Sports category, Page 1029
Hamlin, fellow Toyota drivers skip last Daytona 500 practice
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and his six fellow Toyota drivers skipped the final practice for “The Great American Race.” Even action sports star Travis Pastrana, who has little experience at Daytona International Speedway, sat out the 50-minute session Saturday. He is driving a third...
3 takeaways: Penguins lose another Metropolitan Division game
Three takeaways from the Penguins’ 5-4 road loss to the New York Islanders on Friday night: Metropolitan mess The Penguins suffered a crucial loss to a Metroplitan Division rival as the Penguins and Islanders now each have 63 points, though the Penguins have only played 54 games to the Islanders’...
Could LSU snap out of losing streak in a big way? Best bets for Feb. 18
BY ZACH EWING | Home Field Sports Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer. Here are...
Rookie Connor Heyward earned prominent role in Steelers offense that could expand in ’23Video
The first month of Connor Heyward’s rookie season went as it often does for sixth-round draft picks: He was an afterthought in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. The final Steelers’ possession of Heyward’s rookie season, though, illustrated just how far he had come. A leaping, spinning, high-pointed catch over the middle...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Blaming the offensive coordinator a relatively new pastime
I’ve been listening to sports talk radio since it started. (The first local show was probably Myron Cope’s, which started in 1968. John Cigna also dabbled.) The Steelers have been through a lot of quarterbacks in that time. When the quarterback faltered back when — whether it was Terry Bradshaw,...
Oneil Cruz working hard to stay at shortstop for Pirates, remain baseball’s biggest oddityVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Even as Oneil Cruz attempts to overcome an oxymoron — as a 6-foot-7 shortstop — he can’t escape the hyperbole of being compared to a mythical creature with magical powers. Cruz is known as baseball’s unicorn because of his unique blend of size, speed and power after...
Minor league report: Nailers beaten by HeartlandersVideo
Goaltender Brad Barone made 26 saves on 31 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-1 road loss to the Iowa Heartlanders at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa on Friday. Forward Brooklyn Kalmikov scored the lone goal for Wheeling (20-22-5-0) which has lost five of the past six games. Highlights:...
Max Homa feeling at home as Tiger Woods makes Genesis cut
LOS ANGELES — Max Homa in the lead at his hometown PGA Tour event used to give him chills. Now he’s playing so well it almost feels normal. Homa, a winner last month down the coast at Torrey Pines, ran off three birdies around the turn at Riviera and tossed...
Penguins, Casey DeSmith stumble against IslandersVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins backup goaltender Casey DeSmith reached a threshold of some significance Friday as his team faced the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. He appeared in his 27th contest of the season and tied hobbled starter Tristan Jarry for most games played among the team’s goaltenders....
AP source: Commanders finalizing hire of Eric Bieniemy as OC
Eric Bieniemy is finalizing terms of a deal to become the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal was not yet completed. It’s expected to...
Gasol, Nowitzki, Parker, Popovich among Hoop Hall finalists
SALT LAKE CITY — Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich are one step closer to basketball immortality. The three international greats — Gasol, Nowitzki and Parker — were among the list of Class of 2023 finalists unveiled Friday by the Basketball Hall of Fame, putting them on...
Paul Newberry: Take that, all you imaginary haters!
Forget the U.S. hockey team knocking off the mighty Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics. That shocking upset doesn’t come close to the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl against all imaginary odds. Or the Georgia Bulldogs somehow capturing a second straight national championship that no one except everyone...
Updated Next Gen car to get real-world test in Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The latest version of NASCAR’s Next Gen car still is awaiting a real-world test. It’s sure to come in the Daytona 500. Reacting to driver complaints and concussions to Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman, the sanctioning body made changes to the crumple zones in the backend...
2023 Daytona 500 betting guide: See top five picks to win, odds for all 40 drivers
BY SPENCER URQUHART | Home Field Sports The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season was one to remember, and we’re already back to having action in 2023 starting with the much-anticipated Daytona 500 The 2022 NASCAR season was a special one for me personally having gotten to publish my “Fast Five”...
RB Aaron Jones staying with Packers under restructured dealVideo
Running back Aaron Jones agreed to remain with the Green Bay Packers on a restructured deal with a reduced salary for the upcoming season. Drew Rosenhaus, Jones’ agent, said Jones will make $11 million in 2023 — including an $8.52 million signing bonus — rather than the $16 million he...
Reports: QB Derek Carr meeting with Jets this weekendVideo
Free-agent quarterback Derek Carr is meeting with the New York Jets this weekend, according to a person familiar with the situation. The 31-year-old Carr, who spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Raiders, was released by Las Vegas on Tuesday after he declined to waive the no-trade clause in...
With game of catch, Andrew McCutchen, Ke’Bryan Hayes begin bond as Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was a simple spring training game of catch but one that represented so much more for Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates. First and foremost, McCutchen finally felt back at home while wearing the black and gold colors at Pirate City for the first time in...
Pirates win arbitration hearing with 1B Ji-Man Choi, who will make $4.65M this season
The Pittsburgh Pirates won their arbitration hearing with first baseman Ji-Man Choi, who will be paid $4.65 million this season instead of the $5.4 million he requested. Acquired from Tampa Bay in a trade this past November, the 31-year-old has hit .239/.345/.429 with 61 home runs and 225 RBIs in...
Banking on the best (no, not Tiger) in the PGA’s Genesis Invitational: Best bet for Feb. 17
BY ZACH EWING | Home Field Sports Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer. Here is...
Hurricanes’ outdoor game marks another Sun Belt push for NHL
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes were days away from hosting an NHL Stadium Series outdoor game and Don Waddell was feeling the stress of hoping that everything goes smoothly and the thrill of the opportunity ahead. It’s the same mix of emotions for NHL organizers, too. “It’s very exciting...
Daytona 500 proves elusive for many, even some series champs
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Busch peered at a handful of Powerball tickets left behind as part of a giveaway and was told he could have them. “Better chances of winning that than the Daytona 500,” Busch cracked. It’s easy to understand why Busch would feel that way. The two-time...
After entering the transfer portal, Davon Townley is back at Penn State: ‘Expect big things’
Drew Shelton was asked last week if there’s a defensive lineman on Penn State’s roster — someone from his 2022 recruiting class or maybe a year or two older — that has impressed him since the summer. The offensive tackle didn’t hesitate. “Obviously you guys know about Dani,” Shelton said...
Mark Madden: Keeping 1st-round pick smart for Penguins, who aren’t close enough to contend
As the March 3 trade deadline looms, locker rooms and fan bases in each NHL city clamor for their team to make a deal that gets it to the next level, even a Stanley Cup. False optimism can drive that sentiment even with teams that should be sellers. Seems like...
Pitt Take 5: Underdog role seems to fit 1st-place Panthers
Pitt fans don’t need another reason to feel disrespected, but KenPom, a ranking service that projects outcomes and ranks teams and conferences, has found one more. Virginia Tech 75, Pitt 72, Saturday in Blacksburg, Va. But why worry? DraftKings says Pitt is a 5-point underdog, but the Panthers are 19-6-1...
First Call: NFL Star to host ‘SNL’; surprising Steeler named ‘most improved’; could Super Bowl go pay-per-view?
A surprising name is listed as the Pittsburgh Steelers most improved player. Might we see the Super Bowl go to pay-per-view? A Kansas City Chiefs star player is slated to host “Saturday Night Live” — and it’s not MVP Patrick Mahomes. Plus, we wrap up a three-pack of games from...
