Sports

CLEARWATER, Fla. — When Charlie Manuel began to speak again, he could not talk. It had been five days since his stroke. His heart was better. He’d regain the feeling in his right side with time. But, last September, there were no words.“I knew what I wanted to say,” Manuel said months later. “That really gets to you. You know what to say and you can’t say it.”Manuel is the ultimate baseball lifer, with more than six decades in the game. The Phillies’ all-time winningest manager, known for his love of hitting, trademark malapropisms and colorful language, was always most at home behind the batting cage. Five months after the Phillies fired him as manager in 2013, they hired him as an advisor to the front office. He hadn’t yet budged. The role is now largely ceremonial, but Manuel had never ...

Cover 7 | Monday A daily NFL destination that provides in-depth analysis of football’s biggest stories. Each Monday, Mike Sando breaks down the six most impactful takeaways from the week.Deciphering the unfolding drama between the Denver Broncos’ coach and quarterback requires understanding the combatants. Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson are more than Super Bowl-winning NFL icons. They are also experienced in hardball tactics.Payton, one of the game’s great offensive minds, is the only head coach in league history to be suspended for a full season. When the ESPN analyst and retired NFL player Ryan Clark accused Payton of behaving as a “thug” during his Broncos tenure, the harsh commentary recalled the days when bounties were offered for injuring New Orleans Saints opponent...