Sports category, Page 1079
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...
Penguins slight underdogs for crucial meeting with Islanders
HOME FIELD SPORTS STAFF REPORT The Pittsburgh Penguins will be slight underdogs when they travel to UBS Arena to face the New York Islanders in a crucial Metropolitan Division game Friday night. Pittsburgh (27-17-9, 63 points) is currently betting at -105 on the money line, and the Islanders (27-23-7) are...
NFL may ban Eagles’ QB sneak, making some current, former Steelers very happy
Here’s a potential NFL rule change some Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players will actually embrace for a change. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward recently ripped the idea of the NFL implementing a “hip-drop tackle” ban. But he may like the latest possible addendum to the rule book. Heyward is one...
Tim Benz: Atop ACC — yet unranked — perception of Pitt raises questions about NCAA hoops evaluations
It’s the week of Valentine’s Day in Pittsburgh. It’s been well above 60 degrees the last few days. And the Pitt men’s basketball team is tied for the ACC lead. What’s next? Snow on the Fourth of July and the Pirates leading the National League Central? Honestly, back in early...
Tiger Woods’ 3-birdie finish keeps him in Genesis Invitational contentionVideo
LOS ANGELES — A day that started with butterflies ended with birdies — three in a row — as Tiger Woods navigated Riviera Country Club on Thursday with a round as crisp as the cool afternoon. Woods, playing his first competitive round in a non-major in 844 days, shot a...
Same ol’ same ol’: No progress for Black head coaches in NFL
After completing the latest round of coaching hires this week, the NFL won’t look much different on the sidelines in 2023. DeMeco Ryans was the lone Black candidate to land one of the five openings, which means the 32-team league remains stuck at three Black coaches heading toward a new...
U.S. women blank Canada, show support in labor disputeVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Mallory Swanson scored a pair of first-half goals and the United States beat Canada 2-0 Thursday night in a SheBelieves Cup match clouded by a labor dispute between the Canadian players and their federation. The Canadian women wore purple shirts during the pregame national anthems that read...
Jimmie Johnson, Travis Pastrana seek new thrills in Daytona 500 run
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Travis Pastrana has jumped out of a plane without a parachute but never driven NASCAR’s top Cup Series car over 40 mph. He never took the car for so much as a single spin on the high-banked, high-speed track at Daytona International Speedway. And despite a...
Saints’ Alvin Kamara indicted in 2022 Vegas nightclub fightVideo
LAS VEGAS — A grand jury in Nevada has indicted New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Cincinnati Bengals newly acquired cornerback Chris Lammons and two others on two criminal counts in connection with an alleged beating at a Las Vegas nightclub last February. The Clark County grand jury handed...
Robert Morris dominates down the stretch to top Green Bay
Judging by what happened to Milwaukee on Feb. 6, Robert Morris coach Andy Toole knew it would be a bad idea to overlook the Green Bay Phoenix. On the road in Milwaukee, Green Bay pulled off a stunning 1-point upset, dealing the Panthers a loss that could compromise their Horizon...
IndyCar’s Conor Daly makes Daytona 500 for Floyd Mayweather
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — IndyCar driver Conor Daly raced Floyd Mayweather into the Daytona 500 for a second consecutive year by bobbing and weaving his way through myriad issues for the ill-prepared team. Daly’s attempt to make his first Daytona 500 only was announced last week as part of a...
MLB: Bally network troubles could lead to end of blackoutsVideo
DUNEDIN, Fla. — As baseball prepares for a possible local broadcasting crisis, commissioner Rob Manfred sees an opportunity. Manfred said Thursday that MLB can produce games digitally in conjunction with MLB.TV if Bally Sports regional networks are no longer broadcasting them. In fact, he said this is a chance to...
Jeff Capel, Pitt players try to ignore outside talk, but ACC preseason poll remains motivation
There’s a specific reason why Jeff Capel doesn’t concern himself with the noise outside his office, unless it’s coming from basketballs bouncing on the floor below — where his team practices. And the reason is rooted in Capel’s personal history. The story goes back to his four seasons at Duke...
