NPR Sports

As the National Hockey League lockout drags into its 86th day, which featured news that more games have been cancelled including the All-Star game, some of the league's biggest stars are getting plenty of action back in their home countries.

In Russia, major NHL players such as Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin are giving a boost to the fledgling KHL—the Kontinental Hockey League.

Russian NHL players are scattered throughout the KHL teams that still carry names from the Soviet era when Russia dominated world hockey.

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin speaks with Bob McDonald, who sings the national anthem at Washington Capitals games in D.C. His 20th year with the team was spoiled this season by the NHL lockout.

Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mike Pesca about the art of the free throw and whether there's a place for accuracy in sports.

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine about the week in sports including the NHL lockout, the NFL and the NBA.

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This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish.

Tomorrow night in New York City, college football will award its biggest individual prize of the season, the Heisman trophy. There are three finalists and two of them, were they to win, would defy Heisman tradition. Joining us to discuss that and more college football is sports writer, Stefan Fatsis. Hey there, Stefan.

STEFAN FATSIS, BYLINE: Hey, Audie.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Now it's time for our weekly visit to the Barbershop, where the guys talk about what's in the news and what's on their minds.

For the past decade, Spelman College, a historically black women's school in Atlanta, has fielded NCAA teams in basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball and other sports. But when its small Division III conference started dwindling, college President Beverly Tatum says the school decided it was time to change focus.

"We have to ask ourselves: What is the cost of the program and who is benefiting? How many people are benefiting? Is the benefit worth the cost?" Tatum asks.

College athletics and academics are often at odds. One professor says it's time to end the charade and let athletes major in what they love - sports. Host Michel Martin speaks with Professor David Pargman of Florida State University, about why he thinks his proposal is more honest than what colleges are currently doing.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Later in the program, we are going to go on a trip via a new play: "Pullman Porter Blues." The production tells the story of three generations of African-American porters, a job that was both revered and reviled for reasons the play makes clear. We'll speak with playwright Cheryl West and one of the stars of the play later in this hour.