Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Technical foul: Chinese traders in online sneaker market punish NBA after HK controversy

On Oct. 4, a Chinese trader noticed a sharp drop in the price of crypto tokens backed by Nike's Air Jordan sneakers on a U.S.-based exchange after the general manager of the NBA's Houston Rockets tweeted support for the protests in Hong Kong. The trader posted about the fall - which he told Reuters was more than 10% at the time - on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter. His post went viral, attracting thousands of comments and becoming one of the most searched items on Weibo last week.

Angels name Maddon new manager

The Los Angeles Angels and Joe Maddon agreed to terms on a contract to make him the team's next manager. In making the official announcement on Wednesday, the Angels did not release contract specifics. The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register, however, both said it was a three-year deal, with ESPN reporting the value at between $12 million and $15 million.

Canada rolls past USA in CONCACAF Nations League

Alphonso Davies scored in the 63rd minute, and Lucas Cavallini added the clincher in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to give Canada a 2-0 win over the United States men's national soccer team in a CONCACAF Nations League match on Tuesday in Toronto. The Canadians beat their neighbors to the south for the first time since posting a 2-0 victory in a friendly on April 2, 1985. Canada's most recent victory in a competitive match against the United States had come in 1980. The Americans had a 17-game unbeaten streak (9-0-8) vs. their rival end.

Rams acquire CB Ramsey in blockbuster deal with Jags

Hours after trading away cornerback Marcus Peters, the Los Angeles Rams dealt two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The Jaguars will receive the Rams' first-rounders in each of the next two years, plus a fourth-rounder in 2021.

Bulgaria coach apologizes to England over racist chants

Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov has apologized to the England team after fans taunted their black players with Nazi salutes and monkey chants during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia on Monday. England thrashed Bulgaria 6-0 to hand the hosts their heaviest ever home defeat but the game will be remembered more for the racist incidents that led to action being temporarily stopped in the first half.

Raiders OT Brown accused of domestic violence, sued

Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Trent Brown is facing a civil lawsuit from the mother of his child, who is accusing him of domestic violence. The woman, identified as Diorra Marzette-Sanders, said Brown "bruised, bloodied and battered" her on numerous occasions over the past two years.

IOC plan to move Tokyo Olympic marathon to Hokkaido due to heat concerns

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday announced a plan to move the marathon and race walking at Tokyo 2020 to Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido from originally planned courses in the capital due to worries about heat. The IOC's statement said that it is planning to move the events to Sapporo, which will mean "significantly lower temperatures for the athletes during the Olympic Games."

LeBron addresses backlash to Hong Kong comments

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters Tuesday he believes his comments on Monday -- regarding a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in favor of an independent Hong Kong -- were taken out of context, calling the circumstances as a whole "tough." "I mean obviously it's a tough situation that we're all in right now, as an association," said James, who added that he often feels that his words are taken out of context. "Us as athletes, owners, GMs, whatever, so forth. I think when the issue comes up, if you feel passionate about it or you feel like it's something that you want to talk about, then so be it."

Rapinoe hoping for settlement but holding ground in discrimination suit

U.S. women's national team standout Megan Rapinoe said she's "optimistic" that she and her fellow players can reach an agreement in their gender discrimination suit against U.S. Soccer, but that they're also ready for a fight. "I'm always open, I think the team is always open for a settlement," Rapinoe told Reuters on Tuesday, a day before a Women's Sports Foundation gala at which she and her 2019 World Cup-winning squad were set to be honored.

NHL roundup: 4-goal period pushes Leafs past Wild

Mitchell Marner scored a goal and added two assists, Morgan Rielly tied a team record with four assists in one period, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-2 Tuesday night. Andreas Johnsson contributed a goal and an assist, and John Tavares and Auston Matthews each scored a goal for the Maple Leafs, who won their second consecutive game following a three-game losing streak. Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen made 27 saves.