Blurry pictures in Sports Mode

Well, Sports Mode is a fully automated mode, which I believe tries to balance the exposure toward faster shutter speeds. An over all dark photo indicates an underexposure. You can adjust for underexposure by dialing in a 1/2 stop or so on your exposure compensation dial.

However, dark AND blurry indicates that you just didn't have enough light. The first thing you want, for that same shooting situation, is some faster film. Go up at least an f-stop or two (eg, if you're shooting with ISO 100 film, try ISO 400).

Pay attention to the shutter speed the camera is setting. If you're stilling still, photographing action, you'll want a pretty fast shutter speed, or you WILL get blurring. I'd recommend at least 1/250th second, faster still if you're trying to freeze motion.

A more advanced technique is to pan with your subject. Follow the subject with the camera, and use a medium to medium fast shutter speed (1/60th-1/250th). You will get some blurring, but if you learn this well, your subject will be pretty clear, and the background will blur... thus including the suggestion of speed in the final photo, rather than something that looks frozen. That can deliver a much more satisfying shot.

I have used Canons for years, but I avoid all of the those special modes, like sports modes. They're really trying to deliver some help, but these are techniques you should learn in any basic photography course.

If you set the camera to Av mode, you can choose the widest aperture available for that lens, which will always get you the fastest possible shutter speed -- thus, the least chance of blurring. If you still blur, you need more light, a lower f-stop number, or faster film.. those are the only cures.