Sports category, Page 1356
AP source: Deshaun Watson changes mind, joining Browns
Deshaun Watson changed his mind. The Browns have their franchise quarterback, one with some extra heavy baggage. Despite sexual misconduct allegations made by nearly two dozen women against Watson while he was with Houston, Cleveland will make him its starting QB, the face of its organization and the highest-paid player...
Kris Bryant, Rockies finalize $182M, 7-year contract
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Kris Bryant and the Colorado Rockies finalized their $182 million, seven-year contract on Friday. The third baseman and outfielder gets a $7 million signing bonus, payable within 15 days of the signing. He receives a $17 million salary this year, $27 million in each of the next...
Penn State football staff adds longtime offensive coordinator as analyst
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State continued to bolster its off-field staff around coach James Franklin and company by hiring another analyst in Rod Smith. “I am extremely thankful to @coachjfranklin and the @PennStateFball program for the opportunity to serve as Offensive Analyst. My family and I are excited to start...
Ohio State smothers Loyola, advances in NCAA Tournament
Humbled and hobbled, Ohio State walked inside PPG Paints Arena on Friday morning determined to defeat Loyola Chicago, quiet its critics and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Under one condition, however. The Buckeyes wanted to do it on their terms. And so they did, decisively, with...
Scheduled to graduate in May, ex-Pitt walk-on Onyebuchi Ezeakudo leaves program to explore transfer, job opportunities
Pitt basketball lost another player Friday, but this one was not unexpected. Guard Onyebuchi Ezeakudo, who is on schedule to graduate in May with a degree in bioengineering, has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal in an attempt to continue his playing career. Ezeakudo, who is also evaluating job...
Return man, receiver Ray-Ray McCloud leaves Steelers for 2-year deal with 49ers
Ray-Ray McCloud has cashed in on his career-best season with a free-agent contract from the San Francisco 49ers. The deal is for two years and can be worth as much as $10.4 million. He is the first Steelers player to leave the team in free agency. In his second year...
Now that Mitch Keller found his fastball velocity, he wants to prove he can become Pirates’ ace
BRADENTON, Fla. — The velocity drop on his four-seam fastball was as much a mystery to Mitch Keller as it was to anyone watching the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander struggle to live up to lofty expectations. Keller had touched triple digits in the minors and averaged 95.4 mph on his heater...
Penn’s Thomas becomes 1st transgender woman to win NCAAs
ATLANTA — Lia Thomas took control in the final 100 yards of the 500-yard freestyle to make history Thursday as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania senior who entered the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships as the top seed, had...
Mark Madden: Evgeni Malkin needs a winger; here’s a move the Penguins could try
Evgeni Malkin has gone six games without a point. It’s the longest slump of his career. But he’s playing OK. Malkin has taken on a bigger physical burden than usual. He’s trying hard to get things accomplished. He had points in seven consecutive games prior. Malkin’s problem is his wingers....
Pitt notebook: Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge preaches accountability
Charlie Partridge leads a group of 20 Pitt defensive linemen, the largest position group on the team. But it’s not the quantity that most intrigues Partridge, who is in his sixth season on Pat Narduzzi’s staff after five years earlier this century under Walt Harris and Dave Wannstedt. It’s the...
Penn State leads after first day of NCAA wrestling championships
DETROIT — Penn State led the team race after two rounds of the NCAA wrestling championships Thursday, with six of its nine wrestlers moving to the quarterfinals. The Nittany Lions will head into Friday with 27.5 points, 5 1/2 ahead of Arizona State, which had five of its seven wrestlers...
Brackets busted: Tiny Saint Peter’s shocks No. 2 seed Kentucky in OTVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Saint Peter’s acted like it had been there before. After the 15th-seeded Peacocks bounced storied Kentucky from the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, they calmly exchanged handshakes with the Wildcats before heading over to the opposite sideline to celebrate with a small contingent of true believers. The tiny...
Penguins find balance in shootout win against Blues
With roughly six weeks remaining the regular season, Mike Sullivan is trying some new things. Research and development, if you will. The Penguins’ coach has flipped the right wingers on the team’s top two lines and he’s all but shuffled his defensive pairings using a bingo cage the past handful...
Russian media: Detention of WNBA’s Brittney Griner extended to May 19Video
Russian media reported that the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner was extended until May 19, a development that could see the two-time Olympic champion being held for at least three months before her case is resolved. The case of the 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in...
Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson returns to lineup
Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson returned to the lineup for a road contest against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Thursday. A healthy scratch the previous two games, Pettersson opened the game on the third pairing with defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. Before this week, Pettersson never had been a healthy...
AP source: Raiders acquiring WR Davante Adams from PackersVideo
The Las Vegas Raiders made a blockbuster move to keep up in the AFC West, acquiring All-Pro receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers. A person familiar with the move said Thursday the Raiders are sending the No. 22 overall pick in the April draft and additional compensation to...
NCAA Tournament roundup: Top-seeded Gonzaga pulls away from Georgia StateVideo
Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half, and top overall seed Gonzaga struggled to shake No. 16 seed Georgia State for 30 minutes before pulling away late for a 93-72 victory Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Zags (27-3) were sluggish...
No. 13 Chattanooga looking to capitalize on its ‘One Shining Moment’
David Jean-Baptiste started the madness this March. He and his Chattanooga Mocs teammates are hoping it won’t be their “One Shining Moment.” Jean-Baptiste drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime to defeat Furman, 64-63, in the Southern Conference championship game March 7 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. It was...
Breaking down No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB 9:20 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 4 Illinois/No. 12 Chattanooga in second round Sunday Series history: UAB leads 18-6 Houston Cougars (28-5, 15-3 American) Coach: Kelvin Sampson How they got here: Houston earned an automatic bid...
Breaking down No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga 6:50 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 5 Houston/No. 12 UAB in the second round Sunday Series history: Chattanooga leads 2-0 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-9, 15-5 Big Ten) Coach: Brad Underwood How they got here: Illinois earned...
Big Ten tourney champ Iowa knocked out early by RichmondVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jacob Gilyard scored 24 points, Tyler Burton added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 12 seed Richmond leaned on its experience to hold off Big Ten tournament champ Iowa, 67-63, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Nathan Cayo also had 15 points,...
NCAA’s stars ready to shine on PPG Paints Arena stage
There’s no denying the treacherous trail that even the most elite of college basketball players encounter when seeking a coveted space on the NBA stage. Obviously, there are only so many roster spots. But if you have what it takes, the NBA will notice. “I try not to make it...
Villanova coach Jay Wright worried Delaware’s Dylan Painter may know too much
Other than five Big East rivals, there may be no team in the NCAA Tournament field of 68 that Jay Wright knows better than Delaware. Yet, the Villanova coach isn’t ashamed to tell you about the “fear” he has felt preparing his Wildcats (26-7) to meet the Blue Hens (22-12)...
Saint Vincent set to start wrestling team
Wrestling once prospered at Saint Vincent College. From 1963-75, the school sponsored a full-fledged NAIA program before it faded into a club team. Rumblings of a program reboot turned into much more than that Thursday when SVC announced wrestling will return as the school’s 24th varsity sport. Backed by supportive...
Report: Ahkello Witherspoon returns to Steelers on 2-year contract
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a two-year contract, CBS Sports reported. Acquired in a trade with Seattle before the 2021 season, Witherspoon finished the season in the starting lineup and became a free agent Wednesday. The Steelers already signed cornerback Levi Wallace to a two-year,...
