he’ll start Saturday’s race from the rail, Orb is capable of getting through the other eight horses in the field. He debuted as the even-money favorite...

The Jets starting quarterback race is already clearing up a bit.

David Garrard, the former Jaguars starter who joined the Jets this offseason, said he will be forced to retire due to injury, according to a tweet by SNY’s Adam Schein.

The tweet read: “Text from Garrard: ‘Having to call it quits. My knee is not holding up. Continuing to swell after practices. Limiting what I can do.”

With...